person
Polycrates of Samos
Polycrates
also: Polycratem Samium, Polycrates, Polycrates of Samos
The tyrant of Samos (ruled c. 538-522 BC), proverbially fortunate; the story of the ring he threw into the sea and recovered in a fish is told by Herodotus. Cicero cites him in De Finibus 5.92 as one whose great misfortunes (crucifixion by Oroetes) were buried under his folly, since a tyrant could not be happy.