een in power when he was killed, and he, Hippias, had
had to establish himself upon the same day; but he had no doubt been
long accustomed to overawe the citizens, and to be obeyed by his
mercenaries, and thus not only conquered, but conquered with ease,
without experiencing any of the embarrassment of a younger brother
unused to the exercise of authority. It was the sad fate which made
Hipparchus famous that got him also the credit with posterity of having
been tyrant.

To return to Harmodius; Hipparchus having been repulsed in his
solicitations insulted him as he had resolved, by first inviting a
sister of his, a young girl, to come and bear a basket in a certain
procession, and then rejecting her, on the plea that she had never been
invited at all owing to her unworthiness. If Harmodius was indignant at
this, Aristogiton for his sake now became more exasperated than ever;
and having arranged everything with those who were to join them in the
enterprise, they only waited for the great feast of the Panathenaea, the
sole day upon which the citizens forming part of the procession could
meet together in arms without suspicion. Aristogiton and Harmodius were
to begin, but were to be supported immediately by their accomplices
against the bodyguard. The conspirators were not many, for better
security, besides which they hoped that those not in the plot would be
carried away by the example of a few daring spirits, and use the arms in
their hands to recover their liberty.

At last the festival arrived; and Hippias with his bodyguard was outside
the city in the Ceramicus, arranging how the different parts of the
procession were to proceed. Harmodius and Aristogiton had already
their daggers and were getting ready to act, when seeing one of their
accomplices talking familiarly with Hippias, who was easy of access to
every one, they took fright, and concluded that they were discovered and
on the point of being taken; and eager if possible to be revenged first
upon the man who had wronged them and for whom they had undertaken all
this risk, they rushed, as they were, within the gates, and meeting
with Hipparchus by the Leocorium recklessly fell upon him at once,
infuriated, Aristogiton by love, and Harmodius by insult, and smote him
and slew him. Aristogiton escaped the guards at the moment, through the
crowd running up, but was afterwards taken and dispatched in no merciful
way: Harmodius was killed on the spot.

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