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[German version] (Φύη; Phýē). Daughter of Socrates from the Paeania deme. As Peisistratus [4] attempted his second seizure of power in 546/5 BC, she was, on acount of her tall stature ( c. 1·80 m), dressed with weapons as the goddess Athena and carried on a chariot, as a sign that the goddess was showing him the way (Hdt. 1,60; Aristot. Ath. Pol. 14). This is related in the form of a legend as early as Herodotus. In later versions P. becomes a Thracian garland seller. P. is also given as the name of the wife of  Hipparchus [1] (Cleidemus FGrH 323 F 15). Patzek, Barbara (Wiesbaden) Bibliography H. Ber…

[German version] (Τῆλυς; Têlys). King or tyrant (Hdt. 5,44,47; Diod. Sic. 12,9,2) in proverbially rich Sybaris [4] c. 510 BC. Probably supported by the dêmos, he banished the 500 richest citizens of the city and confiscated their wealth. After these found shelter in Croton, T. attacked the city, in spite of the warnings of the seer Callias of Elis. After the Crotonians were victorious Sybaris was razed to the ground and T. was killed by his followers (Heraclid. Pont. fr. 49 Wehrli). The morally coloured tradition derives from the Crotonians. Patzek, Barbara (Wiesbaden) Bibliography H. B…

[German version] (Τιμοφάνης/ Timophánēs). Son of Timodemus and Demarete or Demariste, elder brother of Timoleon. In 366 BC, supported by his command of 400 mercenaries and the urban population, he elevated himself to tyrant of Corinth. When his rule degenerated into arbitrariness, Timoleon and others from the circle of his hetairía [2] tried, unsuccessfully, to convince him to give up his position of power. With the assent of Timoleon and the oligarchs of Corinth, T. was assassinated by his companions (Plut. Timoleon 4,5-8; Plut. Mor. 808a; Tim…

[German version] (τυραννοκτονία/ tyrannoktonía; Latin tyrannicidium). Term coined in Hellenistic and Roman rhetoric, historiography and law (initially Greek, Diod. Sic. 16,14,1, Latin Sen. Controv. 4,7). The term goes back to the public veneration of the tyrannicides in Athens (Harmodius [1], Aristogiton [1]). Their deed quickly became a democratic topos (Thuc. 1,20; 6,53,3-6,54,1). Injustice, lawlessness and despotism (Pl. Plt. 291e; Pl. Resp. 9,571-586) justified tyrannicide (Pl. Prt. 322d) and the…

[German version] (Βαττιάδαι; Battiádai). Designation for the dynasty of Cyrene that lasted for eight generations; four kings by the name of  Battus alternated with four others by the name of  Arcesilaus (Hdt. 4,159). The eponym is Battus I (since c. 630 in Cyrene). The king's privileges mentioned by Herodotus (4,161) are unusual. Since  Arcesilaus II ( c. 560), we find the typical aristocratic divisions in Cyrene which led to tyrannis in Greek cities of that time. The successors either tried to dominate or pushed for agreement. In order to stay in power, the king…

[German version] (Φερετίμα; Pheretíma). Queen of Cyrene, wife of Battus [3] III the Lame, mother of Arcesilaus [3] III. After Arcesilaus reclaimed royal rights and in about 518 BC was banished, P. fled to Euelthon in Salamis in Cyprus and demanded military assistance. After the reconquest of Cyrene by her son and his flight to Barke she ruled as queen with a seat on the council. After Arcesilaus' murder in Barke she avenged him, helped by the Egyptian satrap Aryandes, with a campaign against the ci…

[German version] (Κυψελίδαι; Kypselídai). Dynasty of the Corinthian tyrant  Cypselus [2], who followed the  Bacchiadae around the mid 7th cent. BC. The rule of the C. (Cypselus,  Periander,  Psammetichus) was limited (probably post-event) by the Delphic oracle to Cypselus and his sons, and was supposed to end with the generation of his grandchildren (Hdt. 5,92e). According to Aristotle (Pol. 1315b 11ff.), the  tyrannis of the C. was the second longest lasting in Greece (73 1/2 years). He explains this long duration with Cypselus' popularity (cf. also Nicolaus of Dam…

(Αἰάκης; Aiákēs). [German version] [1] Father of the tyrants  Polycrates and  Syloson of Samos (6th cent BC) Father of the tyrants  Polycrates and  Syloson of Samos (Hdt. 3,39). His identification with A., son of Brychon, erector of a statue in the Heraeum, is doubtful. Patzek, Barbara (Wiesbaden) [German version] [2] Tyrant of  Samos (beginning of 5th cent, BC) Grandson of the foregoing, son of Syloson. Tyrant of  Samos and vassal of Darius (Hdt. 4,138). Deprived of his power in the Ionian rebellion, by order of the Persians he convinced several Samia…

[German version] (Λάαρχος; Láarchos; Hdt.: Λέαρχος; Léarchos). Son of Battus [2] II. of Cyrene. L. fought together with unnamed brothers over their succession against their brother Arcesilaus [2] II. of Cyrene. L. founded Barce, about 100 km to the west. At the same time he incited the Libyan tribes to rebel against Cyrene. He murdered Arcesilaus around 560/550 BC after the lat ter's defeat at Leucon in Libya and was probably murdered by Arcesilaus's wife Eryxo while attempting to become his successor (Hdt. 4,160). Patzek, Barbara (Wiesbaden) Bibliography H. Berve, Die Tyrannis bei …

[German version] (Φάλαρις; Phálaris). Tyrant of Acragas, son of Leodamas of Rhodes; ruled the city, which was founded c. 580 BC, from c. 570-555 BC. Aristotle (Pol. 5,10, 1310b 28) counts him among those tyrants who achieved power by virtue of their high official status ( ek tōn timôn). Elsewhere (Aristot. Rh. 2,20,1393b 5-8), Aristotle cites a fable of Stesichorus, according to which P. first held the office of a strategos with dictatorial powers ( stratēgós autokrátōr). According to Polyaenus, Strat. 5,1,1, on the other hand, P. seized power while treasurer during the…

[German version] (Τυνδάριον; Tyndárion). Tyrant of Tauromenium, who together with other Sicilian Greeks asked Pyrrhus [3] to intervene against the power ambitions of the Carthaginians on the island in 279 BC. In 278 he readily received Pyrrhus when he landed at Tauromenium and was, as the latter's ally, confirmed in his power (Diod. 22,2,1; Plut. Pyrrhus 22; Paus. 1,12,5;  Just. Epit. 18,2,11). Patzek, Barbara (Wiesbaden) Bibliography H. Berve, Die Tyrannis bei den Griechen, vol. 1, 1967, 459; 461; 732.

[German version] (Μίκυθος; Míkythos). Son of Chirus, from the house of the tyrant Anaxilaus [1] of Rhegium. For nine years after Anaxilaus' death around 476 BC he was governor (ἐπίτροπος; epítropos) of Rhegium for his sons who were not legally of age (Hdt. 7, 170; Iust. 4,2,5; Diod. 11,48ff.). M. helped the people of Tarentum against the tribes of the Iapyges but suffered huge losses to his army. Probably after an intervention of Hieron [1] of Syracuse he handed over control to Anaxilaus' sons and went to Tegea in Arcadia. F…

[German version] (Περίανδρος/ Períandros, Lat. Periander). Around 655/627 BC, P. succeeded his father  Cypselus [2] as tyrant of Corinth. According to the summary records from antiquity, he ruled for about 40 years (Aristot. Pol. 5,12,1315b 25).  His wife was Melissa, the daughter of Procles, the tyrant of Epidauros; apart from a daughter, he had with her the sons Cypselus, who was mentally retarded, and Lycophron [1]. The other sons, Evagoras, Gorgus, and Nicolaus, he had with concubines (Hdt. 3,5…

(κορυνηφόροι; korynēphóroi, ‘mace-bearers’). [German version] [1] Bodyguards of Peistratus Bodyguards who were to protect Peisistratus against an alleged threat from his opponents. They were granted to him by the Athenian people. He used them to occupy the acropolis (Hdt. 1,59). Solon supposedly recognized this striving for tyranny and he was the only one to declare himself against the bodyguards ([Aristot.] Ath. Pol. 14,2; Plut. Solon 30). Patzek, Barbara (Wiesbaden) [German version] [2] Bodyguards of the tyrant of Sicyon According to a later tradition, bodyguards of the…

(Τελέστης; Teléstēs). [German version] [1] Last king of Corinth According to a list of kings in Diod. 7,9,2-5, T. was the last king of Corinth. The name's apt meaning ( télos = 'end') casts doubt on his historicity. His murder was, according to tradition, closely followed by the Bacchiadae (Paus. 2,4,4). Patzek, Barbara (Wiesbaden) Bibliography J. B. Salmon, Wealthy Corinth, 1984, 47; 55. [German version] [2] From Selinus, dithyramb poet, c. 400 BC Dithyrambic poet from Selinus [4]. The Marmor Parium (65) mentions a victory in Athens in 402/401 BC. Titles of his works are Argo (with cri…

(Ἰοφῶν; Iophôn) [German version] [1] Son of Peisistratus from his second marriage Son of  Peisistratus from his second marriage to the Argive Timonassa, the daughter of Gorgilus and widow of the  Cypselid Archinus of Ambracia. In contrast to his brother  Hegesistratus [1], only I.'s name has survived ([Aristot.] Ath. pol. 17,3; Plut. Cato maior 24,8; Hdt. 5,94f.). Patzek, Barbara (Wiesbaden) Bibliography L. de Libero, Die Archaische Tyrannis, 1996, 88 Traill, PAA 537360. [German version] [2] Athenian tragedian, 5th cent. BC Athenian tragedian (TrGF I 22), a son of  Sophocl…

(Βάττος; Báttos). [German version] [1] B.I. King of Cyrene, around 630 BC Son of Polymnestus, from the lineage of the Minyan Euphemus of Thera (Hdt. 4,150). Leader of the colonists and King of Cyrene (Hdt. 4,153,3; SEG 9,3: ἡγεμόνα ἀρχαγέταν καὶ βασιλέα). Around 630 BC, he first settled on the island of Platea, then on the Libyan coast, and finally in the town of  Cyrene after reaching an agreement with the local residents (Hdt. 4,153; 156; 158). There he reigned for 40 years according to Herodotus (4,159).…

(Κλεισθένης; Kleisthénōs). [German version] [1] Tyrant of Sicyon c. 600-570 BC Tyrant of Sicyon ( c. 600-570 BC), son of Aristonymus, from the family of Orthagoras, whose tyranny lasted about 100 years ( c. 665-565 BC.; Aristot. Pol. 1315b 11ff.; cf. Nicolaus of Damascus FGrH 90 F 61). During the war with Argus C. pursued an anti-Argive domestic ideology, including prohibition of the presentation of the Homeric epics because they favoured Argos. The Argive hero  Adrastus [1] was replaced by the Theban hero  Melanippus (Hdt. 5,6…

(Κύψελος; Kýpselos). [German version] [1] Son of Aepytus [2] Son of  Aepytus [2], ruler of Arcadia at the time when the Heraclids attempted to invade the Peloponnese once more. He gave his daughter Mesope in marriage to  Cresphontes, Heraclid and king of Messenia, and was thus spared the invasion (Paus. 4,3,6; 8,5,6). Frey, Alexandra (Basle) [German version] [2] Tyrant of Corinth, probably 657-627 BC Tyrant of Corinth (probably 657-627 BC), son of Eëtion. He followed the  Bacchiadae, a group of ruling aristocrats, and established the first  tyrannis in Greec…

(Λέαινα; Léaina). [German version] [1] Hetaera of Aristogiton [1], 6th cent. BC Legendary hetaera of Aristogeiton [1]. After the murder of Hipparchus [1], Hippias [1] allegedly raped and killed her (Paus. 1,23,1f.; Plut. Mor. 505E; Ath. 596f; Cic. fr. 8,12 Merguet). In another version, she bit off her tongue while being tortured by Hippias so she would not betray her lover (Polyaenus, Strat. 8,45). A bronze lioness was supposedly erected to commemorate her. The name of the heroine (‘Lioness’) and the mor…