Editing Periander (section)

== Life ==

===Family===
Periander was the second tyrant of [[Corinth]]<ref name=britannica>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Periander|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/451629/Periander|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]}}</ref> and the son of [[Cypselus]], the founder of the Cypselid dynasty. Because of his father, he was called Cypselides (Κυψελίδης).<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DC%3Aentry+group%3D126%3Aentry%3DCypselus2 Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, Cypsĕlus]</ref>
Cypselus’ wife was named Cratea. There were rumors that she and her son, Periander, slept together.<ref name=classicpersuasion /> Periander married Lyside (whom he often referred to as Melissa), daughter of Procles and Eristenea of [[Epidaurus]].<ref name=classicpersuasion /> They had two sons: Cypselus, who was said to be weak-minded, and [[Lycophron of Corinth|Lycophron]], a man of intelligence.<ref name=classicpersuasion /> According to the book ''[[Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers]]'', Periander, in a fit of rage, kicked his wife or threw her down a set of stairs so hard that she was killed.<ref name=classicpersuasion /><ref name=gentleman /> Greek historian [[Herodotus]] has alluded to suggestions that Periander had [[necrophilia|defiled the corpse of his wife]], employing a metaphor: "Periander baked his bread in a cold oven".<ref>Herodotus ''[[Histories (Herodotus)|The Histories]]'', 5.92g</ref> Grief for his mother and anger at his father drove Lycophron to take refuge in [[Corcyra]].<ref name=gentleman>{{cite book|last=Gentleman of Cambridge|title=The history of Periander, King of Corinth|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ecco/retrieve.do?scale=0.33&docLevel=FASCIMILE&prodId=ECCO&tabID=T001&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&retrieveFormat=MULTIPAGE_DOCUMENT&inPS=true&userGroupName=nysl_ce_colgul&docId=CW3325254531&currentPosition=1&workId=1288700300&relevancePageBatch=CW125254528&contentSet=ECCOArticles&callistoContentSet=ECCOArticles&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&reformatPage=N&retrieveFormat=MULTIPAGE_DOCUMENT&scale=0.33&pageIndex=5&orientation=&showLOI=&quickSearchTerm=&stwFuzzy=&doDirectDocNumSearch=false&searchId=|publisher=printed: and sold by J. Roberts in Warwick-Lane|year=1731}}</ref> When Periander was much older and looking to have his successor at his side, he sent for Lycophron.<ref name=classicpersuasion />  When the people of Corcyra heard of this, they killed Lycophron rather than let him depart.  The death of his son caused Periander to fall into a despondency that eventually led to his death.<ref name=classicpersuasion />  Periander was succeeded by his nephew, Psammetichus, who ruled for just three years and was the last of the Cypselid tyrants.<ref>{{cite web|title=Corinth, Ancient|url=http://www.hellenicaworld.com/Greece/Geo/en/AncientCorinth.html|website=www.hellenicaworld.com}}</ref>

===Rule ===
Periander built Corinth into one of the major trading centers in [[Ancient Greece]].<ref name=britannica /> He established colonies at [[Potidaea]] in [[Chalcidice]] and at [[Apollonia (Illyria)|Apollonia]] in [[Illyria]],<ref name=britannica /> conquered Epidaurus, formed positive relationships with [[Miletus]] and [[Lydia]], and annexed Corcyra, where his son lived much of his life.<ref name=britannica /> Periander is also credited with inventing a transport system, the [[Diolkos]], across the [[Isthmus of Corinth]]. Tolls from goods entering Corinth's port accounted for nearly all the government revenues, which Periander used to build temples and other public works, and to promote literature and arts. He had the poet [[Arion]] come from [[Lesbos]] to Corinth for an arts festival in the city. Periander held many festivals and built many buildings in the [[Doric order|Doric style]]. The Corinthian style of pottery was developed by an artisan during his rule.

Periander's style of leadership and politics was termed a 'tyranny'. Tyrants favored the poor over the rich, sometimes confiscating landlord's possessions and enacting laws that limited their privileges. They also started the construction of temples, ports and fortifications, and improved the drainage of the city and supply of water. Periander adopted measures that benefitted commerce.<ref name=":0" />

[[Diogenes Laertius]] recounts a legend about his death, that he did not want others to know where he was buried. "He ordered two young men to go out at night by a certain road which he pointed out to them; they were to kill the man they met and bury him. He afterwards ordered four more to go in pursuit of the two, kill them and bury them; again, he dispatched a larger number in pursuit of the four. Having taken these measures, he himself encountered the first pair and was slain."<ref name=":1">[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0258%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D7 Diogenes Laertius, ''Lives of Eminent Philosophers''. D. L. 1.7]</ref>