Three timers

Have been charting the exploits of the resilient Athenian tyrant Peisistratus.

Three times he got Athens to suspend its famous democracy. The first time was in 560, when several factions had been vying for control of Athens. Peisistratus turned up in the market place, claimed he'd been victimised by his opponents, and was granted a bodyguard which he used to establish his HQ on the Acropolis (pre-Parthenon of course) and gain absolute power. Then around 555 a rival coalition managed to kick him out, but its head man, Megacles, couldn't maintain support and invited Peisistratus back to marry his daughter. When Peisistratus did return, he brought with him a young lady dressed as Athene, and everybody believed he had the goddess' support and let him begin a second period of power. This ended when Megacles accused Peisistratus of failing in his marital duties towards his daughter (he'd had no children by her, though he may have done with other women) and raised enough support to eject him again. This time he had to raise military support in Thebes and Naxos and defeat the Athenian army in open battle to regain power, which he held from around 535 until his death in 528/7.

It serves to remind you that Athenian politics (Roman politics too) was often more like The Godfather than The West Wing. It also got me thinking about other political three-timers. Like:

Dick Whittington
Famously thrice Mayor of London - the first two times run into each other, but the first term was appointed by Richard II and the second was elected. He gained the first term by buying the cash-strapped city's freedom out of his own pocket.

Peter Mandelson
Resigned from the cabinet firstly over a mortgage, secondly over a passport. Gordon Brown brought him back for a third stint by giving him a seat in the House of Lords. Although sitting in the Lords, the government took the usual step of also allowing him to speak in the Commons, to answer questions on his department. Last time that sort of thing happened we had a civil war. Fortunately this time, only a general election was required.

Winston Churchill
Only Prime Minister twice of course, but before the wilderness years of 1945-50 he'd already experienced another fallow period. Following his role in the Gallipoli landings of 1915 his glittering career took a deep dive, even including a spell in the Liberal party.

St John Chrysostom
Popular bishop of Constantinople, exiled in 403 (following a politically motivated trial that had only been made possible after John had dissed the empress's fashion sense) he was soon brought back only to be re-exiled by another synod in 404. Brought back in triumph in 438, though by this time he'd been dead for 31 years (yes, cheating a bit there).

W E Gladsone
An honourable mention, for he was Prime Minister 4 times. Twice alternating with Disraeli from 1868-1885; once briefly in 1886, only to see his party split over Ireland and have to hand over power to the Tories; finally, in his eighties, at the head of a minority government relying on Irish Nationalists.

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