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(Νικίας; Nikías). [German version] [1] Important commander in the Peloponnesian War, c.470-413 BC Son of Niceratus of Athens, born c.470 BC, died 413; one of the most important commanders in the Peloponnesian War. After the death of Pericles, N. competed with Cleon [1] for influence in the popular assembly and the assignment of military commands. His policy was directed towards ending the aggressive Athenian politics of expansion and towards reconciliation with Sparta. From 427, N. was regularly elected stratēgós . He led expeditions against Minoa [4…

[German version] In summer 415 BC, shortly before the Sicilian expedition, all  Herms in Athens were damaged in one night. The citizens saw in this a bad omen for the enterprise. The posting of high rewards for informers led to the discovery of a further religious heinous deed: the desecration of the Eleusinian Mysteries ( Mysteria) in the private houses of some rich citizens.  Alcibiades [3], initiator of the Sicilian expedition, was accused of participating in both crimes. In the ‘witch hunt’ th…

[German version] The Greek cities in  Ionia were compliant subjects of the Persians from 546/5 BC. Beginning with the further expansion of the Persian empire towards the west, the limitations to their trade as a result, increasing taxes and conscription led many cities to attach themselves in 499 to the initiator of the rebellions,  Aristagoras [2]. The latter had given up the tyranny in  Miletus, proclaimed   isonomía and secured military support from Athens and Eretria for the revolt. In 498 the Milesians and their allies attacked  Sardes …

[German version] (Ἡγητορίδης; Hēgētorídēs). Respected citizen of Cos. The story of his daughter who was abducted by the Persians and who, as a suppliant, is said to have been freed by the Spartan ruler  Pausanias after the battle of Plataeae (479 BC), is one of Herodotus' examples of the moral superiority of the Greeks (Hdt. 9,76; cf. Paus. 3,4,9). Stein-Hölkeskamp, Elke (Cologne)

[German version] (Μνησίφιλος/ Mnēsíphilos). Athenian from the deme of Phrearrii. Immediately before the battle of Salamis (480 BC), he advised Themistocles to assert his influence with the allies in order to prevent their planned retreat to the Isthmus. Later writers generally regarded M. as a teacher of practical wisdom in the tradition of Solon and as an adviser and friend of Themistocles (Plut. Themistocles 2,6; Plut. Mor. 795c). 14 ostraka from the Kerameikos show that in 487/6 BC M. was nominated for ostrakophoria (see ostrakismós ). Whether he himself wa…

(Στράττις/ Stráttis). [German version] [1] Tyrant of Chios, 6th cent. BC Tyrant of Chios, who took part in the Scythian campaign in 513 BC as an adviser of Darius [1] (Hdt. 4,138). It can not be determined whether he was deposed at the beginning of the Ionian Revolt. Nevertheless, he was able to resume his reign after the Persians' victory (in 493/2 BC). In 479 he was able to elude a conspiracy (Hdt. 8,132). At the liberation of Ionia after the battle of Mycale in 479 S. may also have been toppled. Stein-Hölkeskamp, Elke (Cologne) [German version] [2] Attic comic poet, 5th/4th cents. BC Attic comi…

[German version] (Ἀλευάδαι; Aleuádai). Aristocratic family from Thessaly, which ruled in  Larissa and surrounding areas. Aleuas ‘the Red’ is supposed to have created the military and political order of the Thessalian federation (Aristot. fragment 497 Rose; Plut. Mor. 492A-B). Numerous A. held the tageia, the highest office of this federation. According to Herodotus (7,6; 130; 9,58) they approached Xerxes before the Persian Wars in order to cause his invasion of Greece; a few even joined the Persian army. From 404 BC the political develop…

(Ἀγαρίστη; Agarístē). [German version] [1] Mother of  Cleisthenes of Athens (6th cent. BC) Daughter of the tyrant  Cleisthenes of Sicyon, wife of the Alcmaeonid  Megacles, mother of  Cleisthenes of Athens. The story of the long courtship before her marriage around 575 BC can be regarded as the paradigmatic depiction of the lifestyle of the archaic aristocracy (Hdt. 6,126 ff.).  Aristocracy Stein-Hölkeskamp, Elke (Cologne) Bibliography E. Stein-Hölkeskamp, Adelskultur und Polisges., 1989, 117-119. [German version] [2] Athenian, mother of Pericles Athenian, great-grandda…

(Λέαγρος; Léagros). [German version] [1] Companion of Odysseus Together with Ergiaeus, a descendent of Diomedes, who robbed the Trojan Palladion together with Odysseus, L. steals the Argivean palladion (Paus. 2,23,5). He later took the statue to Lacedaemon (Sparta), where he places it under Odysseus' protection near the sanctuary of the Leucippides and erects a heroon. (Plut. Quaest. Graec. 48). According to Callimachus, Eumedes, a descendent of Diomedes, brings the Argive palladion into the mountains to keep it safe (Callim. H. 5,37ff.). Zingg, Reto (Basle) [German version] [2] …

[German version] (Κυναίγειρος; Kynaígeiros) from Athens, son of Euphorion, brother of Aeschylus [1], fell in battle at  Marathon (490 BC;  Persian War). Herodotus (6,114) reports that his arm was chopped off while trying to hold on to the stern of an enemy ship. This heroic act was represented in the painting of Marathon at the Stoa Poikile in Athens (Ael. NA 7,38) and was a favourite exemplum for later rhetors (Lucian.e, Iupp. Trag. 32; Luciane, Rhetorum praeceptor 18). Traill, PAA 588715. Stein-Hölkeskamp, Elke (Cologne)

[German version] (Λάβδα; Lábda). Daughter of the Bacchiad Amphion of Corinth. According to Herodotus (5,92), L. was lame and therefore could not find a husband in the strictly endogamous circle of nobility of the Bacchiadae. Therefore she was said to have married Eëtion from the deme of Petra who did not belong this circle. As there had been a prophecy even before the birth of their son Cypselus [2] that he would rule over Corinth, the Bacchiadae were said to have planned his murder. The tradition available to Herodotus says that L. succeeded in hiding the child in a kypsélē (‘chest’) thus sa…

(Ἑρμόδωρος; Hermódōros). [German version] [1] Critic of his fellow citizens in a fragment of Heraclitus In a fragment of the philosopher  Heraclitus [1] of Ephesus, the latter criticizes his fellow citizens because they had banished H., the ‘most estimable man’ among them, with the justification that among them ‘no one should be the most estimable’ (Diels/Kranz 22,121 = Str. 14,1,25; Cic. Tusc. 5,105). According to later tradition, H., who went into exile in Italy, was involved in the drawing up of the Twelve …

[German version] (Δαμασίας; Damasías). Athenian archon in 582/1 BC. He succeeded in remaining in office for longer than the usual term of a year. Only after a further 14 months could he be driven out of office by violent means. For the remainder of his period in office in 580/79 it is said that a working party of ten archons ruled, five of whom are said to have belonged to the eupatrídai, three to the agroikoí and two to the dēmiourgoí (Aristot. Ath. Pol. 13,2). It is disputed whether the assumption of this ‘archontate compromise’ is historically correct. Traill, PAA 300925.  Archontate Stein-Hö…

(Παναίτιος; Panaítios). [German version] [1] Sicilian tyrant, about 700 BC P. of Leontini, established the first known tyrannis in Sicily around 700 BC. P. overthrew the ruling oligarchy, probably by inciting the people (Aristot. pol. 5,10,1310b 29; 5,12,1316a 37; Polyaen. 5,47). Patzek, Barbara (Wiesbaden) Bibliography H. Berve, Die Tyrannis bei den Griechen, 1967, 129; 593  T. J. Dunbabin, The Western Greeks, 1948, 66-68  N. Luraghi, Tirannidi archaiche in Sicilia e Magna Grecia, 1994, 11-20. [German version] [2] Trierarch at Salamis In 480, at the battle of Salamis, P. …

[German version] Traditionally, A. is given among others as the name of the mother of  Themistocles (Plut. Themistocles 1, cf. Ath. 13,576). Her Thracian origins were supposedly the reason that Themistocles was not a full citizen.  Themistocles Stein-Hölkeskamp, Elke (Cologne) Bibliography F. J. Frost, Plutarch's Themistocles, 1980, 61-63.

(Πυθέας; Pythéas). [German version] [1] P. from Aegina 5th cent. BC, his son proposed revenge measures after the battle of Plataeae After the battle of Plataeae (479 BC) his son Lampon [1] proposed desecrating the corpse of  Mardonius [1] in revenge for Leonidas [1]  (Hdt. 9,78). Stein-Hölkeskamp, Elke (Cologne) [German version] [2] P. from Aegina Persian POW after a battle at Sciathos, freed after Salamis Fought so bravely in a skirmish at Sciathos that he inspired wonder in the victorious Persians, who consequently treated him with the greatest respect a…

[German version] (Βακχιάδαι; Bakchiádai). Exclusive aristocratic group which ruled over  Corinth from the middle of the 8th cent. BC. The B. derived from the Corinthian King Bacchis and followed their family tree back to  Heracles. 200 families belonged to the group (Diod. Sic. 7,9,6). They were a closed group for members by birthright only and maintained their exclusive status through endogamy (Hdt. 5,92). This practice distinguished them from the general aristocratic ruler classes of other poleis…

(Λυσίμαχος; Lysímachos). [German version] [1] Athenian, 5th cent. BC Athenian, son of Aristides [1], born around 480 BC, is a dialogue partner in Plato's Láchēs (178ff.), where he is represented as the prototype of the unsuccessful son of a celebrated father. A decree mentioned by Demosthenes (20,115; cf. Plut. Aristides 27), according to which L. is said to have been granted support from the state because he was penniless after the death of his father, is probably a construction from the 4th cent. Stein-Hölkeskamp, Elke (Cologne) Bibliography Davies 1695 III-IV. [German version] [2] G…

[German version] (Δαίφαντος; Daíphantos). Son of Bathyllios from Hyampolis. D. was one of the commanders of the Phocians in the clashes with the Thessalians shortly before the Persian Wars (Hdt. 8,27-31). The brilliant victory won by the Phocian army in these battles was still being commemorated in the home town of D. at the annual festival of the Elaphebolia in the time of Plutarch (Plut. Mor. 244B-C).  Elaphebolos;  Hyampolis Stein-Hölkeskamp, Elke (Cologne)

[German version] The killing of the supporters of the aspiring tyrant  Cylon in the sanctuary of Athena Polias around 630 BC was regarded as a religious outrage. The family of the responsible archon, that of the Alcmaeonid  Megacles, was punished with banishment (Hdt. 5,71; Thuc. 1,126). The sacrilege was repeatedly put forward until the time of  Pericles in order to harm the influential  Alcmaeonidas (Thuc. 1,127; 2,13); Davies 9688. Stein-Hölkeskamp, Elke (Cologne) Bibliography K.-W. Welwei, Athen, 1992, 133 ff.