Anytus

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Anytus can refer to:

• One of the prosecutors of Socrates. The most vehement accuser of Socrates; legend (perhaps unreliable) has it that he was banished from Athens, after the public felt guilty about having Socrates executed. We know that he was one of the leading supporters of the democratic forces in Athens (as opposed the oligarchic forces, who had supported the Thirty Tyrants). Plato also depicts Anytus as an interlocutor in his dialogue the Meno.

Anytus was a powerful, middle-class politician in ancient Athens. However, before Anytus was a politician in Athens, he served as a general in the Peloponnesian war. Anytus lost Pylos to the Spartans during the Peloponnesian war, and thus, he was charged with treason. He was later accquitted by bribing the jury (this is how it is told in several accounts). Anytus curried favor with the Athenians after this by playing a major role in overthrowing the Thirty Tyrants. Even though Anytus lost much money and provisions during this eight month battle, he made no attempts to regain it back; this also helped his reputaion with the Athenians. In 403 BCE, Anytus supported the Amnesty of Eucleides, which stated that no one who committed a crime before or during the Thirty Tyrants could be prosecuted against. Anytus' motivation in prosecuting Socrates was for 2 reasons. One was that Socrates constantly critisized the government in which Anytus was a leader of. Anytus was concerned that the government remained as it was (a democracy) and not ruled by a philosopher. The second reason is that Anytus' son was taught by Socrates, who later became a drunk; Anytus interpreted this as his son having had his mind poisoned as a result of Socrates' teachings. It is unknown whether Anytus' son had a sexual relationship with Socrates.

• One of the Titans in Greek mythology