Xanthippus (father of Pericles)

Arimnestos
Native name
Ξάνθιππος
Bornc. 525 BC
Died475 BC (aged c. 50)
AllegianceAthens
Years of service490 - 479 BC
Battles/wars
ChildrenPericles
Ostrakon mentioning Xanthippus (484 BC)

Xanthippus (/zænˈθɪpəs/; Greek: Ξάνθιππος, pronounced [ksán.tʰip.pos]; c. 525 – 475 BC) was a wealthy Athenian politician and general during the early part of the 5th century BC. His name means "Yellow Horse".[1] He was the son of Ariphron and father of Pericles.[2] A marriage to Agariste, niece of Cleisthenes, linked Xanthippus with the Alcmaeonid clan, whose interests he often represented in government. He distinguished himself in the Athenian political arena, championing the aristocratic party. His rivalry with Themistocles led to his ostracism, but he was recalled from exile when the Persians invaded Greece. Xanthippus' actions in the ensuing Greco-Persian Wars contributed significantly to the victory of the Greeks and the subsequent ascendancy of the Athenian Empire.

  1. ^ Sacks, Murray (2009) Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, Infobase Publishing, p.370
  2. ^ Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, v. 3, page 191