In this way his first return took place. Afterwards, as he was expelled a second time in about the seventh year after his return—for he did not maintain his hold for long, but came to be afraid of both the factions owing to his unwillingness to live with Megacles' daughter as his wife, and secretly withdrew—; [2] and first he collected a settlement at a place near the Gulf of Thermae called Rhaecelus, but from there he went on to the neighborhood of Pangaeus, from where he got money and hired soldiers, and in the eleventh year went again to Eretria, and now for the first time set about an attempt to recover his power by force, being supported in this by a number of people, especially the Thebans and Lygdamis of Naxos, and also the knights who controlled the government of Eretria. [3] Winning the battle of Pallenis,1 he seized the government and disarmed the people; and now he held the tyranny firmly, and he took Naxos and appointed Lygdamis ruler. [4] The way in which he disarmed the people was this: he held an armed muster at the Temple of Theseus, and began to hold an Assembly, but he lowered his voice a little, and when they said they could not hear him, he told them to come up to the forecourt of the Acropolis, in order that his voice might carry better; and while he used up time in making a speech, the men told off for this purpose gathered up the arms,2 locked them up in the neighboring buildings of the Temple of Theseus, and came and informed Peisistratus. [5] He, when he had finished the rest of his speech, told his audience not to be surprised at what had happened about their arms, and not to be dismayed, but to go away and occupy themselves with their private affairs, while he would attend to all public business.
In this way his first return took place. Afterwards, as he was expelled a second time in about the seventh year after his return—for he did not maintain his hold for long, but came to be afraid of both the factions owing to his unwillingness to live with Megacles' daughter as his wife, and secretly withdrew—; [2] and first he collected a settlement at a place near the Gulf of Thermae called Rhaecelus, but from there he went on to the neighborhood of Pangaeus, from where he got money and hired soldiers, and in the eleventh year went again to Eretria, and now for the first time set about an attempt to recover his power by force, being supported in this by a number of people, especially the Thebans and Lygdamis of Naxos, and also the knights who controlled the government of Eretria. [3] Winning the battle of Pallenis,1 he seized the government and disarmed the people; and now he held the tyranny firmly, and he took Naxos and appointed Lygdamis ruler. [4] The way in which he disarmed the people was this: he held an armed muster at the Temple of Theseus, and began to hold an Assembly, but he lowered his voice a little, and when they said they could not hear him, he told them to come up to the forecourt of the Acropolis, in order that his voice might carry better; and while he used up time in making a speech, the men told off for this purpose gathered up the arms,2 locked them up in the neighboring buildings of the Temple of Theseus, and came and informed Peisistratus. [5] He, when he had finished the rest of his speech, told his audience not to be surprised at what had happened about their arms, and not to be dismayed, but to go away and occupy themselves with their private affairs, while he would attend to all public business.