History of the Peloponnesian War

And when they saw one of their accomplices in familiar conversation with Hippias, (for he was easy of access to all,) they were alarmed, and thought that some information had been laid against them, and that they would be almost immediately arrested. They wished therefore to avenge themselves beforehand, if possible, on the man who had aggrieved them, and for whose punishment they were exposing themselves to all that danger;

and so they rushed straightway within the gates, and meeting with Hipparchus by the Leocorium, at once fell on him in a reckless manner, under the influence of the most vehement passion, inspired by love in the one case, and by insult in the other, and smote him, and slew him.

Now one of them, namely, Aristogiton, escaped from the guards at the moment, through the crowd running up; but was seized afterwards, and disposed of in no gentle manner. Harmodius was immediately slain on the spot.

When the news were brought to Hippias in the Ceramicus, he proceeded immediately, not to the scene of action, but to the armed men in the procession, before they were aware of the matter, in consequence of their being at some distance from the spot; and with his countenance feigned to suit the occasion, so as not to betray his feelings, he pointed out a certain spot, and desired them to retire into it without their arms.

Accordingly they withdrew, supposing that he would deliver an address to them; while he, after commanding his guards to remove the arms, immediately picked out such men as he was disposed to think guilty, and whoever was found with a dagger; for it was only with shield and spear that they were accustomed to make their processions.

In this manner both the original conspiracy was entered into by Harmodius and Aristogiton for a love offence, and their rash venture attempted through their alarm at the moment.

After this, the tyranny was more severe on the Athenians than before; and Hippias, being now in greater apprehension, both put to death many of the citizens, and kept his eye also on foreign states, in whatever quarter he had a prospect of a safe retreat being secured for him, in case of any revolution.

At any rate, he married his daughter Archedice to Aeantides, son of the tyrant of Lampsacus— [*]( i. e. to a native of a place so very far beneath his own country in reputation. Compare III. 59. 6, μὴ πλαταιῆς οντες ... θηβαίοις ... παραδοθῆναι: where, as in many other places, the omission of the article with the name of a people expresses something respecting the character of the people, whether good or bad.) Athenian as he was, to a Lampsacene—because he saw that they had great influence with king Darius. There is a monument to her at Lampsacus, with this inscription:

2. Beneath this dust Archedice finds peace,
3. Whose sire was Hippias, peerless once in Greece.
4. She, though of tyrants daughter, sister, bride,
5. And mother, ne'er was lifted up with pride.

With regard to Hippias, having retained the tyranny at Athens three years longer, and being deposed in the fourth year by the Lacedaemonians and the banished Alcmaeonidae he went, under treaty, to Sigeum, then to Aeantides at Lampsacus, and thence to the court of king Darius; from which also he set out twenty years after, when now an old man, and accompanied the Median forces to Marathon.

Reflecting, then, on these things, and recalling to mind all that they knew by report concerning them, the Athenian people was wrathful at that time, and suspicious of those who had incurred accusation on the subject of the mysteries, and thought that every thing had been done on the strength of a conspiracy for establishing an oligarchy, or a tyranny.