Democrates

[Damocrates.]

(Δημοκράτης).

1. Of Aphidna, an Attic orator of the time of Demosthenes, who belonged to the anti-Macedonian party. He was a son of Sophilus, and was sent with other ambassadors to Philip to receive his oath to the treaty with Athens. He was also one of the ambassadors who accompanied Demosthenes to the Thebans, to conclude a treaty with them against Philip. As an orator he seems to have been a man of second rate. (Demosth. de Coron. pp. 235, 291.) A fragment of one of his orations is preserved in Aristotle. (Rhet. iii 4.3.)

2. A Pythagorean philosopher, concerning whom absolutely nothing is known. Works Moral Maxims (γνῶμαι χρυσαῖ)

A collection of moral maxims, called the golden sentences (γνῶμαι χρυσαῖ) has come down to us under his name, and are distinguished for their soundness and simplicity. They are written in the Ionic dialect, from which some writers have inferred, that they were written at a very early period, whereas others think it more probable that they are the production of the age of J. Caesar. But nothing can be said with certainty, for want of both external and internal evidence. Some of these sentences are quoted by Stobaeus, and are found in some MSS. under the name of Democritus, which however seems to be a mere mistake, arising from the resemblance of the two names. Editions

They are collected and printed in the several editions of the sentences of Demophilus. [Demophilus.]

3. An Epicurean philosopher, who according to Plutarch (c. Epicur. p. 1100) was charged by Epicurus with having copied from his works. He may possibly be the same as the Democrates who according to the same Plutarch (Polit. Praecept. p. 803) lived at Athens about B. C. 340.

4. Of Tenedos, a distinguished wrestler, of whom there was a statue at Olympia. (Paus. 6.17.1.) He is probably the same as the one of whom an anecdote is related by Aelian. (V. H. 4.15.) [L.S]

(Δημοκράτης). A Pythagorean philosopher of whose life nothing is known, but who is remembered as the author of the so-called “Golden Maxims” (γνῶμαι χρυσαῖ), a number of moral sayings in the Ionic dialect. They are printed in Orelli's Opusc. Graec. Vet. Sentent. (Leipzig, 1819).

• Olympic victor: Paus. 6.17.1