A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

Hippias and Hipparchus 135
and Hippias were rulers of the state, while Hippias the Accession of
elder, who was naturally statesmanlike and intelligent,
was at the head of the government. Hipparchus, however,
was youthful and amorous, and fond of literature. He
it was who invited to Athens Anacreon and Simonides
and the rest of the poets. [But Thettalus was much This sentcncc
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younger, and was bold and insolent in manner.] He was an interpolathe
source of all their misfortunes. In love with Har- ''°""
modius but failing to win his affection, he could not re-
Greece, 71;
strain his anger. On all occasions he showed himself rvw, 136-8.
bitter; and finally when the sister of Harmodius was about
to act as basket-carrier at the Panathensea, he forbade it,
at the same time accusing Harmodius of being effeminate.
Hence it resulted that in their rage Harmodius and Theconspir-
Aristogeiton did the deed with the help of many others.
At the Panathenaea they were watching Hippias on the
Acropolis (as he chanced to be sacrificing while Hipparchus
was arranging the procession), and seeing one of the
participants in the plot talking in a friendly manner with
Hippias, they believed he was informing against them.
Wishing accordingly to accomplish something before their
arrest, they descended, and beginning action before the
others, they killed Hipparchus while he was arranging
the procession near the Leocorium. Thus they ruined
the whole plot. Harmodius was immediately killed by
the guards, and Aristogeiton, arrested afterward, died by
prolonged torture. Under constraint he accused many
who belonged by birth to the nobility and were friends
of the tyrants.
For they were unable forthwith to find a
clue to the plot. . . .
He accused the tyrants' friends, purposely as the demo- Accusations
cratic writers say, in order that the tyrants might commit
impiety and at the same time be weakened by the de-