Maiandrios

Family: Samian · Role: secretary of Polycrates · First appears: Book 3 · §120–127

Life events

• Polycrates died, and Maiandrios held the rule over Samos as his trustee.(Book 3 · §142–150 · 📍 Samos)
  • With: Polycrates
  • “Now Maiandrios the son of Maiandrios was holding the rule over Samos, having received the government as a trust from Polycrates; and he, though desiring to show himself the most righteous of men, did not succeed in so doing: for when the death of Polycrates was reported to him”
• Maiandrios proclaimed that he was giving power to the people while claiming privileges for himself and his descendants.(Book 3 · §142–150 · 📍 Samos)
  • “and I now give the power into the hands of the people, and proclaim to you equality. These privileges however I think it right to have assigned to me, namely that from the wealth of Polycrates six talents should be taken out and given to me as a special gift; and in addition to this I choose for myself and for my descendants in succession the priesthood of Zeus the Liberator”
• After Telesarchos challenged his right to rule, Maiandrios abandoned his purpose of resigning power.(Book 3 · §142–150 · 📍 Samos)
  • With: Telesarchos
  • “and Maiandrios perceiving that if he resigned the power, some other would be set up as despot instead of himself, did not keep the purpose at all of resigning it”
• Maiandrios seized citizens under false pretences and imprisoned them.(Book 3 · §142–150 · 📍 Samos)
  • “but having retired to the fortress he sent for each man separately, pretending that he was going to give an account of the money, and so seized them and put them in bonds.”
• Otanes agreed to a truce under which Maiandrios and his party would retire from Samos.(Book 3 · §142–150 · 📍 Samos)
  • With: Otanes
  • “and moreover the party of Maiandrios and Maiandrios himself said that they were ready to retire out of the island under a truce. Otanes therefore having agreed on these terms and having made a treaty”
• Maiandrios released Charilaos from the underground dungeon.(Book 3 · §142–150 · 📍 Samos)
  • With: Charilaos
  • “So Maiandrios hearing his voice bade them loose him and bring him into his presence”
• Maiandrios sailed out of Samos through a secret passage from the fortress to the sea.(Book 3 · §142–150 · 📍 Samos)
  • “Maiandrios then himself sailed out from Samos”
• Cleomenes persuaded the Ephors to expel Maiandrios from Peloponnesus.(Book 3 · §142–150 · 📍 Peloponnesus)
  • With: Cleomenes Anaxandrides
  • “he went to the Ephors and said that it was better for Sparta that the stranger of Samos should depart from Peloponnesus, lest he might persuade either himself or some other man of the Spartans to act basely. They accordingly accepted his counsel, and expelled Maiandrios by proclamation.”

Book 3 · §120–127

• employer: Polycrates “he first sent Maiandrios the son of Maiandrios, a native of Samos who was his secretary, to see it”

Book 3 · §142–150

• with Polycrates (Polycrates entrusted Maiandrios with his rule and power.) “To me, as ye know as well as I, has been entrusted the sceptre of Polycrates and all his power;”
• siblings with Lycaretos “and his brother, whose name was Lycaretos, expecting that he would die, put all the prisoners to death,”
• siblings with Charilaos “Now the despot Maiandrios had a brother who was somewhat mad, and his name was Charilaos.”
• with Polycrates (Polycrates entrusted Maiandrios with the government.) “having received the government as a trust from Polycrates”
• with Telesarchos (Telesarchos publicly criticized Maiandrios's claim to rule.) “Nay, but unworthy too art thou to be our ruler, seeing that thou art of mean birth and a pestilent fellow besides.”

Book 5 · §20–28

• siblings with Lycaretos “And over those of them who survived the Persians set as governor Lycaretos the brother of that Maiandrios who had been king of Samos.”

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