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

POLYCRATES. POLYCRATES. 459
to say more in a subsequent part of his work Armasis and Polycrates in his most dramatic man(vi. 12. ~ 3. s. 9). Accordingly, at the end of ner. In a letter which Amasis wrote to Polythe chapter in which he describes Elateia in Phocis, crates, the Egyptian monarch advised him to throw
after mentioning the temple of Asclepius, with the away one of his most valuable possessions, in order
bearded statue of the god in it, made by Timocles that he might thus inflict some injury upon himand Timarchides, who were of Athenian birth, he self. In accordance with this advice Polycrates
proceeds to give an account of the temple of Athena threw into the sea a seal-ring of extraordinary
Cranaea, in which was a statue of the goddess, beauty; but in a few days it was found in the
equipped as if for battle, and with works of art belly of a fish, which had been presented to him
upon the shield in imitation of the shield of the by a fisherman. Thereupon Amasis immediately
Athena of the Parthenon; "and this statue also," broke off his alliance With him. Of course the
he says, "was made by the sons of Polycles." story is a fiction; and Mr. Grote remarks (Hist. of
(Paus. x. 34. ~ 3. s. 6-8.) From this passage, Greece, vol. iv. p. 323) with justice, that the facts
taken in its connection, it is evident that the sons related by Herodotus rather lead us to believe that
of Polycles were no other than Timocles and it was Polycrates, who, with characteristic faithTimarchides, and that these were Athenian artists lessness, broke off his alliance with Amasis, findof considerable reputation. Now, reverting to ing it more for his interest to cultivate friendship
Pliny, we find in the same list of statuaries at the with Cambyses, when the latter was preparing to
revival of the art in O1. 156, in which the name invade Egypt, B. c. 525. He sent to the assistance
of Polycles occurs, the name of Timocles; and in of the Persian monarch forty ships, on which he
the passage respecting the works in the portico of placed all the persons opposed to his government,
Octavia, immediately after the mention of the and at the same time privately requested Cambyses
statue of Juno by Polycles, he mentions that of that they might never be allowed to return. But
Jupiter by the sons of Timarchides, in the adjacent these malcontents either never went to Egypt, or
temple. It follows that, if there be no mistake in found means to escape; they sailed back to Samos,
Pliny, the Polycles of the two latter passages of and nlade war upon the tyrant, but were dePausanias (and perhaps, therefore, of the first) feated by the latter. Thereupon they repaired
was the younger Polycles. At all events, we to Sparta for assistance, which was readily granted.
establish the existence of a family of Athenian The Corinthians likewise, who had a special
statuaries, Polycles, his sons Timocles and Timar- cause of quarrel against the Samians, joined the
chides, and the sons of Timarchides, who either Spartans, and their united forces accompanied
belonged (supposing Pliny to have made the mis- by the exiles sailed against Samos. They laid
take above suggested) to the later Attic school of siege to the city for forty days, but at length dethe times of Scopas and Praxiteles, or (if Pliny be spairing of taking it, they abandoned the island,
right) to the period of that revival of the art, and left the exiles to shift for themselves. The
about B c. 155, which was connected with the power of Polycrates now became greater than ever.
employment of Greek artists at Rome. (Comp. The great works which Herodotus saw and adTIMARCHIDES and TIMOCLES.) There is still mired at Samos were probably executed by him.
one more passage in which the name of Polycles He lived in great pomp and luxury, and like some
occurs, as the maker of some statues of the Muses, of the other Greek tyrants was a patron of literain bronze. (Varro, ap. Noncum, s. v. Ducere.) tare and the arts. The most eminent artists and
3. Of Adramyttium, a painter, mentioned by poets found a ready welcome at his court; and his
Vitruvius among those artists who deserved fame, friendship for Anacreon is particularly celebrated.
but who failed through adverse fortune to attain But in the midst of all his prosperity he fell by the
to it. (iii. Praef. ~ 2.) [P. S.] most ignominious fate. Oroetes, the satrap of
POLY'CRATES (fIoXvKpcparls), historical. 1. Sardis, had for some reason, which is quite unOf Samos, one of the most fortunate, ambitious, known, formed a deadly hatred against Polycrates.
and treacherous of the Greek tyrants. With the By false pretences, the satrap contrived to allure
assistance of his brothers Pantagnotus and Sylo- him to the mainland, where he was arrested soon
son, he made himself master of the island towards after his arrival, and crucified, B. c. 522. (Herod.
the latter end of the reign of Cyrus. At first he iii. 39-47, 54-56, 120-125; Thuc. i. 13;
shared the supreme power with his brothers; but Athen. xii. p. 540.)
he shortly afterwards put Pantagnotus to death 2. An Athenian, a lochagus in the army of the
and banished Syloson. Having thus become sole Cyrean Greeks, is mentioned several times by
despot, he raised a fleet of a hundred ships, and Xenophon, whom he defended on one occasion.
took a thousand bowmen into his pay. With this (Xen. Anab. iv. 5. ~ 24, v. 1. ~ 16, vii. 2. ~~ 17,
force he conquered several of the islands, and even 29, vii. 6. ~ 41.)
some towns on the main land; he made war upon 3. An Argive, the son of Mnasiades, descended
Miletus, and defeated in a sea-fight the Lesbians, from an illustrious family at Argos, came over to
who had come to the assistance of the latter city. the court of the Egyptian monarch Ptolemy PhiloHis navy became the most formidable in the Gre- pator, just before his campaign against Antiochus
cian world; and he formed the design of conquer- III., in B. c. 217. Polycrates was of great service
ing all the Ionian cities as well as the islands in in drilling and encouraging the Egyptian troops,
the Aegean. He had formed an alliance with and he commanded the cavalry on the left wing at
Amasis, king of Egypt, who, however, finally re- the battle of Raphia, in B. c. 217, in which Aitionounced it through alarm at the amazing good for- chus was defeated, and which secured to Ptolemy
tune of Polycrates, which never met with any the provinces of Coele-Syria, Phoenicia, and Pacheck or disaster, and which therefore was sure, lestine. Although Polycrates was still young he
sooner or later, to incur the envy of the gods. was second to no one, says Polybius, in the king's
Such, at least, is the account of Herodotus, who court, and was accordingly appointed by Ptolemy
has narrated the story of the rupture between governor of Cyprus. The duties of this office he