Before the Athenian democracy, the tyrants, and the archons, the city-state of Athens was ruled by kings. Most of these are probably mythical or only semi-historical. This list is based on that given by Eusebius of Caesarea.

Earliest kings

These two kings were supposed to have ruled before the flood of the Deucalion story.

• Ogygus
• Actaeus

Erechthids or Cecropidae

Cecrops was considered the first true king of Athens, although he was a mythical half-man half-serpent. The dates for the following kings were conjectured centuries later.

• Cecrops I 1556 - 1506 BC.
• Cranaus 1506 - 1497 BC.
• Amphictyon 1497 - 1487 BC.
• Erichthonius 1487 - 1437 BC.
• Pandion I 1437 - 1397 BC.
• Erechtheus 1397 - 1347 BC.
• Cecrops II 1347 - 1307 BC.
• Pandion II 1307 - 1282 BC.
• Aegeus 1282 - 1234 BC.
• Theseus 1234 - 1204 BC. (or 1213 BC).
• Menestheus 1204 - 1181 BC (or 1213 - 1191 BC).
• Demophon 1181 - 1147 BC.
• Oxyntes 1147 - 1135 BC.
• Apheidas 1135 - 1134 BC.
• Thymoetes 1134 - 1126 BC.

Melanthids or Codridae

• Melanthus 1126 - 1089 BC.
• Codrus 1089 - 1068 BC.

After Codrus's death, his heirs ceased to be kings, and became hereditary archons. In 753 BC the hereditary archonship was replaced by a non-hereditary system (see Archons of Athens).

Further reading