Summary: In this episode, we discuss part 2 of 2 on the influential people whose writings give us incite into the economic, social, and political happenings that reshaped archaic age Greece ca. 625 BC - the Penthiliadai, the ruling family of Mytilene, were ousted, leading to rival factions competing for power on Lesbos ca. 610 BC - the tyrant Melanchrus was ousted by a faction that included Alcaeus' brothers and Pittacus; Myrsilus became the next tyrant ca. 605 BC - Myrsilus dies, Athens challenges Mytilene for control of Sigeion in the Troad, an event which was arbitrated by Periander in favor of Athens ca. 600 BC - political unrest again took root on Lesbos, which forced the poets Sappho and Alcaeus into exile ca. 590 BC - the Mytileneans entrusted Pittacus with absolute power to heal the sores of the city; in doing so, he recalled all exiles and enacted a general amnesty ca. 590-580 BC - Sappho instituted a school of music and poetry for upper-class women on Lesbos 578 BC - Pittacus lays down absolute power and retires from political life Pittacus of Lesbos (648-568 BC) Sappho and Alcaeus of Lesbos (ca. 630-570 BC) Bias of Priene (fl. 6th century BC) Cleobulus of Rhodes (fl. 6th century BC) Aesop (620-564 BC) Stesichorus of Metauros (ca. 630-555 BC) Earliest stages of the Gortyn legal code (ca. 600-525 BC) Theognis of Megara (fl. 550 BC) Phocylides of Miletus (fl. 550 BC) Hipponax of Ephesus (fl. 550 BC) Anacreon of Teos (ca. 570-485 BC) Ibycus of Rhegium (fl. 525 BC)
