Epilycos

Epilykos , the son of Tisandros, (* around 470 BC; † around 400 BC) was an Athenian diplomat at the time of Pericles and uncle (brother of the mother) of the famous Attic orator Andokides .

As a diplomat, as his nephew Andokides suggests in his speech on peace with the Lacedaemonians , Epilykos is said to have led an Athenian delegation to the Persian royal court, which was charged with confirming a peace treaty between Athens and Persia. According to analyzes by historians, this embassy would have to be in the early years of the reign of the Persian King Darius II approx. 423 BC. Took place and brought about an affirmation of the so-called "Callias Peace".

The Athens delegation under Epilykos was able to take advantage of the benevolent support of the Greek Herakleides of Klazomenai , who must have held a position at the Persian royal court at that time - perhaps as an interpreter or doctor.

Epilykos later appears to have settled in Sicily and lived there with his family. He died a widower (probably around 400 BC) and, as his nephew Andokides reports, left behind large debts in addition to his two heir daughters. One of the two underage girls was taken in by her cousin Andokides, the other by another relative named Leagros.

While the girl, cared for by Andokides, died of an illness at a young age, her sister, who lived with Leagros, reached marriageable age. At this point, the Athenian millionaire and voluptuary Kallias kept an eye on the young woman and offered Leagros a sum of money if he would let him have it.

Andokides objected to this and tried to bring about a judicial decision. In turn, Callias tried to prevent this by indicting Andokides - as he himself reported in his speech On the Mysteries - for blasphemy (a crime punishable by the death penalty) on his part, stating feigned reasons. Andokides was acquitted of the charges.

It is not known what happened to Epilykos' heir daughter. One may assume, however, that Andokides, a man who never lacked the means, succeeded in saving her from being handed over to Callias and marrying her off in another appropriate way.

swell

• Andokides: On the Mysteries (p. 58-61).
• Andokides: On peace with the Lacedaemonians (p. 103)

literature

• Alec Blamire: Epilycus' Negotiations with Persia . In: Phoenix , Vol. 29/1 (1975), pp. 21-26.