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Hippias (tyrant)

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Hippias
Ἱππίας
TyrantofAthens
In office
527 – 510 BC
Preceded byPeisistratus
Personal details
Bornc.570 BC
Athens
Died490 BC (agedc.80)
Lemnos
RelationsHipparchus(brother)
ChildrenArchediceand 4 others
ParentPisistratus
Military service
Allegiance Achaemenid Empire
Years of service490 BC
Battles/wars
First Persian invasion of Greece

Hippias(Ancient Greek:Ἱππίας,romanized:Hippías;c. 570 BC– 490 BC) was the lasttyrantofAthens,ruling from 527 to 510 BC. He was one of the Peisistratids, a group of three tyrants inAncient Greece.Pisistratusfirst, and then his son, Hippias, followed after him by Hippias' illegitimate son,Hegesistratos.He was deposed whenCleomenes Iof Sparta successfully invaded Athens and forced him to flee to Persia.[1]

Early life[edit]

Hippias was born around 570 BC as the eldest son ofPisistratus,the first tyrant of Athens.[2]When his father was forced to flee toEretriaafter insultingMegaklesby having intercourse with his daughter in an indecent way, Peisistratos held counsel with his sons. Hippias suggested that they should retake the tyranny, which his father agreed to. Preparations began for which Athens fell to Peisistratos for the third time in 546 BC.[3]

Tyrant of Athens[edit]

Death of the tyrant Hipparchus, by the Syriskos Painter, 475-470 BC

Hippias succeeded Peisistratos as tyrant of Athens in 528/7 BC when his father died of advanced age. He was a patron of poets and craftsmen and under his rule Athens experienced a time of prosperity.

His brotherHipparchus,who may have ruled jointly with him, was murdered byHarmodius and Aristogeiton(thetyrannicides) in 514 BC during thePanathenaicfestival. Aristogeiton was resentful at the advances made by Hipparchus toward Harmodius and with a small group of accomplices he had planned to kill both Hipparchus and his brother. When the plot failed and only Hipparchus was slain, the group was captured by Hippias' soldiers. The tyrant had Aristogeiton executed after torture while Harmodius was killed on the spot.[4]It was said that Hippias thereafter became a bitter and cruel ruler over the next four years contrary to his father who was seen as moderate in his exercise of power. Hippias began executing a large number of citizens, exiling others, and imposing harsh taxes.[5]His cruelty soon created unrest among his subjects and theAlkmeonidclan, who had previously ruled in Athens, along with other exiles attempted to free Athens from Hippias by force.[6]As he began losing control, he sought military support from the Persians. He managed to form an alliance by marrying his daughter,Archedice,toAiantides,son ofHippoklos,the tyrant ofLampsakos.[7]This relationship with Hippoklos helped facilitate Hippias' access toDarius'court atSusa.[8]

TheAlcmaeonidaefamily ofAthens,which Peisistratus had exiled in 546 BC, was concerned about Hippias forming alliances with the Persian ruling class, and began planning an invasion to depose him.Cleisthenes,an Alcmaeonidian who had served asarchonin 525/4 BC before being exiled, bribed thePythian priestessofDelphito tell the Spartans that they should help liberate the Athenians.[9]After a failed expedition,Cleomenes Iof Sparta successfully invaded Athens in 510 BC and trapped Hippias on theAcropolis.[10][11]They also took the Pisistratidae children hostage and forced Hippias to leave Athens in order to have them returned safely. Power of the city was then handed over to the Athenian magistrates thus beginning theAthenian democracy.The deposed tyrant was granted safe passage toSigeumfrom which he made the journey to Lampsakos and then to King Darius inPersiawhere he stayed at court.[12]

Attempts to reclaim the tyranny and death[edit]

The Spartans later concluded that a free anddemocraticAthens would be dangerous to Spartan power and that it would be weaker and easier to control if under a tyranny. The Spartans then attempted to recall Hippias from Persia and re-establish the tyranny.[13]Hippias arrived, but was soon forced into exile once more when the Corinthians and the other Spartan allies expressed that they did not think a tyranny should be imposed upon any of the Greek cities.[14]As Hippias made his way back, he was offered the cities ofAnthemousandIolkosbut he refused them and made forSigeioninstead at the entrance to theHellespont.[15]There he placed his illegitimate son, Hegesistratos, as tyrant of Sigeion.[15]Hippias returned toAsiawhere he railed against the Athenians toArtaphrenes,the governor ofSardis.The Athenians discovered Hippias' intentions, however, and sent a letter to Sardis to dissuade the Persians from listening to Athenian exiles but the Persians threatened to attack Athens if they did not accept Hippias' return. Nevertheless, the Athenians preferred to remain democratic despite the danger from Persia and refused to comply.[16]

The plain of Marathon
Coinage of Athensat the time of Hippias.Obv:An archaicGorgoneion.Rev:Square incuse. 545–525 BC
Coinage of Athens at the time of Hippias. Four-spoked wheel / Incuse square, divided diagonally. Circa 545-510 BC

Soon after this, theIonian Revoltbegan. It was put down in 494 BC, butDarius I of Persiawas intent on punishing Athens for its role in the revolt. In 490 BC Hippias, still in the service of the Persians, encouraged Darius to invade Greece and attack Athens; when Darius initiated the campaign, Hippias himself accompanied the Persian fleet and suggested Marathon as the place where the Persian invasion ofAtticashould begin as it was the most suitable for their cavalry.[17]According toHerodotus,the night before the Persian fleet reached Attica, Hippias dreamt that he had sexual relations with his own mother, a dream which encouraged him greatly, since he took it as an omen that he would regain possession of his native land and die old there.[18]But when he set foot on Greek soil, one of his teeth, which was loose due to his advanced age, fell out on to the beach after Hippias fell into a coughing and sneezing fit when directing the troops. Although he searched frantically for the tooth, he was not able to retrieve it. He believed that this fulfilled the real meaning of his dream: he would only regain this bite of his native country for his lost tooth held his share.[19]Many Athenians were persuaded to join the battle when reminded that defeat under the Persians would lead to the re-installment of Hippias as tyrant.[20]

Hippias is said to have died on the return journey from theBattle of Marathon,atLemnos.[21]

Legacy[edit]

Hippias had five sons byMyrrhine,the daughter of Callias son of Hyperechides.[22]One of these, Peisistratus, named after his grandfather, was one of the family members who held thearchonshipin Athens.[23]All of his sons along with other Peisistratids joined the invading Persian army ofXerxesin 480 BC. Never again would the Peisistratids have influence in Athens.[24]

The Temple of Olympian Zeus

Construction of thetemple of Olympian Zeus,which Peisistratus began in the sixth century BC, continued under Hippias' reign.[25]Building was halted, however, amidst the political turmoil that followed Hippias' exile and the temple was not completed until the time ofHadrianin 125 AD.[26]Along with Zeus's temple, the west side of theagorawas remodeled. Hippias also took some interest in theAcropolis.Thetemple of Athena Poliaswas also renovated withpropylaeaadded to the structure. A temple was further dedicated to the godDionysusjust to the south. There were other building projects known fromEleusis,Piraeus,andThorikosas well.[27]

Hippias was one of several Greek aristocrats who took refuge in theAchaemenid Empirefollowing reversals at home, other famous ones beingThemistocles,Demaratos,Gongylos,andAlcibiades.[28]In general, these Greek aristocrats were generously welcomed by the Achaemenid kings, received land grants to support them, and ruled in various cities ofAsia Minor.[28]

References[edit]

  1. ^Aristotle,The Athenian Constitution,Part 18
  2. ^Davies, J.K.(1971).Athenian Propertied Families 600–300 B.C.Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 446.ISBN0-19-814273-0.
  3. ^Herodotus 1.61.1-3
  4. ^Thucydides 6.57.4
  5. ^Smith, William (1851).A new classical dictionary of Greek and Roman biography, mythology and geography.New York: Harper. p. 671.
  6. ^Herodotus 5.62.2
  7. ^Fine, John V.A. (1983).The Ancient Greeks: A Critical History.Harvard University Press. p.226.ISBN978-0-674-03314-6.
  8. ^Thucydides6.59.3
  9. ^Herodotus 5.63
  10. ^Roper, Brian S. (2013).The History of Democracy: A Marxist Interpretation.Pluto Press. pp. 21–22.ISBN978-1-84964-713-7.
  11. ^Sacks, David; et al. (2009)."Hippias".Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World.Infobase Publishing. p. 157.ISBN978-1-4381-1020-2.
  12. ^Thucydides 6.59.4
  13. ^5.91.1-2
  14. ^Herodotus 5.93.2
  15. ^abHerodotus 5.94.1
  16. ^Herodotus 5.96.1-2
  17. ^Smith, Willam (1851).A new classical dictionary of Greek and Roman biography, Mythology, and Geography.New York: Harper. p. 671.
  18. ^Herodotus 6.107.1-2
  19. ^Herodotus 6.107.3-4
  20. ^Herodotus 6.109.3
  21. ^"It was he who advised the landing at Marathon where the Athenian army won a decisive victory. He is said to have died at Lemnos on the journey home." inHippias, tyrant of Athens.Encyclopedia Britannica.
  22. ^Thucydides 6.55.1
  23. ^Thucydides 6.54.6
  24. ^Burn, A. R. (1988).The Pelican History of Greece.London: Penguin. p. 173.
  25. ^Aristotle,Politics,Book V, chapter 11
  26. ^"Athens Olympian Zeus Temple".
  27. ^"Hippias." Livius, livius.org/articles/person/hippias/.
  28. ^abMiller, Margaret C. (2004).Athens and Persia in the Fifth Century BC: A Study in Cultural Receptivity.Cambridge University Press. p. 98.ISBN978-0-521-60758-2.

Further reading[edit]

Preceded by Tyrant of Athens
527–510 BC 		None
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