A wealthy citizen, named
Timophanes, left two daughters; Dexander, another citizen, wanted to
obtain them for his sons; but he was rejected in his suit, whereupon
he stirred up a revolution, and instigated the Athenians (of whom he
was proxenus) to interfere. A similar quarrel about an heiress arose
at Phocis between Mnaseas the father of Mnason, and Euthycrates the
father of Onomarchus; this was the beginning of the Sacred War. A
marriage-quarrel was also the cause of a change in the government of
Epidamnus. A certain man betrothed his daughter to a person whose
father, having been made a magistrate, fined the father of the girl,
and the latter, stung by the insult, conspired with the unenfranchised
classes to overthrow the state.
Governments also change into oligarchy or into democracy or into a
constitutional government because the magistrates, or some other
section of the state, increase in power or renown. Thus at Athens
the reputation gained by the court of the Areopagus, in the Persian
War, seemed to tighten the reins of government. On the other hand, the
victory of Salamis, which was gained by the common people who served
in the fleet, and won for the Athenians the empire due to command of
the sea, strengthened the democracy. At Argos, the notables, having
distinguished themselves against the Lacedaemonians in the battle of
Mantinea, attempted to put down the democracy.
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