Editing Harmodius and Aristogeiton (section)

==Background==
The two principal historical sources covering Harmodius and Aristogeiton are the ''[[History of the Peloponnesian War]]'' (VI, 56–59) by [[Thucydides]], and ''[[Constitution of the Athenians (Aristotle)|The Constitution of the Athenians]]'' (XVIII) attributed to [[Aristotle]] or his school. However, their story is documented by a great many other ancient writers, including important sources such as [[Herodotus]] and [[Plutarch]].  Herodotus{{sfn|Herodotus|1920|p=Hdt 5.55}} claimed that Harmodius and Aristogeiton presumably were "Gephyraeans" ([[:el:Γεφυραίοι|el]]) i.e. [[Boeotia]]ns of Syrian or Phoenician origin. Plutarch, in his book ''[[On the malice of Herodotus]],'' criticized Herodotus for prejudice and misrepresentation and he argued that Harmodius and Aristogeiton were [[Euboea]]ns or [[Eretria]]ns.{{sfn|Plutarch|1878|loc=The Malice of Herodotus}}

[[Peisistratos (Athens)|Peisistratus]] had become tyrant of Athens after his third attempt in 546/7 BC. In Archaic Greece, the term [[tyrant]] did not connote malevolence.  A tyrant was one who had seized power and ruled outside of a state's constitutional law. When Peisistratus died in 528/7 BC, his son [[Hippias (son of Pisistratus)|Hippias]] took the position of [[Archon]] and became the new tyrant of Athens, with the help of his brother, Hipparchus, who acted as the minister of culture. The two continued their father's policies, but their popularity declined after Hipparchus began to abuse the power of his position.

Thucydides offers this explanation for Harmodios and Aristogeiton's actions in Book VI: Hipparchus approached Harmodius with amorous intentions. Harmodius was the ''[[eromenos]]'' (younger lover) of Aristogeiton. Harmodius rejected Hipparchus and told Aristogeiton what had happened. Hipparchus, spurned, invited Harmodius' young sister to be the [[kanephoros]] (to carry the ceremonial offering basket) at the [[Panathenaea]] festival, then publicly chased her away on the pretext she was not a virgin, as required, causing shame on Harmodius' family. With his lover Aristogeiton, Harmodius resolved to assassinate both Hippias and Hipparchus and thus to overthrow the tyranny.{{sfn|Lavelle|1986|p=318}} Harmodios and Aristogeiton successfully killed Hipparchus during the 514 BC Panathenaia, but Hippias survived and remained in power. In the four years between Hipparchus' assassination and the deposition of the Peisistratids, Hippias became an increasingly oppressive tyrant.

According to Aristotle, it was [[Thessalos]], the hot-headed son of Peisistratus' [[Ancient Argos|Argive]] [[concubine]], and thus half-brother to Hipparchus, who was the one to court Harmodius and drive off his sister.{{sfn|Aristotle|loc=XVIII, 2}}