Χίλων

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Chilon of Sparta (Ancient Greek: Χείλων) (fl. 6th century BC) was a Spartan and one of the Seven Sages of Greece.

Chilon was the son of Damagetus, and lived towards the beginning of the 6th century BC. Herodotus speaks of him as contemporary with Hippocrates, the father of Peisistratus. Diogenes Laërtius states that he was an old man in the 52nd Olympiad (572 BC), and that he was elected an ephor (overseer) in Sparta in the 56th Olympiad (556/5 BC). Alcidamas states that he was a member of the Spartan assembly. Diogenes Laërtius even goes so far as to claim that Chilon was also the first person who introduced the custom of joining the ephors to the kings as their counselors.

Fictional portrait of Chilon by Luca Giordano (ca. 1660) Chilon is said to have helped to overthrow the tyranny at Sicyon, which became a Spartan ally. He is also credited with the change in Spartan policy leading to the development of the Peloponnesian League in the sixth century BC. Another legend claims that he died of joy when his son gained the prize for boxing at the Olympic games, and that his funeral was attended by all the Greeks assembled at the festival.

One of his descendants married king Anaxandridas II of Sparta and bore his son, king Cleomenes I.

Chilon of Sparta also said the famous Ancient Greek proverb: "τὸ λακωνίζειν ἐστι φιλοσοφεῖν", in English "less is more", or "brevity is the soul of wit", or "brevity is a way of philosophy", which means that the best way of being a philosopher is through brevity and describes the Spartans' way of thinking and attitude. Diogenes Laërtius describes him as a writer of elegiac poems, and attributes many sayings to him:

1. Do not speak evil of the dead.
2. Honor old age.
3. Prefer punishment to disgraceful gain; for the one is painful but once, but the other for one's whole life.
4. Do not laugh at a person in misfortune.
5. If one is strong be also merciful, so that one's neighbors may respect one rather than fear one.
6. Learn how to regulate one's own house well.
7. Do not let one's tongue outrun one's sense.
8. Restrain anger.
9. Do not dislike divination.
10. Do not desire what is impossible.
11. Do not make too much haste on one's road.
12. Obey the laws.

According to an inscription at the Bath of the Seven Sages in Ostia "cunning Chilon taught to fart silently."

Chilon of Patras (Ancient Greek: Χείλων Πατρεύς) was a wrestler from Patras, Achaea, son of Chilon. He won at wrestling in the 112th and the 113th Olympic Games, four times in Isthmia, three in Nemea and two times at Pythia. He was killed in a battle, according to Pausanias either at Chaeronea or at Lamia. The statue of Chilon at Olympia was made by Lysippus.

One hypothesis suggests that Lysippus' Apoxyomenos could represent Chilon and that its fate would have been the one described by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History (XXXIV, 62) : the bronze statue was moved from Olympia to Rome, and Agrippa had it erected in front of the baths. Tiberius moved it back to its original place after popular demand.

French (Bailly abrégé)

ωνος (ὁ) :
Chilon :
1 l'un des Sept-Sages;
2 autres.

Greek Monolingual

ή Χείλων, -ωνος, ο, ΝΑ
Λακεδαιμόνιος, γιος του Δαμαγήτου, ένας από τους επτά σοφούς της αρχαιότητας.

Russian (Dvoretsky)

Χίλων: ωνος (ῑ) ὁ Хилон (сын Дамагета, лакедемонянин, один из «семерых мудрецов», живший в начале VI в. до н. э.) Her., Plat., Diog. L.

Translations

ar: خيلون; arz: كيلون; az: Spartalı Xilon; be: Хілон; br: C'hilon Sparta; ca: Quiló de Lacedemònia; cs: Cheilón ze Sparty; cv: Хилон; de: Chilon von Sparta; el: Χίλων ο Λακεδαιμόνιος; en: Chilon of Sparta; eo: Ĥilono; es: Quilón de Esparta; fa: خیلون; fi: Khilon; fr: Chilon; he: כילון איש ספרטה; hu: Khilón; it: Chilone; lt: Chilonas; mk: Хилон од Спарта; mwl: Quilon de Sparta; nl: Chilon van Sparta; pl: Chilon ze Sparty; pt: Quilão de Esparta; ru: Хилон; sh: Hilon; sq: Hiloni i Spartës; sr: Хилон; sv: Chilon av Sparta; tr: Spartalı Chilon; uk: Хілон; zh: 契罗