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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §6.59.1-6.59.4

Hippias Intensifies Tyranny and Flees to Persia

Passage 675 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Describes the outcome of the conspiracy of Harmodius and Aristogeiton, the subsequent intensification of Hippias' tyranny, his efforts to secure foreign alliances, and his eventual exile to Persia leading up to the campaign at Marathon.

§6.59.1τοιούτῳ μὲν τρόπῳ δι’ ἐρωτικὴν λύπην ἥ τε ἀρχὴ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς καὶ ἡ ἀλόγιστος τόλμα ἐκ τοῦ παραχρῆμα περιδεοῦς Ἁρμοδίῳ καὶ Ἀριστογείτονι ἐγένετο.
In such a manner, prompted by the pain of love, both the beginning of the conspiracy and their reckless daring—arising from immediate panic—came about for Harmodius and Aristogeiton.
§6.59.2τοῖς δ’ Ἀθηναίοις χαλεπωτέρα μετὰ τοῦτο ἡ τυραννὶς κατέστη, καὶ ὁ Ἱππίας διὰ φόβου ἤδη μᾶλλον ὢν τῶν τε πολιτῶν πολλοὺς ἔκτεινε καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἔξω ἅμα διεσκοπεῖτο, εἴ ποθεν ἀσφάλειάν τινα ὁρῴη μεταβολῆς γενομένης ὑπάρχουσάν οἱ.
After this, the tyranny became more oppressive for the Athenians; and Hippias, now being in greater fear, put many of the citizens to death, and at the same time looked to foreign affairs, to see if he might discover from any quarter some security available for himself in the event of a revolution.
§6.59.3Ἱππόκλου γοῦν τοῦ Λαμψακηνοῦ τυράννου Αἰαντίδῃ τῷ παιδὶ θυγατέρα ἑαυτοῦ μετὰ ταῦτα Ἀρχεδίκην Ἀθηναῖος ὢν Λαμψακηνῷ ἔδωκεν, αἰσθανόμενος αὐτοὺς μέγα παρὰ βασιλεῖ Δαρείῳ δύνασθαι.
At any rate, he afterwards gave his daughter, Archedice, to Aiantides, the son of Hippoclus, the tyrant of Lampsacus—though he was himself an Athenian marrying her to a Lampsacene—because he perceived that they had great influence with King Darius.
καὶ αὐτῆς σῆμα ἐν Λαμψάκῳ ἐστὶν ἐπίγραμμα ἔχον τόδε· " ἀνδρὸς ἀριστεύσαντος ἐν Ἑλλάδι τῶν ἐφ’ ἑαυτοῦ Ἱππίου Ἀρχεδίκην ἥδε κέκευθε κόνις, ἣ πατρός τε καὶ ἀνδρὸς ἀδελφῶν τ’ οὖσα τυράννων παίδων τ’ οὐκ ἤρθη νοῦν ἐς ἀτασθαλίην.
And there is a monument to her in Lampsacus with this inscription: "This dust covers Archedice, the daughter of Hippias, who was the foremost man in Hellas among his contemporaries; she, though having a father, a husband, brothers, and children who were tyrants, did not raise her mind to pride.
" §6.59.4τυραννεύσας δὲ ἔτη τρία Ἱππίας ἔτι Ἀθηναίων καὶ παυθεὶς ἐν τῷ τετάρτῳ ὑπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ Ἀλκμεωνιδῶν τῶν φευγόντων, ἐχώρει ὑπόσπονδος ἔς τε Σίγειον καὶ παρ᾽ Αἰαντίδην ἐς Λάμψακον, ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ὡς βασιλέα Δαρεῖον, ὅθεν καὶ ὁρμώμενος ἐς Μαραθῶνα ὕστερον ἔτει εἰκοστῷ ἤδη γέρων ὢν μετὰ Μήδων ἐστράτευσεν.
"Having ruled over the Athenians for three more years, Hippias was deposed in the fourth year by the Lacedaemonians and the exiled Alcmaconidae. He departed under a truce both to Sigeum and to Aiantides at Lampsacus, and from there to King Darius, from where, twenty years later, though now an old man, he set out to march with the Medes to Marathon.

Notes

  1. §6.59.1ἐκ τοῦ παραχρῆμα περιδεοῦς — The adverb `παραχρῆμα` (immediately, on the spot) qualifies the substantivized neuter adjective `περιδεοῦς` (from `περιδεής`, terrified) with the article. It means 'from immediate panic.' The preposition `ἐκ` denotes the immediate cause or origin of the action.
  2. §6.59.2μεταβολῆς γενομένης — A genitive absolute construction expressing condition ('if a revolution should occur'). The participle `ὑπάρχουσαν` attributively modifies `ἀσφάλειάν τινα`, meaning '(some security) available/ready for him (in the event of a change).'
  3. §6.59.3Ἀθηναῖος ὢν — The participle `ὢν` has a concessive force. It highlights the contrast that Hippias, 'although being an Athenian' (and a proud ruler of Athens), gave his daughter in marriage to someone from Lampsacus (a city under Persian influence).
  4. §6.59.3πατρός τε καὶ ἀνδρὸς ἀδελφῶν τ’ οὖσα τυράννων / παίδων τ’ — Arranged according to elegiac meter. The genitive plural `τυράννων` functions as a predicate modifying all the coordinated genitive singular/plural nouns: `πατρός`, `ἀνδρός`, `ἀδελφῶν`, and `παίδων`. Combined with the participle `οὖσα`, it means 'though she was one whose father, husband, brothers, and children were all tyrants.'

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §6.59.1-6.59.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.59.1-6.59.4

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