Tyrannicide is the act of killing a tyrant, or the person who carries out the killing, typically done by a subject for the greater good of freeing their people from oppressive rule, and was historically encouraged in Ancient Greece and Rome, with figures like Harmodius and Aristogeiton celebrated as heroes for their attempt to overthrow Athenian tyrants. It's distinct from regicide (killing a king) as a tyrant isn't always a king, and the justification lies in overthrowing unjust or usurped power, not just monarchy.
The killing of Clearchus of Heraclea in 353 BC by a cohort led by his own court philosopher is an example of a tyrannicide. A person who carries out a tyrannicide is also called a "tyrannicide".
tyrannicide, in ancient Greece and Rome, the killer or would-be killer of a tyrant. The term may also refer to the act of killing a tyrant. Tyrannicides were often celebrated in antiquity, and some Classical states even legislated to exempt from prosecution those who killed a tyrant or would-be tyrant.
Harmodius (Greek: Ἁρμόδιος, Harmódios) and Aristogeiton (Ἀριστογείτων, Aristogeíton; both died 514 BC) were two lovers in Classical Athens who became known as the Tyrannicides (τυραννόκτονοι, tyrannoktonoi) for their assassination of Hipparchus, the brother of the tyrant Hippias, for which they were executed.
tyran·nis. ˈtirən- plural -es. : absolute rule (as by a local dictator in ancient Greece or medieval Italy)
The philosophers Plato and Aristotle defined a tyrant as a person who rules without law, using extreme and cruel methods against both his own people and others.
It is thought to have been renamed Oedipus Tyrannus to distinguish it from Oedipus at Colonus, a later play by Sophocles. In antiquity, the term "tyrant" referred to a ruler with no legitimate claim to rule, but it did not necessarily have a negative connotation.
Yes, Greek mythology is rich with LGBTQ+ themes, featuring numerous gods, heroes, and mortals in same-sex relationships, gender fluidity, and androgyny, reflecting ancient Greek attitudes that often normalized such relationships, particularly among men (pederasty) and sometimes between women, alongside figures like the gender-shifting Tiresias. Key examples include Zeus and Ganymede, Apollo and Hyacinthus, Achilles and Patroclus, and the gender-fluid Tiresias, showing diverse expressions of love, attraction, and identity.
The "Thirty Tyrants" refers to a pro-Spartan oligarchic government that ruled Athens for a brief period following the city's surrender to Sparta in 404 B.C.E.
The History of the Peloponnesian War.
dictatress (plural dictatresses) A female dictator; a dictatorial state personified as female.
St. Thomas concluded, "He who kills a tyrant (i.e. an usurper) to free his country is praised and rewarded" (In 2 Sentences, 44.2. 2). A tyrant by usurpation has illegitimately seized power and, therefore, is a criminal.
The rule of a dictator was not necessarily considered tyrannical in Ancient Rome, though it has been described in some accounts as a "temporary tyranny" or an "elective tyranny". There have been many regimes which have since been compared to or described as dictatorships.
" The tyrant dies and his rule is over,the martyr dies and his rule begins". Søren Kierkegaard .
Tyrants inevitably employ a militaristic “divide and conquer” tactics. They see groups of people as things to be conquered (rather than nurtured). And they know this will be much easier to do if they break those groups down into smaller sub-groups. People are weaker as individuals than they are as a whole, after all.
Etymology. From the Latin sīc semper tyrannīs (“thus always to tyrants”). While the line is sometimes said to have been uttered by Brutus after he assassinated Julius Caesar, the utterance itself is recorded in no ancient sources and appears to be a modern invention.
The Minotaur is perhaps one of the best known figures from Greek mythology, a fearsome creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man. It was born from a union between Queen Pasiphae of Crete and a majestic bull sent by the sea god Poseidon, a result of a divine punishment.
Socrates' sarcastic remark is priceless: “What a blessed creature, I said, must this tyrant be; he has put to death the others and has these for his trusted friends.” In other words, those who purchase friends with revolutionary political favors are the most pitiable of all persons.
Cypselus was an Ancient Greek ruler. He was considered the first tyrant of Corinth. He came to power in the 7th century BCE and is acknowledged as establishing the first tyrant dynasty. The ruling Bacchiadae clan was very unpopular with the Corinthian people.
Many people interpret Artemis to be either lesbian or asexual and for the larger pop mythology community it's no longer interpretation. Artemis is the queer goddess.
[2] It denoted the passive partner in male same-sex activity. [3] The term arsenokoitai makes the point particularly clearly. As commentaries frequently note, Paul is the first Greek writer who appears to have used this term.
The third and final chapter identifies asexual resonances in Athena and Artemis' mythos. Based on these resonances, this thesis recommends Athena and Artemis as additions to the asexual historical tradition.
When Oedipus grew to manhood, a prophet warned him that he would kill his father and marry his mother.
In the case of Oedipus, his tragic flaw is hubris, or excessive pride. In thinking that he could outrun his own fate, he inevitably causes it to happen. In ancient Greek culture one would have to suffer from extreme pride to think they could defy the will of the gods.
The dramatic irony is that we know that Oedipus should be listening to Tiresias because he's telling the truth, but Oedipus refuses to acknowledge the claim. Also ironically, although Tiresias is physically blind, Oedipus is the one who can't see the situation he's in.