Agariste of Sicyon

Agariste of Sicyon

Agariste (Ancient Greek: Ἀγαρίστη) (fl. 6th century BC, around 560 BC) was the daughter, and possibly the heiress, of the tyrant of Sicyon, Cleisthenes. Her father wanted to marry her to the best of the Hellenes and, subsequently, he organized a competition, whose the prize was his own daughter. According to his declaration, all the eligible young men had to appear in Sicyon within 60 days. Finally, twelve competitors appeared [Herodotus, "From the city of Sybaris in Italy came Smindyrides, and from Siris came Damasus. Amphimnestus and Males made their way to Sicyon from the cities of the Ionian Gulf. The Peloponnesus sent Leocedes from Argos, Amiantus from Arcadia, Laphanes from Pæus, and Onomastus from Elis. From Eubœa came Lysanias; from Thessaly, Diactorides; from Molossia, Alcon; and from Attica, Megacles and Hippoclides. Of the last two, Megacles was the son of the renowned Alcmæon, while Hippoclides was accounted the handsomest and wealthiest of the Athenians."] and Cleisthenes held a banquet in his guests' honour. Cleisthenes preferred the former archon Hippocleides but, during the dinner Hippocleides embarrassed himself.

According to Herodotus, Hippocleides became intoxicated and began to act like a fool; at one point he stood on his head and kicked his legs in the air, keeping time with the flute music. When Hippocleides was informed that he had "danced away his bride," his response was "ου φροντις 'Ιπποκλειδη", ("Hippocleides doesn't care" or "It doesn't matter to Hippocleides"). [Herodotus. "The Histories", 6.129-6.130.] After these unfortunate events, Megacles of the Alcmaeonid clan was chosen to marry Agariste, who gave birth to two sons, Hippocrates and Cleisthenes, the reformer of the Athenian democracy. Hippocrates was father of another Megacles (ostracized 486 BC) and a daughter Agariste was mother of Pericles and Ariphron (himself the father of Hippocrates of Athens who died 424 BC). The younger son Cleisthenes was allegedly father of Deinomache (or Dinomache), mother of Alcibiades (d. 404 BC) [Hippocrates' daughter was Agariste, the mother of Pericles. Either Hippocrates's son Megacles or his younger brother Cleisthenes was maternal grandfather of Alcibiades. According to other sources, Pericles's mother and Alcibiades's mother's father were siblings, and Pericles and Deinomache were therefore cousins, which supports the latter contention.Fact|date=November 2007] In either scenario, Agariste was a common ancestress of Pericles and Alcibiades. W. K. Lacey felt that Agariste was an "epikleros", or heiress who was required to have children to perpetuate her father's family.Lacey, W. K. "The Family in Classical Greece" Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1968 p. 276 note 29.]

ee also

*Cleisthenes
*Hippocleides

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Agariste — (Ancient Greek: Ἀγαρίστη) can refer to:*Agariste of Sicyon, daughter of the tyrant of Sicyon, Cleisthenes. *Agariste, was the daughter of Hippocrates, the son of Agariste of Sicyon and Megacles. As the wife of Xanthippus, she gave birth to… …   Wikipedia

  • Cleisthenes of Sicyon — For other figures with the same name as well as for the genus of flounders, see Cleisthenes (disambiguation). Cleisthenes (also Clisthenes or Kleisthenes) was the tyrant of Sicyon from c. 600–570 BC, who aided in the First Sacred War against… …   Wikipedia

  • Cleisthenes Of Sicyon — ▪ tyrant of Sicyon Cleisthenes also spelled  Clisthenes  flourished 6th century BC       tyrant of the ancient Greek city of Sicyon. He belonged to the non Dorian family of Orthagoras, who had established the tyranny in Sicyon with the support of …   Universalium

  • Epikleros — (ἐπίκληρος) (plural epikleroi ) was the term used to describe an heiress in ancient Athens, and in other ancient Greek city states. It denoted a daughter of a man who had no male heirs. In Sparta they were called patroiouchoi (πατρούχοι), as they …   Wikipedia

  • Molossians — For the micronation of Molossia, see Republic of Molossia. Tribes of Epirus in antiquity. The Molossians (Greek: Μολοσσοί, Molossoi) were an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region of Epirus since the Mycenaean …   Wikipedia

  • List of ancient Epirotes — This list refers to inhabitants of Ancient Epirus Mythology*Ambrax, Ambracia *Chaon *Echetus King of Epirus. *Epirus (mythology),Theban,died in Epirus. *Kallidike Queen of Thesprotians wife of Odysseus *Molossus *Thesprotus *Tyrimmas, King of… …   Wikipedia

  • ancient Greek civilization — ▪ historical region, Eurasia Introduction       the period following Mycenaean civilization, which ended in about 1200 BC, to the death of Alexander the Great, in 323 BC. It was a period of political, philosophical, artistic, and scientific… …   Universalium

  • Kleisthenes von Sikyon — war Tyrann aus dem Geschlecht der Orthagoriden in der peloponnesischen Polis Sikyon während der ersten Hälfte des 6. Jahrhunderts v. Chr. Er war der Großvater des athenischen Reformers Kleisthenes aus der Familie der Alkmeoniden. Um 600 v. Chr.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Pericles — Infobox Military Person name= Pericles caption= Marble portrait bust of Pericles mdash; Roman copy of an original portrait by Kresilas (British Museum, London) allegiance= Athens rank= General (Strategos) commands= nickname= lived= ca. 495 – 429… …   Wikipedia

  • Cleisthenes — For other figures with the same name as well as for the genus of flounders, see Cleisthenes (disambiguation). Cleisthenes is known as the father of Athenian democracy . Modern bust, on view at the Ohio Statehouse, Columbus, Ohio. Cleisthenes… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”