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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. Berve, Die Tyrannis bei den Griechen, 1967, 545, 555.

[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 confisca…

[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 Corint…

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[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…

(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…

(Προκλῆς/ Proklês). [German version] [1] Legendary Spartan king The le…

(Ἵππαρχος; Hípparchos). [German version] [1] Second son of Peisistratus, around 530 BC Second son of  Peisistratus and an Athenian woman. Together with his older brother  Hippias [1] and the younger Thessalus, H. assumed his inheritance (528/527 BC) after his father's death (Thuc. 6,55; [Aristot.] Ath. Pol. 18,1). In contrast to Hippias, H. exhibited no political profile. He dedicated himself to aristocratic social life and culture and invited, among others,  Anacreon [1] of Teos and  Simonides of Ceos to Athens (Pl. Hipp. 228b-…

[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 building of the Temple of Zeus on the citadel, disarming the citizenry with the help of armed labourers. He ruled with the support of a mercenary army, expanding the territory of Acragas in the course of several military campaigns. He secured the city against the Sicani by fortifying the Ecnomon hill. He nurtured trading links, esp. with Carthage. A conspiracy against him and his mother put an end to P. after 16 years of rule (Diod. Sic. 9,30). Scholarly tradition quickly depicted him as the archetypal fearsome tyrant. The story of the brazen bull in which he had his opponents roasted to death was already common knowledge by 476 BC (Pind. Pyth. 1, 95). We find him in Cicero's rhetorical and political writings as an exam…

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[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…

(Ἱπποκράτης; Hippokrátēs). [German version] [1] Father of Peisistratus, from Brauron Father of  Peisistratus. H. is presumed to have come from Brauron, the later deme of Philaidai, and traced his ancestry back to Neleus (Hdt. 1,59; 5,65; Plut. Solon 10; 30). Patzek, Barbara (Wiesbaden) Bibliography Traill, PAA 538385. [German version] [2] Son of Megacles from Athens, approx. 6th cent. BC Son of the Alcmaeonid ( Alcmaeonids)  Megacles from Athens, born around 560 BC, H. was the brother of Cleisthenes, the father of  Megacles and Agariste [2] and thus the grandfather of  Pericles on his mother's side (Hdt. 6,131; [Aristot.] Ath. pol. 22,5)…

[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…