Lampon

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Lampon (Greek Λάμπων) from Athens was a Greek fortune teller and oracle who lived at the time of Pericles (around 490 - 429 BC).

The comedy writers Kratinos and Lysippos mocked him in comedies, as did Kallias . Even Aristophanes alludes to him and to his well-known reputation and mocked him because he "swear by the Goose" by Wahrsagerart (and not by the gods).

Lampon was evidently close to the circle around the democratic politician Perikles and possibly belonged to his advisory staff. The writer and biographer Plutarch tells how one day Pericles, a deformed one-horned ram's head, was brought from his estate. For Lampon this was an opportunity to prophesy Pericles' rise to political rule in Athens and the triumph over his oligarchic rival Thucydides (not to be confused with the historian of the same name). When Lampon saw the firm and strong horn growing in the middle of his forehead, he declared this as a sign that all power, now divided between the two ruling parties in the state, that of Thucydides and that of Pericles, was left to him alone fall at which this miracle occurred.

In 444, Lampon led - as the historian Diodorus reports - together with Xenokritus of Athens the settlement society that founded the Athenian colony Thurioi on the site of the old Sybaris in southern Italy .

The name Lampon is also found among those who signed the peace treaty between the Athenians and the Spartans , the so-called " Peace of Nicias " in 421 BC. Summoned BC. Whether this is the fortune teller Lampon or another person cannot be determined with certainty.

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Athenaios , Banquet of the Scholars 344e (8.33).
  2. ↑ Aristophanes, The Birds 521, 988.
  3. ↑ Plutarch, Pericles 6.
  4. ↑ Diodorus 12,10,4.
  5. ↑ Thucydides 5,19,2; 5.24.1.
personal data
SURNAME Lampon
BRIEF DESCRIPTION fortune teller
DATE OF BIRTH 5th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 5th century BC BC or 4th century BC Chr.