History of the Peloponnesian War

But as time passed the Athenians grew weary of the siege and most of them went away, committing the task of guarding to the nine Archons, to whom they also gave full power to settle the whole matter as they might determine to be best;

for at that time[*](i.e. before the legislation of Solon; from that time the power of the Archons decreased, and was restricted chiefly to judicial functions.) the nine Arclons transacted most of the public business.

But Cylon and those who were being besieged with him were in hard straits through lack of food and water. So Cylon and his brother escaped; but the rest, when they were in great distress and some of them were even dying of hunger, sat down as suppliants at the altar[*](Of Athena Polias.) on the Acropolis.

And the Athenians who had been charged with guarding them, when they saw them dying in the temple, caused them to arise on promise of doing them no harm, and leading them away put them to death; and some who in passing by took refuge at the altar of the Awful Goddesses[*](The sanctuary of the Eumenides, which lay between the Acropolis and the Areopagus.) they dispatched even there. For this act both they and their descendants[*](Chiefly the Alcmaeonidae, whose head was Megacles, Archon at the time of Cylon's attempt.) were called accursed and sinners against the Goddess.