Ibycus

Ibycus, a Greek lyric poet of whose works but few fragments remain. He was a native of Rhegium in Italy, but flourished at the Court of Polycrates of Samos about 540 B.C. He is said to have been killed by robbers near Corinth, and to have called with his dying voice upon a passing flock of cranes to avenge him. The murderers were soon after seated in the theatre when the cranes put in an appearance. One of the guilty wretches inadvertently cried out "See! the avengers of Ibycus!" and thus betrayed himself. "The cranes of Ibycus" became a popular proverb among the Greeks.