1. Birthplace and Family

Pittakos who was one of the Seven Sages is among the most controversial figures in history. He was born around 652-649 BC and died between 578 and 570 BC. His father was called Yrras and was from Thrace. It is not known how his family came to be in Lesvos.

2. Activity

Alcaeus mentions that his brothers and Pittakos belonged to a society who wanted to get rid of the tyrant Melaghoro, which they succeeded in doing around 609BC. Following this Myrsilos took power. In the beginning they supported him but he too became a tyrant. Alcaeus and Pittakos then organized a new society against the tyrant but their plan was discovered and they were exiled to Pyrra. However Pittakos returned when he had a disagreement with the others about asking for financial help from the Lydous. In 607-606 BC Pittakos achieved the rank of General in the battle for the recapture of Sigeiou against the Athenians. He managed to win the battle by wining a dual against the General of the Athenians, Frynona using subterfuge. It was considered to be social advancement when he married a woman from the eminent family of Penthilidon the most powerful of the island. Around 603 BC Myrsilos died or was assassinated. Mytilene was once again subjected to the fights for power among the influential men of the island. In 596 BC or as some believe 590 BC as an answer to the problems of civil unrest amongst the dynasties, Pittakos, by general consent, became asymnitis, an arbitrator with extended powers and duties. Some popular sources refer to him as King however it is most likely that his time in power had a predetermined time span possibly of a decade.

Even though Alcaeus had once been his co-conspirator and sympathiser he bitterly attacks Pittakos in his poems on the civil war. His hostility cannot be justified from the way Pittakos came to power. Later sources, such as Diodoros of Sicily, honour him positively saying that Mytilene was saved from three evils; civil war, war and tyranny and that indeed he did relinquish his powers at the end of his tenure. However many others considered him to be just another tyrant.

Pittakos did not change the constitution as a whole. However he published laws that were binding for the people of Mytilene and were aimed at the limitation of power and ambitions of the eminent families. Maybe in the attempt to do this he exiled members of exalted families, his old sympathiser Alcaeus could have been among these, something that the poet could never have forgiven.