Hermotimus of Pedasa

Hermotimos (Greek Ἑρμότιμος ) from Pedasa in Caria was a boy prisoner of war, possibly in the time of the Ionian revolt. A slave trader named Panionios of Chios bought him and had him neutered, because he was specialized to make the pretty slave eunuchs and then to sell them at Ephesus or Sardis in the East, where eunuchs were regarded as particularly trustworthy. Hermotimos got to the Persian court and was there in time to the chief eunuch and close confidant of Xerxes I.

As Xerxes now BC was staying with the campaign of 480 in Ionia, Hermotimos went to the area of Chios, where he made the Panionios identified. He spoke to him very graciously, told the slavers, what a significant position in the Persian court he owed its engagement and how committed he was to him thereby. As a sign of gratitude that he wanted to shower him with blessings, him and his family as soon as they were drawn to him.

The slave traders agreed to this and went with his wife and his four sons in a Hermotimos. Once this certainly had the Panionios including budget in his hand, he lamented the slave traders and Knabenverschneider violently because of the crimes committed by him with violence, then forced him to castrate his sons with his own hands, and forced the sons then, to her father the same to do.

The story is reported in the histories of Herodotus as an example of the most plentiful revenge for a wrong suffered. Athenaeus attested in the Deipnosophistai ( 6.266 s) their awareness.

After the ending of the Persians with a defeat Battle of Salamis Hermotimos was instructed to return to lead the sons of Xerxes to Ephesus. He then disappears from the tradition.

Swell

• Herodotus Histories 8.104 to 106