Eurymedon (; ; died 413 BC) was one of the

Athenian Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

generals (

strategoi ''Strategos'' (), also known by its Latinized form ''strategus'', is a Greek term to mean 'military general'. In the Hellenistic world and in the Byzantine Empire, the term was also used to describe a military governor. In the modern Hellenic ...

) during the

Peloponnesian War The Second Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), often called simply the Peloponnesian War (), was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek war fought between Classical Athens, Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Ancien ...

Biography

In 428 BC, he was sent by the Athenians to intercept the Peloponnesian fleet, which was on its way to attack

Corcyra Corfu ( , ) or Kerkyra (, ) is a Greece, Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands; including its Greek islands, small satellite islands, it forms the margin of Greece's northwestern frontier. The island is part of the Corfu (regio ...

. On his arrival, finding that Nicostratus, with a small squadron from

Naupactus Nafpaktos () or Naupactus, is a town and a former Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in Nafpaktia, Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, situated on a bay on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, west of the mouth of the river Mor ...

, had already secured the island on behalf of Athens, he took command of the combined fleet. Owing to the absence of the Peloponnesians, Eurymedon had no chance to distinguish himself. In the following summer, in joint command of the Athenian land forces, he ravaged the district of

Tanagra Tanagra () is a town and a municipality north of Athens in Boeotia, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Schimatari. It is not far from Thebes, and it was noted in antiquity for the figurines named after it. The Tanagra figurines we ...

. In 425 BC, he was appointed, with Sophocles, the son of Sostratides, to the command of an expedition destined for

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

. He stopped at Corcyra on the way, in order to assist the democratic party against the oligarchical exiles. However, Eurymedon took no steps to prevent the massacre of the oligarchical exiles. Afterwards, Eurymedon proceeded to Sicily. Immediately after his arrival in Sicily a pact was proposed by the

Syracusan Syracuse ( ; ; ) is a historic city on the Italian island of Sicily, the capital of the Italian province of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek and Roman history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace a ...

general,

Hermocrates Hermocrates (; , c. 5th century – 407 BC) was an ancient Syracusan general from Greek Sicily during the Athenians' Sicilian Expedition in the midst of the Peloponnesian War. He is also remembered as a character in the '' Timaeus'' and ''Crit ...

, to which Eurymedon and Sophocles were induced to agree. The terms of the pact did not, however, satisfy the Athenians, who blamed its conclusion on

bribery Bribery is the corrupt solicitation, payment, or Offer and acceptance, acceptance of a private favor (a bribe) in exchange for official action. The purpose of a bribe is to influence the actions of the recipient, a person in charge of an official ...

. As a result, two of the chief agents in the negotiations were banished, while Eurymedon was sentenced to pay a heavy fine. In 413 BC Eurymedon, who had been sent with

Demosthenes Demosthenes (; ; ; 384 – 12 October 322 BC) was a Greek statesman and orator in ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide insight into the politics and cu ...

to reinforce the Athenians at the siege of Syracuse, was defeated and slain before reaching land (

Thucydides Thucydides ( ; ; BC) was an Classical Athens, Athenian historian and general. His ''History of the Peloponnesian War'' recounts Peloponnesian War, the fifth-century BC war between Sparta and Athens until the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been d ...

iii., iv., vii.;

Diodorus Siculus Diodorus Siculus or Diodorus of Sicily (; 1st century BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek historian from Sicily. He is known for writing the monumental Universal history (genre), universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty ...

xiii. 8, 11, 13).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eurymedon 413 BC deaths Ancient Athenian generals 5th-century BC Athenians Ancient Greeks killed in battle Year of birth unknown Athenians of the Peloponnesian War