Polycrates

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The ruler of the Greek island of Samos in the sixth century BC, known for his wealth, naval power and famously good fortune
2. A sixth-century BC tyrant who governed the Aegean island of Samos and built its power through trade and a strong navy
3. The historical Greek autocrat who held sway over Samos around 530 BC and was celebrated for his prosperity and maritime might

Etymology: Polycrates was the tyrant of Samos, a Greek island, who ruled roughly from about 535 to 522 BCE. He seized power with his brothers and became so successful that Herodotus, the Greek historian, reports that he was at the height of good fortune. His name is a compound of Greek "polys" (many) and "kratos" (power), so it means something like "much power," a fitting name for a man who built a navy, a huge temple to Hera, and an engineering project that tunneled through a hill to bring water to the city. The story that made him famous comes from Herodotus, who tells how Polycrates's friend, the Egyptian pharaoh Amasis, warned him that the gods envy extreme good luck. To break the pattern, Polycrates threw his prized signet ring into the sea. A fisherman later caught a large fish and presented it to him, and inside was the ring. Amasis then broke off their alliance, and Polycrates died a grisly death at the hands of a Persian satrap around 522 BCE. Because of this story, "Polycrates" became a byword for an overconfident ruler whose fortune is bound to turn, and the word is used in English mainly as a historical or literary reference to such a figure.