Myrsilos

Myrsilos ( ancient Greek Μύρσιλος , † around 600 BC ) was a tyrant from Mytilene on Lesbos .

Myrsilos probably belonged to the Mitylenic family of the Kleanaktids and was a follower, perhaps brother of Melanchros, who was overthrown in 612 . After the end of the fighting against Athens for Sigeion , the disputes and feuds for political power in Mytilene flared up again. Myrsilus returned from exile and made himself a tyrant around 610. After a planned attack was betrayed, his opponents, under the leadership of Pittakos and Alkaios and his brothers, were forced to go into exile in Pyrrha . But Pittakos arranged with the ruler so that he could return there. “After Pittacus broke loyalty, the aristocratic opposition to Alkaios and Antimenidas tried to march against Mytilene and fought a hopeless battle with the spearmen of Myrsilus. But the tyrant was firmly and securely in Mytilene. "

When Myrsilos died around 600 - whether in an assassination attempt or in a natural way, it cannot be clarified - Alcaios rejoiced: “Now the wine, now it is said to be drunk, because Myrsilos sank into the grave today!” Marion Giebel judges, however: "Myrsilus does not seem to have been a dark, bloody tyrant, even if the invective verses of Alcaios portray him as such."

literature

Justus Cobet : Myrsilos 1. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 8, Metzler, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-476-01478-9 , column 603 f.
Alexander Dale: Alcaeus on the Career of Myrsilos: Greeks, Lydians and Luwians at the East Aegean - West Anatolian Interface. In: The Journal of Hellenic Studies . Volume 131, 2011, pp. 15-24.

Remarks

^ Wilhelm Schmid : The Greek literature before the Attic hegemony (= Handbook of Classical Studies . 7th section, 1st volume). CH Beck, Munich 1929, p. 412 ; Max Treu : Alkaios. Greek and German. 3. Edition. Heimeran, Munich 1980, p. 108, note 23 ; Helmut Berve : The tyranny among the Greeks. Volume 1. CH Beck, Munich 1967, p. 92.
↑ Viktor Steffen: The political crisis in Mytilene in the time of the poet Alkaios. In: Oktawiusz Jurewicz, Heinrich Kuch (ed.): The crisis of the Greek polis. Görlitzer Eirene Conference 1967. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1969, p. 8.
↑ Marion Giebel : Sappho in self-testimonials and image documents. Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1980, pp. 33 and 143.
^ Karl-Wilhelm Welwei : Greek history. From the beginnings to the beginning of Hellenism. Schöningh, Paderborn u. a. 2011, p. 113.
↑ Loretana de Libero : The archaic tyranny. Steiner, Stuttgart 1996, p. 318.
↑ Marion Giebel: Sappho in self-testimonials and image documents. Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1980, p. 35.

personal data
SURNAME	Myrsilos
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Tyrant of Mytilene
DATE OF BIRTH	7th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH	around 600 BC Chr.
Place of death	Mytilene

[1] Wilhelm Schmid : The Greek literature before the Attic hegemony (= Handbook of Classical Studies . 7th section, 1st volume). CH Beck, Munich 1929, p. 412 ; Max Treu : Alkaios. Greek and German. 3. Edition. Heimeran, Munich 1980, p. 108, note 23 ; Helmut Berve : The tyranny among the Greeks. Volume 1. CH Beck, Munich 1967, p. 92.

[2] Viktor Steffen: The political crisis in Mytilene in the time of the poet Alkaios. In: Oktawiusz Jurewicz, Heinrich Kuch (ed.): The crisis of the Greek polis. Görlitzer Eirene Conference 1967. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1969, p. 8.

[3] Marion Giebel : Sappho in self-testimonials and image documents. Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1980, pp. 33 and 143.

[4] Karl-Wilhelm Welwei : Greek history. From the beginnings to the beginning of Hellenism. Schöningh, Paderborn u. a. 2011, p. 113.

[5] Loretana de Libero : The archaic tyranny. Steiner, Stuttgart 1996, p. 318.

[6] Marion Giebel: Sappho in self-testimonials and image documents. Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1980, p. 35.