HARMODIUS, a beautiful Athenian of the tribe Gephyraei, was the intimate friend of Aristogiton, a citizen of the middle rank. Hipparchus, younger brother of the tyrant Hippias, was also a lover of Harmodius. He tried to attract Harmodius to himself, and failing in the attempt, revenged himself by putting a public affront on his sister at a solemn festival. Thereupon the two friends conspired with a few others to murder both the tyrants during the armed procession at the Panathenaic festival (514 b.c. ). But in a sudden alarm they prematurely attacked and slew Hipparchus alone. Harmodius wascutdown on the spot by the guards, and Aristogiton was soon captured and tortured to death. When Hippias was expelled (510 b.c. ), Harmodius and Aristogiton became the most popular of Athenian heroes; their statues were setup in the agora, their descendants were exempted from public burdens, and their names were celebrated in popular songs and scolia as the deliverers of fair Athens. Thucydides (vi. 54) alludes to the falseness of the popular belief about them, and gives the story in detail.