Aristotimus having usurped tyranny over the people of Elis in
Peloponnesus, against whom he prevailed by the aid of King Antigonus,
used not his power with any meekness or moderation. For he was
naturally a savage man; and being in servile fear of a band of mixed
barbarians, who guarded his person and his government, he connived
at many injurious and cruel things which his subjects suffered at
their hands, among which was the calamity of Philodemus. This man had
a beautiful daughter, whose name was Micca. This maid one of the
tyrant’s captains of auxiliaries, called Lucius, attempted to lie with,
more out of a design to debauch her than for any love he had to her;
and for this end he sent to fetch her to him. The parents verily seeing
the strait they were in advised her to go; but the maid, being of a
generous and courageous spirit, clasped about her father, beseeching
him with earnest entreaties that he would rather see her put to death
than that her virginity should be filthily and wickedly violated. Some
delay being made, Lucius himself starts up in the midst of his cups,
enraged with wrath and lust, and drunk with wine; and finding Micca
laying her head on her father’s knees, he instantly commanded her to go
along with him; but she refusing, he rent off her clothes, and whipped
her stark naked, she stoutly enduring the smart in silence. When her
father and mother perceived that by their tears they could not avail
or bring any succor to her, they turned to imploring the help of both
Gods and men, as persons that were oppressed by the most cruel and
unrighteous proceedings. But this barbarous fellow, drunk and raging
every way with madness, ran the maid through as she lay with her face
in her father’s bosom. Neither was the tyrant affected with these
cruelties, but slew many and sent more into exile; for they say eight
hundred took their flight into Aetolia, petitioning the tyrant that
their wives and children might come to them. A little after he made
proclamation, permitting the women that would to go to their husbands,
carrying with them all their household goods that they pleased; but
when he perceived that all the women received the proclamation with
pleasure (for the number was above six hundred), he charged them all
to go in great companies on the appointed day, as if he intended to
consult for their safety. When the day came, they crowded at the gates
with their goods packed up, carrying their children, some in their arms
and some in carts, and stayed for one another. All on a sudden many
of the tyrant’s creatures made towards them in great haste, crying
aloud to them to stay, while they were yet at great distance from
them; and as they approached, they charged the women to return back.
Likewise turning about their chariots and carts, they forced them upon
them, drove the horses through the midst of them without fear or wit,
suffering the women neither to follow nor to stay, nor to reach forth
any help to the perishing infants, some of whom were killed falling out
of the carts, others run over by the carts. So they drove them in (as
so many sheep which butchers drive along), hauling and whipping them
as they thronged upon one another, till they had crowded them all into
a prison; but their goods they returned to Aristotimus. The people of
Elis taking these things very heinously, the priestesses devoted to
Bacchus (which they call the Sixteen), taking with them their suppliant
boughs and wreaths belonging to the service of their God, went to meet
Aristotimus in the market-place; the guards, out of a reverential awe,
stood off and gave way to their approach. These priestesses stood still
at first with silence, solemnly reaching forth their supplicatory
rods; but as soon as they appeared as petitioners and deprecators of
his wrath against the women, he fell into a great rage at the guards,
exclaiming against them that they had suffered the priestesses to
approach his presence, and he caused some to be thrust away, others
to be beaten and dragged through the market-place, and fined them two
talents apiece.
These things being transacted in this manner, one Hellanicus moved a
conspiracy against this tyrant. He was a man who, by reason of old age
and the loss of two sons by death, was unsuspected of the tyrant, as
being altogether unlikely for action. In the mean time also the exiles
waft themselves over from Aetolia, and take Amymona, a very convenient
place on the borders to entrench a camp in, where they received great
numbers of the citizens who made their escape by flight from Elis.
Aristotimus being startled at these things went in to the imprisoned
women, and thinking to work them to his pleasure more by fear than by
favor, charged them to send letters to their husbands, enjoining them
to depart out of the coasts; if they would not write, he threatened
them to slay their children before their eyes, and then put them (the
mothers) to death by torments. Whilst he was long provoking and urging
them to declare whether they would obey his mandates or not, most of
them answered him nothing, but looked with silence one upon another,
signifying by nods and gestures that they were not at all affrighted
at his threat. But Megisto the wife of Timocleon, who both in respect
of her husband and her own excellent accomplishments carried the port
of a princess among them, would not vouchsafe to rise off her seat to
him nor permit the rest so to do, but as she sat, she gave him this
answer:—
“Verily if thou wert a discreet man, thou wouldst not after this manner
discourse with women about their husbands, but wouldst send to them as
to our lords, finding out better language than that by which thou hast
deluded us. But if thou thyself despairest to prevail with them, and
therefore undertakest to trepan them by our means, do not hope to put
a cheat upon us again. And may they never be guilty of such baseness,
that for the saving their wives and little ones they will desert that
liberty of their native country; for it is not so great a prejudice
to them to lose us, whom even now they are deprived of, as it will be
benefit to set the subjects at liberty from thy cruelty and oppression.”
Aristotimus, being not able to refrain himself at this speech of
Megisto, required that her son should be brought, as if it were to
slay him before her eyes; but whilst the officer was seeking out the
child, that was in the company of other children playing and wrestling
together, his mother called him by his name, and said: Come hither, my
child; before thou hast any sense and understanding, be thou delivered
from bitter tyranny; for it would be much more grievous to me to see
thee basely enslaved than to see thee die. At which Aristotimus drawing
his sword upon the mother herself, and transported with rage, was going
to fall upon her, when one of his favorites, Cylon by name (esteemed
his trusty confidant, but in reality a hater of him, and a confederate
with Hellanicus in the conspiracy), put a stop to him, and averted him
in an humble manner, telling him: This is an ignoble and woman-like
carriage, not at all becoming a person of a princely mind and a
statesman. Hereupon Aristotimus scarcely coming to his senses departed.
Now observe what an ominous prodigy happened to him. It was about noon,
when he was taking some repose, his wife sitting by; and whilst his
servants were providing dinner, an eagle was seen in the air floating
over the house, which did, as it were considerately and on purpose,
let fall a stone of an handsome bigness upon that part of the roof of
the house which was over the apartment where Aristotimus lay. At the
same time there was also a great rattling from above, together with an
outcry made by the people that were abroad looking upon the bird. Upon
which Aristotimus, falling into a great consternation and examining
the matter, sent and called his soothsayer which he usually consulted
in his public concerns, and being in great perplexity, desired to be
satisfied what that prodigy meant. The soothsayer bade him be of good
cheer, for it signified that Jupiter now wakened and assisted him. But
to the citizens that he could confide in he said, that vengeance would
no longer be delayed from falling on the tyrant’s head. Wherefore it
was concluded by Hellanicus and his friends not to defer any longer,
but to bring matters to an issue the next day. At night Hellanicus
imagined in his sleep that he saw one of his dead sons stand by him
saying, What is the matter with thee, O father! that thou sleepest?
To-morrow thou shalt be governor of this city. Being animated by his
vision, he encouraged the rest concerned with him. Now Aristotimus
was informed that Craterus, coming to his aid with great forces, was
encamped in Olympia; upon which he became so confidently secure, that
he ventured to go without his guards into the market-place, Cylon only
accompanying him. Wherefore Hellanicus, observing this opportunity,
did not think good to give the signal to those that were to undertake
the enterprise with him, but with a clear voice and lifting up both
his hands, he spake saying: O ye good men! why do ye delay? Here is a
fair theatre in the midst of your native country for you to contend in
for the prize of valor. Whereupon Cylon in the first place drawing his
sword smote one of Aristotimus’s waiting gentlemen; but Thrasybulus and
Lampis making a brisk opposition, Aristotimus escaped by flight into
the temple of Jupiter. Here slaying him, they dragged forth his corpse
into the market-place, and proclaimed liberty to the citizens. Neither
were the men there much before the women, who immediately ran forth
with joyful acclamations, environing the men and binding triumphant
garlands about their heads. The multitude presently rushed on upon the
tyrant’s palace, where his wife shutting herself into her bed-chamber
hanged herself. He had also two daughters, maidens of most beautiful
complexions, ripe for marriage. Those they laid hands on, and haled
forth, with a desperate resolution to slay them, but first to torment
and abuse them. But Megisto, with the rest of the women, meeting them
called out with a loud voice: Will they perpetrate such enormities
who reckon themselves a free people, in imitation of the practices
of audacious and libidinous tyrants? The multitude reverencing the
gravity of this matron, pleading with them so undauntedly as also
affectionately with tears, they resolved to lay aside this opprobrious
way of proceeding, and to cause them to die by their own hands. As
they were therefore returned into the chamber, they required the maids
immediately to be their own executioners. Muro, the eldest, untying
her girdle and tying it about her neck, saluted her sister, and
exhorted her to be careful and do whatever she saw her do; lest (as
she said) we come to our death in a base and unworthy manner. But the
younger desiring it might be her lot to die first, she delivered her
the girdle, saying: I did never deny thee any thing thou didst ever
desire, neither will I now; take this favor also. I am resolved to
bear and endure that which is more grievous than death to me, to see
my most dear sister die before me. Upon this, when she had instructed
her sister how to put the girdle so as to strangle her, and perceived
her dead, she took her down and covered her. And now the eldest sister,
whose turn was next, besought Megisto to take care of her, and not
suffer her to lie indecently after she was dead. So that there was not
any one present that was so bitter and vehement a tyrant-hater that he
did not lament and compassionate these maidens upon their brave and
virtuous behavior.
* * * * *
Of the innumerable famous exploits performed by women, these examples
may suffice. But as for their particular virtues, we will describe
them according as they offer themselves scattered here and there, not
supposing that our present history doth necessarily require an exact
order of time.