Archagathus

(Ἀρχάγαθος).

1. The son of Agathocles, accompanied his father in his expedition into Africa, B. C. 310. While there he narrowly escaped being put to death in a tumult of the soldiers, occasioned by his having murdered Lyciscus, who reproached hism with committing incest with his step-mother Alcia. When Agathocles was summoned from Africa by the state of affairs in Sicily, he left Archagathus behind in command of the army. He met at first with some success, but was afterwards defeated three times, and obliged to take refuge in Tunis. Agathocles returned to his assistance; but a mutiny of the soldiers soon compelled him to leave Africa again, and Archagathus and his brother were put to death by the troops in revenge, B. C. 307. (Diod. 20.33, 57_61; Just. 22.8.)

2. The son of the preceding, described as a youth of great bravery and daring, murdered Agathocles, the son of Agathocles, that he itight succeed his grandfather. He was himself killed by Maenon. (Diod. xxi. Ecl. 12.)

(Ἀρχάγαθος), a Peloponnesian the son of Lysanias, who settled at Rome as a practitioner of medicine, B. C. 219, and, according to Cassius Hemina (as quoted by Pliny, Plin. Nat. 29.6), was the first person who made it a distinct profession in that city. He was received in the first instance with great respect, the "Jus Quiritium" was given him, and a shop was bought for him at the public expense ; but his practice was observed to be so severe, that he soon excited the dislike of the people at large, and produced a complete disgust to the profession generally. The practice of Archagathus seems to have been almost exclusively surgical, and to have consisted, in a great measure, in the use of the knife and powerful caustic applications. (Bostock, Hist. of Med.) [W.A.G]