Charminus

(Χαρμῖνος), an Athenian general, who is first mentioned by Thucydides as coming to Samos in B. C. 412. Samos was at this time the head-quarters of the Athenian fleet, and the force there amounted to upwards of 100 ships, of which 30 were detached to besiege Chios, while the rest (and with them Charminus) remained to watch the Spartan fleet under the high-admiral Astyochus at Miletus. He was detached a very short time afterwards with twenty vessels to the coast of Lycia, to look out for the Spartan fleet conveying the deputies who were to examine the complaints made against Astyochus. On this service he fell in with Astyochus, who was himself on the look-out to convoy his countrymen. Charminus was defeated, and lost six ships, but escaped with the rest to Halicarnassus. We afterwards find him assisting the oligarchical party at Samos in the ineffectual attempt at a revolution. (Thuc. 8.30, 41, 42, 73; Aristoph. Thes. 804.) [A.H.C]

a Lacedaemonian, was sent by Thibron, the Spartan harmost in Asia, to the Cyrean Greeks, then at Selymbria and in the service of Seuthes, to induce them to enter the Lacedemonian service against Persia, B. C. 399. (Xen. Anab. 7.6.1, &c., Hell. 3.1.6; Diod. 14.37.) On this occasion he defended Xenophon from the imputation thrown out against him by some of the Cyreans, of treacherous collusion with Seuthes to defraud them of their pay, and he also aided them in obtaining what was due to them from the Thracian prince. A great portion of this consisted in cattle and slaves, and the sale of these and the distribution of the proceeds was undertaken, at Xenophon's request, by Charminus and his colleague, Polynicus, who incurred much odium in the management of the transaction. (Xen. Anab. 7.6.39, 7. §§ 13-19, 56.) [E.E]