Hipparchus (son of Pisistratus)
Encyclopedia
Hipparchus or Hipparch (died 514 BCE) was a member of the ruling class of Athens
. He was one of the sons of Peisistratos
.
Although he was said among Greeks to have been the tyrant
of Athens
along with his brother Hippias
when Peisistratos died, about 528 BC. The word tyrant literally means "one who took power by force" and carried no pejorative
connotation during the Archaic and early Classical
periods. In actuality, according to Thucydides, Hippias was the tyrant. Both Hipparchus and Hippias enjoyed the popular support of the people. Hipparchus was a patron of the arts; it was Hipparchus who invited Simonides of Ceos
to Athens.
In 514 BC Hipparchus was assassinated
by the Tyrannicides, Harmodius and Aristogeiton
. This was apparently a personal dispute, according to Herodotus
and Thucydides
. Hipparchus had fallen in love with Harmodius, who was already the lover of Aristogeiton. Not only did Harmodius reject him, but humiliated him by telling Aristogeiton of his advances. Hipparchus then invited Harmodius's sister to participate in the Panathenaic Festival as kanephoros
only to publicly disqualify her on the grounds that she was not a virgin. Harmodius and Aristogeiton then organised a revolt for the Panathenaic Games but they panicked and attacked Hipparchus too early. Although they killed Hipparchus, Harmodius was killed by his bodyguard and Aristogeiton was arrested, tortured and later killed. According to Thucydides, Hippias ordered the Greeks to lay down their ceremonial arms and then had them searched, arresting any found with concealed weapons. This was later denied by Aristotle , who said that this story was created by the democratic government in order to impress upon the people how much of a tyrant Hippias was. Aristotle also mentions that Aristogiton was tortured in order to give the names of the conspirators in the plot. Enraged that Hippias hadn't killed him, Aristogiton offered more names to Hippias in exchange for his hand in pledge. When Hippias put his hand on Aristogiton's, Aristogiton berated him for giving his hand to his brother's murderer- at which point Hippias stabbed Aristogiton in rage.
After the assassination, Hippias became a bitter and cruel tyrant, and was overthrown a few years later in 510 by the Spartan
king Cleomenes
. Modern scholarship generally ascribes the tradition that Hipparchus was himself a cruel tyrant to the cult of Harmodius and Aristogeiton established after the downfall of the tyranny.
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. He was one of the sons of Peisistratos
Peisistratos (Athens)
Peisistratos was a tyrant of Athens from 546 to 527/8 BC. His legacy lies primarily in his institution of the Panathenaic Festival and the consequent first attempt at producing a definitive version for Homeric epics. Peisistratos' championing of the lower class of Athens, the Hyperakrioi, can be...
.
Although he was said among Greeks to have been the tyrant
Tyrant
A tyrant was originally one who illegally seized and controlled a governmental power in a polis. Tyrants were a group of individuals who took over many Greek poleis during the uprising of the middle classes in the sixth and seventh centuries BC, ousting the aristocratic governments.Plato and...
of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
along with his brother Hippias
Hippias (son of Pisistratus)
Hippias of Athens was one of the sons of Peisistratus, and was tyrant of Athens in the 6th century BC.Hippias succeeded Peisistratus in 527 BC, and in 525 BC he introduced a new system of coinage in Athens. His brother Hipparchus, who may have ruled jointly with him, was murdered by Harmodius and...
when Peisistratos died, about 528 BC. The word tyrant literally means "one who took power by force" and carried no pejorative
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
connotation during the Archaic and early Classical
Classical Greece
Classical Greece was a 200 year period in Greek culture lasting from the 5th through 4th centuries BC. This classical period had a powerful influence on the Roman Empire and greatly influenced the foundation of Western civilizations. Much of modern Western politics, artistic thought, such as...
periods. In actuality, according to Thucydides, Hippias was the tyrant. Both Hipparchus and Hippias enjoyed the popular support of the people. Hipparchus was a patron of the arts; it was Hipparchus who invited Simonides of Ceos
Simonides of Ceos
Simonides of Ceos was a Greek lyric poet, born at Ioulis on Kea. The scholars of Hellenistic Alexandria included him in the canonical list of nine lyric poets, along with Bacchylides and Pindar...
to Athens.
In 514 BC Hipparchus was assassinated
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
by the Tyrannicides, Harmodius and Aristogeiton
Harmodius and Aristogeiton
Harmodius and Aristogeiton were two men from ancient Athens...
. This was apparently a personal dispute, according to Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
and Thucydides
Thucydides
Thucydides was a Greek historian and author from Alimos. His History of the Peloponnesian War recounts the 5th century BC war between Sparta and Athens to the year 411 BC...
. Hipparchus had fallen in love with Harmodius, who was already the lover of Aristogeiton. Not only did Harmodius reject him, but humiliated him by telling Aristogeiton of his advances. Hipparchus then invited Harmodius's sister to participate in the Panathenaic Festival as kanephoros
Kanephoros
The Kanephoros was an honorific office given to unmarried young women in ancient Greece, which involved the privilege of leading the procession to sacrifice at festivals; the highest honour was to lead the pompe at the Panathenaic Festival...
only to publicly disqualify her on the grounds that she was not a virgin. Harmodius and Aristogeiton then organised a revolt for the Panathenaic Games but they panicked and attacked Hipparchus too early. Although they killed Hipparchus, Harmodius was killed by his bodyguard and Aristogeiton was arrested, tortured and later killed. According to Thucydides, Hippias ordered the Greeks to lay down their ceremonial arms and then had them searched, arresting any found with concealed weapons. This was later denied by Aristotle , who said that this story was created by the democratic government in order to impress upon the people how much of a tyrant Hippias was. Aristotle also mentions that Aristogiton was tortured in order to give the names of the conspirators in the plot. Enraged that Hippias hadn't killed him, Aristogiton offered more names to Hippias in exchange for his hand in pledge. When Hippias put his hand on Aristogiton's, Aristogiton berated him for giving his hand to his brother's murderer- at which point Hippias stabbed Aristogiton in rage.
After the assassination, Hippias became a bitter and cruel tyrant, and was overthrown a few years later in 510 by the Spartan
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
king Cleomenes
Cleomenes
Cleomenes may refer to:* one of several kings of Sparta:** Cleomenes I ** Cleomenes II ** Cleomenes III *Cleomenes of Naucratis, a Greek administrator*Cleomenes the Cynic Cynic philosopher...
. Modern scholarship generally ascribes the tradition that Hipparchus was himself a cruel tyrant to the cult of Harmodius and Aristogeiton established after the downfall of the tyranny.