Ancient Syracuse on the island of Sicily was a city prone to dynasties of authoritarian tyrants. A man named Gelon, previously the tyrant of Gela (r. 491–485), went on to seize control of Syracuse, tyrannically ruling the city from 485-478 BCE. His tyranny became a family affair, as Gelon left his brother and successor, Hiero, to oversee their family’s previous seat of power at Gela. Hiero, indeed, succeeded Gelon as the next tyrant of Syracuse, ruling from 478-467 BCE. Hiero’s successor, Thrasybulus—also a kinsman—proved to have a less successful reign. Thrasybulus ruled briefly between 467-466 BCE, before being ousted by a democratic revolution. Gelon and his successors only ruled for about two decades, but their family left a distinct legacy. From geopolitical military successes in Sicily to cultural flourishment within Syracuse, the reigns of these early tyrants made an impact. Yet, Gelon and his successors also gained a more shadowy reputation for how they maintained their tyrannical power—spies, lots of spies. Aristotle (c. 384-322 BCE), the famous intellectual, used Gelon’s family as a prime example to explain some of the methods that tyrants use to maintain control. Aristotle wrote, “a tyrant should endeavor to keep himself aware of everything that is said or done among his subjects: he should have spies like the ‘Tittle-Tattle Women’ of Syracuse, or the Eavesdroppers whom Hiero used to send to any place where there was a meeting or gathering of people. Men speak less freely for fear of such men, and if they do open their mouths, they are more likely to be detected” (Aristotle, Politics, Bekker page 1313b). The titles of the spies can vary from translation to translation, for example, the H. Rackham version (Harvard University Press, 1944) exchanges Tittle-Tattle Women and Eavesdroppers for provocatrices and sharp-ears. As for Syracuse, Thrasybulus would not be the last tyrant to rule the city. A new dynasty of tyrannical autocratic rulers would be started by the general, Dionysius, who ruled Syracuse from 405-367 BCE.
Written by C. Keith Hansley
Picture Attribution: (Section of Achilles and the Daughters of King Lycomedes, Painted Circa 1690 By Antonio Molinari (c. 1655-1704) and F. Gerardi, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons Webumenia).
Sources:
- The Politics by Aristotle, translated by T. A. Sinclair and revised by T. J. Saunders. London: Penguin Classics, 1962, 1992.
- http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0058%3Abook%3D5%3Asection%3D1313b
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gelon
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hieron-I
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Syracuse-Italy
