Periander (; ; died c. 585 BC) was the second tyrant of the Cypselid dynasty that ruled over ancient Corinth. Periander's rule brought about a prosperous time in Corinth's history, as his administrative skill made Corinth one of the wealthiest city states in Greece. claim that he was a fair and just king who worked to ensure that the distribution of wealth in Corinth was more or less even. He is often considered one of the Seven Sages of Greece, men of the 6th century BC who were renowned for centuries for their wisdom. (The other Sages were most often considered to be Thales, Solon, Cleobulus, Chilon, Bias and Pittacus.)
Life
Family
Periander was the second tyrant of Corinth and the son of Cypselus, the founder of the Cypselid dynasty. Because of his father, he was called Cypselides (Κυψελίδης).
Cypselus’ wife was named Cratea. There were rumors that she and her son, Periander, slept together. Grief for his mother and anger at his father drove Lycophron to take refuge in Corcyra. When Periander was much older and looking to have his successor at his side, he sent for Lycophron.
Writing and philosophy
Periander was said to be a patron of literature, who both wrote and appreciated early philosophy. He is said to have written a didactic poem 2,000 lines long. In the Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, Diogenes Laërtius points out that writers disagree on who the Seven Sages are. It is posited that Periander tried to improve order in Corinth; although he appears on Diogenes Laërtius's list, his extreme measures and despotic gestures make him more suited to a list of famous tyrants than of wise men.
Some scholars have argued that the ruler named Periander was a different person from the sage of the same name. Diogenes Laërtius writes that "Sotion, and Heraclides, and Pamphila in the fifth book of her Commentaries say that there were two Perianders; the one a tyrant, and the other a wise man, and a native of Ambracia. Neanthes of Cyzicus makes the same assertion, adding, that the two men were cousins to one another. Aristotle says, that it was the Corinthian Periander who was the wise one; but Plato contradicts him."
Anecdotes
According to Herodotus (Histories 5.92), Periander once sought advice on governance from Thrasybulus, the tyrant of Miletus. Instead of responding directly, Thrasybulus led the messenger through a field and silently cut down the tallest ears of wheat. When the messenger reported this, Periander interpreted it as a recommendation to eliminate the most prominent citizens, those who stood out, in order to secure his rule. This parable became a well-known metaphor for autocratic control. A version of the story appears in Livy (Ab Urbe Condita 1.54), where the Roman king Tarquinius Superbus uses a similar method involving poppy heads. Both versions serve to illustrate how tyrants may suppress potential rivals through ruthless means.
See also
- Diolkos