Harmodius

• a famous Athenian, murderer of Hipparchus, Cic. Tusc. 1, 49, 116; Plin. 7, 23, 23, § 87; Gell. 9, 2.

(Ἁρμόδιος), of Lepreon, a Greek writer, whose time is unknown. His work, περὶ τῶν ἐν Φιγαλεῦσι νομίμων, is repeatedly quoted by Athenaeus. (iv. p. 148f., x. p. 442b., xi. p. 465e., p. 497c.; Vossius, de Hist. Graec. p. 445, ed. Westermann; comp. Herodicus.) [P.S]

and ARISTOGEI'TON (Ἁρμόδιος, Ἀριστογείτων), Athenians, of the blood of the Gephyraei, were the murderers of Hipparchus, brother of the tyrant Hippias, in B. C. 514. The following is the account we have received from the best authorities of the circumstances which induced the crime. Aristogeiton, a citizen of the middle class, was strongly attached to the young and beautiful Harnmodius, who returned his affection with equal warmth. Hipparchus endeavored to withdraw the youth's love to himself, and, failing in this, resolved to avenge the slight by putting upon him a public insult. Accordingly, he took care that the sister of Harmodius should be summoned to bear one of the sacred baskets in some religious procession, and when she presented herself for the purpose, he caused her to be dismissed and declared unworthy of the honour. Aristogeiton had been before exasperated by the advances which Hipparchus had made to Harmodius, and this fresh insult determined the two friends to slay both Hipparchus and his brother Hippias as well. Of the motive for the conspiracy a different account is given by the author of the dialogue named " Hipparchus," which is found among the works of Plato. According to this writer, Aristogeiton had educated Harmodius, and was as proud of him as he was fond, while he looked with jealousy on Hipparchus, who was ambitious, it seems, of the same distinction as an attracter of the love and confidence of the young. A youth, who was beloved by Harmodius, and had been accustomed to look up to him and Aristogeiton as patterns of wisdom, became acquainted with Hipparchus, and transferred to him his affection and admiration; and this circumstance excited the anger of the two friends, and urged them to the murder. They communicated their plot to a few only, in order to lessen the chance of discovery, but they hoped that many would join them in the hour of action. The occasion they selected for their enterprise was the festival of the great Panathenaea and the day of the solemn procession of armed citizens from the outer Cerameicus to the temple of Athena Polias,--the only day, in fact, on which they could appear in arms without exciting suspicion. When the appointed time arrived, the two chief conspirators observed one of their accomplices in conversation with Hippias, who was standing in the Cerameicus and arranging the order of the procession. Believing, therefore, that they were betrayed, and wishing to wreak their vengeance before they were apprehended, they rushed back into the city with their daggers hid in the myrtle-boughs which they were to have borne in the procession, and slew Hipparchus near the Leocorium. Harmodius was immediately cut down by the guards. Aristogeiton at first escaped, but was afterwards taken, and, according to the testimony of Polyaenus, Justin, and Seneca, which is confirmed by the language of Thucydides, was put to the torture. He named as his accomplices the principal friends of Hippias, who were executed accordingly, and being then asked if he had any more names of conspirators to give, he answered that there was no one besides, whose death he desired, except the tyrant. According to another account, he pretended, while under the torture, that he had some communication to make to Hippias, and when the latter approached him, he seized one of his ears with his teeth, and bit it off. (Hdt. 5.55, 56, 6.109, 123; Thuc. 1.20, 6.54_57; Psetdo_Plat. Hipparch. p. 229; Plat. Symp. p. 182; Arist. Polit. 5.10, ed. Bekk., Rhet. 2.24.5; Schol. ad Arist. Ach. 942; Aelian, Ael. VH 11.8; Perizon. ad loe.; Polyaen. 1.22; Just. 2.9; Seneca, de Ira, 2.23; D. L. 9.26). [Leaena.]

Four years after this Hippias was expelled, and thenceforth the policy and spirit of party combined with popular feeling to attach to Harmodius and Aristogeiton among the Athenians of all succeeding generations the character of patriots, deliverers, and martyrs,--names often abused indeed, but seldom more grossly than in the present case. Their deed of murderous vengeance formed a favourite subject of drinking-songs, of which the most famous and popular is preserved in full by Athenaeus. To be born of their blood was esteemed among the highest of honours, and their descendants enjoyed an immunity from public burdens, of which even the law of Leptines (B. C. 355) did not propose to deprive them. (Aesch. c. Timarch. §§132, 140; Athen. 15.695; Aristoph. Ach. 942, 1058, Lysistr. 632, Vesp. 1225, Eq. 783; Aristot. Rh. 2.23.8; Suid. s. vv. Ἀγοράσω Ἐν μύρτου κλάδὡ, Πάροινορ, Φορήσω; Dem. c. Let. pp. 462, 466.) Their tombs are mentioned by Pausanias (1.29) as situated on thie road from the city to the Academy. Their statues, made of bronze by Antenor, were set up in the Agora in the inner Cerameicus, near the temple of Ares, in B. C. 509, the year after the expulsion of Hippias and this, according to Aristotle and Pliny, was the first instance of such an honour publicly conferred at Athens, Conon being the next, as Demosthenes tells us, who had a bronze statue raised to him. When Xerxes took the city, he carried these statues away, and new ones, the work of Critias, were erected in B. C. 477. The original statues were afterwards sent back to the Athenians from Susa, according to Pausanias by Antiochus, according to Valerius Maximus by Seleucus, but, as we may believe, on the testimony of Arrian and Pliny, by Alexander the Great. We learn, finally, from Diodorus, that when the Athenians were anxious to pay the highest honours in their power to Antigonus and Demetrius Poliorcetes, in B. C. 307, they placed their statues near those of Harmodius and Aristogeiton. (Paus. 1.8; Aristot. Rh. 1.9.38; Dem. c. Lept. p. 478; Plin. Nat. 34.4, 8; V. Max. 2.10. Ext. 1; Arr. Anab. 3.16, 7.19; Diod. 20.46.) [E. E.]

(Ἁρμόδιος). An Athenian who, together with Aristogīton (Ἀριστογείτων), became the cause of the overthrow of the Pisistratidae. The names of Harmodius and Aristogiton were immortalized by the gratitude of the Athenians. Aristogiton was a citizen of the middle class; Harmodius a youth distinguished by the comeliness of his person. They were both perhaps remotely allied to one another by blood, and were united by ties of the closest intimacy. The youth had received an outrage from Hipparchus, which roused both the resentment and the fears of his friend, lest Hipparchus should abuse his power to repeat the insult. But Hipparchus, whose pride had been wounded by the conduct of Harmodius, contented himself with an affront aimed at the honour of his family. By his orders, the sister of Harmodius was invited to take part in a procession, as bearer of one of the sacred vessels. When, however, she presented herself in her festal dress, she was publicly rejected, and dismissed as unworthy of the honour. This insult stung Harmodius to the quick, and kindled the indignation of Aristogiton. They resolved to engage in the desperate enterprise of overthrowing the ruling dynasty. They communicated their plan to a few friends, who promised their assistance; but they hoped that, as soon as the first blow should be struck, they would be joined by numbers, who would joyfully seize the opportunity of recovering their freedom. The conspirators fixed on the festival of the Panathenaea as the most convenient season for effecting their purpose. This festival was celebrated with a procession, in which the citizens marched armed with spears and shields, and was the only occasion on which, in time of peace, they could assemble under arms without exciting suspicion. It was agreed that Harmodius and Aristogiton should give the signal by stabbing Hippias, while their friends kept off his guards, and that they should trust to the general disposition in favour of liberty for the further success of their undertaking. When the day came, the conspirators armed themselves with daggers, which they concealed in the myrtle-boughs that were carried on this occasion. But while Hippias, surrounded by his guards, was in the Ceramicus, directing the order of the procession, one of the conspirators was observed to go up to him, for he was easy of access to all, and to enter into familiar conversation with him. The two friends, on seeing this, concluded that they were betrayed, and that they had no hope left but of revenge. They instantly rushed into the city, and, meeting Hipparchus, killed him before his guards could come up to his assistance. These, however, arrived in time to avenge his death on Harmodius. Aristogiton escaped for the moment through the crowd, but was afterwards taken. When the news was brought to Hippias, instead of proceeding to the scene of his brother's murder, he advanced with a composed countenance towards the armed procession, which was yet ignorant of the event, and, as if he had some grave discourse to address to them, desired them to lay aside their weapons, and meet him at an appointed place. He then ordered his guards to seize the arms, and to search every one for those which he might have concealed upon his person. All who were found with daggers were arrested, together with those whom, on any other grounds, he suspected of disaffection. Aristogiton was put to death, according to some authors, after torture had been applied to wring from him the names of his accomplices. It is said that he avenged himself by accusing the truest friends of Hippias. The mistress of Aristogiton, one Leaena (q.v.), whose only crime was to have been the object of his affection, underwent the like treatment. She was afterwards celebrated for the constancy with which she endured the most cruel torments (Herod.v. 55; vii. 123; Thuc.i. 20; vi. 54 foll.). These events took place in B.C. 514.

After the expulsion of Hippias the tyrannicides received almost heroic honours. Statues were erected to them at the public expense, and their names never ceased to be repeated with affectionate admiration in the popular songs of Athens, which assigned them a place in the Islands of the Blessed, by the side of Achilles and Tydides; and when an orator wished to suggest the idea of the highest merit and of the noblest services to the cause of liberty, he never failed to remind his hearers of Harmodius and Aristogiton. No slave was ever called by their names. Plutarch has preserved a reply of Antipho , the orator, to Dionysius the elder, of Syracuse. The latter had asked the question, which was the finest kind of bronze? “That,” replied Antipho , “of which the statues of Harmodius and Aristogiton were made.” He lost his life in consequence. Their statues, made by Antenor and set up in the Agora, were carried away by Xerxes when he took Athens in B.C. 480, but were restored by Alexander the Great.