Elpinice

Elpinice (Ancient Greek: Ἐλπινίκη Μιλτιάδου Λακιάδου, romanized: Elpinikē Miltiadou Lakiadou, flourished c. 510-450 BC) was a noblewoman of classical Athens. She is known from Plutarch's Life of Cimon, as well as Life of Pericles where she appears twice in political confrontations with the Athenian statesman. Part of the Cimonids (related to Cimon), she is recorded as having repeatedly defended and aided her brother Cimon in Plutarch's work. She appears to have faced scrutiny for her behavior as a woman in Athenian society, as Plutarch says people described her as "not very decorous" and Pericles rebuked her actions as an older woman.

She was the daughter of Miltiades, tyrant of the Greek colonies on the Thracian Chersonese and Hegesipyle, daughter of King Olorus of Thrace. She was the sister of Cimon, an important Athenian political figure, and half-sister of Metiochus (eldest son of Miltiades, from a prior marriage). She is known from Plutarch's life of Pericles, where she appears twice in political confrontations with the Athenian statesman. At her death, she was buried with members of her own family by birth and not her husband's, displaying piety towards her blood family.

Herodes Atticus claimed his lineage from Miltiades from Elpinice and named his daughter after her.

Elpinice may have been married twice; first to her brother, Cimon, and later to a very wealthy Athenian called Callias II. Plutarch notes rumors of incestuous conduct between Cimon and Elpinice, and that it is unclear whether or not they were actually married. Athenian law allowed marriage between a brother and sister if they were not ὁμομήτριος (homometrios), which meant to be born from the same mother. This suggests that Elpinice and Cimon were only half-siblings, if their marriage occurred. Plutarch stated that a possible reason for the siblings' marriage was because Elpinice could not find a husband that matched her noble status due to their poverty, as their father was jailed for an unpaid fine and died when they were both young.

It is possible that Callias had made marriage to Elpinice the condition for paying, on Cimon's behalf, the fine which had been imposed upon their father Miltiades and for which Cimon had inherited responsibility. Callias and Elpinice probably married in the early 480s BC. By Callias, Elpinice was the mother of Hipponicus. Callias and Elpinice probably divorced after he was born.

Plutarch also mentions that Elpinice had "improper relations" with the artist Polygnotus of Thasos as his lover. He is said to have used her features in his work depicting the Trojan woman Laodice.

Miltiades was one of the major forces securing a victory in the Battle at Marathon during the Greco-Persian Wars. At that time, Elpinice was still a child and not of age. She would have left Athens during the battle.

Plutarch claims that Elpinice aided Cimon multiple times by negotiating with Pericles.