Archaic Athens and Tyranny. The Origins of the Athenian Public Finances

The tyranny of the Peisistratids marked a fundamental step in the formation of Athenian public finances due to the greater military needs of the tyrants, especially under Hippias, compared to the constitutional regime. Although the Peisistratus’ land tithe was abolished by the young Athenian democracy, several taxes survived in the classical age leading to the conclusion that, at least in Athens, direct taxation was introduced by tyrants, but it was preserved in certain forms even under democracy, thus suggesting that there was not an inseparable link between direct taxation and tyranny.