This document summarizes political events in Mitylene on the island of Lesbos around 600 BC. It describes the overthrow of the ancestral kings, the Penthilidae, who were replaced by tyrants like Melanchros and Myrsilos. Alcaeus and his companions opposed Myrsilos but later Pittacus switched sides to support him. After Myrsilos died, Pittacus was elected dictator for 10 years to deal with a military threat from Alcaeus and his allies who were exiled but receiving foreign support. The document also provides comparative texts about drinking from Herodotus and the Iliad to provide context for Alcaeus' poems about wine and truth.

2.  Political Upheavals in Mitylene on Lesbos around 600 B.C.:

 Ancestral Kings: The Penthilidae, who trace their ancestry to Penthilus, son of the
hero Orestes, who founded Mitylene. Their arrogance and brutality leads to their
overthrow by Megacles and his friends. Later Penthilus was killed by Smerdis.

 Tyrants: As opposed to kings, whose power is hereditary and who have fixed
privileges, tyrants are strongmen who seize power and whose privileges have no
limits. They usually come to power with popular support.

 Melanchros. First tyrant of Mitylene, is overthrown by Pittacus and the brothers of
Alcaeus between 612 and 608.
 Myrsilos. Second tyrant of Mitylene, implacably opposed by Alcaeus and his
companions (hetairoi). Pittacus, however, changed sides and supported Myrsilos.
After an unsuccessful plot to kill Myrsilos, Alcaeus is forced into exile in the town of
Pyrrha on Lesbos. When Myrsilos eventually dies (or is killed), Alcaeus calls for
everyone to get drunk in celebration (fr.332). Alcaeus returns to Mitylene.
 Pittacus. Alcaeus and his comrades are forced again into exile, but receive foreign
(Lydian) financial support for a military attempt to take power in Mitylene. Pittacus is
elected dictator or tyrant by the people to meet this threat and governs Mitylene
successfully for 10 years.

3. Alcaeus & Sappho, Brygos Painter

6. Comparative Texts for
Drinking in Alcaeus:
Wine reveals character:
 fr.333, "wine is a peep-hole into a man”
 fr.366, "wine, dear boy, and truth

7.  Herodotus story of Hippokleides, a suitor of Agariste, daughter of the
tyrant Kleisthenes of Sikyon (VI 126-130):
 In the next generation Cleisthenes the tyrant of Sicyon raised that house
still higher, so that it grew much more famous in Hellas than it had
formerly been. Cleisthenes son of Aristonymus son of Myron son of
Andreas had one daughter, whose name was Agariste. He desired to wed
her to the best man he could find in Hellas. [2] It was the time of the
Olympian games, and when he was victor there with a four-horse chariot,
Cleisthenes made a proclamation that whichever Greek thought himself
worthy to be his son-in-law should come on the sixtieth day from then or
earlier to Sicyon, and Cleisthenes would make good his promise of
marriage in a year from that sixtieth day. [3] Then all Greeks who were
proud of themselves and their country came as suitors, and to that end
Cleisthenes had them compete in running and wrestling contests. CXXVII
From Italy came Smindyrides of Sybaris, son of Hippocrates, the most
luxurious liver of his day (and Sybaris was then at the height of its
prosperity), and Damasus of Siris, son of that Amyris who was called the
Wise. [2] These came from Italy; from the Ionian Gulf, Amphimnestus son
of Epistrophus, an Epidamnian; he was from the Ionian Gulf. From Aetolia
came Males, the brother of that Titormus who surpassed all the Greeks in
strength, and fled from the sight of men to the farthest parts of the
Aetolian land. [3] From the Peloponnese came Leocedes, son of Phidon
the tyrant of Argos, that Phidon who made weights and measures for the
Peloponnesians1 and acted more arrogantly than any other Greek; he
drove out the Elean contest-directors and held the contests at Olympia
himself. This man's son now came, andAmiantus, an Arcadian from
Trapezus, son of Lycurgus; and an Azenian from the town of Paeus,
Laphanes, son of that Euphorion who, as the Arcadian tale relates, gave
lodging to the Dioscuri, and ever since kept open house for all men; and
Onomastus from Elis, son of Agaeus.

8.  [4] These came from the Peloponnese itself; from Athens
Megacles, son of that Alcmeon who visited Croesus, and also
Hippocleides son of Tisandrus, who surpassed the Athenians
in wealth and looks. From Eretria, which at that time was
prosperous, came Lysanias; he was the only man from
Euboea. From Thessaly came a Scopad, Diactorides of
Crannon; and from the Molossians, Alcon. CXXVIII. These
were the suitors. When they arrived on the appointed day,
Cleisthenes first inquired the country and lineage of each; then
he kept them with him for a year, testing their manliness and
temper and upbringing and manner of life; this he did by
consorting with them alone and in company, putting the
younger of them to contests of strength, but especially
watching their demeanor at the common meal; for as long as
he kept them with him, he did everything for them and
entertained them with magnificence. [2] The suitors that most
pleased him were the ones who had come from Athens, and of
these Hippocleides son of Tisandrus was judged foremost,
both for his manliness and because in ancestry he was related
to the Cypselids of Corinth.

9. CXXIX. When the appointed day came for the marriage feast and for
Cleisthenes' declaration of whom he had chosen out of them all, Cleisthenes
sacrificed a hundred oxen and gave a feast to the suitors and to the whole of
Sicyon. [2] After dinner the suitors vied with each other in music and in
anecdotes for all to hear. As they sat late drinking, Hippocleides, now far
outdoing the rest, ordered the flute-player to play him a dance-tune; the flute-
player obeyed and he began to dance. I suppose he pleased himself with his
dancing, but Cleisthenes saw the whole business with much disfavor. [3]
Hippocleides then stopped for a while and ordered a table to be brought in;
when the table arrived, he danced Laconian figures on it first, and then Attic;
last of all he rested his head on the table and made gestures with his legs in the
air. [4] Now Cleisthenes at the first and the second bout of dancing could no
more bear to think of Hippocleides as his son-in-law, because of his dancing
and his shamelessness, but he had held himself in check, not wanting to
explode at Hippocleides; but when he saw him making gestures with his legs,
he could no longer keep silence and said, “son of Tisandrus, you have danced
away your marriage.” Hippocleides said in answer, “It does not matter to
Hippocleides!” Since then this is proverbial. CXXX. Then Cleisthenes bade
them all be silent and spoke to the company at large: “Suitors for my daughter's
hand, I thank you one and all; if it were possible I would grant each of you his
wish, neither choosing out one to set him above another nor disparaging the
rest. [2] But since I have but one maiden to plan for and so cannot please all of
you, to those of you whose suit is rejected I make a gift of a talent of silver to
each, for his desire to take a wife from my house and for his sojourn away from
his home; and to Megacles son of Alcmeon do I betroth my daughter Agariste,

10. Deliberating about important matters while at drink:
Herodotus I 133: the Persians "customarily deliberate about the gravest
matters when they are drunk, and what they approve in their counsels is
proposed to them the next day by the master of the house where they
deliberate, when they are now sober and if being sober they still approve it,
they act thereon, but if not, they cast it aside. And when they have taken
counsel about a matter when sober, they decide upon it when they are drunk".
Iliad 9.65ff.: At Nestor's suggestion, the Achaean heroes gather at nightfall.
Nestor urges Agamemnon:
Divide a feast among the princes; it befits you, it is not 70
unbecoming. our shelters are filled with wine that the Achaean
ships carry day by day from Thrace across the wide water.
All hospitality is for you; you are lord over many.
When many assemble together follow him who advises
 the best counsel... 75

11.  Vows at symposium:
 During the feast (Iliad 9.120ff.), Agamemnon declares that he is prepared to be reconciled with
Ach. and promises recompense:
I am willing to make all good, and give back gifts in abundance. 120
Before you all I will count off my gifts in their splendour:
seven unfired tripods; ten talents' weight of gold; twenty
shining cauldrons; and twelve horses, strong, race-competitors...
Iliad 20.84ff: Apollo (in the shape of Lykaon) addresses Aeneas:
Aeneas, lord of the Trojans' counsels. Where are those threats gone
which as you drank your wine you made before Troy's kings, solemnly,
that you would match yur battle strength with Peleian Achilleus?

12. Iliad 8.228-233: Agamemnon chides Greeks fleeing Hektor:
Shame, you Argives, poor nonentities splendid to look on.
Where are your high words gone, when we said that we were the bravest?
those words you spoke before all in hollow vaunting at Lemnos
when you were filled with abundant meat of the high-horned oxen
and drank from the great bowls filled to the brim with wine, how each
man could stand up against a hundred or even two hundred Trojans.

13. Alcaeus 357 L-P:
The great house glitters with bronze: the hall is all decked 2
with shining helmets; white horse-hair plumes nod down
from them, adornments for the heads of men; shining bronze
greaves hang round and hide the pegs, a fence against the arrow's
might, 5
new linen breastplates and hollow shields lie thrown upon the floor.
Here are blades from Chalcis, here are many belts and tunics.
All this cannot be forgotten, since first we undertook this task of
ours.

14. Compare standard Iliadic scene of arming, 3.328-338 (Paris):
One of them put about his shoulders his splendid armour,
brilliant Alexandros, the lord of lovely-haired Helen.
First he placed along his legs the fair greaves linked with cf. Alc. 357
silver fastenings to hold the greaves at the ankles.
Afterwards he girt on about his chest the corselet cf. Alc. 357
of Lykaon his brother since this fitted him also.
Across his shoulders he slung the sword with the nails of silver, cf. Alc. 357.7
a bronze sword, and above it the great shield, huge and heavy. cf. Alc. 357.6
Over his powerful head he set the well-fashioned helmet cf. Alc. 357
With the horse-hair crest, and the plumes nodded terribly above it. cf. Alc. 357
He took up a strong-shafted spear that fitted his hand’s grip.
= 16.131 (Patroklos)