were routed and there fell of them more than forty men; so the
survivors departed without more ado and went straight back to
Thessaly. Then Cleomenes came to the city together with those of the
Athenians who desired to be free, and began to besiege the despots
shut up in the Pelasgian wall. 64. And the Lacedemonians would never
have captured the sons of Peisistratos at all; for they on their side
had no design to make a long blockade, and the others were well
provided with food and drink; so that they would have gone away back
to Sparta after besieging them for a few days only: but as it was, a
thing happened just at this time which was unfortunate for those, and
at the same time of assistance to these; for the children of the sons
of Peisistratos were captured, while being secretly removed out of the
country: and when this happened, all their matters were thereby cast
into confusion, and they surrendered receiving back their children on
the terms which the Athenians desired, namely that they should depart
out of Attica within five days. After this they departed out of the
country and went to Sigeion on the Scamander, after their family had
ruled over the Athenians for six-and-thirty years. These also[54a]
were originally Pylians and sons of Neleus, descended from the same
ancestors as the family of Codros and Melanthos, who had formerly
become kings of Athens being settlers from abroad. Hence too
Hippocrates had given to his son the name of Peisistratos as a
memorial, calling him after Peisistratos the son of Nestor.

Thus the Athenians were freed from despots; and the things worthy to
be narrated which they did or suffered after they were liberated, up
to the time when Ionia revolted from Dareios and Aristagoras the
Milesian came to Athens and asked them to help him, these I will set
forth first before I proceed further.