Hermippos

"What is a leader if he hides behind the walls he built himself? Send me fire, storm, or sickness, but bring me justice for my city."

―Hermippos, 431 BCE.

Hermippos (died 431 BCE) was an Athenian comic playwright. He was also member of the Eyes of Kosmos branch of the Cult of Kosmos, operating in Attika, Greece, during the 5th century BCE. He was the son of Lysis and brother of Myrtilos.

Biography

Early activities

Prior to joining the Cult of Kosmos, Hermippos was a playwright who found his calling in life in the theater. After joining the Cult, he became affiliated with the Athenian statesman Kleon, who was a Sage of another branch of the Cult. This allowed him to gain much power and earn enough riches to have his own villa, which was dubbed as one of the most beautiful houses in the northern part of Athens. Hermippos would also spend the day at the Lame One's Temple in the eastern part of the city.

At one point, Hermippos became associated with a polemarch from Fort Phyle, who supplied him with information. The playwright made mention of this affiliation in a letter to a fellow Cultist, The Master, in which he urged the Master to be patient and make sure no one knew about his ties to the Cult or their plans.

Said captain, however, seemed to lack Hermippos' company, according to his letter which the misthios Kassandra found at Fort Phyle. In it, the captain bemoaned the fact, that despite Hermippos' promises, his bed was cold.

Hermippos watching Kassandra make a blood tribute

In 431 BCE, the Cult of Kosmos met at long last inside their shrine beneath the Sanctuary of Delphi in Phokis. Hermippos attended the meeting in his Cult disguise and approached the blood tribute basin to give his blood for Kosmos. Another Cultist, who was actually a disguised Kassandra, also approached the basin, hesitant to make a blood sacrifice. Hermippos demanded that she do so, and Kassandra eventually complied to prevent blowing her cover.

Opposition against Perikles

With Kleon's backing and his knowledge of poetry, Hermippos used the theater to influence the Athenians' and accuse Perikles, the leader of Athens and Kleon's opponent, of weakness and cowardice. At some point before the Peloponnesian War, Hermippos led the charge to have Perikles stripped of power and his spouse Aspasia ostracized, though the efforts were fruitless.

Hermippos was later invited to Perikles' symposium, where he began conversation with Thucydides and his companions. Hermippos came to the symposium aware of who Kassandra was, and secretly laced the wine with poison. When Kassandra poured herself a cup, he watched on eagerly. However, upon learning that his plan had failed—secretly due to the interference of Aspasia—Hermippos devised another strategy to be rid of the misthios.

When Kassandra left Athens on her ship, the Adrestia, to travel to Argolis, Hermippos and four other Cultists pursued her. Hermippos and the other Cultists all perished at sea, however, after the Adrestia cleaved their ship in two.

Legacy

Hermippos debating with Protagoras and Kassandra

In 2018, when Layla Hassan relived the memories of Kassandra via a degraded genetic sample found on the Spear of Leonidas using her Animus HR-8.5, it simulated an alternate version of events. In it, Hermippos attended Perikles' symposium all the same, but was led into a debate with the sophist Protagoras. There, Hermippos unknowingly met the undisguised Kassandra, who had came to the symposium seeking information on her mother's whereabouts and joined their debate for a short moment. Additionally, in this version of events, Hermippos did not poison the wine.

Sometime after the symposium, Hermippos came into conflict with the playwright Aristophanes over one of the former's play which criticized Perikles. At Aristophanes' request, Hermippos' home was infiltrated by Kassandra, who found a mask exposing Hermippos' identity as a member of the Cult.

After Kassandra killed Hermippos in Athens, she found the word "Nyx" etched onto his gloves. Whether this was an act of fealty or provocation, this clue served to bring her closer to the Sage of the Eyes of Kosmos.

Trivia

• Hermippos can be unveiled as a member of the Cult of Kosmos after "Perikles's Symposium" in one of three ways:
  • Completing the quest "Free Speech", a character quest for Sokrates, will automatically unveil Hermippos after returning to Aristophanes.
  • Looting a clue from the polemarch in charge of Fort Phyle. Unveiling him afterwards will automatically complete "Free Speech" once it becomes available, so players wanting to do both should leave him as "ready to unveil," although the only benefit is in seeing the quest dialogue; the rewards are issued all the same.
  • Killing him at the Temple of Hephaistos prior to unveiling him. This will automatically unveil him in the "defeated" pose i.e. back facing the camera and slumped over like other mercenaries and cultists.
  • None of these options are available until after "Perikles's Symposium", as Hermippos is not loaded into the overworld until after that quest is complete.
  • If the player does not collect the polemarch's letter before Hermippos is unveiled, it can still be collected, but there is no way to read it.
• Although Hermippos is loaded into a restricted zone, he is neither hostile to the player on sight nor will he engage in combat (unless a guard has already spotted them). If not unveiled as a member of the Cult, he can be spoken to and will say, "Eagle Bearer, I had a feeling I would see you again soon." Once unveiled, the "Talk" prompt is replaced with "Assassinate."
• Following "A-Musing Tale", Aristophanes will mention that he'd "received word that Hermippos is dead. Very interesting..."
• If Hermippos is confronted at his villa in Athens upon the conclusion of "Free Speech", he will run instead of fighting the player, contrary to most Cultists.

Gallery

• 
  Hermippos' mask in his villa

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey novel