Pisistratus

Pisistratus, or Peisistratus (600–527 B.C.), tyrant of Athens, whose benign rule and fostering of commerce and the arts made Athens the foremost city in Greece. In 560 B.C. he seized power in a popular coup d'état. Aristocrats, having returned from exile, ousted him in 552, but in 541 he established himself firmly. He enforced Solon's laws, promoted public works, and was succeeded by his sons.