[4] Although his date of birth remains unknown, he is first mentioned as a Bithynian slave to Eubulus, a wealthy banker and despotic tyrant of the lands surrounding Assos and Atarneus, two commercial towns on the Troad coastline of Asia Minor.
During the early to mid-4th century BC, the power of the Greek city-states continued to dwindle in the aftermath of the Peloponnesian War while the Macedonian Kingdom to the north remained embroiled in dynastic conflicts.
Eager to launch expansive campaigns into Thrace and possibly Persia, Philip II of Macedon viewed Hermias as a useful prospective ally.
Taking advantage of their past friendship, King Philip ordered Aristotle “to proceed to Asia Minor and join Hermias of Atarneus for political or imperialistic reasons”.
[7] Having taken leave from Athens due to rising resentment towards Macedonians as well as the death of Plato in 347 BC, Aristotle agreed to travel to Asia Minor, as requested by King Philip.
[2] Accompanied by fellow philosopher Xenocrates, Aristotle received a warm welcome and immediately began establishing political ties between King Philip and Hermias.
While originally ruling his lands with a strict despotism, Aristotle's arrival in Atarneus was quickly followed by a governmental shift to more Platonic methods, as well as a milder tyranny.
[2] Although Hermias could have benefited greatly from a strong Macedonian military force protecting his borders from a Persian invasion, King Philip suddenly ceased his military support with Hermias as a result of Athenian threats to attack Macedonia with the assistance of Persian forces if the Macedonians continued with plans to invade Asia Minor.
In order to regain the lost Persian territory in Asia Minor and try and discover Macedonian invasion plans, Artaxerxes III commissioned a Greek mercenary named Mentor.
Such fruit hast thou of heavenly bloom, A lure more rich than golden heap, More tempting than the joys of home, More bland than spell of soft-eyed sleep.
Achilles, Ajax, for thy love Descended to the realms of night; Atarneus' King thy vision drove, To quit for aye the glad sun-light, Therefore, to memory's daughters dear, His deathless name, his pure career, Live shrined in song, and link'd with awe, The awe of Xenian Jove, and faithful friendship's law.
[2] This steadfast devotion to his allies protected the secrecy of the Macedonian invasion plans and most likely played a useful role in the later ease of Alexander's expansion into the lands of the Persian Empire.
Another of Hermias’ significant contributions was the insight gained through his accounts (as recorded by Aristotle) of the social and political events of the fourth century BC Greek and Persian states.
[4] By ending its dynastic conflicts and uniting under King Philip, Macedonia was able to assert itself as a stable and formidable kingdom capable of vast expansion of the lands under its control.
[9] Influenced by his academy-based education as well as his numerous philosopher friends, Hermias gradually relaxed his harsh tyranny, leaving in place a government based on Platonic principles.