Hippocleides

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hippocleides, the son of Teisander, was an Athenian nobleman, who served as Eponymous Archon for the year 566 BC-565 BC.

During his term as archon he set up the statue of Athena Promachos in Athens for the Panathenaia festival.

As a young man he competed for the hand of Agariste, the daughter of Cleisthenes, the tyrant of Sicyon. By the end of the competitions, only Hippocleides and Megacles remained. According to Herodotus (6.129-130), Hippocleides became intoxicated during a dinner party with Cleisthenes, and began to act like a fool; at one point he stood on his head and kicked his legs in the air, keeping time with the flute music. When Hippocleides was informed that he had "danced away his bride," his response was ου φροντις 'Ιπποκλειδη, ("Hippocleides doesn't care" or "It doesn't matter to Hippocleides"). The phrase, according to Herodotus, became a common expression in the Greek world. This claim is interesting, as Herodotus' reference of the phrase is the only extant example from ancient literature.

T.E. Lawrence also had the phrase ου φροντις inscribed on his doorway.