Key ideas and examples of hubris

Hubris or Hybris is the act of insolence or overweening pride that inevitably leads to some destruction (nemesis). It is a common Greek belief that Herodotus shares and occurs throughout his book – The Histories. Herodotus judges that ‘human prosperity never abides long in the same place’.

With Herodotus, hubris is often referred to in the context of the expansion of empires. This can be seen when Xerxes tries to conquer the Greeks. After the Greek victory at Salamis, Themistocles comments explicitly that that gods and heroes ‘were jealous that one man in his godless pride should be king of Asia and Europe too’.

The Persian’s failure can be blamed on Xerxes’ pride and ambition. His punishment from the gods resulted in the downfall of the Persian empire. Hubris can take place on a more individual level, for example, Miltiades:

Miltiades was general of the Athenian army during the time of the Battle of Marathon. He was particularly successful in 490BC, credited for the devised tactics used in Marathon. However, Miltiades led the Athenian expedition to the inhabited islands. He failed to take Paros and suffered a severe leg wound. His failure caused an outcry in Athens and he was charged with treason and later died in prison. His downfall was the result of getting too powerful.

Another individual was Themistocles who was a prominent figure in Athenian military, particularly the navy. Due to his interpretation of the oracle and his build up the navy the Greeks were successful at Salamis, delivering a heavy blow to the Persians. After the conflict, Themistocles continued to be pre-eminent among Athenian politicians. However, he was ostracised in 472 or 471 BC due to his perceived arrogance that alienated him from the Athenians.

Herodotus occasionally puts his view on the matter of hubris forward in the form of certain characters e.g. Solon warns Croesus “God is envious of human prosperity and likes to trouble us” These examples are used as warnings to others. As seen at the end of book 9: “rich soils produce weak warriors” which can be seen as a potential warning to Athens.