Cleisthenes was a famous statesman in Ancient Athens who is credited for establishing democracy in Athens at the end of the 6th century. Cleisthenes was born into well-known aristocratic family in 570 BC. His father, Megacles, was considered an very important statesman in Athens. However, it was another popular statesman, known as Solon, who influenced the young Cleisthenes' beliefs on democracy. Solon, considered one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece, tried to limit the overreaching powers of the aristocrats by creating the Council of Four Hundred Men to represent the entire population, wealthy and poor. Cleisthenes grew into an influential politician. After 40 years of tyrannical rule, he overthrew the current ruler, Hippias, only to get defeated by another nobleman, Isagoras, in 508 BC. Isagorus received help from Spartan troops to obtain power. He ruled as the head of three hundred nobleman who wanted to keep Athens under the control of the wealthy. He banished Cleisthenes and his entire clan, the Alcmaeonids out of Athens, and also disbanded the Council of Four Hundred Men. This final act is what caused the ordinary citizens of Athens to revolt in 507 BC. The people of Athens fought against Isagorus, his allies and the Spartan troops for two days, until they finally trapped Isagorus and his allies on the Acropolis. Isagorus was forced to agree to a truce in which the Spartan troops left the city and his allies were executed. The citizens of Athens turned to Cleisthenes to ask him to build a government that was for the people, also known as a demos, or what is known today as a democracy. Cleisthenes immediately went to work reforming Athens, creating a general assembly of Athenian men, both commoners and nobleman who each got one vote. The general assembly voted on everything from raising taxes to declaring war. He also organized Athens into ten tribes based on location and not on traditional family relations. The new democratic system was the start of a prosperous age in Athens.