Talk:Periander

Death

If I remember correctly, the man is supposed to have died after asking his servant boy whether he was pregnant, after which that boy killed him in revenge. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 5.150.92.130 (talk) 17:13, 12 September 2019 (UTC)

Colgate Students

Hi, we are a group of Colgate Students, who will be editing this page for our Legacies of the Ancient World class.

Two Perianders?

'Sotion, and Heraclides, and Pamphila, in the fifth book of her Commentaries, says that there were two Perianders; the one a tyrant, and the other a wise man, and a native of Ambracia. And Neanthes of Cyzicus makes the same assertion, adding, that the two men were cousins to one another. And Aristotle says, that it was the Corinthian Periander who was the wise one; but Plato contradicts him.' (Diogenes Lærtius, The Lives of Eminent Philosophers) --- Nalco 01:24, 1 May 2007 (UTC)

Rape by deception

Did his mother practise rape by deception on him? The wording in the source appears to me to be ambiguous. PatGallacher (talk) 23:51, 4 September 2024 (UTC)

Suggested Addition: Anecdote from Herodotus on Tyrannical Rule

I’d like to add a brief anecdote to the article, based on Herodotus (Histories 5.92). In the story, Periander sends a messenger to Thrasybulus of Miletus to ask for advice on ruling effectively. Thrasybulus gives no verbal reply but walks through a field, cutting off the tallest ears of wheat. The messenger reports this back to Periander, who interprets the silent message as a recommendation to eliminate the most prominent citizens in order to maintain power.

This anecdote is historically significant because it illustrates how Periander was seen as a model tyrant in Greek political thought. A variant of the same parable appears in Livy (Ab Urbe Condita 1.54), where Tarquinius Superbus cuts down poppy heads to advise his son on subduing Gabii. The core metaphor—a ruler suppressing high achievers or potential threats—has endured in literature and political theory.

Although this story appears in the article on Thrasybulus of Miletus, it seems appropriate to include it here as well, since Periander is the recipient of the message and it offers insight into his rule and reputation.

If there’s no objection, I’m happy to add this to a new “Anecdotes” section of the article.

Sources:

• Herodotus, Histories 5.92
• Livy, Ab Urbe Condita 1.54
• Thrasybulus of Miletus – Wikipedia

(This is my first time contributing to a Talk page suggestion, so I welcome any guidance or feedback. Thanks!) Panglossolalia (talk) 15:01, 6 June 2025 (UTC)

No objections after a week, so I've added the anecdote as proposed under a new "Anecdotes" section. Panglossolalia (talk) 17:05, 14 June 2025 (UTC)

As of 14 June, I've upgraded the article to B-Class based on improved coverage, sources, structure, and media. (This is my first class change -- feedback is invited and appreciated!) Panglossolalia (talk) 17:15, 14 June 2025 (UTC)

I think we should probably have a modern secondary source, ideally an academic/published one, for the claim Both versions serve to illustrate how tyrants may suppress potential rivals through subtle but ruthless means. I don't think it's necessarily wrong per se, but it's an inference not arrived at by either source, so per WP:SYNTH it ought to have a citation, possibly being modified a bit to say whatever the source says. I've tagged it with a citation needed tag to indicate that.

In general, all ancient and medieval sources are considered "primary" sources for the purposes of "no original research" even if they cite early writings. Psychastes (talk) 19:41, 14 June 2025 (UTC)