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Greek Mythology > People, Places, & Things > Hieroglyphics to Holy Twain
H to Helike Helikon to Hexa Hieroglyphics to Holy Twain Homados to Hystaspes 2
Hiero = holy and Glyph = carving.
See Hieroglyphics by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
One of the Thirty Tyrants elected to rule the city of Athens after the end of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE).
Having lost the war to the Spartans, the citizens of Athens elected thirty men to lead the new post-war government; these men became known as the Thirty Tyrants; the short lived government they comprised was an oligarchy.
The tyrants immediately began to prosecute Athenians who had been Spartan informers and collaborators during the long, hard war; the punishment of the guilty seemed appropriate to the common citizens and aristocrats alike but it soon became clear that the executions and banishments were going beyond the bounds of necessity or prudence; open hostilities soon developed between members of the Thirty and their authority and rule came to an end after one year.
See Hieron by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
A historian of the third century BCE; none of his work survives and we know of him only through later writers who mentioned and quoted his work.
See Hieronymus by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
She and Phoibe were the daughters of Leukippus (Leucippus).
There are two versions of the story in which Phoibe and Hilaeira became involved with the Dioskuri (Dioscuri), i.e. Kastor (Castor) and Polydeukes (Polydeuces or Pollux), while they were with the Argonauts:
See Hilaeira by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
Also called Areios; the hill on the west side of the Akropolis (Acropolis) at Athens where the highest court held its deliberations for capital crimes such as murder.
See Hill of Ares by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
An outer garment worn over the left shoulder and under the right.
See Himation by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
The Spirit of Desire.
Himeros and Eros (the ancient god of Love) attended Aphrodite (goddess of Love) when she was born of the ocean foam and the blood of Ouranos (the Heavens).
See Himeros by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
A creature having the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.
Herodotus provides a location for the Griffins; he states that they “guard gold” in a land north of the one-eyed Arimaspians and south of the land of the Hyperboreans; perhaps more properly spelled Ippalektryon.
See Hippalektryon by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
A Greek astronomer circa 190-125 BCE.
See Hipparkhus (1) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
One of the sons of Pisistratus (Peisistratos) who was assassinated in 514 BCE by Harmodius and Aristogiton in a failed attempt to kill both of Pisistratus’ sons, Hippias and Hipparkhus.
Hippias was the actual tyrant of Athens but Hipparchus had a very powerful influence on governmental and social matters; Hippias and Hipparkhus ruled buy the authority of their right of inheritance rather than their ability.
The assassins, Harmodius and Aristogiton, were acting for strictly personal reasons but the death or exile of Hippias and Hipparkhus seemed destined to occur; after Hipparkhus’ death, Hippias was deposed and lived in exile; after Hippias was sent into exile, Harmodius and Aristogiton were honored by the citizens of Athens with statues and their relatives were given benefits such as tax exemption.
See Hipparkhus (2) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
When the noted statesman, Solon, reorganized the Athenian society (circa 594 BCE) he divided the citizens into four specific groups; the four classes under Solon’s constitution were:
See Hippeis (1) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
The elite three-hundred horsemen who guarded the two kings of Sparta.
See Hippeis (2) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
A Greek name for the Skythians (Scythians).
Since the Skythians were nomads and lived as stereotypical gypsies, they had no cities and lived in horse-drawn wagons, the Greeks referred to them as Mare-Milkers.
See Hippemolgoi by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
One of the sons of the tyrant, Pisistratus (Peisistratos), and the brother of Hipparkhus (Hipparchus).
After the death of Pisistratus, as the eldest son, Hippias took control of the government of the city of Athens; his brother, Hipparkhus might be thought of as co-tyrant and was thus a powerful man in Athens; Hipparkhus was in love with a young man named Harmodius but his affection was not returned; Hipparkhus sought to humiliate Harmodius by publicly slandering Harmodius’ sister.
In 514 BCE, as an act of revenge, Harmodius and his friend Aristogiton devised a plan to assassinate the two tyrants but the plan went awry and only Hipparkhus was killed; soldiers executed Harmodius immediately but Aristogiton was captured and tortured to death.
In 510 BCE, Hippias was besieged in the Akropolis (Acropolis) and forced to leave Athens; he first went to the city of Sparta but eventually took refuge with the Persians; Hippias was a key element in the bad blood that developed between the Persians in that he slandered the Athenians to the Persian satrap, Artaphrenes, and urged him to make the Athenians subjects of the Persian king, Darius.
When the Athenians heard of Hippias’ betrayal, they sent messengers to Artaphrenes and reminded him that Hippias had been banished from Athens and that he was not to be trusted; Artaphrenes threatened the Athenians and said that if they valued their skins, they would welcome Hippias back to the city; the Athenians, of course, refused and this was the beginning of the enmity that later developed into war between the Athenians and the Persians.
During the first Persian invasion of Greece, Hippias actually assisted the Persian army as an advisor at the battle of Marathon in 490 BCE; he died in exile on the island of Lemnos; after Hippias was deposed and sent into exile, Harmodius and Aristogiton were honored by the citizens of Athens with statues and their relatives were given benefits such as tax exemption.
See Hippias by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
(fl. fourth century BCE) The sophist philosopher from Elis on the Peloponnesian Peninsula; none of his works survives but he was mentioned by Plato in two dialogues.
See Hippias of Elis by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
An Okeanid, i.e. one of the three thousand daughters of Okeanos (Ocean) and Tethys.
Zeus gave the Okeanids, Apollon and the Rivers the special obligation of having the young in their keeping.
See Hippo by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
The oath taken by medical doctors which is attributed to the greatest Greek physician of all time, Hippokrates (Hippocrates).
Hippokrates was born on the island of Kos (Cos) circa 460 BCE and recognized in his own lifetime as a remarkable scientist.
I would like to thank Lewis Stiles for his kind permission to use his translation of the Hippocratic Oath and the explanatory notes:
I swear, by Apollo the healer (iatros) and Asklepios and Hygeia and Panaceia and all gods and goddesses, making them witnesses, to fulfill according to my ability and my discretion (krisis) this oath and this legal agreement (syngraphe); to consider him who taught me this skill (techne) as equal to my own parents, and to share with him my livelihood, and to make a contribution of money to him at his need, and to judge his progeny as equal to my brothers in male lineage, and to teach this skill (techne), if they need to learn it, without profit and without legal agreement; to make a contribution of instruction and of what I have heard and of all other learning to my own sons and to the sons of him who taught me and to learners who are under legal agreement and who have also sworn by the law (nomos) appropriate to healing (iatric-), but to no other. I will use dietetic measures (diatema) for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and my discretion (krisis), and I will keep them (? or “myself?”) from harm and injustice. I will not give a deadly drug (pharmacon), not to anyone, when asked, nor will I suggest such a plan of action; similarly I will not give a destructive pessary [FN 1] to a woman. In a pure way and in a holy way I will conduct my life and my skill (techne). I will not cut, not even, indeed, those with stones (lithantes), but I will give place to men who are doers of this action. Into whatsoever houses I might go, I will enter for the benefit of the sick, being outside of all willing injustice and destructiveness and, especially, being outside of deeds appropriate to Aphrodite on the bodies of women and of men, free or slave. And what I might see or hear during treatment (therapeu-), or even apart from treatment, regarding the life of men, which it is not ever necessary to proclaim outside, I will be silent about, considering such things to be unutterable. On the one hand, therefore, for me fulfilling this oath and not violating it let there be enjoyment of a reputation for my life and skill (techne) among all men for all time; on the other hand, for me transgressing and falsely swearing, let there be the opposite of these things.
(Notes: [FN 1] Pessary: “from...Greek pessos, an oval stone used in playing a game like draughts; hence a medicated plug...of wool, lint, etc., to be inserted in the neck of the womb [or anus], etc., for the cure of various ailments....”
Notice: This translation is the copyrighted property of the author (Lewis Stiles) and should not be reproduced without the author’s permission. You may contact Lewis Stiles through the web site: http://duke.usask.ca/~porterj/DeptTransls/HippOath.html
See Hippocratic Oath by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
The daughter of Oenomaus and the wife of Pelops; her sons were: Atreus and Thyestes.
See Hippodamia by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
An oval track for horse racing.
See Hippodrome by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
A creature resembling a griffin, i.e. having the head and wings of an eagle but instead of the body of a lion, the hippogriff had the body of a horse.
See Hippogriff by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
The Father of Medicine.
Hippokrates was the most famous of Greek physicians; born on the island of Kos (Cos) circa 460 BCE and died presumably at Larissa; his primary contribution to modern medical science is the Hippocratic Oath which has governed the ethics of physicians throughout the ages.
See Hippokrates (1) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
Hippokrates of Gela; A tyrant of the city of Gela on the island of Sicily from 498-491 BCE.
The city of Gela was approximately one hundred years old when Hippokrates assumed power and during his reign the city reached new levels of prosperity and ambition with control over most of the island of Sicily.
See Hippokrates (2) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
The twelfth Eurypontidai king of the city of Sparta who ruled circa 600-575 BCE.
Sparta traditionally had two kings who ruled jointly; one king was required to be a descendant of king Eurypon and the other was required to be a descendant of king Agis I (respectively known as the Eurypontidai and the Agiadai).
Very little is known about Hippokratidas and the dates given for his rule are extrapolations and should be used only as approximations.
See Hippokratidas by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
A spring on Mount Helikon (Helicon) which is sacred to the Muses and regarded as a poetic inspiration.
The spring was created by the stroke of the hoof of the winged horse, Pegasos (Pegasus); Ippo = horse and Krenaios = from a spring.
See Hippokrene by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
He and his brother, Peisandros were killed at the siege of Troy by Agamemnon.
Their father, Antimakhus (Antimachus), was an advisor to king Priam of Troy and wanted to kill Odysseus and Menelaos (Menelaus) when they came to negotiate an end to the war; when Agamemnon found the two brothers on the battlefield, he killed them without mercy to avenge their father’s temerity.
His name may also be rendered as Hippolokhus or Hippolochus.
See Hippolokhos (1) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
The son of Bellerophontes (Bellerophon) and the father of the Trojan ally, Glaukos (Glaucos).
His name may also be rendered as Hippolokhus or Hippolochus.
See Hippolokhos (2) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
One of the Thirty Tyrants elected to rule the city of Athens after the end of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE).
Having lost the war to the Spartans, the citizens of Athens elected thirty men to lead the new post-war government; these men became known as the Thirty Tyrants; the short lived government they comprised was an oligarchy.
The tyrants immediately began to prosecute Athenians who had been Spartan informers and collaborators during the long, hard war; the punishment of the guilty seemed appropriate to the common citizens and aristocrats alike but it soon became clear that the executions and banishments were going beyond the bounds of necessity or prudence; open hostilities soon developed between members of the Thirty and their authority and rule came to an end after one year.
His name may also be rendered as Hippolokhus or Hippolochus.
See Hippolokhos (3) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
Queen of the Amazons.
Hippolyta was said to have been conquered and married by the Athenian hero, Theseus; when the Amazons attacked Theseus, Hippolyta fought against her sisters and stayed with her husband and son; her fate is unclear but her son, Hippolytus, came to a tragic end because of the dishonesty of Theseus’ second wife, Phaedra.
Hippolyta was also called Antiope.
See Hippolyta by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
The queen of the Amazons who was killed (or subdued) by Herakles (Heracles) during the completion of his Ninth Labor.
In the artwork relating to the Labors of Herakles, she is also named as Andromeda or Andromakhe (Andromache).
See Hippolyte (1) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
The wife of the king of Phthia, Akastos (Acastus).
When Peleus took refuge in Phthia, Akastos befriended him but Hippolyte made unwanted advances towards Peleus and, when he rejected her, she lied to Akastos and as a result, Peleus was abandoned on Mount Pelion to die.
Peleus had been given a knife made by the hands of Hephaistos (Hephaestus) but Akastos took the knife so that Peleus would be defenseless; the Centaur, Kheiron (Chiron), restored the knife to Peleus and saved him from certain death.
Hippolyte is also known as Astydameia.
See Hippolyte (2) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
The illegitimate son of Theseus and the Amazon queen, Hippolyte.
Hippolytus was a young man of purity and devoted to the goddess of the Hunt, Artemis; despite (or because of) his purity, Theseus’ wife, Phaedra, tried to seduce Hippolytus but he rejected her; Phaedra hanged herself and left a letter stating that Hippolytus had forcibly seduced her; Theseus was outraged and begged Poseidon (lord of the Sea) to kill Hippolytus; Poseidon sent one of his ketos, i.e. sea monsters; Hippolytus was killed when the ketos frightened his chariot horses and he was thrown to his death.
In some versions of the story, Artemis begged the healer, Asklepios (Asclepius), to restore Hippolytus to life; Asklepios, as the son of Apollon, reanimated Hippolytus but Zeus was outraged and killed Asklepios with a thunderbolt.
See Hippolytus (1) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
A drama by Euripides produced in 428 BCE dealing with the tragic story of the noble youth’s sad and unnecessary death.
I personally recommend the translations compiled by Richmond Lattimore and David Grene; you can find this and other plays by Euripides in the 882 section of your local library or you can order them from the Book Shop on this site which is linked to Amazon.com.
See Hippolytus (2) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
One of the Thirty Tyrants elected to rule the city of Athens after the end of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE).
Having lost the war to the Spartans, the citizens of Athens elected thirty men to lead the new post-war government; these men became known as the Thirty Tyrants; the short lived government they comprised was an oligarchy.
The tyrants immediately began to prosecute Athenians who had been Spartan informers and collaborators during the long, hard war; the punishment of the guilty seemed appropriate to the common citizens and aristocrats alike but it soon became clear that the executions and banishments were going beyond the bounds of necessity or prudence; open hostilities soon developed between members of the Thirty and their authority and rule came to an end after one year.
His name may also be rendered as Hippolokhus or Hippolochus.
See Hippomakhos by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
One of the seven leaders of the expedition to re-take the city of Thebes and place Polynikes (Polynices) on the throne.
The expedition was known as the Seven Against Thebes; his son, Polydorus, was a member the Epigoni which successfully captured Thebes ten years after the Seven Against Thebes failed.
See Hippomedon by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
The clever man who tricked Atalanta into marriage by accepting her challenge to a foot race and dropping Aphrodite’s three golden apples in her path so that Atalanta would stop to pick them up and lose the race.
See Hippomenes by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
One of the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris collectively known as the Nereids, i.e. the daughters of the Nereus.
See Hipponoe by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
Loosely translated as “horse of the water”; the large African aquatic mammal known to us as Hippopotamas amphibious.
See Hippopotamus by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
One of the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris collectively known as the Nereids, i.e. the daughters of the Nereus.
See Hippothoe by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
One of the sons of the last king of Troy, Priam.
After Priam’s favorite son, Hektor (Hector), had been killed defending Troy, Priam berated his nine remaining sons for being wicked and worthless; Hippothoos was one of these sons; whether the old king spoke in desperate sorrow or from his heart is impossible to tell.
See Hippothoos (1) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
See Hippothoos (2) by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
One of the Olympians; the goddess of the Hearth, i.e. the protector of home and family.
Histia is the sister of: Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Demeter and Hera.
Histia was the first born child of Kronos (Cronos) and Rheia (Rhea); one of the three virgin goddesses including: Artemis and Athene (Athena); a perpetual fire was kept burning in her honor at Delphi and whenever new colonies were founded, fire was taken from Delphi to the new settlement; the first and last libations were poured to her at every banquet.
By being the first born, Histia was the first of six children to be swallowed by Kronos in his attempt to prevent one of his children from taking his throne; Rheia substituted a stone for Zeus and he was not swallowed by Kronos; after Zeus was grown, he attacked Kronos and he (Kronos) disgorged the swallowed children; Histia was the last to be spewed forth and so she is considered the youngest AND the oldest Olympian, i.e. the first born to Rheia (oldest) and the last to be freed from Kronos’ belly (youngest).
For more detailed information on Histia I suggest that you consult the Immortals section of this site.
See Histia by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
The Persian tyrant of the city of Miletus.
When the Persian king, Darius I (521-485 BCE), tried to invade Skythia (Scythia), Histiaeus and other allies were left at the Ister (Danube River) to guard the pontoon bridge which had granted Darius’ army entry into Europe and assured his return to Asia Minor.
When it became obvious that Darius was defeated and that the Skythians had outmaneuvered the Persian army, the Skythians told Histiaeus and the other allies to tear down the bridge and let them capture and kill Darius.
Histiaeus convinced the other allies that Darius was the source of their authority and that his death would surely mean the end of their tyrannies; the allies made a pretense of destroying the bridge to appease the Skythians and waited for Darius to arrive.
The Skythians were unable to find Darius and his army because, being strangers in Skythia, they became lost and were not where the Skythians thought they should be; Darius returned to the bridge and made his escape from Europe.
The Skythians decided that, as free men, Histiaeus and the other allies were base and unmanly but as slaves they were very good because they were subservient and loyal.
As his reward for the safekeeping of the pontoon bridge for Darius, Histiaeus was allowed to occupy and fortify the city of Myrkinus (Myrcinus) in Thrake (Thrace); one of Darius’ confidants, Megabazus, convinced Darius that Histiaeus was up to no good so Darius sent a message to Histiaeus and politely requested that he come to Sardis; Histiaeus immediately left Thrake and went to the king; Darius told Histiaeus that he wanted him to come to Susa and be his advisor; Histiaeus could not refuse.
Histiaeus soon realized that all his power and authority had been stripped away and he was a prisoner of Darius; he devised a clever plan to cause dissention in the Empire and unseat Darius; Histiaeus knew of the failed Persian invasion of the Greek island of Naxos and that the new tyrant of Miletus, Aristagoras was being blamed for the failure; in order to elude Darius’ spies, Histiaeus shaved the head of one of his servants and tattooed a message on the man’s bald head; when the servant’s hair had grown out and covered the message, Histiaeus sent the man to Aristagoras who shaved the man’s head and read the secret message; Histiaeus urged Aristagoras to lead the other Ionians in a revolt against the Persians and overthrow Darius.
Aristagoras was a desperate man and took Histiaeus’ advice; he united the Ionians and began what became known as the Ionian Revolt; the revolt failed and Aristagoras went to an early grave.
Darius suspected that Histiaeus had somehow been involved in the Ionian Revolt and accused him; Histiaeus cleverly explained that the only reason the revolt had been able to happen was because he (Histiaeus) had not been in Miletus to set an example for the other Ionian tyrants; Histiaeus told Darius that if he was given control of Miletus again he would subdue the island of Sardo (Sardinia) and bring it under Persian dominion; Darius believed Histiaeus’ lies and sent him back to Miletus.
When Histiaeus arrived in the city of Sardis, he encountered the skeptical Persian governor named Artaphrenes; he lied to Artaphrenes as to his knowledge of the Ionian Revolt but Artaphrenes was not as gullible as Darius and artfully accused Histiaeus of “stitching the shoe that Aristagoras put on”; Histiaeus feared Artaphrenes and fled Sardis for the island of Khios; the Khians promptly arrested Histiaeus as a Persian spy but he convinced the Khians that he was an enemy of Darius and meant them no mischief.
The Ionians wanted to know why Histiaeus had encouraged them to revolt against the Persians and he told them a believable lie; he told them that Darius was planning to relocate the Ionian Greeks and give their land and islands to the Phoenicians; although this had never been a plan of Darius, the Ionians believed Histiaeus and offered him assistance in mounting a new revolt.
Histiaeus then sent letters to Persians in Sardis who he knew to be hostile to Darius; the letters were intercepted by Artaphrenes and the recipients died for their treachery.
When Histiaeus tried to return to Miletus, he was greeted with armed resistance and wounded; the people of Miletus had lived without a tyrant for several years and did not welcome a man of Histiaeus’ ilk; he retreated to the island of Lesbos and gathered eight ships which he took to the city of Byzantium in order to blockade Persian ships sailing from the Pontus (Black Sea) to the Aegean Sea.
As the Persians were regaining the territory they had lost during the short-lived Ionian Revolt, Histiaeus was making plans to increase his military force and become more aggressive in his attacks on the Persians; when Histiaeus learned that the city of Miletus and the island of Khios were again under Persian control, he sailed south to retake Khios.
The Persians had greatly reduced the Khian defenses and Histiaeus took control of the island; he next sought to win the island of Thasos in the northern Aegean Sea but that campaign was cut short when Histiaeus learned that the Persians had launched their fleet from Miletus and intended to attack the remainder of the Ionians.
When Histiaeus put ashore near Atarneus (just south of Troy) to gather food for his troops, he was captured by the Persians; he was not worried about his safety because he assumed that he would be taken to Darius and pardoned for his transgressions; his captors, Artaphrenes and Harpagus, did not want Histiaeus to be pardoned; they beheaded and impaled Histiaeus; when Darius received the embalmed head of Histiaeus he had it washed and buried with due care; Darius probably would have pardoned Histiaeus if he had been brought to Susa alive.
While telling the story of Histiaeus, the historian, Herodotus mentioned a curious event that might give us a glimpse into his way of perceiving the world; Herodotus claims that the terrible defeat the Khians suffered at the hands of the Persians should have been expected because two divinely directed catastrophes had befallen the islanders prior to the Persian invasion; the first was the death of 98 out of 100 Khian youths who had gone to Delphi and died of a mysterious disease; the second was the collapse of a school roof on Khios which killed 119 out of 120 of the school’s children; Herodotus said that these events were “signs” and that they “somehow” gave advance warning of the great evils that were to befall the Khians.
See Histiaeus by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
The book by Herodotus which was the first attempt to factually record historical events from eyewitness or secondhand information.
Called The Histories or simply Histories, the name literally means Research or Inquiry; assumed to have been written in the mid-fifth century BCE; Histories is divided into nine books but it is almost certain that such divisions were done long after Herodotus’ death.
Histories deals primarily with the Persian invasion of Greece in 480 BCE but has many observations and stories garnered from Herodotus’ travels; some of his accounts are laughably inaccurate but, all in all, Histories is a priceless glimpse into the daily lives of the ancient Greeks.
There are numerous translations of Histories and I highly recommend reading this important work; this book can be found at most libraries or can be purchased through the Book Shop on this site which is linked to Amazon.com; I recommend The Histories as translated by David Grene, ISBN 0226327728 (paperback) or the Penguin Classics version revised by A. R. Burn, ISBN 0140440348.
See Histories by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
Referring to mother and daughter, Demeter and Persephone.
See Holy Twain by itself with citation tips (best for bookmarking).
H to Helike Helikon to Hexa Hieroglyphics to Holy Twain Homados to Hystaspes 2
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