Search

(Ἀριστόνους; Aristónous). [German version] [1] Founder of Acragas about 580 BC A. of Gela, one of the founders of Acragas about 580 BC (Thuc. 6,4,4). Meister, Klaus (Berlin) [German version] [2] Brother-in-law of the tyrant  Gelon of Syracuse (1st half of 5th cent. BC) Brother-in-law of the tyrant  Gelon of Syracuse and one of the guardians of his son Timaeus (FGrH 566 F 21). Meister, Klaus (Berlin) [German version] [3] Macedonian officer (died 315 BC) Served as a   somatophylax (after 328 BC?) under  Alexander [4] and was  trierarch of the Hydaspes f…

(Κλέων; Kléōn). [German version] [1] The most influential politician in Athens after 430 BC The most influential politician in Athens after 430 BC, as the operator of a tannery was the first important demagogue from the circle of tradesmen who were rising to political leadership. Sources paint a picture of a man who put his loyalty to the people ( dḗmos) before that to his friends, who cleverly exploited the moods prevalent among the people and procured a following for himself by promising material gains. C. opposed  Pericles at the beginning of the Pelo…

(Δεινοκράτης; Deinokrátēs). [German version] [1] Of Syracuse. Took part in the battle against Agathocles [2] shortly after 316 BC Of Syracuse. Spared as a friend of  Agathocles [2] at the latter's seizure of power in 316 BC (Diod. Sic. 19,8,6), he soon became the leader of the exiles and of all opponents of Agathocles, took many towns in Sicily and fought with the Carthaginians against the tyrant (19,103f.). In 309 he marched with Hamilcar against Syracuse (20,29,5), and after the death of Hamilcar he was elected strategos by the exiles and the rest of the Greeks (20,31,2); when …

[1] Baths [German version] I. Etymology and definition Thermae (fem. pl.) is a Latinization and substantivization of the Greek adjective θερμός/ thermós, 'warm'. The word was used in its Latinized form to describe a bathing establishment, and subsequently passed back into the Greek language in this sense. As in Classical Antiquity, modern scholarship has no precise definition of 'thermal baths' (TB), although it has for the smaller baths ( balnea). TB are normally defined as large, public bathing establishments with a multitude of additional functions. Apart from…

(Καλλικλῆς; Kalliklês). [German version] [1] Collocutor in Plato's Gorgias Collocutor in Plato's ‘ Gorgias; taking it as his premise that nature ranks above the law, he advocates the right of the stronger (Pl. Grg. 483 c-d). This is the lesson of the  Gorgias (Gorg. Encomium Helenae 6), understood by Aristotle (Aristot. Soph. el. 12,173a 8-16) as the conflict between truth and the opinion of the majority. C. is, however, no Sophist: on the contrary, he distances himself from them (Pl. Grg. 520a). From his So…

(Ἀντικλείδης; Antikleídēs). [German version] [from Athens] Historian (around 300 BC) ‘More antiquarian than actual historian’ (Jacoby). Lived at the beginning of the era of the Diadochi, c. 300 BC and was probably influenced by the Peripatetics (fr. 15-16). Meister, Klaus (Berlin) Bibliography Work Perì Alexándrou, Deliaká, Nóstoi (FGrH 140 with comm.)

(Ἀριστόδημος; Aristódēmos). [German version] [1] Great-grandson of Heracles Great-grandson of Hercules, one of the three Heraclids who led the Dorians into the Peloponnese. According to the widely known version of the myth (Pl. Leg. 3,692 bk.; Apollod. 2,173; Paus. 3,1,6), A. died before reaching the Peloponnese, leaving twin sons, Eurysthenes and Procles, who then received Laconia and became the founding fathers of both the royal houses of Sparta. According to Spartan tradition, A. himself led the Spar…

[German version] (Φιλόχορος/ Philóchoros). P. of Athens, son of Cycnus, born c. 340 BC, the last and most eminent Atthidographer ( Atthís ). His works - a short biography in the Suda lists 21 works (FGrH 328 T 1); six more are known from other evidence - comprise the entire breadth of the history, literature and religion of Athens. The variety of themes, the unadorned style and the systematic method of collection betray peripatetic influence (Peripatos) and make him 'the first scholar among the Att…

[German version] (Σοφαίνετος/ Sophaínetos). From Stymphalus; despite his advanced age one of the leaders of Cyrus [3] the Younger's mercenaries in his struggle with his brother Artaxerxes [2] II (Xen. An. 5,3,1; 6,5,13): He recruited mercenaries among the Greeks (1,1,11; 1,2,1) and took 1000 hoplites to Cyrus in Sardis or Celaenae (1,2,3 or 1,2,9). On the return journey he led a convoy of ships from Trapezus to Cerasus (5,3,1), but because of his casual attention of finances had to pay a fine (5,8,1). Only Stephanus [7] from Byzantium mentions an Anábasis Kýrou by S. (F 1-4). It is he…

(Μενεκράτης; Menekrátes). [German version] [1] Attic comic poet, 5th cent. BC Attic comic poet of the 5th cent. BC. Two titles of his plays have survived, Ἑρμιονεύς/ Hermioneús (or Ἑρμιόνη/ Hermiónē?) and Μανέκτωρ/ Manéktōr (probably ‘Manes as Hector) [1. test. 1], as well as an anapaestic tetrameter (fr. 1) from the latter. It is uncertain whether Menecrates was once victorious at the Dionysia [1. test. *2]. Nesselrath, Heinz-Günther (Göttingen) Bibliography 1 PCG VII, 1989, 1-2. [German version] [2] Tragic poet, 5th cent. BC Greek tragic poet, victor at the Great Dionysia in…

[German version] (Τήριλλος; Tḗrillos). Son of Crinippus, tyrant of Himera, was deposed by Theron c. 483 BC. A call for help by T. and his father-in-law Anaxilaus [1] of Rhegium led in 480 to an invasion of Sicily by the Carthaginians under Hamilcar [1], a guest-friend of T.; Hamilcar and his army were decisively defeated by Gelon [1] and Theron at Himera (Hdt. 7,165-167). Of the later fate of T. nothing is known. Meister, Klaus (Berlin) Bibliography H. Berve, Die Tyrannis bei den Griechen, 1967, 134, 156.

(Κτησικλῆς; Ktēsiklês). [German version] [1] Author of Chroniká in at least 3 vols. in the Hellenistic period Author of Chroniká in at least 3 vols. in the Hellenistic period, quoted only by Athenaeus (6, 272c: census in Athens under Demetrius [4] of Phalerum 317/6 BC; 10, 445c-d: death of Eumenes [2] I. in 241). wilamowitz [1] and jacoby (comm. on FGrH 245) argue for his identification with Stesicleides of Athens, author of an Anagraphḕ tōn archóntōn kai Olympioníkōn (‘Listing of officials and Olympic winners’) quoted in Diogenes Laertius (2,56). Meister, Klaus (Berlin) Bibliography…

(Ξενόδικος; Xenódikos). [German version] [1] Uncle of the tyrant Theron of Acragas Son of the Emmenid Telemachus and uncle of Theron of Acragas. His sons Hippocrates and Capys rebelled against Theron in 476 BC, who defeated them at Himera, whereupon they settled in Sicanian Camicus (schol. Pind. P. 6,5a and O. 2,173f-g). Meister, Klaus (Berlin) Bibliography H. Berve, Die Tyrannis bei den Griechen, 1967, 135. [German version] [2] From Acragas, second half of the 4th cent. BC X. (also Xenodocus) from Acragas (both forms of the name can be found in Diod. 20,31,4; 32,2; 56…

(Ζώπυρος; Zṓpyros). [German version] [1] Persian, took part in the capture of Babylon Prominent Persian, son of Megabyzus [1], who according to Hdt. 3,153ff. had the gates of rebelling Babylon opened to Darius [1] I by using a ruse (self-mutilation and pretending to be a victim of the Great King). For this deceptive manoeuvre (Polyaenus, Strat. 7,13; referring to King Cyrus: Frontin. Str. 3,3,4) Z. allegedly received from Darius the satrapy of Babylonia for life and tribute-free, but he was killed when the B…

(Ἑρμαῖος; Hermaîos). [German version] [1] H. Soter Indo-Greek king, 1st cent. BC (Middle Indian Heramaya). The last of the Indo-Greek kings in Paropamisadai (modern south-east Afghanistan) in the 1st cent. BC, perhaps a son of Amyntas [8]. Like so many of the Indo-Greek kings, he is only known through his coins, a large amount of which were issued postumously by Indo-Scythians from Bactria, who had removed him (according to [1] after 30, according to [2] around 50, according to [3] around 70 BC). He was married to  Calliope. Karttunen, Klaus (Helsinki) Bibliography 1 W. W. Tarn, The Gr…

(Πολύδωρος/ Polýdōros, Lat. Polydorus). [German version] [1] King of Thebes, son of Cadmus King of Thebes, son of Cadmus [1] and Harmonia (Hes. Theog. 978; Eur. Phoen. 8; Hyg. Fab. 179), husband of Nyctis who was one of Nycteus' daughters (Apollod. 3,40). According to Pausanias, P. succeeded Cadmus to the Theban throne (Paus. 9,5,3). In Euripides, on the other hand, P. is not the heir apparent - there, an aged Cadmus hands the Theban throne to his grandson Pentheus (Eur. Bacch. 43 f. and 213). Although early…

(Ἄνδρων; Ándrōn). [German version] [1] One of the 400 (end of the 5th cent. BC) From Gargettus, son of an Androtion and father of the Atthidographer  Androtion (FGrH 324), with sophistic interests (Pl. Grg. 487C; Prot. 315C). About a debt affair Dem. Or. 22,33 and passim. Probably identical with A., one of the 400 (500: [1]), author of a   psephisma against Antiphon [4] 411 BC (Craterus FGrH 342 F5). Kinzl, Konrad (Peterborough) Bibliography 1 G. Pesely, in: Illinois Class. Stud. 20, 1995, 66-76. Davies, 913 Traill, PAA 129265, 129130 P. Harding, Androtion and the Atthis, 1994, 14 f. …

[German version] (Χάραξ; Chárax). A. Claudius C. from Pergamum; Greek historian. He lived during the 2nd cent. AD under Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius, was a priest and in AD 147 consul. C. wrote a universal history in 40 books, covering especially Greek and -- from book 12 -- Roman history up to the period of ‘Nero and his successors’ (Suda s.v. = T 1). The work was later summarized and used by Stephanus of Byzantium under the title Chroniká. The fragments relate mostly to mythological times, as it was mainly for his euhemeristic and allegorical interpretation…

[German version] P. from Athens or Naucratis (FGrH 81 T 1), Greek historian of the 3rd cent. BC, one of the main representatives of 'tragic' or 'mimetic' historiography (II C) [1. 93-108; 2. 95-102; 222 note 22]. P. wrote Historíai in 28 books, extending from the death of Pyrrhus (272 BC) to the death of king Cleomenes [6] III of Sparta (220/119 BC) (FGrH 81 T 1). 60 fragments survive (FGrH 81 with comm.). His work continues that of Duris of Samos (see historiography II C) and Hieronymus [6] of Cardia. Polybius [2] (Pol. 2,56-63 =…

(Πολύζηλος/ Polýzēlos). [German version] [1] Comic poet, c. 400 BC Comic poet of the late 5th and early 4th cent. BC; won four victories at the Lenaea [1. test. 2]. 13 frr. and five titles survive. Four of them are mythological (Ἀφροδίτης γοναί/ Aphrodítēs gonaí, 'The Birth of Aphrodite'; Δημοτυνδάρεως/ Dēmotyndáreōs, Διονύσου γοναί/ Dionýsou gonaí, 'The Birth of Dionysus'; Μουσῶν γοναί/ Mousôn gonaí, 'The Birth of the Muses'); he evidently favoured comedic presentations of the births of gods, a special variety of mythological play in vogue at the turn of …