
What is the story of Hippias?
Hippias (tyrant) Hippias of Athens ( Greek: Ἱππίας ὁ Ἀθηναῖος) was one of the sons of Peisistratus, and was tyrant of Athens between about 527 BC and 510 BC when Cleomenes I of Sparta successfully invaded Athens and forced Hippias to leave Athens.
Who is Hippias in the Iliad?
Hippias of Athens ( Greek: Ἱππίας ὁ Ἀθηναῖος) was one of the sons of Peisistratus, and was the last tyrant of Athens between about 527 BC and 510 BC, when Cleomenes I of Sparta successfully invaded Athens and forced Hippias to leave Athens.
What happened to Hippias after the death of his brother?
After the assassination of his brother Hipparchus (514), however, Hippias was driven to repressive measures. An attempt by nobles in exile to force their way back failed, but in 510 the Spartans under Cleomenes I invaded Attica, besieged the tyrant’s party on the acropolis, and forced their surrender and evacuation.
What did Hippias do to Cleomenes?
Hippias (tyrant) Hippias of Athens (Greek: Ἱππίας ὁ Ἀθηναῖος) was one of the sons of Peisistratus, and was tyrant of Athens between about 527 BC and 510 BC when Cleomenes I of Sparta successfully invaded Athens and forced Hippias to leave Athens.

Who defeated Hippias?
king Cleomenes IAfter a failed first operation,note. the Spartan king Cleomenes I besieged Hippias on the Acropolis, expelled the tyrant, and handed over power to the Athenian magistrates (511/510 BCE).
When was the expulsion of Hippias?
510 B.C.incidentally the facts of, the expulsion of Hippias from Athens in 510 B.C. The main points of the story (Hdt.
What happened to Hippias?
Athens, 514 BC. In 514 Athens is under the control of a tyrant named Hippias. A man named Aristogeton and his lover, a younger man named Harmodius, decide to assassinate Hippias during the Panathletic procession, an event that had been instituted by Hippias' father Peisistratus, who had preceded him as tyrant.
How did Hippias come to power?
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.
How was Hippias removed from power?
In response Hippias became an increasingly brutal and savage dictator. After long years of waiting, Cleisthenes at last saw his opportunity. Calling in a favour owed him by the Oracle of Delphi, the greatest shrine in all Greece, he managed to obtain Spartan help and overthrew Hippias, who fled to Asia Minor.
Who ruled Athens after Hippias?
After a complete victory, Peisistratus became master of Athens for the third time and remained in power until his death in 527. His sons Hippias and Hipparchus succeeded him.
Who was the first tyrant?
CypselusCypselus was an Ancient Greek ruler. He was considered the first tyrant of Corinth. He came to power in the 7th century BCE and is acknowledged as establishing the first tyrant dynasty.
Who are the Spartans descendants of?
Sparta was an oligarchy. The state was ruled by two hereditary kings of the Agiad and Eurypontid families, both supposedly descendants of Heracles and equal in authority, so that one could not act against the power and political enactments of his colleague.
When did tyranny end in Greece?
By the end of the 4th century, Philip of Macedon had conquered the Greek states and put an end to their political freedom, and under Alexander the Great a huge Macedonian empire was created.
Who was the first tyrant of Athens?
PeisistratosAs happened in many other Greek states, a tyrant arose in Athens in the 6th century B.C. His name was Peisistratos, and after several unsuccessful attempts he seized power in 546 B.C. and ruled until his death in 527, after which he was succeeded by his two sons, Hippias and Hipparchos.
Who was King of Sparta?
LeonidasLeonidas, the king of Sparta Leonidas (540-480 BC), the legendary king of Sparta, and the Battle of Thermopylae is one of the most brilliant events of the ancient Greek history, a great act of courage and self-sacrifice.
Why didn't the Spartans attend the Battle of Marathon?
The Spartans were not at Marathon… Although the Spartans promised to send military aid to the Athenians, their laws stated they could only do so after the full moon had passed. Their aid thus arrived too late to help the Athenian army.
Who are the Spartans descendants of?
Sparta was an oligarchy. The state was ruled by two hereditary kings of the Agiad and Eurypontid families, both supposedly descendants of Heracles and equal in authority, so that one could not act against the power and political enactments of his colleague.
What is hippias of Elis known for writing?
Natural law. Hippias is credited with originating the idea of natural law. This ideal began at first during the fifth century B.C. According to Hippias, natural law was never to be superseded as it was universal.
How many times was peisistratus tyrant of Athens?
Peisistratos assumed and held power for three different periods of time, ousted from political office and exiled twice during his reign, before taking command of Athens for the third, final, and longest period of time from 546–528 BC.
What is the quarrel between Epidamnus and corcyra?
It all started when a rebellion in Epidamnus overthrew the aristocrats, who then laid siege to their former home. The main ally of Epidamnus, Corcyra refused to help but Corinth did, sparking war between Corcyra and Corinth over colonial control of Epidamnus.
Where did Hippias die?
Hippias is said to have died on the return journey from the Battle of Marathon, at Lemnos.
Who was Hippias' son?
There he placed his illegitimate son, Hegesistratos, as tyrant of Sigeion. Hippias returned to Asia were he railed against the Athenians to Artaphrenes, the governor of Sardis.
What was Hippias' relationship with Hippoklos?
This relationship with Hippoklos helped facilitate Hippias' access to Darius' court at Susa. The Alcmaeonidae family of Athens, which Peisistratos had exiled in 546 BC, was concerned about Hippias forming alliances with the Persian ruling class, and began planning an invasion to depose him.
How many sons did Hippias have?
Legacy. Hippias had five sons by Myrrhine, the daughter of Callias son of Hyperechides. One of these, Peisistratus, named after his grandfather, was one of the family members that held the archonship in Athens. All of his sons along with other Peisistratids joined the invading Persian army of Xerxes in 480 BC.
Why did Hippias' teeth fall out?
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.
What was Hippias' cruel rule?
It was said that Hippias thereafter became a bitter and cruel ruler, executing a large number of citizens and imposing harsh taxes. Hippias' cruelty soon created unrest among his subjects and the Alkmeonid clan along with other ex iles attempted to free Athens from Hippias by force.
What was Hippias's main goal in order to unite the city?
In order to unite the city, Hippias tried to start large building projects. The temple of Zeus was started, and the west side of the agora was remodeled. Hippias was also interested in the Acropolis. The temple of Athena Polias was renovated, and a temple was dedicated to Dionysus to the south.
Who was Hippias' disciple?
460 BC) and was thus a younger contemporary of Protagoras and Socrates. He lived at least as late as Socrates (399 BC). He was a disciple of Hegesidamus.
What did Hippias do?
Hippias was a man of very extensive knowledge, and he occupied himself not only with rhetorical, philosophical, and political studies, but was also well versed in poetry, music, mathematics, painting and sculpture, and he claimed some practical skill in the ordinary arts of life , for he used to boast of wearing on his body nothing that he had not made himself with his own hands, such as his seal-ring, his cloak, and shoes. On the other hand, his knowledge always appears superficial, he does not enter into the details of any particular art or science, and is satisfied with certain generalities, which enabled him to speak on everything without a thorough knowledge of any. This arrogance, combined with ignorance, is the main cause which provoked Plato to his severe criticism of Hippias, as the sophist enjoyed a very extensive reputation, and thus had a large influence upon the education of the youths of the higher classes. A mathematical discovery ascribed to Hippias is sometimes called the quadratrix of Hippias.
Who was Hippias of Elis?
Hippias of Elis ( / ˈhɪpiəs /; Greek: Ἱππίας ὁ Ἠλεῖος; late 5th century BC) was a Greek sophist, and a contemporary of Socrates. With an assurance characteristic of the later sophists, he claimed to be regarded as an authority on all subjects, and lectured on poetry, grammar, history, politics, ...
Why did Hippias write about self-sufficiency?
Along with natural law, Hippias also wrote about self-sufficiency as a binding principle.
Who was Hippias of Athens?
Hippias of Athens was one of the sons of Peisistratus and was tyrant of Athens in the sixth century BC.
Who was the Spartan force that helped Hippias?
A Spartan force under Anchimolius was sent to help, but Hippias and his family, the Pisistratidae, allied themselves with Cineas of Thessaly, and the Spartans and Alcmaeonidae were at first defeated. A second attempt, led by Cleomenes I of Sparta, successfully entered Athens and trapped Hippias on the Acropolis.
Who led Darius to the Battle of Marathon?
In 490 BC Hippias, still in the service of the Persians, led Darius to Marathon, Greece. According to Herodotus, Hippias had a dream that the Persians would be defeated, and they in fact were defeated at the Battle of Marathon although many historical texts believe that Hippias saw many omens for victory on both sides.

Overview
Hippias (Greek: Ἱππίας; c. 570 BC – 490 BC) was the last tyrant of Athens, ruling from 527 to 510 BC. He was one of a group of tyrants known as the Peisistratids, which was a group of three tyrants in Ancient Greece. Pisistratus first, and then his son, Hippias, followed after him by Hippias' illegitimate son, Hegesistratos. He was deposed when Cleomenes I of Sparta successfully invaded Athens and forced him to flee to Persia.
Early life
Hippias was born around 570 BC as the eldest son of Pisistratus, the first tyrant of Athens. When his father was forced to flee to Eretria after insulting Megakles by 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.
Tyrant of Athens
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 brother Hipparchus, who may have ruled jointly with him, was murdered by Harmodius and Aristogeiton (the tyrannicides) in 514 BC during the Panathenaic festival. …
Attempts to reclaim the tyranny and death
The Spartans later concluded that a free and democratic Athens 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. 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. As Hippias made hi…
Legacy
Hippias had five sons by Myrrhine, the daughter of Callias son of Hyperechides. One of these, Peisistratus, named after his grandfather, was one of the family members who held the archonship in Athens. All of his sons along with other Peisistratids joined the invading Persian army of Xerxes in 480 BC. Never again would the Peisistratids have influence in Athens.
Further reading
• Lewis, D.M. (1988). "The tyranny of the Pisistratidae". In John Boardman; N.G.L. Hammond; D.M. Lewis & M. Ostwald (eds.). The Cambridge Ancient History IV: Persia, Greece and the Western Mediterranean, c. 525–479 B.C. (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 287–302. doi:10.1017/CHOL9780521228046.011. ISBN 0-521-22804-2.
• Miller, Julius (1913), "Hippias 1", Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft (RE, PW), volume 8, part 2, columns 17…
Overview
Hippias of Elis was a Greek sophist, and a contemporary of Socrates. With an assurance characteristic of the later sophists, he claimed to be regarded as an authority on all subjects, and lectured on poetry, grammar, history, politics, mathematics, and much else. Most of our knowledge of him is derived from Plato, who characterizes him as vain and arrogant.
Life
Hippias was born at Elis in the mid 5th-century BC (c. 460 BC) and was thus a younger contemporary of Protagoras and Socrates. He lived at least as late as Socrates (399 BC). He was a disciple of Hegesidamus. Owing to his talent and skill, his fellow-citizens availed themselves of his services in political matters, and in a diplomatic mission to Sparta. But he was in every respect like the other sophists of the time: he travelled about in various towns and districts of Greece for …
Work
Hippias was a man of very extensive knowledge, and he occupied himself not only with rhetorical, philosophical, and political studies, but was also well versed in poetry, music, mathematics, painting and sculpture, and he claimed some practical skill in the ordinary arts of life, for he used to boast of wearing on his body nothing that he had not made himself with his own hands, such as his seal-ring, his cloak, and shoes. He was credited with a lost work known as the Olympionikō̂n Anagrap…
Natural law
Hippias is credited with originating the idea of natural law. This ideal began at first during the fifth century B.C. According to Hippias, natural law was never to be superseded as it was universal. Hippias saw natural law as a habitual entity that humans take part in without pre-meditation. He regarded the elite in states as indistinguishable from one another and thus they should perceive each other as so. Because of this they should consider and treat each other as a society of a un…
See also
• Cynicism (philosophy)
• Natural Law
• Quadratrix of Hippias
• Roman Law
• Self-sufficiency
Notes
1. ^ Suda, Hippias
2. ^ Plato, Hippias major, 281a, 286a; Philostratus, Vit. Soph. i. 11.
3. ^ Plato, Hippias major, 285c, Hippias minor, 368b, Protagoras, 315c; Philostratus, Vit. Soph. i. 11.; Themistius, Orat. xxix. p. 345. d.
External links
• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Hippias of Elis" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
• O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F., "Hippias", MacTutor History of Mathematics archive, University of St Andrews
• Hippias' Attempt to Trisect an Angle at Convergence