Final answer:
Hippias was a tyrant of Athens who was exiled and sought the aid of the Persians to regain his rule. This indirectly led to the Ionian Revolt as the Ionian Greeks resisted the subsequent harsh rule of Aristagoras backed by Persian power. Hippias' rule and the subsequent events influenced the political and military dynamics of the era.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hippias was an Athenian tyrant, the eldest son of Pisistratus, who ruled after his father's death. Hippias is relevant to the Ionian Revolt, a rebellion against Persian rule in 499-493 BC, because he was exiled from Athens and sought the help of the Persians to regain his power. However, his actions indirectly led to the Ionian Revolt as the Ionian Greeks resisted the Persian rule he brought on them.
After Pisistratus’s death, his sons, Hippias and Hipparchus, took over. Unlike their father, they lacked the same level of popular support. However, the direct cause of the Ionian Revolt cannot be attributed to Hippias, but to the harsh rule of Aristagoras, the tyrant of Miletus, a city-state in Ionia that revolted against Persia.
However, Hippias played a role in events leading up to the revolt. Following the assassination of his brother, Hipparchus, Hippias became paranoid and his rule grew increasingly oppressive. This led to a loss of support among the Athenians and ultimately to Hippias' exile. He tried to retake Athens with the help of Sparta and when this failed, he turned to Persia, informing them of the then vulnerable state of Athens. This set the stage for the subsequent Persian Wars and the Ionian Revolt.
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