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Pisistratus, having thus recovered the sovereignty, married,
according to agreement, the daughter of Megacles. As, however, he
had already a family of grown up sons, and the Alcmaeonidae were
supposed to be under a curse, he determined that there should be no
issue of the marriage. His wife at first kept this matter to herself,
but after a time, either her mother questioned her, or it may be that
she told it of her own accord. At any rate, she informed her mother,
and so it reached her father's ears. Megacles, indignant at
receiving an affront from such a quarter, in his anger instantly made
up his differences with the opposite faction, on which Pisistratus,
aware of what was planning against him, took himself out of the
country. Arrived at Eretria, he held a council with his children to
decide what was to be done. The opinion of Hippias prevailed, and it
was agreed to aim at regaining the sovereignty. The first step was to
obtain advances of money from such states as were under obligations to
them. By these means they collected large sums from several
countries, especially from the Thebans, who gave them far more than
any of the rest. To be brief, time passed, and all was at length got
ready for their return. A band of Argive mercenaries arrived from the
Peloponnese, and a certain Naxian named Lygdamis, who volunteered
his services, was particularly zealous in the cause, supplying both
men and money.
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