Archedemus

or Archeda'mus (Ἀρχέδημος or Ἀρχέδαμος) 1. A popular leader at Athens, took the first step against the generals who had gained the battle of Arginusae, B. C. 406, by imposing a fine on Erasinides, and calling him to account in a court of justice for some public money which he had received in the Hellespont. (Xen. Hell vii 1 § 2) This seems to be the same Archedemus of whom Xenophon speaks in the Memorabilia (2.9), as originally poor, but of considerable talents both for speaking and public business, and who was employed by Criton to protect him and his friends from the attacks of sycophants. It appears that Archedemus was a foreigner, and obtained the franchise by franchise by fraud, for which he was attacked by Aristophanes (Aristoph. Frogs 419) and by Eupolis in the Baptae. (Schol. ad Aristoph. l.c.) Both Aristophanes (Aristoph. Frogs 588) and Lysias (c. Alcib. p. 536, ed. Reiske) call him blear-eyed (γλάηων).

2. Ὁ Πήληξ, mentioned by Aeschines (c. Cles. p.531, ed. Reiske), should be distinguished from the preceding.

3. An Aetolian (called Archidamus by Livy), who commanded the Aetolian troops which assisted the Romans in their war with Philip. In B. C. 199 he compelled Philip to raise the siege of Thaumaci (Liv. 32.4), and took an active part in the battle of Cynoscephalae, B. C. 197, in which Philip was defeated. (Plb. 18.4.) When the war Broke out between the Romans and the Aetolians, he was sent as ambassador to the Achaeans to solicit their assistance, B. C. 192 (Liv. 35.48); and on the defeat of Antiochus the Great in the following year, he went as ambassador to the consul M'. Acilius Glabrio to sue for peace. (Plb. 20.9.) In B. C. 169 he was denounced to the Romans by Lyciscus as one of their enemies. (Plb. 28.4.) he joined Perseus the same year, and accompanied the Macedonian King in his flight after his defeat in 168. (Liv. 43.23, 24, 44.43.)

4. Of Tarsus, a Stoic philosopher (Strab. xiv. p.674; D. L. 7.40, 68,84, 88), two of whose works, Περὶ Φωνῆς and Περὶ Στοιχείων, are mentioned by Diogenes Laertius. (7.55, 134.) he is probably the same person as the Archedemus, whom Plutarch (de Exsilio, p. 605) calls an Athenian, and who, he states, went into the country of the Parthians and left behind him the Stoic succesion at Iabhylon. Archedemus is also mentioned by Cicero (Acad. Quaest. 2.47), Seneca (Epist. 121), and other ancient writers.