Читать книгу The Herodotus Encyclopedia - Группа авторов - Страница 189

MATTHEW DILLON

University of New England, Australia

Herodotus records a long narrative concerning how Agariste’s father, the tyrant CLEISTHENES OF SICYON (c. 600–570 BCE), selected her husband (6.126–31), which is part of his discourse defending the ALCMAEONIDAE from the charge of MEDISM (6.121–31). Agariste was Cleisthenes’ only daughter, and he obviously intended a very good match for her. Suitors were invited from all over Greece to come to SICYON for one year, while he assessed their suitability to be Agariste’s husband in terms of their “manly‐excellence” (ARETĒ), temper, upbringing, and way of life. Most of the suitors were the sons of famous men, but descent was not the criterion by which Cleisthenes was judging. His choice narrowed to HIPPOCLEIDES of ATHENS, connected to the Corinthian TYRANTS, and MEGACLES (II), also of Athens, of the Alcmaeonid clan. When Hippocleides shocked Cleisthenes by dancing on his head on a table at the FEAST at which the successful suitor was to be announced, Cleisthenes awarded his daughter to Megacles. This will hardly have been the real motivation (if the dancing actually occurred), and Cleisthenes was presumably seeking a suitable political connection, as Megacles’ father ALCMAEON was of legendary WEALTH. Agariste’s son Cleisthenes was named for her father, indicating that Megacles was keen to advertise his connection with Sicyon. This Cleisthenes reformed the Athenian state into a DEMOCRACY in 508/7 BCE. The historical incident of the MARRIAGE contest may well have been embellished by the Alcmaeonidae to highlight their connection with Sicyon and Megacles’ success in winning the hand of Agariste, and Herodotus (6.126.1) saw the marriage as elevating the status of the clan. A daughter (unnamed) from this marriage was given by Megacles to the Athenian tyrant PEISISTRATUS as his second wife ([Arist.] Ath. pol. 14.4–15.1) in the early 550s.

SEE ALSO: Agariste (II) daughter of Hippocrates; Cleisthenes son of Megacles; Competition; Short Stories; Women in the Histories