Theogenes (politician)

Theogenes was an Athenian politician in the 4th century BC. BC, which is only known from a speech ("Against Neaira") of Apollodorus . This was ascribed to Demosthenes as his 59th speech.

In the manuscripts of this text it is stated in section 72 that Theogenes came from the Demos Kothokidai . However, since he came from Erchia according to section 84, it is assumed that it is a typographical error and that the first passage denotes his family. For example, he could come from the families of the Koironiden or the Kodroniden (the latter were the descendants of Kodros ).

Around (probably shortly before) 340 BC Theogenes was elected Archon basileus by lot . According to the pseudo-Demosthenes , he was of noble descent, but poor and inexperienced. The rich Athenian Stephanos therefore helped him with his docimasy (examination of aptitude for the office) and supported him financially and had himself appointed as his deputy ( páredros ). Eventually Theogenes married his daughter Phano , who now also had to perform various public duties as Basilinna .

During his tenure, Theogenes got caught in a scandal that was initiated by opponents of his father-in-law Stephanos, Apollodoros and Theomnestes . They brought their charges before the Areopagus , and Theogenes was also summoned. Plaintiffs alleged that Phano was in fact not Stephanos' legitimate daughter, but that of his illegitimate wife, Neaira . According to current law, she was theoretically not allowed to marry Stephanos because she was not an Athenian citizen and was also active as a hetaerae . According to Athenian law, Basilinna's marriage to the Archon basileus also had to be her first marriage, which was also not the case with Phano. In particular, it was seen as a scandal that the daughter of a non-Athenian hetaera had taken part in important ritual acts. At Anthesteria , for example, she had celebrated a ritual “holy wedding” with the god Dionysus and, in contrast to the normal Athenian woman, had become a public figure.

The accused Theogenes now promised to dismiss Stephanos as his páredros and to part with Phano on the spot. He had been betrayed by Stephanos, who passed this off as his legitimate and legitimate daughter. This enabled him to convince the Areopagus of his innocence and to avoid a more severe punishment. However, it can be assumed that, contrary to the assertion of the partisan Apollodorus, the prosecutors were unable to provide any evidence, in particular for the descent of Phanos, since otherwise Theophanes would have had to reckon with a more severe sentence.

What happened to Theogenes after the events of Stephanos is unknown. Since he apparently was able to maintain his respectability and exercise the activity as Archon basileus until the end of his term of office, he was then probably accepted into the Areopagus like all former archons . In addition to the mention of his name in Pseudo-Demosthenes, his name is only found on a (biographically, however, little meaningful) judges' tablet from the 4th century BC. Occupied.

swell

• Pseudo-Demosthenes , Against Neaira 72; 79-84.

literature

• Johannes Kirchner : Prosopographia Attica . Vol. 1, Reimer, Berlin 1901, No. 6707.
• Karl Fiehn : Theogenes 4. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen antiquity (RE). Volume VA, 2, Stuttgart 1934, column 1970.
• Josiah Ober: Athenian Legacies. Essays on the Politics of Going on Together. Princeton University Press, Princeton 2005, ISBN 978-0-691-12095-9 , pp. 12 ff. ( Online ).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Pseudo-Demosthenes , Against Neaira 72.
2. ↑ Victor Bers ( transl .): Demosthenes, Speeches 50-59 ( The oratory of classical greece ). University of Texas Press, Austin 2003, ISBN 0-292-70921-8 , p. 176, note 102.
3. ^ Karl Fiehn : Theogenes 4th In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswwissenschaft (RE). Volume VA, 2, Stuttgart 1934, column 1970.
4. ↑ Pseudo-Demosthenes, Against Neaira 79–81.
5. ↑ Konstantinos A. Kapparis: Introduction. In the S. (Ed.): Apollodoros “Against Neaira” [D 59] (= studies on ancient literature and history. Vol. 53) Walter de Gruyter, Berlin 1999, ISBN 3-11-016390-X , p. 38 ( online ) .
6. ^ Pseudo-Demosthenes, Against Neaira 82.
7. ^ Pseudo-Demosthenes, Against Neaira 83.
8. ↑ Konstantinos A. Kapparis: Introduction. In the S. (Ed.): Apollodoros “Against Neaira” [D 59] (= studies on ancient literature and history. Vol. 53) Walter de Gruyter, Berlin 1999, ISBN 3-11-016390-X , p. 38 f. ( online ).
9. ^ Corpus Inscriptionum Atticarum II, No. 926.