Nicagoras

(Νικαγόρας), historical.

1. A Messenian, connected by the ties of hospitality with Archidamus, king of Sparta. When Archidamus fled into Messenia, Nicagoras provided him with a dwelling and all necessaries; and when Cleomenes held out hopes to Archidamus of his restoration, Nicagoras conducted the negotiations, and in the end accompanied him back to Sparta. Archidamus was put to death by Cleomenes, but Nicagoras was spared. Having subsequently met Cleomenes at Alexandria, when compelled to fly to the court of his friend Ptolemy Euergetes [Cleomenes, Vol. I. p. 795], Nicagoras endeavoured to avenge the death of Archidamus by inducing Sosibius to charge Cleomenes with conspiring against the king's life. Cleonenes was placed in confinement, but afterwards escaped. (Plb. 5.37, &c.; Plut. Agis et Cleom. p. 821b.)

2. A Rhodian, who, with Agesilochus and Nicander, was twice sent on an embassy to the Romans, in B. C. 169, to Rome, and in B. C. 168, to the consul Aemilius Paullus in Macedonia. See Agesilochus, Vol. I. p. 70. (Plb. 28.2. 14.) [C.P.M]

literary. An Athenian sophist, the son of the rhetorician Mnesaeus, who lived in the time of the emperor Philippus. He wrote an account of the lives of various illustrious men (Βίοι ἐλλογίμων), of Cleopatra of the Troad, and a speech composed on the occasion of an embassy to the emperor. He had a son named Minucianus. The writings of Minucianus [see above, p. 1092a] are sometimes erroneously attributed to his son Nicagoras. (Suidas, s. vv. Μινονκιανός, Νικαψόρας Philostr. Vit. Soph. II. Aspas. extr.) [C.P.M]