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

EPICRATES. EPICTETUS. 31
EPICLES ('E7riKcAqs), a medical writer quoted an Athenian comic poet of the middle comedy, acby Erotianus (Gloss. Hippocr. p. 16), who wrote cording to the testimony of Athenaeus (x. p. 422, f.),
a commentary on the obsolete words found in the confirmed by extant fragments of his plays, in
writings of Hippocrates, which he arranged in which he ridicules Plato and his disciples, Speualphabetical order. He lived after Baccheius, sippus and Menedemus, and in which he refers to
and therefore probably in, the second or first cen- the courtezan Lais, as being now far advanced in
tury B. C. [W. A. G.] years. (Athen. ii. p. 59, d., xiii. p. 570, b.) From'EPI'CRATES. ('E7rIKpcd7s), an Athenian, who these indications Meineke infers that he flourished
took a prominent part in public affairs after the end between the 101st and 108th Olympiads (B. C.
of the Peloponnesian war. He was a zealous mem- -376-348). Two plays of Epicrates, "'Epropos and
ber of the democratical party, and had a share in'AvtLActs are mentioned by Suidas (s. v.), and are
the overthrow of the Thirty Tyrants (Dem. de quoted by Athenaeus (xiv. p. 655, f., xiii. pp. 570,
Fals. Legat. p. 430); but afterwards, when sent on b., 605, e.), who also quotes his'Apat6vefs (x. p.
an embassy to the Persian king Artaxerxes, he 422, f.) and A4o'wrpaTos (vi. p. 262, d.), and inwas accused not only of corruption, in receiving forms us that in the latter play Epicrates copied
moneyfrom Artaxerxes, but also of peculation. (Lys. some things from the AulrrpaTos of Antiphanes.
Or. 27, c. Epicratem, p. 806, &c.) Hegesan- Aelian (N. A. xii. 10) quotes the Xopos of Epider (ap. Atlen. vi. p. 251, a.) and Plutarch (Pc- crates. We have also one long fragment (Athen. ii.
lop. 30) say, that he so grossly flattered Arta- p. 59, c.) and two shorter ones (Athen. xi. p. 782,
xerxes as to propose that instead of nine archons, f,; Pollux, iv. 121) from his unknown plays.
nine ambassadors to the Persian king should be (Meineke, Frag. Cornm. Graec. vol. i. pp. 414, 415,
annually chosen by the Athenians. Plutarch also vol. iii. pp. 365-373; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol.
says that he did not deny the charge of corruption. ii. pp. 440, 441.) [P. S.]
He seems, however, to have been acquitted (Plut. EPICTE'TUS ('ErIKTI7TOS), of Hierapolis in
and Ath. 11. cc.) probably through the powerful in- Phrygia, a freedman of Epaphroditus, who was
terest possessed by himself and by his fellow cri- himself a freedman and a servile favourite of Nero,
minal, Phormisius. (Dionys. Vit. Lys. 32.) He had lived and taught first at Rome, and, after the exbeen guilty of corruption on a former occasion also, pulsion of the philosophers by Domitian, at Nicobut had been equally fortunate in escaping punish- polis, a town in Epeirus, founded by Augustus in
ment. (Lys. 1. c.) This first offence of his was commemoration of his victory at Actium. Although
probably on the occasion when Timocrates the he was favoured by Hadrian (Spartian, Hadr. 16)
Rhodian was sent by Tithraustes to bribe the -which gave occasion to a work which was unGreek states to attack Sparta (B. C. 395); for doubtedly written at a much later time, the "A1though Xenophon (Hell. iii. 5. ~ 1.) asserts, that tercatio Hadriani cum Epicteto" (see especially
the Athenians did not receive any money from Ti- Heumann, Acta Philos. i. 734)-yet he does not
mocrates (a statement suspicious on the face of it), appear to have returned to Rome; for the disPausanias (iii. 9. ~ 4) has preserved an account courses which Arrian took down in writing were
that at Athens bribes were taken by Cephalus and delivered by Epictetus when an old man at Nicopolis.
Epicrates. (Dissert. i. 25, 19, with Schweighauser's note.) The
The above statement of the acquittal of Epi- statement of Themistius (Orat. v. p. 63, ed.Harduin)
crates on the charge of corruption in his embassy to that Epictetus was still alive in the reign of the
Artaxerxes, seems at first sight opposed to the two Antonines, which is repeated by Suidas (s. v.),
statement of Demosthenes (de Fals. Legat. pp. 430, seems to rest upon a confusion of names, since M.
431), that he was condemned to death, and that he Aurelius Antoninus, who was an enthusiastic adwasactually banished. But, in fact, Demosthenes mirer of Epictetus, does not mention him, but
seems to be referring to a distinct and third occa- Junius Rusticus, a disciple of Epictetus, among his
sion on which Epicrates was charged with corrup- teachers; in like manner, A. Gellius, who lived in
tion; for in his repetition of the charge there is the the time of the Antonines, speaks of Epictetus as
important head, KaTaeevAJueyoL c'yT o'vtIuuXwYv, of belonging to the period which'had just passed
which we find nothing in the oration of Lysias, away. (M. Antonin. i. 7, vii. 29, with Gataker's
but which is just the charge we should expect to note; Gellius, vii. 19.) Besides what is here
be made against the Athenian envoy who took mentioned, only a few circumstances of the life
part in accepting the peace of Antalcidas (B. C. of Epictetus are recorded, such as his lameness,
387); and that Epicrates was really that envoy is which is. spoken of in very different ways, his
the more probable from the fact, which is expressly poverty, and his few wants. The detailed biograstated, that it was Epicrates who recommended phy written by Arrian has not come down to us.
that peace to the Athenians. (Schol. Aristeid. i. (Simplic. Prooem. Comment. in Epictet. Enchirid.
p. 283, ed. Dindorf.) iv. p. 5, ed. Schweigh.)
Epicrates and Phormisius were attacked by It is probable that he was still a slave (Arrian,
Aristophanes (Eccles. 68-72, Ran. v. 965, and Dissert. i. 9, 29) when C. Musonius Rufus gained
SchoL) and by Plato, the comic poet, who made him for the philosophy of the Porch, of which he
their embassy the subject of a whole play, the remained a faithful follower throughout life. In
lInpaels. Both are ridiculed for their large what manner he conceived and taught it, we see
beards, and for this reason Epicrates was called with satisfactory completeness from the notes which
oaaceiopps. (Comp. Etym. Mag. s.v.; Suid. s. v., we owe to his faithful pupil, Arrian; although of
and s.v. srcSywcv; Harpocrat. s. v. p. 162, cum not. Arrian's eight books of commentaries four are lost'
Maussac. et Vales.; Epist. Socrat. 13. p. 29; Plat. with the exception of a few fragments. Epictetus
Phaedr. p. 227, b.; Meineke, Hist. C}ri. Corn. Graec. himself did not leave anything written behind him,
pp. 182, 183; Bergk, de Reliqu. Corn. Att. Ant. pp. and the short manual or collection of the most es389-394.) [P. S ] sential doctrines of Epictetus, was compiled from
EPI'CRATES ('E-rmpd&r77s), of Ambracia, was his discourses by Arrian. (Simplic. inEnchirid.