Harmodius Aristogeiton
(6th
century BC)
Athenian youths
with a famous friendship which was to be their destiny.
When the brother and co-ruler of the tyrant Hippias, Hipparchus, tried to
make friends with Aristogeiton and failed to do so, he publicly insulted Harmodius's
sister.
This made the two friends plot to kill the two tyrants. On the day of the
Athenian festival Panathenae, they murdered Hipparchos but failed to kill
Hippias.
The tyrants guards immediately killed Harmodius while Aristogeiton was tortured
and excecuted.
They were later honoured by the Athenians as martyrs of freedom, when Hippias
was expelled four years after the killings.
