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

1194 N ICOMACH US. NCOMACHUS.
NICO'MACHUS (NLtCd/aXOs). 1. One of the of any particulars of his life. The following poillts
sons of Machaon, the son of Aesculapius, by Anti- are merely indicated by their several authorities.
cleia, the daughter of Diocles, king of Pherae, in From the will of Aristotle, as given by La'rtius,
Messenia. According to Pausanias (iv. 30. ~ 2), we infer that Nicomachus was a mere boy when
he succeeded to the kingdom after the death of his the will was made, and that he was entrusted first
grandfather, together with his brother Gorgasus, to the care of tutors therein named, and then to
and is therefore placed by some in the twelfth the discretion of Nicanor, Aristotle's adopted son.
century B. C. Both brothers followed the example We are told by the same authority that Theoof their father, by practising the art of healing, for phrastus was his teacher. Eusebius (Praep. xv. 2)
which they received divine honours after their states that, while still young, he died in war.
death, and had a sanctuary at Pherae, founded by (Diog. Lai'rt. v. 1, 12, 35; Euseb. I. c.; Suid. s. v.
Isthmius, the son of Glaucus (id. iv. 3. ~ 6). NLKcJuaXos.) He must have lived about B. C. 320.
Suidas (s. v. NLrKJz.) says he was a native of Sta- His name, as an author, has become mixed up
geira, in Macedonia; but it is not likely that this with that of his illustrious father. Cicero (de Fie.
city was then in existence. He also seems to say v. 5) and Lagrtius (viii. 88) seem to attribute to
that he wrote six books on medicine ('IarTpLc), him certain ethical writings that are generally
and one on natural science (,vueucd); but this is ascribed to Aristotle. Some modern writers have
probably incorrect. In fact Nicomachus must be assented to this, but on slender grounds. (Fabric.
regarded as a purely mythical personage. According Bibl. Graec. vol. iii. p. 262.) It is not difficult to
to Hermippus (ap. Diog. Laiirt. v. 1. ~ 1), he was see how the mistake may have arisen. A portion
the ancestor of Nicomachus, the father of Aristotle. of the moral writings of Aristotle bears the name
2. The father of Aristotle, who belonged to the of'HOLca NIKo/eaxeia, why we cannot tell; whefamily of the Asclepiadae, and was descended from ther the father so named them, as a memorial of
Nicomachus, the son of Machaon. He had another his affection to his young son, or whether they,son named Arimnestus, and a daughter named derived their title from being afterwards edited
Arimneste, by his wife Phaestis, or Phaestias, who and commented on by Nicomachus. [See Vol. I. of
was also descended from Aesculapius. He was a this work, p. 331, a.'H0Kac EuO7f1/eCa.] This last
native of Stageira, and the friend and physician of reason is rendered not improbable from the cirAmyntas II., king of Macedonia, B. C. 393-369. cumstance mentioned by Suidas (I. c.), that NicoHe was perhaps the author of the works attributed machus wrote six books (probably a comment) on
(apparently) by Suidas to his ancestor, the son of ethics, and a comment on his father's work
Machaon. (Suid. s. v.'AporTo6A71rs, NucedaXos; Isepl rp qflroLKrs'AKpoeaeows. Hence the confusion
Ammon. in vita Aristot.; Diog. La6rt. v. 1. ~ 1.; between the editor and commentator, and the
Dionys. De Demosth. et Aristot. ~ 5; Joann. original author. [XV. M. G.]
Tzetz. Chil. x. 727). [W. A. G.] NICOIMACHUS (NaKdluaXOS), literary. Two
NICO'MACHUS (NaKdlaXos), a scribe at dramatic poets of the name have been mentioned by
Athens (,ypapjuaaTevs), rose to citizenship from a Suidas (s. v.). The whole question regarding them
servile origin, if we may believe the statements in has been examined minutely by Meineke (Frag.
the speech of Lysias against him. According to Corn. Graec. vol. i. pp. 75, &c., 496, &c.), and we
-the same authority he was entrusted with a com- shall briefly give his views, as probable and well
-mission to transcribe the laws of Solon, a period of supported by his authorities.
four months being allowed him for the purpose; 1. A tragic poet of Alexandria in the Troad,
but he extended the time, on various pretences, to according to Suidas. He was a contemporary of
six years, and drove a profitable trade by tamper- Euripides and Theognis, B. c. 425, with whom he
ing with the laws, in the way of interpolation or competed, and successfully, contrary to universal
omission, as it suited his several employers. In expectation. We may infer from the language of
particular, he lent himself to the intrigues of the Suidas that the play which gained the prize was
-oligarchical party, in B. C. 405, and fabricated a on the subject of Oedipus. He wrote, according
law giving power to the council to take cognisance to Suidas, eleven tragedies. But his list evidently:of the alleged offence of CLEOPHON. Notwith- contains two comedies. As corrected by Meineke,
standing, however, his services to the oligarchs, he it contains the following subjects: -Alexander,
was obliged to fly from Athens under the govern- Eriphyle, Geryones, Aletides, Neoptolemus, Mysi,
ment of the Thirty. On the re-establishment of Oedipus, Ilii Excidium sive Polyxena, Tyndareus,
democracy he seems to have been again employed Alcmaeon, and Teucer, the last three constituting
in the transcription and registering of the laws, a trilogy. He was of no great reputation, as the
and it was for misconduct in the execution of this language of Suidas implies. Only four words reduty that he was visited with the prosecution for main that can be traced to him.,which the speech of Lysias was written. (Xen. 2. A comic poet of the time of Pherecrates,
Hell. i. 7. ~ 35; Lys. c. Agor. p. 130, c. Nicom.) B. C. 420. To him are doubtfully assigned
It was perhaps the same Nicomachus who is men- (Athen. viii. 364, a, where he designates him
tioned by Aristophanes (Ran. 1502) as a 7roptr7iOs d' pvOUCtcKOs), the comedy of XEppwmv, and (Harpocr.
-one of those whose business it was to levy extra- s.v. MeTaAAes, p. 242) the comedy of MeTa;AAssr.
ordinary supplies (see Diet. of Ant. s. v.) —and -usually assigned to Pherecrates.
to whom Pluto is made to send, through Aeschylus, 3. A poet of the new comedy. The EiA7vOwva, pera present of a rope, with an urgent demand for his haps the MeTeKatmovo'at, both attributed to the first:early appearance in the regions below. The Ni- Nicomachus, by Suidas, and another, the NavtuaXia,
comachus also mentioned by Isocrates (c. Callim. were probably written by him. Of the first, we
pp. 373, 374) may, perhaps, have been the same have an extract, consisting of forty-two lines, in
person. [E, E.] Athenaeus (vii. p. 290, e.), containing a humorous
NICO'MACHUS (NtmocuaXos), a son of Aris- dialogue, wherein a cook magnifies the requirements
totle by-the slave Herpyllis. We are destitute of his office. (Meineke, vol. v. p. 583, &c.) Of