Damocritus
(Δαμόκριτος).
1. Of Calydon in Aetolia, was strategus of the Aetolians in B. C. 200, and in the discussions as to whether an alliance should be formed with the Romans, Damocritus, who was believed to have been bribed by the Macedonian king, opposed the party inclined to negotiate with Rome. The year after this he was among the ambassadors of the various Greek states that went to Rome. In B. C. 1.93 he was sent by the Aetolians to Nabis, the tyrant of Sparta, whom he urged on to make war against the Romans. The year after, when T. Quinctius Flamininus went himself to Aetolia, to make a last attempt to win them over, Damocritus not only opposed him along with the majority of his countrymen, but insulted him by saying that he would soon settle all disputes on the banks of the Tiber. But things turned out differently from what he expected: in B. C. 191 the Aetolians were defeated at Heracleia, near mount Oeta, and Damocritus fell into the hands of the Romans. He and the other leaders of the Aetolians were escorted to Rome by two cohorts, and he was imprisoned in the Lautumiae. A few days before the celebration of the triumph, which he was intended to adorn, he escaped from his prison by night, but finding that he could not escape the guards who pursued him, he threw himself upon his own sword and thus put an end to his life. (Liv. 31.32, 35.12, 33, 36.24, 37.3, 46; Plb. 17.10, 22.14; Appian, de Reb. Syr. 21; Brandstäter, Die Gesch. des Aetol. Landes, &c., p. 408, &c.)
2. An Achaean and a friend of Diaeus, whom he assisted as much as he could in hurrying his countrymen into the fatal war with Rome, which ended in the destruction of Corinth. (Plb. 40.4.) Respecting a third Damocritus, see Democritus in fin. [L.S]
(Δαμόκριτος), a Greek historian of uncertain date, who, according to Suidas (s.v.) wrote two works, one on the drawing up of armies, and the other on the Jews, of whom he related that they worshipped the head of an ass, and that every seventh year they sacrificed to their god some foreigner who had fallen into their hands. Eudocia (p. 128) further attributes to him Αἰθιοπλκπν λ̔στορίαν καὶ ά̀λλα, but nothing further is known about him. [L.S]
(Δαμόκριτος, Δημόκριτος), or Demo'critus.
1. A statuary, born at Sicyon, was a pupil of Pison, the pupil of Amphion, the pupil of Ptolichus, the pupil of Critias of Athens. He probably flourished, therefore, about the 100th Olympiad. (B. C. 380.) There was at Olympia a statue by him of Hippus (or Hippon), an Eleian, who was victor in boxing among the boys. (Paus. 6.3.2.) Pliny mentions a Democritus, who made statues of philosophers. (34.8. s. 19.28.)
2. A chaser of the silver goblets which were called Rhodian. (Ath. xi. p. 500b.) [P.S]
- a Sicyonian sculptor, pupil of Pison: Paus. 6.3.5
- general of Achaean League: Paus. 7.13.1
- defeats Lacedaemonians: Paus. 7.13.3ff.
- condemned as traitor: Paus. 7.13.5
- Olympic victor: Paus. 6.8.5