Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 1.djvu/843

Rh CONON. CONDTA'NUS, SEX. QUINTI'LIUS, and SEX. QUINTI'LIUS MA'XIMUS, two bro- thers remarkahle for their mutual affection, high character, learnincr, military skill, and wealth, who flourished under the Antonines. They were con- suls together in A. n. 151 ; were subsequently joint governors, first of Achaia, and afterwards of Pannonia ; they addressed a joint epistle to M. Aurelius, to which he gave a rescript (Dig. 38. tit 2. 8. 16. § 4) ; they wrote jointly a work upon agriculture frequently quoted in the Geoponica; and, having been inseparable in life, were not divided in death, for they both fell victims at the same time to the cruelty of Commodus, guiltless of any crime, but open to the suspicion that, from their high fame .ind probity, they must have felt disgusted with the existing state of affairs and eag:er for a change. Sex. Condianus, son of Maximus, is said to have been in Syria at the period of his father's death, and, in anticipation of his own speedy de- struction, to have devised an ingenious trick for escape. The story, as told by Dion Cassius, is amusing and romantic, but bears the aspect of a fable. (Lamprid. Commod. 4, and Casaubon's note ; Dion Cass. Ixxii, 5, and Reimarus's note ; Philostrat. VU. Sophist, ii. 1. § 11; Needhara,Pro- lepom. ad Oeoponica^ Cantab. 1704.) [W. R.] gether with Orthanes and Tychon appeared in the train of Priapus. (Aristoph. Li/s. 983 ; Athen. x. p. 441 ; Strab. xiii. 'p. 588; Hesych. s.v.) [L.S.] CO'NIUS {K6vtos), the god"^ vho excites or makes dust, a surname of Zeus, who had an un- covered temple under this name in the arx of Megara. (Paus. i. 40. § 5.) [L. S.] CONNUS (K6vvoi), the son of Metrobius, a player on the cithara, who tfiught Socrates music. (Plat Eu(ht/d. pp. 272, c, 295, d., Menex. p. 235, e. ; Cic. ad Fam. ix. 22.) This Connus is probably the same as the flute-player Connas, mentioned by Aristophanes {Equit. 532), who was, as we learn from the Scholiast, very poor, although he had gained several victories in the Olympic games. Whether the proverb mentioned by Suidas, K6vvov lrn<pov, " good for nothing," refers to the same person, is doubtful. CONON (KSvccu). 1. A distinguished Athe- nian general, who lived in the latter part of the fifth and the beginning of the fourth century B. c. In 413, he was stationed in command of a fleet off Naupactus, to prevent the Corinthians from send- ing succours to the Syracusans. In an engagement which ensued neither side gained a decisive vic- tory. (Thuc. vii. 31.) In 410, according to Dio- dorus (xiii. 48), he was strategus, and was sent to Corcyra to protect the Athenian interests in that quarter, when Corcyra became the scene of another massacre. In 409, he was elected strategus with Alcibiades and Thrasybulus (Xen. Hell. i. 4. § 10), and again in 406 was made the first of the ten generals chosen to supersede Alcibiades. (Xen. /fell. i. 5. § 16 ; Diod. xiii. 74.) For an account of the operations which forced him to take refuge in Mytilene, of his blockade by Callicratidas, and the victory of the Athenians at Arginusae by which he was delivered, see Xen. Hell. i. 6 ; Diod. xiii. 77 — 79, 97, &c. When all his colleagues were deposed, Conon retained his command. (Xen. fleM. vii. 1.) When the Athenian fleet was surprised by Ly- CONON. 825 Sander at Aegos-Potami (b. c. 405), Conon alone of the generals was on his guard. He escaped with eight ships, and sought an asylum in Cyprus, which was governed by his friend Evagoras. (Xen. Hell. ii. 1. § 20, &c.; Diod. xiii. 106 ; Com. Nep. Conon, 1 — 3.) Here he remained for some years, till the war which the Spartans commenced against the Persians gave him an opportunity of serving his country. There is some difficulty in reconcil- ing the accounts which we have left of his pro- ceedings. He appears to have connected himself with Phamabazus (Com. Nep. Con. 2), and it was on the recommendation of the latter, according to Diodoras (xiv. 39) and Justin (vi. 1), that he was appointed by the Persian king to the command of the fleet in B. c. 397. From Ctesias {Pers. 63) it would appear, that Conon opened a negotiation with the Persian court while at Salamis, and Ctesias was sent down to him with a letter em- powering him to raise a fleet at the expense of the Persian treasury, and to act as admiral under Phamabazus. He was first attacked, though without success, by Pharax, the Lacedaemonian admiral, while lying at Caunus, and soon after succeeded in detaching Rhodes from the Spartan alliance. (Diod. xiv. 79.) Though he received considerable reinforcements, the want of supplies kept him inactive. (Isocr. Paneg. c. 39.) He therefore made a journey to the Persian court in 395. The king granted him all that he want- ed, and at his request appointed Phamabazus as his colleague. (Diod. xiv. 81 ; Isocr. Paneg. c. 39 ; Com. Nep. Con. 2 — 4 ; Justin, vi. 2.) In B. c. 394, they gained a decisive victory over Pi- sander, the Spartan admiral, off Cnidus. (Xen. Hell. iv. 3. § 10, &c.; Diod. xiv. 83 ; Com. Nep. Con. 4.) Phamabazus and Conon now cruised about the islands and coasts of the Aegean, ex- pelled the Lacedaemonian harmosts from the mari- time towns, and won over the inhabitants by assurances of freedom from foreign garrisons. (Xen. HeLl. iv. 8 ; Diod. xiv. 84.) In the course of the winter, Conon drew contributions from the cities on the Hellespont, and in the spring of 393, in con- junction with Phamabazus, sailed to the coast of Laconia, made descents on various points, ravaged the vale of the Pamisus, and took possession of Cythera. They then sailed to Corinth, and Phamabazus having left a subsidy for the states in alliance against Sparta, made preparations for re- tuming home. Conon with his sanction proceeded to Athens, for the purpose of restoring the long walls and the fortifications of Peiraeeus. He was received with the greatest enthusiasm, and with the aid of his crews great progress was in a short time made towards the restoration of the walls. (Xen. Hell. iv. 8. § 7, &c. ; Diod. xiv. 84, 85; Paus. i. 2 ; Com. Nep. Con. 4 ; Dem. in I^jti. p. 478 ; Athen. i. 5, p. 3.) When the Spartans opened their negotiations with Tiribazus, Conon with some others was sent by the Athenians to counteract the intrigues of Antalcidas, but was thrown into prison by Tiribazus. (Xen. Hell. iv. 8. § 16 ; Diod. xiv. 85 ; Corn. Nep. Con. 5.) Ac- cording to some accounts, he was sent into the interior of Asia, and there put to death. (Isocr. Paneg. c. 41 ; Diod. xv. 43 ; Com. Nep. /. c.) But according to the most probable account, he escaped to Cypms. He had property in this island, and on his death left behind him a considerable fortune, part of which was bequeathed to different relations
 * CONISALUS (Kov/o-oAos), a daemon, who to-