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Pittacus (; grc-gre, Πιττακός; 640 – 568 BC) was an ancient Mytilenean military general and one of the Seven Sages of Greece.


Biography

Pittacus was a native of
Mytilene Mytilene (; el, Μυτιλήνη, Mytilíni ; tr, Midilli) is the capital of the Greek island of Lesbos, and its port. It is also the capital and administrative center of the North Aegean Region, and hosts the headquarters of the University of ...
and son of Hyrradius. He became a Mytilenaean general who, with his army, was victorious in the battle against the
Athenians Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
and their commander
Phrynon Phrynon of Athens ( el, Φρύνων ο Αθηναίος; Athens; before 657 BC – Sigeum; c. 606 BC) was a general of ancient Athens, and a winner in ancient Olympic Games.''Great Greek Encyclopedia'', Pavlos Drandakis, ed., el, «Φρύνων � ...
. In consequence of this victory, the Mytilenaeans held Pittacus in the greatest honour and presented the supreme power into his hands. After ten years of reign, he resigned his position and the city and constitution were brought into good order. When the Athenians were about to attack Sigeion, Pittacus challenged their general to a single combat, with the understanding that the result should decide the war, and much bloodshed be thereby avoided. The challenge was accepted, and he killed his enemy with a broad sword. He was then chosen ruler of his city and governed for ten years, during which time he made laws in poetry, one of which was to this effect: "A crime committed by a person when drunk should receive double the punishment that it would merit if the offender were sober." His great motto was this: "Whatever you do, do it well."
Polyaenus Polyaenus or Polyenus ( ; see ae (æ) vs. e; grc-gre, Πoλύαινoς, Polyainos, "much-praised") was a 2nd-century CE Greek author, known best for his ''Stratagems in War'' ( grc-gre, Στρατηγήματα, Strategemata), which has been pr ...
in his Stratagems write that Pittacus had secretly concealed a net under his shield. He caught Phrynon with the net, dragged him down and killed him. According to Polyaenus, this stratagem of Pittacus gave rise to the use of nets in duels between
gladiators A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
. Some authors mention that he had a son called Tyrrhaeus. The legend says that his son was killed and when the murderer was brought before Pittacus, he dismissed the man and said, "Pardon is better than repentance." Of this matter, Heraclitus says that he had the murderer into his power and then released him, saying, "Pardon is better than punishment." Pittacus said that " tis a hard thing to be a good man." In Plato's '' Protagoras'', Socrates discusses this saying at length with Protagoras, and Prodicus of Ceos calls " barbarian" the
Aeolic In linguistics, Aeolic Greek (), also known as Aeolian (), Lesbian or Lesbic dialect, is the set of dialects of Ancient Greek spoken mainly in Boeotia; in Thessaly; in the Aegean island of Lesbos; and in the Greek colonies of Aeolis in Anatoli ...
dialect that Pittacus spoke: "He didn't know to distinguish the words correctly, being from Lesbos, and having been raised with a barbarian dialect." He flourished about the forty-second Olympiad. Having lived more than seventy years, he died in the third year of the fifty-second Olympiad (568 BC).


Writings

The Suda claims that Pittacus wrote a prose work about laws and also an elegiac poem of 600 lines. No trace of these works has survived.


Legal reform

Pittacus instituted a law stating that crimes committed in drunkenness should be punished twofold; that was directed predominantly against the
aristocrats Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the word' ...
, who were more often guilty of drunk and violent behaviour. As such, it was greatly appreciated by the common people.


Other sayings

*"Forgiveness is better than revenge."As quoted in Hancock, Thomas (1826), ''The Principles of Peace'', p. 211 *"Whatever you do, do it well." *"Even the gods cannot strive against necessity." *"Power shows the man." *"Do not say beforehand what you are going to do; for if you fail, you will be laughed at." *"Do not reproach a man with his misfortunes, fearing lest Nemesis may overtake you." *"Forbear to speak evil not only of your friends, but also of your enemies." *"Cultivate truth, good faith, experience, cleverness, sociability, and industry." *"Know thine opportunity."


References


Sources

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External links

* * {{Authority control 640s BC births 568 BC deaths 7th-century BC Greek people 6th-century BC Greek people Ancient Greek ethicists Ancient Greek political philosophers Ancient Greek rulers Ancient Mytileneans Aphorists Archaic tyrants Philosophers of culture Philosophers of law Political philosophers Presocratic philosophers Seven Sages of Greece Social philosophers Western culture Western philosophy