Hippias

Family: Athenian · Role: despot and brother of Hipparchos · First appears: Book 1 · §60–66

Life events

• Peisistratos departed for Eretria and, following Hippias’s advice, began preparing to regain power.(Book 1 · §60–66 · 📍 Eretria)
  • With: Peisistratos
  • “he departed wholly from the land and came to Eretria, where he took counsel together with his sons: and the advice of Hippias having prevailed, that they should endeavour to win back the despotism”
• Hippias dealt harshly with the Athenians while ruling as despot.(Book 5 · §52–62)
  • “When Hippias was despot and was dealing harshly with the Athenians because of the death of Hipparchos”
• The Spartans summoned Hippias from Sigeion to discuss restoring him to Athens.(Book 5 · §87–92 · 📍 Sigeion)
  • “they sent for Hippias the son of Peisistratos to come from Sigeion on the Hellespont”
• The Spartans proposed taking Hippias to Athens and restoring what they had taken from him, but most allies disapproved.(Book 5 · §87–92 · 📍 Athens)
  • “we will try now to take vengeance on them, going thither together with you; since it was for this very purpose that we sent for Hippias, whom ye see here, and for you also, to come from your cities, in order that with common counsel and a common force we might conduct him to Athens and render back to him that which we formerly took away.”
• Socles opposed restoring Hippias as despot, and Hippias warned that Athens would trouble Sparta's allies.(Book 5 · §93–94)
  • With: Socles
  • “Socles being the envoy of Corinth thus spoke, and Hippias made answer to him, calling to witness the same gods as he, that assuredly the Corinthians would more than all others regret the loss of the sons of Peisistratos, when the appointed days should have come for them to be troubled by the Athenians.”
• After being dismissed, Hippias was offered Anthemus by Amyntas but did not accept it.(Book 5 · §93–94 · 📍 Anthemus)
  • With: Amyntas
  • “Hippias being dismissed from thence had Anthemus offered to him by Amyntas king of the Macedonians”
• Hippias rejected the offers and retired to Sigeion.(Book 5 · §93–94 · 📍 Sigeion)
  • “He however accepted neither of these, but retired again to Sigeion”

Book 1 · §60–66

• parent: Peisistratos (Hippias is identified in the surrounding passage as one of Peisistratos's sons.) “and the advice of Hippias having prevailed, that they should endeavour to win back the despotism, they began to gather gifts of money from those States which owed them obligations for favours received:”

Book 5 · §52–62

• siblings with Hipparchos “When Hipparchos the son of Peisistratos and brother of the despot Hippias, after seeing a vision of a dream which signified it to him plainly, had been slain by Aristogeiton and Harmodios, who were originally by descent Gephyraians, the Athenians continued for four years after this to be despotically governed no less than formerly,--nay, even more.”

Book 5 · §87–92

• parent: Peisistratos (Peisistratos is Hippias's father.) “they sent for Hippias the son of Peisistratos to come from Sigeion on the Hellespont”

Book 5 · §93–94

• with Socles (Socles spoke to Hippias as Corinth's envoy; Hippias replied.) “93. Socles being the envoy of Corinth thus spoke, and Hippias made answer to him, calling to witness the same gods as he, that assuredly the Corinthians would more than all others regret the loss of the sons of Peisistratos, when the appointed days should have come for them to be troubled by the Athenians.”
• with Amyntas (Amyntas offered Hippias Anthemus.) “Thus was this brought to an end: and Hippias being dismissed from thence had Anthemus offered to him by Amyntas king of the Macedonians and Iolcos by the Thessalians.”

Book 6 · §101–107

• parent: Peisistratos “Hippias the son of Peisistratos”

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Extracted from the original text of The Histories. Made with Rho MD.