Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Élie-Ami Bétant (Translator), 6.55

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Qu’Hippias ait exercé la tyrannie en qualité de fils aîné de Pisistrate, c'est ce que je puis affirmer d’après les preuves les plus authentiques. Pour s’en convaincre, il suffit des observations suivantes. Il est certain que, parmi ses frères légitimes, lui seul eut des enfants ; c’est ce qu’indiquent l'inscription que je viens de citer et la colonne érigée dans l’acropole d’Athènes en mémoire de l’iniquité des tyrans ¹. Aucun enfant de Thessalos ni d’Hipparque n’y est mentionné, tandis qu’on y voit figurer cinq fils qu’Hippias eut de Myrrhiaé fille de Callias fils d’Hypéréchidès ; or il était naturel que rainé se mariât le premier. En second lieu, sur la même colonne, le nom dOippias suit immédiatement celui de son père ; ce qui est encore dans l’ordre des choses, puisqu’il tenait le premier-rang après loi et qu’il lui succéda dans la tyrannie. Enfin je ne conçois pas comment Hippias aurait fait pour se saisir instantanément du pouvoir, s’il s’en fût emparé le jour même de la mort de son frère; mais la terreur qu’il avait dès longtemps inspirée aux citoyens et l’exacte discipline établie parmi les satellites furent plus que suffisantes pour lui assurer la possession du pouvoir, et il n’éprouva pas les,difficultés qu’il eût rencontrées si, pins jeune que son frère, il n’eût pas eu déjà une longue habitude du commandement. La mésaventure d’Hipparque l’a rendu célèbre, et a fait croire dans la suite qu’il avait été tyran.

History of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides. Élie-Ami Bétant (Translator). Paris. 1863.

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Current edition First1KGreek

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése (French) (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése. Bétant, Élie-Ami, translator. Paris: Librairie de L. Hachette, 1863.)

Editions (1)

Ἱστορίαι Perseus (Thucydides. Historiae, Vol 1-2. Jones, Henry Stuart, editor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910. (1942 printing).) — 6.55.1 focus

[1] ὅτι δὲ πρεσβύτατος ὢν Ἱππίας ἦρξεν, εἰδὼς μὲν καὶ ἀκοῇ ἀκριβέστερον ἄλλων ἰσχυρίζομαι, γνοίη δ’ ἄν τις καὶ αὐτῷ τούτῳ· παῖδες γὰρ αὐτῷ μόνῳ φαίνονται τῶν γνησίων ἀδελφῶν γενόμενοι, ὡς ὅ τε βωμὸς σημαίνει καὶ ἡ στήλη περὶ τῆς τῶν τυράννων ἀδικίας ἡ ἐν τῇ Ἀθηναίων ἀκροπόλει σταθεῖσα, ἐν ᾗ Θεσσαλοῦ μὲν οὐδ’ Ἱππάρχου οὐδεὶς παῖς γέγραπται, Ἱππίου δὲ πέντε, οἳ αὐτῷ ἐκ Μυρρίνης τῆς Καλλίου τοῦ Ὑπεροχίδου θυγατρὸς ἐγένοντο· εἰκὸς γὰρ ἦν τὸν πρεσβύτατον πρῶτον γῆμαι.

[2] καὶ ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ στήλῃ πρῶτος γέγραπται μετὰ τὸν πατέρα, οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἀπεοικότως διὰ τὸ πρεσβεύειν τε ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ τυραννεῦσαι.

[3] οὐ μὴν οὐδ’ ἂν κατασχεῖν μοι δοκεῖ ποτὲ Ἱππίας τὸ παραχρῆμα ῥᾳδίως τὴν τυραννίδα, εἰ Ἵππαρχος μὲν ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ ὢν ἀπέθανεν, αὐτὸς δὲ αὐθημερὸν καθίστατο· ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὸ πρότερον ξύνηθες τοῖς μὲν πολίταις φοβερόν, ἐς δὲ τοὺς ἐπικούρους ἀκριβές, πολλῷ τῷ περιόντι τοῦ ἀσφαλοῦς κατεκράτησε, καὶ οὐχ ὡς ἀδελφὸς νεώτερος ὢν ἠπόρησεν, ἐν ᾧ οὐ πρότερον ξυνεχῶς ὡμιλήκει τῇ ἀρχῇ.

[4] Ἱππάρχῳ δὲ ξυνέβη τοῦ πάθους τῇ δυστυχίᾳ ὀνομασθέντα καὶ τὴν δόξαν τῆς τυραννίδος ἐς τὰ ἔπειτα προσλαβεῖν.

Translations (9)

The History of the Grecian War Perseus (Thucydides. The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury. Hobbes, Thomas. translator. London: John Bohn, 1843.) — 6.55.1 focus

[1] And that Hippias, being the elder brother, had the government, I can affirm, as knowing it by a more exact relation than other men; and it may be known also by this: It appears that of all the legitimate brethren, this only had children, as is both signified by the altar and also by that pillar which for a testimony of the injustice of the tyrants was erected in the Athenian citadel. In which there is no mention of any son of Thessalus or of Hipparchus, but of five sons of Hippias, which he had by Myrrhine, the daughter of Callias, the son of Hyperechidas;

[2] for it is probable that the eldest was first married. And in the forepart of the pillar, his name after his father's was the first, not without reason, as being both next him in age and having also enjoyed the tyranny.

[3] Nor indeed could Hippias have easily taken on him the government on a sudden, if his brother had died seized of the tyranny, and he been the same day to settle it on himself. Whereas he retained the same with abundant security, both for the customary fear in the people and diligence in the guard, and was not to seek like a younger brother, to whom the government had not continually been familiar.

[4] But Hipparchus came to be named for his misfortune, and thereby grew an opinion afterwards that he was also tyrant.

History of the Peloponnesian War Perseus (Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. Crawley, Richard, translator. London and Toronto: J. M. Dent and Sons Ltd.; New York: E. P. Dutton and Co., 1914.) — 6.55.1 focus

[1] That Hippias was the eldest son and succeeded to the government, is what I positively assert as a fact upon which I have had more exact accounts than others, and may be also ascertained by the following circumstance. He is the only one of the legitimate brothers that appears to have had children; as the altar shows, and the pillar placed in the Athenian Acropolis, commemorating the crime of the tyrants, which mentions no child of Thessalus or of Hipparchus, but five of Hippias, which he had by Myrrhine, daughter of Callias, son of Hyperechides; and naturally the eldest would have married first.

[2] Again, his name comes first on the pillar after that of his father, and this too is quite natural, as he was the eldest after him, and the reigning tyrant.

[3] Nor can I ever believe that Hippias would have obtained the tyranny so easily, if Hipparchus had been in power when he was killed, and he, Hippias, had had to establish himself upon the same day; but he had no doubt been long accustomed to over-awe the citizens, and to be obeyed by his mercenaries, and thus not only conquered, but conquered with ease, without experiencing any of the embarrassment of a younger brother unused to the exercise of authority.

[4] It was the sad fate which made Hipparchus famous that got him also the credit with posterity of having been tyrant.

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Wahrmund, Adolf, translator. Stuttgart: Krais and Hoffmann, 1864.) — 6.55 focus

Daß aber Hippias, als der Aelteste, wirklich die Regierung
hatte, das kann ich versichern, da ich es aus mündlicher Belehrung besser
als Andere weiß, und es kann es auch Jeder leicht aus dem
Folgenden schließen. Es zeigt sich nämlich, daß er allein von seinen
ebenbürtigen Brüdern Kinder hatte, wie es der Altar beweist und so
auch die Säule, welche zur Erinnerung an die ungerechte Herrschaft
der Tyrannen anf der Akropolis von Athen errichtet wurde, und auf
der weder dem Thessalos, noch dem HipparchoS Kinder zugeschrieben
werden, dem Hippias aber fünf, die ihm von der Myrrhina, der
Tochter des Kallias, des SohneS des Hyperechides, geboren worden
waren; denn es war ja auch in der Ordnung, daß der älteste Bruder ¹
zuerst heirathete. Auch ist er auf dieser Säule unmittelbar, als der
Erste nach seinem Vater genannt, und auch das nicht ohne Grund,
weil er eben der Aelteste nach seinem Vater war und von ihm die
Zwingherrschaft übernahm. Es scheint mir auch gar nicht, daß
Hippias ohne Weiteres so leicht die Tyrannis hätte fortführen können,
wenn Hipparchos als Zwingherr den Tod gefunden und er selbst sie
noch am nämlichen Tag angetreten hätte. Vielmehr waren die
Bürger von jeher gewohnt ihn zu fürchten, und bei der vortrefflichen
Zucht seiner Söldner und den überreichlich vorhandenen
Sicherungsmitteln seiner Herrfchaft konnte er sich in derselben leicht behaupten,
und er zeigte in seiner Regierung auch durchaus keine Unsicherheit,
wie etwa ein jüngerer Bruder, oder wie in einem Geschäfte, mit dem
er nicht schon früher vertraut gewesen wäre. Hipparchos aber ist
zufällig durch sein Unglück eine namhafte Persönlichkeit geworden,
und so hat es später auch den Schein gewonnen, als ob er der
Zwingherr gewesen wäre.

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Braun, Theodor, translator. Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1917.) — 6.55 focus

Daß aber Hippias der älteste war und zur Regierung
gelangte, kann ich bestimmt behaupten, da ich darüber genauere
Erkundigungen eingezogen habe als andere', wie denn dafür
auch Folgendes sprechen dürfte. Offenbar nämlich war er der
einzige unter seinen ebenbürtigen Brüdern, der Kinder hatte,
wie dies der Altar und die zum Andenken an die Gewalt
herrschaft der Tyrannen auf der Burg in Athen errichtete
Säule beweist, an welcher weder Kinder des Thessalos noch
des Hipparchos genannt werden, wohl aber fünf des Hippias,
welche ihm von Myrrhine, der Tochter des Kallias, Hyperechides'
Sohn, geboren waren. Wahrscheinlich hat dann doch der
älteste zuerst geheiratet. Auch ist er an derselben Säule gleich
nach seinem Vater ausgeführt, und auch das doch wahrshcein
lich, weil er sein ältester Sohn war und nach ihm zur Regie
rung kam. Vermutlich hätte auch Hippias sich in dem Augen
blick nicht so leicht als Tyrann behaupten können, wenn
Hipparchos, als er ermordet wurde, dies gewesen wäre und
er sich erst an dem Tage dazu hätte auswerfen müssen. Eben
weil die Bürger seine Macht und die Söldner seine strenge
Zucht schon gewohnt waren, behauptete er seine Herrschaft mit
voller Sicherheit und nicht wie ein jüngerer Bruder, der sich
nicht zu helfen weiß, weil er dabei nicht hergekommen. Da
aber Hipparchos durch sein trauriges Ende so berühmt wurde,
glaubte man später, er sei damals auch Tyrann gewesen.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponèse First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése, Vol. 1-2. Zévort, Marie Charles, translator. Paris: Charpentier, 1852.) — 6.55 focus

LV. Qu’Hippias ait exercé le pouvoir comme aîné, c’est ce que j’affirme, et cela d’après des informations plus précises que personne. On peut d’ailleurs s’en convaincre par ce qui suit : il paraît être le seul des fils légitimes de Pisistrate qui ait eu des enfants. C’est ce que prouvent et l’inscription de l’autel¹ et celle de la colonne érigée dans l’acropole d’Athènes en mémpire de l’iniquité des tyrans. Aucun fils de Thessalus ni d’Hipparque n’y est nommé, tandis qu’on y voit figurer cinq fils qu’Hippias eut de Myrrhine, fille de Caillas qui, lui-même, avait pour père Hypéréchides. Il était naturel en effet que l’aîné se mariât le premier. De plus, sur la colonne il est inscrit le premier, immédiatement après son père; ce qui n’est pas moins naturel, puisqu’il était l’aîné et lui succéda dans la tyrannie. D’ailleurs, jamais, je crois, Hippias n’aurait pu s’emparer ainsi de la tyrannie sans résistance dès le premier moment, s’il avait dû succéder le jour, même² à Hipparque, mort dans l’exercice du pouvoir. Au contraire, la crainte à laquelle il avait dès longtemps habitué les citoyens et le choix de ³⁴⁵ serviteurs dévoués suffirent et au delà à lui assurer la tranquille possession du pouvoir et à écarter les embarras qu’il aurait rencontrés, s’il eût été plus jeune que son frère et n’avait pas eu précédemment l’expérience que donne l’usage du pouvoir. La malheureuse aventure d’Hipparque attira l’attention sur son nom, et lui valut par la suite la réputation d’avoir occupé la tyrannie.

History of the Peloponnesian War First1KGreek (Thucydides, Vol. 1-4. Smith, Charles Foster, translator. London and Cambridge, MA: Heinemann and Harvard University Press, 1919-1923.) — 6.55.1 focus

[1] That it was Hippias who, as eldest son, succeeded to the sovereignty I positively affirm because I know it even by tradition more accurately than others,¹ and anyone might be convinced of it also by this simple fact—he alone of the legitimate brothers appears to have had children, as not only the altar signifies, but also the column commemorating the wrong-doing of the tyrants that was set up on the acropolis of Athens, on which no child of Thessalus or of Hipparchus is inscribed, but of Hippias five, who were borne to him by Myrrhine daughter of Callias son of Hyperochidas; for it was natural for the eldest to marry first.

[2] And on this same column his name is written first after his father's, this also not unnaturally, as he was the eldest after him and had been tyrant.

[3] Nor yet again would Hippias, as it seems to me, have obtained the tyranny at once with ease, if Hipparchus had been in power when killed, and had had to establish himself therein on the same day. Nay, it was owing to the habitual fear which before that he had inspired in the citizens, and the strict discipline he had maintained in the bodyguard, that he got the upper hand with superabundant security and was at no loss, as a younger brother would have been, since in that case he would not previously have been regularly used to power.

[4] Hipparchus, however, as it fell out, having become famous by his tragic fate, obtained in aftertime the credit also of having been tyrant.

History of the Peloponnesian War First1KGreek (Thucydides. The history of the Peloponnesian War, Volume 1-2. Dale, Henry, translator. London: Heinemann and Henry G. Bohn, 1851-1852.) — 6.55.1 focus

[1] Now that Hippias, as being the eldest son, succeeded to the government, I both positively assert, because I know it by report more accurately than others, and one may also learn it from this very fact. He alone of the legitimate brothers appears to have had children; as both the altar shows, and the pillar commemorating the wrong committed by the tyrants, placed in the Athenian citadel, on which is inscribed the name of no child of Thlessalus, or of Hipparchus, but five of Hippias, who were born to him of Myrrhine, daughter of Callias, son of Hyperechides. For it was natural that the eldest should have married first. And he is the first mentioned ¹ on the pillar after his father;

[2] and that, too, not unnaturally, as he was the eldest next to him, and enjoyed the tyranny.

[3] Nor, again, do I think that Hippias would ever have obtained the tyranny with such ease at the moment, if Hipparchus had been in power when he was killed, and Hippias had had to establish himself in it on the same day. But owing to his former habit, both of striking fear into the citizens, and of paying strict attention to his mercenaries, he retained his sway with superabundant security; and was at no loss, as though he had been a younger brother, and so had not previously been familiar with ² the constant exercise of power.

[4] But it was the lot of Hipparchus, because he was rendered famous by the sad fate which befell him, to receive also in succeeding ages the repute of having enjoyed the tyranny.

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 6.55.1 focus

[1] Hippiam igitur imperasse, quod natu maximus esset , et sciens e fama mihi tradita accuratius quam alii, confirmo et intelligat aliquis vel ex hoc ipso : hunc enim solum inter legitimos fratres liberos suscepisse constat, ot et ara indicat, et columna in Athenarum arce erecta cum inscriptione sceleris a tyrannis perpetrati, in qua nullus Thessali aut Hipparchi filius est scriptus, sed quinque Hippiae, quos ille ex Myrrhine Calliae Hyperichidae filia susceperat; par enim erat, maximum natu uxorem primum ducere.

[2] Deinde in prima columna primus ille scriptus est post parentem, ne hoc quidem alis re, quippe quod et ab eo natu maximus esset, et tyrannidem obtinuisset.

[3] Quin nec Hippias mihi videtur ita facile e vestigio tyrannidem retenturus fuisse, si Hipparchus in imperio constitutus decessisset, et ipse eodem die tyrannus exsisteret; sed propter pristinum solilumque civium metum, et diligentiam, qua in satellitum praesidio utebatur, imperium multis abundans firmis subsidiis retinuit, et non ut frater natu minor, consilii inops fuit, quod si fuisset, non antea continenter imperii particeps fuisset.

[4] Hipparcho vero hoc evenit, uti proptet calamitatem, in quam inciderat, nobilitatus hanc etiam tyrannidis famam apud posteros assumeret.

La storia di Tucidide First1KGreek (Thucydides. Della storia di Tucidide volgarizzata libri otto. Anonymous translator. Florence: Tipografia Galileiana, 1835.) — 6.55 focus

Che poi Ippia come maggiore avesse il comando posso io accettarlo sapendolo anche d’udita più esattamente degli altri ; ed ognuno dovrà andarne convinto da questo, che tra’ fratelli legittimi solo egli apparisce aver avuto figlioli, come mostra l’ara e la colonna eretta nella rocca d’Atene in memoria della iniquità de’ tiranni, nella quale non è descritto alcun figlio nè di Tessalo nè d’ Ipparco, ma bensì cinque d’Ippia che egli ebbe da Mirrine figliola di Callia d’Iperochida. E certo Ippia come maggiore dovea essere il primo ad ammogliarsi. Inoltre nella prima colonna egli è notato il primo dopo suo padre, nè senza ragione, avvegnaché fosse il maggiore e gli succedesse nella signoria. Anzi per me credo che Ippia non avrebbe potuto in quel frangente ritener con facilità il dominio, se Ipparco fosse morto quando avea nelle mani il comando» ed egli vi si fosse stabilito il giorno medesimo. Ma all'opposto per l’uso che innanzi aveva del comando, e pel timore che di sè metteva nei cittadini ; e per la diligente guardia de’ suoi satelliti, avrà con tutta sicurezza ritenuto l’imperio ; nè qual fratello minore si sarà trovato avviluppato , come se di prima non fosse stalo avvezzo continuamente al governo. Ipparco poi accadde che diventò famoso per la sventura di quel caso, ed ebbe voce tra’ pòsteri di occupata tirannia.

Notes on the current edition

History of the Peloponnesian War

Thucydide est le seul auteur qui parle de ce monument de malédiction érigé par les Athéniens après la chute de la tyrannie.

Commentary

Commentary on Thucydides: Book 6 (Thucydides, Book VI. Marchant, Edgar C., editor. London: Macmillan and Company, 1909.) focus

ἀκριβέστερον —that this alludes to some tradition in the family of Thuc. is clear, but it is not certain that he was related to the Pisistratids, as stated by Hermippus (3rd cent. B.C.) ap. Marcellin. 3

αὐτῷ τούτῳ —the arguments are: (1) on a certain monument only Hippias's children are mentioned; (2) on the same the name of H. immediately follows that of the father; (3) it is unlikely that if Hipparchus had been tyrant Hippias could have secured the power on the day of the murder. The tyranny would have come to an end. (This evidence does not amount to much, but it scarcely deserves the contempt Junghahn pours on it)

τῶν γνησίων ἀδελφῶν —apparently Hippias, Hipparchus, and Thessalus, also named Hegesistratus ( Ath. Pol. c. 17; cf. Herod. v. 94 ). Thessalus is called νόθος by Herod., because he was son of a ξένη. The Ath. Pol. mentions a fourth son, Iophon (Plut. Cat. m. c. 24, and so the Schol. on Wasps l. 502), but nothing is known of him.

ἡ στήλη —one of the pillars on which were inscribed the names of criminals condemned to death or banishment.

πρεσβεύειν —‘was the eldest next to him and became tyrant.’

αὐτὸς δὲ . . καθίστατο —‘and he had attempted to make himself ruler,’ sc. ἐς τὴν ἀρχήν.

τὸ πρότερον ξύνηθες . . φοβερόν —c. 34, 4: ‘but on the one hand ( καί), partly because the citizens had become accustomed beforehand to fear him, and partly becanse of the strict discipline he had enforced on his body-guard, he retained his power with abundant security, whereas on the other hand he was not at a loss, as he would have been had he been a younger brother so circumstanced that he had not constantly been used to govern.’ πρότερον is adverb, and διὰ τὸ πρότερον ξύνηθες goes both with the μέν and the δέ clause. Cf. II. 44 τὸ δ’ εὐτυχές, οἳ ἃν τῆς εὐπρεπεστάτης λάχωσιν, ὥσπερ οἵδε μὲν νῦν τελευτῆς, ὑμεῖς δὲ λύπης, where the epithet belongs to both nouns.

ἐπικούρους —is specially used of mercenaries and bodyguards. Pisistratus had instituted a body called κορυνηφόροι. Cf. Plat. Rcp. p. 566 τὸ δὴ τυραννικὸν αἴτημα . . αἰτεῖν τὸν δῆμον φύλακάς τινας τοῦ σώματος .

πολλῷ τῷ περιόντι —‘with a superabundance.’

οὐχ . . ἠπόρησεν ἐν ᾧ κτλ —‘was not in difficulties in-asituation-in-which he had not previously grown accustomed to rule.’ The phrase ἐν ᾧ , quo statu, has at times a vague reference to what precedes, and here=‘(in the sitnation of a younger brother) in which.’ Cf. c. 92 n. τό τε φιλόπολι οὐκ ἐν ᾧ ἀδικοῦμαι ἔχω. For ἀπορεῖν ἐν=‘to be in difficulties in circumstances,’ cf. Aeschin. 1, 159 ἀπορεῖν ἐν τῷ λόγῳ. (Most edd. connect ἐν ᾧ ... ὡμιλήκει with οὐχ ὡς ἀδελφὸς νεώτερος ὤν, but then Stein's ὡς < ἄν> would be necessary; and the above explanation is simpler than taking ἐν ᾧ as for ἐν τούτῳ ὅτι or ὅτι ἐν τούτῳ, as some propose.)

τοῦ πάθους τῇ δυστυχίᾳ —‘through his tragic fate.’

ὀνομασθέντα = ὀνομαστὸν γενόμενον (Schol.). The accus. when a dat. ( Ἱππάρχῳ) or gen. precedes is very common, though it is not necessary.

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.55

Élie-Ami Bétant (Translator)

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