Curse of the Alcmaeonidae

Passages from Historians on the Curse of the Alcmaeonids

Cylon

Herodotus

Histories V

The way in which "The Accursed" at Athens got their name, was the following. There was a certain Athenian called Cylon, a victor at the Olympic Games, who aspired to the sovereignty, and aided by a number of his companions, who were of the same age with himself, made an attempt to seize the citadel. But the attack failed; and Cylon became a suppliant at the image. Hereupon the Heads of the Naucraries, who at that time bore rule in Athens, induced the fugitives to remove by a promise to spare their lives. Nevertheless they were all slain; and the blame was laid on the Alcmaeonidae.
Herodotus Texts

Thucydides

In 432, in an attempt to avert the (2d) Peloponnesian War, a Spartan embassy told the Athenians to "drive out the curse of the goddess," a direct reference to the Alcmaeonid curse the Athenian leader Pericles was heir to.

Thucydides 1.126.
[1.126.1] This interval was spent in sending embassies to Athens charged with complaints, in order to obtain as good a pretext for war as possible, in the event of her paying no attention to them. [1.126.2] The first Lacedaemonian embassy was to order the Athenians to drive out the curse of the goddess; the history of which is as follows.

Thucydides Texts

Plutarch Life of Solon

Now the Cylonian pollution had a long while disturbed the commonwealth, ever since the time when Megacles the archon persuaded the conspirators with Cylon that took sanctuary in Minerva's temple to come down and stand to a fair trial. And they, tying a thread to the image, and holding one end of it, went down to the tribunal; but when they came to the temple of the Furies, the thread broke of its own accord, upon which, as if the goddess had refused them protection, they were seized by Megacles and the other magistrates as many as were without the temples were stoned, these that fled for sanctuary were butchered at the altar, and only those escaped who made supplication to the wives of the magistrates. But they from that time were considered under pollution, and regarded with hatred.