A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

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, Damocritus, who was believed to have been bribed by the
MVacedonian 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 disputes 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 himself upon his own sword and thus put an end
to his life. (Liv. xxxi. 32, xxxv. 12, 33, xxxvi.
24, xxxvii. 3, 46; Polyb. xvii. 10, xxii. 14;
Appian, de Reb. Syr. 21; Brandstciter, Die Gesch,
des Aetol. Landes, -c., p. 408, &c.)
2. An Achaean and a friend of Diaeus, 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 DEMOcrITUS in fin. [L. S.]
DAMO'CRITUS (AaAo'Kcpuos), a Greek historian of uncertain date, who, according to Suidas (s..)
wrote two works, one on the drawing up of armies,
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 AlOio7rKIc)v lt eopiavcc a dhAAa, but nothing further is
known about him. [L. S.]
DAMO'CRITUS or DEMO'CRITUS (Aato'Icpios, AUlopI'ros). 1. A statuary, born at Sicyon, 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. (B. c. 380.) There was at
Olympia a statue by him of Hippus (or Hippon),
an Eleian, who was victor in boxing among the
boys. (Paus. vi. 3. ~ 2.) Pliny mentions a Democritus, 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 (Aa1uo-yipc), a Greek writer
on agriculture, concerning whom nothing at all is
known, although fifteen extracts from his work
are still extant in the Geoponicca. [L. S.]
DAMON (Adauco). 1. An Athenian, who
joined his countryman Philogenes in supplying
siips to the Phocians and leading them into Asia
at the time of the Ionian migration. These were
the settlers by whom Phocaea was founded. (Paus.
vii. 2, 3; comp. Herod. i. 146; Strab. xiv. p. 633.)
"2. A Pythagorean, and f'riend o.f Pythias or

DAMOPHYLE.
Phintias, 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 surprise 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 brotherhood. (Diod. x. Fragm. 3; laumblich. Vit.
Pyth. 33; Cic. de Off. iii. 10, Tusc. Qsuuest. v. 22;
Val. Max. iv. 7, Ext. 1.)
3. A youth of Chaeroneia and a descendant of
the seer Peripoltas, by whose name he was also
called. Having been insulted with a degrading
proposal by a Romana 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 Chaeroneans, alarmed for the consequences, condemned
him to death; but Damon continuing to defy them
successfully, and to ravage their lands, the council
decoyed him back by fair promises, and had himn
murdered. It was said, that in the vapour-bathl
where he was killed strange sights were long seen
and strange sounds heard. (Plut. Cim. 1.) [E. E.]
DAMON (Adcw). 1. Of Athens, a celebrated 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 instructions. (Cic. de Orat. ii. 33; Plut. Pericl. 4;
Diog. LaGrt. ii. 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, probably on account of the part he had taken in politics. Damon maintained, that simplicity was the
highest law of music, and that it had a very intimate connexion with morality and the development of man's nature. (Plat. Laches, p. 197, d.,
Alcibiad. p. 118, de Rep. iv. p. 424, c., iii. p. 400;
Plut. Aristid. 1; compare Groen van Prinsteres,
Prosopographia Platonica; pp. 186-188.)
2. A writer of proverbs, generally called Demon.
[DEMON.] [A. S.]
DAMON (Adco). 1. Of Cyrene, a Greek
author of uncertain date, who wrote a work on the
philosophers (7rspl TCrv,iAoAooor('h, Diog. Laeirt.
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 (I.
N. vii. 2) speaks of a Damon who seems to have
written on Aethiopia. [L. S.]
DAMO'PHYLE (Aapuo mvA), a lyric poetess
of Pamphylia, was the pupil and companion of
Sappho (about 611 B. c.). Like Sappho, she instructed other dsamsels. She composed erotic
poems and hymns. 'The hymns which were sung
to Artemis at i'Perga were said to have been corm