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Polycrates

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6th century BC tyrant of Samos

PoliticiansLived 574 BC to 522 BC · aged 52
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The tyrant who ruled Samos for two decades in the 6th century BC, known equally for violence in battle and a sharp eye for governing - a combination rare enough to be remembered 2,500 years later.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos 8

In their own words 2

Polycrates
said
Own words

Polycrates, tyrant of Samos, ruled over many islands and many cities of the mainland.

Herodotus, Book III, 39

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Polycrates
said
Own words

Fill high the bowl with Samian wine! We will not think of themes like these!

Lord Byron, "The Isles of Greece" in Don Juan, Canto III

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In their orbit 3

Politicians born in the 580s BC 2

About this person

Polycrates, son of Aeaces, seized control of Samos in the 540s BC and held it until 522 BC. His rule earned him a double reputation: as a warrior who struck fear, and as a tyrant who somehow governed with intelligence and vision. That duality - brutality paired with enlightenment - made him an outlier among Greek strongmen. He died in 522 BC, but the contradiction at the heart of his reign kept his name in circulation long after the island moved on.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Category
Politicians
Type
Politician
Status
deceased
Dates
Lived 574 BC to 522 BC · aged 52
Wikipedia
29 languages

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