Quick Facts
- Died:
- 490 bc
- Title / Office:
- tyrant (528BC-510BC), Athens
- Notable Family Members:
- father Peisistratus
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Hippias
tyrant of Athens
Hippias (died 490 bc) was the tyrant of Athens from 528/527 to 510 bc. He was a patron of poets and craftsmen, and under his rule Athens prospered. 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. Hippias took refuge with the Persian governor at Sardis and later (490) crossed the Aegean with the Persian army. It was he who advised the landing at Marathon where the Athenian army won a decisive victory. He is said to have died at Lemnos on the journey home.
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