Normally such routine ruled the events of the Agora, but one day in 513 BC, when Athens was ruled by the benevolent tyrant Hippias, sexual jealousy, personal affront, and political conspiracy led to an event that Athenians believed to be a turning point in their history. Harmodios was a very handsome young man loved (erômenos - 'recipient of love') by an older man (erastês 'lover') named Aristogeiton. Trouble arose when Hipparchos, the brother of the tyrant Hippias, made sexual advances to Harmodios, who spurned them. Aristogeiton, overcome with jealousy and rage, decided to overthrow the tyranny. Meanwhile, Hipparchos, rejected a second time by Harmodios, decided on revenge. He invited Harmodios’ little sister to carry a basket in a religious procession (a great honor) and then claimed that he had never invited her at all because she was unworthy.

Aristogeiton, supported by Harmodios and other haters of the tyranny, decided to assassinate Hippias on the very special day of the great Panathenaic procession. But before they could put their scheme into action something happened to disrupt their plan. When they saw one of their fellow conspirators talking to Hippias outside the city in the Potters’ Quarter (Kerameikos, cf. ‘ceramic’), Aristogeiton and Harmodios thought that their plan had been revealed to Hippias. Thus they ran into the city into the Agora and killed Hippias’ brother Hipparchos near a sanctuary called the Leokoreion (Thuc. 1.20.2).

Both lovers were killed by Hippias’ guards (Thuc. 6.54.1 – 6.57.4). Aristogeiton and Harmodios immediately became legendary heroes and were honored as tyrannicides because many Athenians believed (wrongly) that Hipparchos was tyrant at the time of the assassination (Thuc. 1.20.2). Herodotus points out that that the assassination did not end the tyranny (which lasted for 3 more years) and all it accomplished was to make Hippias and his other brothers angry (6.123.2). Thucydides says that, as a result of the assassination, Hippias became paranoiac and put many citizens to death (6.59.2). In any case, statues of Aristogeiton and Harmodios were set up in the Agora, the originals of which were carried off by the Persians in 480 BC and were replaced soon after. The descendants of Harmodios and Aristogeiton received the distinction of dining at the state’s expense in the Prytaneion, one of the greatest honors the state gave to its citizens.

~Article courtesy of: Historywalker