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

858 LYCURGUS. LYCUS.
was equally unsuccessful in the same year, in an full of anecdotes and characteristic features of
attempt which he made on the citadel of Tegea, Lycurgus, from which we must infer that he was
and also in his endeavour to intercept and defeat one of the noblest specimens of old Attic virtue,
Philip in the passes of the Menela'ion, on his return and a worthy contemporary of Demosthenes. He
from his invasion of Laconia. Not long after, he often appeared as a successful accuser in the Athewas falsely accused to the Ephori of revolutionary nian courts, but he himself was as often accused
designs, and was obliged to flee to Aetolia for by others, though he always, and even in the last
safety. In the following year, however (B. C. 217), days of his life, succeeded in silencing his enemies.
the Ephori discovered the groundlessness of the Thus we know that he was attacked by Philinus
charge and recalled him; and soon after he made (Harpocrat. s. v. aecopLKca), Deinarchus (Dionys.
an inroad into Messenia, in which he was to have Dinarch. 10), Aristogeiton, Menesaechmus, and
been joined by Pyrrhias, the Aetolian general, but others. He died while holding the office of eirtthe latter was repulsed in his attempt to pass the araTis of the theatre of Dionysus, in B. C. 323. A
frontier, and Lycurgus returned to Sparta without fragment of an inscription, containing the account
having effected any thing. He died about B. C. which he rendered to the state of his administration
210, and Machanidas then made himself tyrant. of the finances, is still extant. At his death he left
(Pol. iv. 2, 35-37, 60, 81, v. 5, 17, 21-23, 29, behind three sons, by his wife Callisto, who were.91, 92; Paus. iv. 29; Liv. xxxiV. 26.) Lycurgus severely persecuted by Menesaechmus and Thraleft a son named Pelops, who was put to death by sycles, but were defended by Hyperides and DeNabis, B. C. 205. (Diod. Exc. de Virt. et Vit. p. mocles. (Plut. 1. c. p. 842, &c.) Among the
-570; Vales. and Wess. ad loc.) [E. E.] -honours which were conferred upon him, we may
LYCURGUS (AvuKoppyos), an Attic orator, was -mention, that the archon Anaxicrates ordered a
born at Athens about B. C. 396, and was the son bronze statue to be erected to him in the Ceraof Lycophron, who belonged to the noble family of meicus, and that he and his eldest son should be
the Eteobutadae. (Plut. Vit. X. Orat. p. 841; entertained in the prytaneium at the public exSuidas, s. v. AVKwopyos; Phot. Bibl. Cod. 268, pense.
p. 496, &c.) In his early life he devoted himself The ancients mention fifteen orations of Lyto the study of philosophy in the school of Plato, curgus as extant in'their days (Plut. I. c. p. 843;
but afterwards became one of the disciples of Iso- Phot. I. c. p. 496, b), but we know the titles of at
crates, and entered upon public life at a compara- least twenty. (Westermann, Gesch. d. Griec]i.
tively early age. He wvas appointed three successive Beredt., Beilage vi. p. 296.) With the exception,
times to the office of Tapias rTs Woivfrs rpoa6Oou, however, of one entire oration against Leocrates,
i. e. manager of the public revenue, and held his and some fragments of others, all the rest are lost,
office each time for five years, beginning with B. C. so that our knowledge of his skill and style as an
337. The conscientiousness with which he dis- orator' is very incomplete. Dionysius and other
charged the duties of this office enabled him to ancient critics draw particular attention to the
raise the public revenue to the sum of 1200 talents. ethical tendency of his oraticns, but they censure
This, as well as the unwearied activity with which the harshness of his metaphors, the inaccuracy in
lie laboured both for increasing the security and the arrangement of his subject, and his frequent
splendour of the city of Athens, gained for him the digressions. His style is noble and grand, but
universal confidence of the people to such a degree, neither elegant nor pleasing. (Dionys. Vet. Script.
that when Alexander the Great demanded, among cens. v. 3; Hermogen. De Form. Orat. ii. p. 500;
the other opponents of the Macedonian interest, Dion Chrysost. Or. xviii. p. 256, ed. Mor.) His
the surrender of Lycurgus also, who had, in con- *works seem to have been commented upon by Dijunction with Demosthenes, exerted himself against dymus of Alexandria. (Harpocrat. s. vv. irhAavos,
the intrigues of Macedonia even as early as the 7rpoKoivka, TrpcwrT4p.) Theon (Progymn. pp. 71, 77)
reign of Philip, the people of Athens clung to him, mentions two declamations,'EAhe'vs 4yKuoJoV and
and boldly refused to deliver him up. (Plut. Phot. EvpvdTrovu Jdyos, as the works of Lycurgus; but
11. cc.) He was further entrusted with the super- this Lycurgus, if the name be correct, must be a
intendence (pvhaaKi) of the city and the keeping different personage from the Attic orator. The
of public discipline; and the severity with which oration against Leocrates, which was delivered in
he watched over the conduct of the citizens be- B. C. 330 (Aeschin. adv. Ctesiph. ~ 93), is printed
came almost proverbial. (Cic. ad Att. i. 13; in the various collections of the Attic orators by
Plut. Flanzin. 12; Amm. Marc. xxii. 9, xxx. 8.) Aldus, Stephens, Gruter, Reiske, Dukas, Bekker,
He had a noble taste for every thing that was Baiter, and Sauppe. Among the separate editions,
beautiful and grand, as he showed by the buildings the following deserve to be mentioned-that of J.
he erected or completed, both for the use of the Taylor (Cambridge, 1743, 8vo., where it is printed
citizens and the ornament of the city. His inte- together with Demosthenes' speech against Meigrity was so great, that even private persons de- dias), C. F. Heinrich (Bonn, 1821,8vo.), G. Pinzger
posited with him large sums of money, which they (Leipzig, 1824, 8vo., with a learned introduction,
wished to be kept in safety. He was also the au- notes, and a German translation), A. G. Becker
thor of several legislative enactments, of which he (Magdeburg, 1821, 8vo.) The best editions are
enforced the strictest observance. One of his laws those of Baiter and Sauppe (Turici, 1834, 8vo.),
forbade women to ride in chariots at the celebration and E. Maetzner (Berlin, 1836, 8vo.). Compare
of the mysteries; and when his own wife trans- G. A. Blume, Narratio de Lyczrgo Oratore, Potsgressed this law, she was fined (Aelian, V. H. xiii. dam, 1834, 4to.; A. F. Nissen, De Lycurgi Ora24); another ordained that bronze statues should toris Vita et Rebus Gestis Dissertatio, Kiel, 1833,
be erected to Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, 8vo. [L. S.]
that copies of their tragedies should be made and LYCUS (Av'os). 1. One of the sons of Aegyppreserved in the public archives. The Lives of the tus. (Apollod. ii. 1. ~ 5.)
Ten Orators ascribed to Plutarch (p. 842, &c.) are 2. A son of Poseidon and Celaeno, who was