Diodotus (son of Eucrates)

Diodotus, son of Eucrates[1] was an opponent to the proposal of Cleon - leader of the aggressive faction in Athens - in 427 BC to kill all adult Mytilenean males and to enslave their women and children after the defeat of Mytilene [2] (see also Mytilenean revolt). He represented the moderate faction in Athens (in favour of Pericles' policy)[3].

Diodotus' proposal won in the assembly[4], so that in the end only Cleon's next proposal was executed: to punish by death those Mytileneans who were sent by Paches to Athens[5] (which were a little over a thousand; this was probably about 10% of the adult male population of the rebelling cities on Lesbos[6]). The execution took place without proper trial[7].

Diodotus' one speech in Thucydides is all we know of him.

References

Notable Quotes:

"The good citizen ought to triumph not by frightening his opponents but by beating them fairly in argument" (Strassler 180/book 3, 3.42.5).[8]

"All, states and individuals, are alike prone to err, and there is no law that will prevent them; or why should men have exhausted the list of punishments in search of enactments to protect them from evildoers?" (Strassler 181/book 3, 3.45.3).[8]

References

  1. ^ Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War/Book 3, 41. (2007, April 11). In Wikisource, The Free Library. Retrieved 10:37, August 19, 2007, from wikisource
  2. ^ Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War/Book 3, 36. (2007, April 11). In Wikisource, The Free Library. Retrieved 10:37, August 19, 2007, from wikisource
  3. ^ Donald Kagan, The Peloponnesian War: Athens and Sparta in Savage Conflict 431-404 BC, HarperCollinsPublishers, 2003 (First published in the USA by Penguin Putnam 2003), page 109.
  4. ^ Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War/Book 3, 49. (2007, April 11). In Wikisource, The Free Library. Retrieved 10:37, August 19, 2007, from wikisource
  5. ^ Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War/Book 3, 50. (2007, April 11). In Wikisource, The Free Library. Retrieved 10:37, August 19, 2007, from wikisource
  6. ^ Donald Kagan, The Peloponnesian War: Athens and Sparta in Savage Conflict 431-404 BC, HarperCollinsPublishers, 2003 (First published in the USA by Penguin Putnam 2003), page 111.
  7. ^ Donald Kagan, The Peloponnesian War: Athens and Sparta in Savage Conflict 431-404 BC, HarperCollinsPublishers, 2003 (First published in the USA by Penguin Putnam 2003), page 111.

8. Robert B. Strassler, The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War, Free Press, 1996, page 180 & 181.

References

Bibliography

[8] "The Landmark Thucydides": Thucydides, "The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War", edited by Robert B. Strassler, Free Press, 1996, pages 180 & 181.