Timycha
Encyclopedia
Timycha of Sparta
(early 4th century BCE), along with her husband Myllias of Croton
, was a member of a group of Pythagorean
pilgrims, who were attacked by Syracusian soldiers on their way to Metapontum
, because they had rejected the friendship of the tyrant Dionysius the elder. Although they had the option of running through a field of beans to escape, they would not, as this was a taboo to them. Instead they fought and died, with the exception of the pregnant Timycha and her husband, who were captured. Dionysius I of Syracuse
questioned her as to the reason for this taboo, but she refused to answer. Instead, she bit off her tongue and spat it at his feet in a gesture of defiance.
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
(early 4th century BCE), along with her husband Myllias of Croton
Crotone
Crotone is a city and comune in Calabria, southern Italy, on the Ionian Sea. Founded circa 710 BC as the Achaean colony of Croton , it was known as Cotrone from the Middle Ages until 1928, when its name was changed to the current one. In 1994 it became the capital of the newly established...
, was a member of a group of Pythagorean
Pythagoreanism
Pythagoreanism was the system of esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans, who were considerably influenced by mathematics. Pythagoreanism originated in the 5th century BCE and greatly influenced Platonism...
pilgrims, who were attacked by Syracusian soldiers on their way to Metapontum
Metapontum
Metapontum, Metapontium or Metapontion , was an important city of Magna Graecia, situated on the gulf of Tarentum, between the river Bradanus and the Casuentus . It was distant about 20 km from Heraclea and 40 from Tarentum...
, because they had rejected the friendship of the tyrant Dionysius the elder. Although they had the option of running through a field of beans to escape, they would not, as this was a taboo to them. Instead they fought and died, with the exception of the pregnant Timycha and her husband, who were captured. Dionysius I of Syracuse
Dionysius I of Syracuse
Dionysius I or Dionysius the Elder was a Greek tyrant of Syracuse, in what is now Sicily, southern Italy. He conquered several cities in Sicily and southern Italy, opposed Carthage's influence in Sicily and made Syracuse the most powerful of the Western Greek colonies...
questioned her as to the reason for this taboo, but she refused to answer. Instead, she bit off her tongue and spat it at his feet in a gesture of defiance.