Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 1.djvu/954

Rh 936 DAMON. in Aetolia, was strategus of the Aetolians in b. c. 200, and in the discussions as to whether an alliance should be formed with the Romans, Damo- critus, who was believed to have been bribed by the Macedonian king, opposed the party inclined to negotiate with Rome. The year after this he was among the ambassadors of the various Greek states that went to Rome. In B. c. 193 he was sent by the Aetolians to Nabis, the tyrant of Sparta, whom he urged on to make war against the Romans. The year after, when T. Quinctius Flamininus went himself to Aetolia, to make a last attempt to win them over, Damocritus not only opposed him along with the majority of his countrymen, but insulted him by saying that he would soon settle all dis- putes on the banks of the Tiber. But things turned out differently from what he expected : in b. c. 191 the Aetolians were defeated at Heracleia, near mount Oeta, and Damocritus fell into the hands of the Romans. He and the other leaders of the Aetolians were escorted to Rome by two cohorts, and he was imprisoned in the Lautumiae. A few days before the celebration of the triumph, which he was intended to adorn, he escaped from his prison by night, but finding that he could not escape the guards who pursued him, he threw him- self upon his own sword and thus put an end to his life. (Li v. xxxi. 32, xxxv. 12, 33, xxxvi. 24, xxxvii, 3, 46; Polyb. xvii. 10, xxii. 14; Appian, de Rcb. Sj/r. 21 ; Brandstater, Die Gesdi. dcs Aetul. Landej, (^'c, p, 408, &c.) 2. An Achaean and a friend of DLaeus, whom he assisted as much as he could in hurrying his countrymen into the fatal war with Rome, which ended in the destruction of Corinth. (Polyb. xl. 4.) Respecting a third Damocritus, see Dkmo- CRiTUs in fin. [L. S.] DAMO'CRITUS (^an6KpiTos), a Greek histo- nan of uncertain date, who, according to Suidas(«.r.) wrote two works, one on the drawing up of annies, and the other on the Jews, of whom he related that they worshipped the head of an ass, and that every seventh year they sacrificed to their god some foreigner who had fallen into their hands. Eudocia (p. 128) further attributes to him Aidio- TTLKYiv hropiav Kcd dWa, but nothing further ig known about him. [L. S.j DAMO'CRITUS or DEMO'CRITUS {Aan6- KpiTos^ Ar^noKpiTos). 1. A statuary, born at Si- cyon, was a pupil of Pison, the pupil of Amphion, the pupil of Ptolichus, the pupil of Critias of Athens. He probably flourished, therefore, about the 100th Olympiad, (a. c. 380.) There was at Olyrapia a statue by him of Hippus (or Hippon), an Eleian, who was victor in boxing among the boys. (Pans. vi. 3. § 2.) Pliny mentions a Demo- critus, who made statues of philosophers, (xxxiv. 8. s. 19. § 28.) 2. A chaser of the silver goblets which were called Rhodian. (Ath. xi. p. 500, b.) [P. S.] DAMO'GERON {Aa/jLoy^pcov)^ a Greek writer on agriculture, concerning whom nothing at all is known, although fifteen extracts from his work are still extant in the Geojwnica. [L. S.] DAMON (Ad/jMu). 1. An Athenian, who joined his countryman Philogenes in supplying ships to the Phocians and leading them into Asia at the time of the Ionian migration. These were the settlers by whom Phocaea was founded. (Pans, vii. 2, 3 ; comp. Herod, i. 146; Strab. xiv. p. 633.) 2. A Pythagorean, and friend of Pythias or DAMOPHYLE. Phlntias, who was a member of the same sect. When the latter was condemned to die for a plot against Dionysius I. of Syracuse, he asked leave of the tyrant to depart for the purpose of arranging his domestic affairs, promising to find a friend who would be pledge for his appearance at the time appointed for his punishment. To the sur- prise of Dionysius, Damon unhesitatingly offered himself to be put to death instead of his friend, should he fail to return. Phintias arrived just in time to redeem Damon, and Dionysius was so struck with this instance of firm friendship on both sides, that he pardoned the criminal, and entreated to be admitted as a third into their bond of bro- therhood. ( Diod. X. Fragm. 3 ; lamblich. Vit. Pyth. 33 ; Cic. de Off. iii. 10, Tusc. quaest. v. 22 ; Val. Max. iv. 7, Ext. 1.) 3. A youth of Chaeronela and a descendant of the seer Peripoltas, by whose name he was also called. Having been insulted with a degrading proposal by a Roman officer who was wintering at Chaeroneia, he engaged in his cause a body of his companions, assassinated the Roman, and fled with his adherents from the city. The Chaero- neans, alarmed for the consequences, condemned him to death ; but Damon continuing to defy them successfully, and to ravage their lands, the cousicil decoyed hiiii back by fair promises, and had hira murdered. It was said, that in the vapour-bath where he was killed strange sights were long seen and strange sounds heard. (Pint. Cim. 1.) [E. E.] DAMON (Aa/iwj'). ]. Of Athena, a cele- brated musician and sophist. He was a pupil of Lamprus and Agathocles, and the teacher of Pericles, with whom he lived on the most intimate terms. Socrates also, who esteemed him very highly, is said to have profited by his instruc- tions. (Cic. de Oral. ii. 33 ; Plut. Pericl. 4 ; Diog. Laert. iL 19.) Damon was no ordinary man. His penetration and acumen are particularly extolled by Plato in his work on the Republic, and he had cultivated his intellectual powers by constant intercourse with the most distinguished men of his time, such as Prodicus and others. His influence in political affairs was very great. In his old .age he was banished from Athens, pro- bably on account of the part he had taken in poli- tics. Damon maintained, that simplicity was the highest law of music, and that it had a very inti- mate connexion with morality and the develop- ment of man's nature. (Plat. Zac^s, p. 197, d., Alcibiad. p, 118, de Rep. iv. p. 424, c, iii. p. 400 ; Plut. Aristul. 1 ; compare Groen van Prinsteres, Prosopographia Platonica, pp. 186 — 188.) 2, A writer of proverbs, generally called Demon. [Demon.] [A. S.] DAMON (Adfxwv). 1. Of Cyrene, a Greek author of uncertain date, who wrote a work on the philosophers (irf^i twv ^iXoaocpwv^ Diog. Laert. i. 40). 2. Of Byzantium, wrote a work on his native place, from which an extract is quoted by Aelian. ( V. H. iii. 14 ; comp. Athen. x. p. 442.) Pliny (//. N. vii. 2) speaks of a Damon who seems to have written on Aethiopia. [L. S.] DAMO'PHYLE (Ao^o^uXtj), a lyric poetess of Pamphylia, was the pupil and companion of Sappho (about 611 b. c). Like Sappho, she in- structed other damsels. She composed erotic poems and hymns. The hymns which were sung to Artemis at Perga were said to have been com-