er have displayed to the Persians a shield
by a previous understanding, with the desire that the Athenians
should be under the Barbarians and under Hippias; seeing that they are
evidently proved to have been haters of despots as much or more than
Callias the son of Phainippos and father of Hipponicos, while Callias
for his part was the only man of all the Athenians who dared, when
Peisistratos was driven out of Athens, to buy his goods offered for sale
by the State, and in other ways also he contrived against him everything
that was most hostile:

122. Of this Callias it is fitting that every one should have
remembrance for many reasons: first because of that which has been
before said, namely that he was a man of excellence in freeing his
country; and then also for that which he did at the Olympic games,
wherein he gained a victory in the horse-race and was second in the
chariot-race, and he had before this been a victor at the Pythian games,
so that he was distinguished in the sight of all Hellenes by the sums
which he expended; and finally because he showed himself a man of such
liberality towards his daughters, who were three in number; for
when they came to be of ripe age for marriage, he gave them a most
magnificent dowry and also indulged their inclinations; for whomsoever
of all the Athenians each one of them desired to choose as a husband for
herself, to that man he gave her.] 109.

123, and similarly, 110 the Alcmaionidai were haters of despots equally
or more 111 than he. Therefore this is a cause of wonder to me, and I do
not admit the accusation that these they were who displayed the shield;
seeing that they were in exile from the despots during their whole time,
and that by their contrivance the sons of Peisistratos gave up their
rule. Thus it follows that they were the men who set Athens free much
more than Harmodios and Aristogeiton, as I judge: for these my slaying
Hipparchos exasperated the rest of the family of Peisistratos, and
did not at all cause the others to cease from their despotism; but the
Alcmaionidai did evidently set Athens free, at least if these were in
truth the men who persuaded the Pythian prophetess to signify to the
Lacedemonians that they should set Athens free, as I have set forth
before..

124. It may be said however that they had some cause of complaint
against the people of the Athenians, and therefore endeavoured to betray
their native city. But on the contrary there were n