Hegesistratus
(Ἡγησίστρατος).
1. A son of Peisistratus by an Argive woman, was placed by his father in the tyranny of Sigeium in the Troad, and maintained possession of the city against the attacks of the Mytilenaeans. When Hippias was banished from Athens, in B. C. 510, he took refuge with his brother, Hegesistratus, at Sigeium (Hdt. 5.94; Thuc. 6.59).
2. An Elean soothsayer, one of the Telliadae. The Spartans, whose enemy he was, having once got him into their power, confined him with his foot in a species of stocks, intending to put him to death; but Hegesistratus cut his foot off with a knife, escaped from prison, and fled to Tegea, which was then at war with the Lacedaemonians. He was hired by Mardonius, and acted as sooth-sayer sayer for the Persians at the battle of Plataea, B. C. 479; some time after which he fell again into the hands of the Spartans, at Zacynthus, and was put to death by them. (Hdt. 9.37.)
3. A Samian, was among those who were sent from Samos to Leotychides, the Spartan king, in command of the Greek fleet at Delos, to urge him to him to come to the aid of the Ionians against the Persians. Leotychides accepted the name Hegesistratus (conductor of the army) as a good omen, and complied with the request. The result was the battle of Mycale, B. C. 479. (Hdt. 9.90_92.) [E.E]
- story of his escape from death: Hdt. 9.37
- Hdt. 9.90
- bastard son of Pisistratus: Hdt. 5.94