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

304 ARISTODEMUS.
ARISTODE'ME ('ApLurro1Ui), a Sicyonian
woman, who, according to a local tradition of
Sicyon, became the mother of Aratus by Asclepius,
in the form of a dragon (serpent). A painting of
her and the dragon existed at Sicyon in the temple of Asclepius. (Paus. ii. 10. ~ 3, iv. 14. ~ 5.)
A daughter of Priam of this name occurs in
Apollod. iii. 12. ~ 5. [L. S.]
ARISTODE'MUS ('Apio-ro'aqos), a son of
Aristomachus, and a descendant of Heracles, was
married to Argeia, by whom he became the father
of Eurysthenes and Procles. According to some
traditions Aristodemus was killed at Naupactus by
a flash of lightning, just as he was setting out on
his expedition into Peloponnesus (Apollod. ii. 8. ~
2, &c.), or by an arrow of Apollo at Delphi because he had consulted Heracles about the return
of the Heraclids instead of the Delphic oracle.
(Paus. iii. 1. ~ 5.) According to this tradition,
Eurysthenes and Procles were the first Heraclid
kings of Lacedaemon; but a Lacedaemonian tradition stated, that Aristodemus himself came to
Sparta, was the first king of his race, and died a
natural death. (Herod, vi. 52; Xenoph. Agesil. 8.
~ 7.) Another Heraclid of this name, the grandfather of the former, is mentioned by Euripides.
(Ap. Schol. ad Pind. Isth. iv. 104.) [L. S.]
ARISTODE'MUS ('ApurOrdS-ito o), the Spartan,
when the last battle at Thermopylae was expected,
was lying with Eurytus sick at Alpeni; or as others
related, they were together on an errand from the
camp. Eurytus returned and fell among the Three
Hundred. Aristodemus went home to Sparta.
The Spartans made him agTros; "no man gave him
light for his fire, no man spoke with him; he was
called Aristodemus the coward" (6 Trpioas seems
to have been the legal title; comp. Died. xix. 70).
Stung with his treatment, next year at Plataea,
B. c. 479, he fell in doing away his disgrace by
the wildest feats of valour. The Spartans, however, though they removed his dril'ia, refused
him a share in the honours they paid to his fellows, Poseidonius, Philocyon, and Amompharetus,
though he had outdone them. (Herod. vii. 229 -231; see Valckn. and Biihr, ad loc.; ix. 71; Suidas,
s. v. AvKcoipyos.) [A. H. C.]
ARISTODEMUS ('Apio-ro'6 os), historical.
1. A Messenian, who appears as one of the chief
heroes in the first Messenian war. In the sixth
year of that war the Messenians sent to Delphi to
consult the oracle, and the ambassador Tisis brought
back the answer, that the preservation of the Messenian state demanded that a maiden of the house
of the Aepytids should be sacrificed to the gods of
the lower world. When the daughter of Lyciscus
was drawn. by lot, the seer Epebolus declared that
she was a supposititious child, and not a daughter of Lyciscus. Hereupon Lyciscus left his
country and went over to the Lacedaemonians.
As, however, the oracle had added, that if,
for some reason, the maiden chosen by lot could
not be sacrificed, another might be chosen in
her stead, Aristodemus, a gallant warrior, who
likewise belonged to the house of the Aepytids,
came forward and offered to sacrifice his own
daughter for the deliverance of his country. A
young Messenian, however, who loved the maiden,
opposed the intention of her father, and declared
that he as her betrothed had more power over her
than her father. When this reason was not listened to, his love for the maiden drove him to

ARISTODEMUS.
despair, and in order to save her life, he declared
that she was with child by him. Aristodemus,
enraged at this assertion, murdered his daughter
and opened her body to refute the calumny. The
seer Epebolus, who was present, now demanded
the sacrifice of another maiden, as the daughter of
Aristodemus had not been sacrificed to the gods,
but murdered by her father. But king Euphaes
persuaded the Messenians, who, in their indignation, wanted to kill the lover, who had been the
cause of the death of Aristodemus' daughter, that
the command of the oracle was fulfilled, and as he
was supported by the Aepytids, the people accepted his counsel. (Paus. iv. 9. ~~ 2-6; Diodor.
Fragm. Vat. p. 7, ed. Dindorf.; Euseb. Praep.
Evang. v. 27.) When the news of the oracle and
the manner of its fulfilment became known at
Sparta, the Lacedaemonians were desponding, and
for five years they abstained from attacking the
Messenians, until at last some favourable signs in
the sacrifices encouraged them to undertake a fresh
campaign against Ithome. A battle was fought, in
which king Euphaes lost his life, and as he left no
heir to the throne, Aristodemus was elected king
by the Messenians, notwithstanding the opposition
of some, who declared him unworthy on account of
the murder of his daughter. This happened about
B. c. 729. Aristodemus shewed himself worthy of
the confidence placed in him: he continued the
war against the Lacedaemonians, and in B. c. 724
he gained a great victory over them. The Lacedaemonians now endeavoured to effect by fraud
what they had been unable to accomplish in the
field, and their success convinced Aristodemus that
his country was devoted to destruction. In his
despair he put an end to his life on the tomb of
his daughter, and a short time after, B. c. 722, the
Messenians were obliged to recognize the supremacy
of the Lacedaemonians. (Paus. iv. 10-13.)
2. Tyrant of Cumae in Campania, a contemporary of Tarquinius Superbus. His history is related at great length by Dionysius. He was of a
distinguished family, and surnamed MaXaicos,respecting the meaning of which the ancients themselves are not agreed. By his bravery and popular
arts, he gained the favour of the people; and having caused many of the nobles to be put to death,
or sent into exile, he made himself tyrant of Cumae,
B. c. 502. He secured his usurped power by surrounding himself with a strong body-guard, by
disarming the people, removing the male descendants of the exiled nobles from the town, and compelling them to perform servile labour in the country. In addition to this, the whole of the young
generation of Cumae were educated in an effeminate and enervating manner. In this way he
maintained himself for several years, until at last
the exiled nobles and their sons, supported by Campanians and mercenaries, recovered the possession
of Cumae, and took cruel vengeance on Aristodemus
and his family. (Dionys. Hal. vii. p. 418, &c., ed.
Sylb.; Died. Fragm. lib. vii. in the "Excerpt. de
Virt. et Vit.;" Suidas, s. v. 'ApLr-o'1ipos.) According to Plutarch (de Virt. Mulier. p. 261), he assisted the Romans against the Etruscans, who
endeavoured to restore the Tarquins. According
to Livy (ii. 21), Tarquinius Superbus took refuge
at the court of this tyrant, and died there. (Comp.
Niebuhr, tist. of Rome, i. p. 553, &c.)
3. Surnamed the Small (d (jmcpos), a disciple of
Socrates, who is reported to have had a conversa