Archeptolemus

This article deals with the historical person; on the mythical figure see Archeptolemos (mythology) .

Archeptolemos (Gr. Αρχεπτόλεμος), the son of Hippodamos of Agryle, was a Greek politician in classical Athens at the time of the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC). His exact life dates are not known.

Archeptolemus probably came from an aristocratic family in Athens. He was accordingly committed to the goals of the oligarchic party, where he soon played a leading role. According to the esteem of Sparta , which was widespread among the upper class of Athens , Archeptolemus advocated a compromise with the Peloponnesian supremacy.

425 BC In a phase of the war when Athens was still able to reach an advantageous peace agreement with Sparta and the Spartans also made a corresponding offer, the peace agreement was thwarted by excessive demands of the Athenian demagogue politician Kleon . Archeptolemus became Kleon's main opponent in the debates and the spokesman for those who campaigned for peace with Sparta in the Athenian people's assembly. The general Nicias was to pursue this policy later and with the so-called Nicias Peace 421 BC. BC also bring to a preliminary conclusion.

During the later reign of the Four Hundred in 411 BC. BC Archeptolemus played an important role on the part of the ruling oligarchic party together with the speaker Antiphon von Rhamnus and the vacillating conservative-liberal power politician Theramenes . In any case, he was 411 BC. A member of a delegation sent by the oligarchs to Sparta shortly after they came to power, which - albeit unsuccessfully - explored possibilities for a peace agreement.

The overthrow of the rule of the four hundred was brought about after just a few months by the moderate oligarchs Theramenes and Aristocrates , who wanted the base of the popular assembly to be broadened. Theramenes, who flexibly adapted to the new conditions and wanted to make himself popular with the people by criticizing the hardliners of the oligarchy, turned away from his party comrades and had Antiphon and Archeptolemus accused of treason and sentenced to death by the popular assembly. They were mainly accused of having enlisted the help of the Spartan armed forces on the journey of the legation to Sparta.

The famous speaker Lysias , who was himself a political radical democrat and is not suspected of having any sympathy for oligarchic politicians, was nevertheless a staunch opponent of Theramenes and criticized his behavior towards Antiphon and Archeptolemus with the following words: “Since he (Theramenes) was now concerned with To show devotion to the people, he accused his best friends, the Antiphon and Archeptolemus, and enforced their death; He went so far in wickedness that at the same time, in order to gain their trust, he brought you (the people of Athens) into bondage and, in order to gain favor with you, prepared his friends to doom. "

swell

• Aristophanes: The Knights (327, 794-796). In: Aristofanes: Works in three volumes, translated by Johann Heinrich Voss. Friedrich Vieweg Verlag, Braunschweig 1821. First volume, p. 150.
• Lysias: Speech XII (“ Against Eratosthenes ”). In: Ferdinand Baur (ed.): The preserved speeches of Lysias . Stuttgart 1856. (Section 67).
• Pseudo-Plutarch: Life of the Ten Speakers . Cape. 1 ("Antiphon", Mor. 833F).
• Thucydides: History of the Peloponnesian War . (VIII, 90.2; 91.1; 92.2)

literature

• Robert Develin: Athenian Officials 684-321 BC. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge u. a. 2003.
• Norbert Geske: Nikias and the people of Athens in the Archidamian War. Franz Steiner Publishing House. Stuttgart 2005. Series: Historia Einzelschriften, Vol. 186.
• Debra Nails: The People of Plato: A Prosopography of Plato and Other Socratics. Hackett Publishing, Indianapolis, Cambridge 2002.
• György Németh: Kritias and the Thirty Tyrants. Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 2006. HABES series, vol. 43.
• Winfried Schmitz: Neighborhood and Village Community in Archaic and Classical Greece. Akademie Verlag, 2003. Series: Klio. Contributions to ancient history. Supplements, New Series, Vol. 7, p. 365.