Who ruled early Athens before a democracy was established?

Before the establishment of democracy in Athens, the city was ruled by a series of aristocratic leaders and kings. Initially, Athens was governed by monarchs, but over time, power shifted to a group of aristocrats known as the Eupatridae. The political landscape evolved further with the reforms of leaders like Solon in the early 6th century BCE, who began to lay the groundwork for democratic governance by reducing aristocratic power and increasing participation among the citizenry.