Lygdamis of Naxos

Who is Lygdamis of Naxos?

Lygdamis was the tyrant of Naxos, an island in the Cyclades, during the third quarter of the 6th Century BCE.

He was initially a member of the oligarchy which ruled Naxos. In 546 BCE, Lygdamis supported the former Athenian tyrant Peisistratos in his landing at Marathon which led to the restoration of Peisistratos to power in Athens.

The following year Lygdamis, taking advantage of discontent arising from the concentration of wealth in the hands of the oligarchs, turned against the oligarchy and seized power as tyrant with the aid of his ally Peisistratos. He secured his position by exiling potential rivals and extended his dominance over neighbouring islands such as Paros.

Lygdamis contributed a force of mercenaries to aid his ally Polycrates, the powerful tyrant of Samos, in his campaigns against Miletus and Mytilene. Lygdamis had an ambitious building program and in 530 BCE he began work on a huge Temple of Apollo which was never completed. The Portara, the lintel of the temple, stands today as one of the chief landmarks of Naxos.

In 524 BCE Lygdamis' rule over Naxos was ended when he was overthrown by the intervention of a Spartan army. Naxos continued to prosper in the years immediately after Lygdamis' rule under a new oligarchy.