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Thucydides (i. 126) completes and corrects this account of Cylon's coup d'état, which is clearly based on Alcmaeonid tradition. Plutarch (Solon 12) is in general agreement with Thucydides, but probably drew immediately from some Atthis. The chief points of difference are:

(1) Cylon received aid from his father-in-law, Theagenes of Megara.

(2) Being encouraged by the Delphic oracle to make the attempt at the chief festival of Zeus, he, an Olympic victor, chose the Olympic games, not the Attic Diasia.

(3) He actually seized the Acropolis and was there besieged for some time by the Attic levies under the Archons.

(4) Cylon and his brother escaped, their followers were slaughtered.

ἐπὶ τυραννίδι ἐκόμησε, ‘set his cap at a tyranny.’ Cf. Arist. Vesp. 1317ἐπὶ τῷ κομᾷς”: for ἐπί marking the end cf. i. 66. 1; and for pride in wearing the hair long cf. i. 82. 7, 8.

τὸ ἄγαλμα: probably the Athene Polias in the earlier Erechtheum. Cf. ch. 72. 3 n.

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