Damasithymus (; ; died 480 BC) was the king of Calyndos (), a city in ancient

Caria Caria (; from Greek language, Greek: Καρία, ''Karia''; ) was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid-Ionia (Mycale) south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Carians were described by Herodotus as being Anatolian main ...

. His father was Candaules (). He is mentioned by

Herodotus Herodotus (; BC) was a Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus (now Bodrum, Turkey), under Persian control in the 5th century BC, and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria, Italy. He wrote the '' Histori ...

in the seventh and eighth books of his ''

Histories Histories or, in Latin, Historiae may refer to: * the plural of history * ''Histories'' (Herodotus), by Herodotus * ''The Histories'', by Timaeus * ''The Histories'' (Polybius), by Polybius * ''Histories'' by Gaius Sallustius Crispus (Sallust) ...

'', and by

Polyaenus Polyaenus or Polyenus ( ; see ae (æ) vs. e; , "much-praised") was a 2nd-century Roman Macedonian author and rhetorician, known best for his ''Stratagems in War'' (), which has been preserved. He was born in Bithynia, Asia Minor. The ''Suda'' c ...

in the eighth book of ''Stratagems''. Damasithymus was an ally of

Xerxes I Xerxes I ( – August 465 BC), commonly known as Xerxes the Great, was a List of monarchs of Persia, Persian ruler who served as the fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 486 BC until his assassination in 465 BC. He was ...

at the

Second Persian invasion of Greece The second Persian invasion of Greece (480–479 BC) occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars, as King Xerxes I of Persia sought to conquer all of Greece. The invasion was a direct, if delayed, response to the defeat of the first Persian invasi ...

. He fought at the naval Battles of

Artemisium Artemisium or Artemision ( Greek: Ἀρτεμίσιον) is a cape in northern Euboea, Greece. The hollow cast bronze statue of Zeus or Poseidon, known as the Artemision Bronze, was found off this cape in a sunken ship, as was the Jockey of ...

and Salamis in 480 BC. He participated as commander of the only Calyndian ship in the Persian navy. He was killed during the Battle of Salamis. His ship, together with ships from

Halicarnassus Halicarnassus ( ; Latin: ''Halicarnassus'' or ''Halicarnāsus''; ''Halikarnāssós''; ; Carian language, Carian: 𐊠𐊣𐊫𐊰 𐊴𐊠𐊥𐊵𐊫𐊰 ''alos k̂arnos'') was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek city in Caria, in Anatolia.

, Cos and

Nisyros Nisyros, also spelled Nisiros (; ), is a volcanic Greek island and municipality located in the Aegean Sea. It is part of the Dodecanese group of islands, situated between the islands of Kos and Tilos. Its shape is approximately round, with a ...

, were under the command of Artemisia. Herodotus mentions that Damasithymus was one of the most noted of the men commanding the Persian ships. He was killed at the Battle of Salamis when Artemisia rammed his ship, although they were allies, because it is said that she wanted to escape from an Athenian ship under the command of Ameinias who was pursuing her.Polyaenus: Stratagems- BOOK 8, 53.2
"...sank a ship of the Calyndian allies, which was commanded by Damasithymus." Damasithymus's ship sank and he and all his crew were lost. When Xerxes saw Artemisia sink Damasithymus's ship, he thought that she had sunk a Greek ship and, according to Herodotus, he said: "My men have become women, and my women men." But, according to Polyaenus, he said: "O Zeus, surely you have formed women out of man's materials, and men out of woman's." According to Herodotus, Artemisia had previously had a disagreement with Damasithymus while they were in the

Hellespont The Dardanelles ( ; ; ), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli (after the Gallipoli peninsula) and in classical antiquity as the Hellespont ( ; ), is a narrow, natural strait and internationally significant waterway in northwestern Turkey t ...

. "Now, even though it be true that she had had some strife with him before, while they were still about the Hellespont, yet I am not able to say whether she did this by intention, or whether the Calyndian ship happened by chance to fall in her way."Herodotus Book 8.87
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References

{{reflist People of the Greco-Persian Wars Battle of Artemisium Battle of Salamis Carian people Military leaders of the Achaemenid Empire Vassals of the Achaemenid Empire Monarchs killed in action Middle Eastern kings 480 BC deaths

See also

References