1
Archinos 234b) mentions Archinos as the candidate
to deliver a funeral speech, perhaps for the vic-
CINZIA BEARZOT
tims of the 404/3 civil war. In 403/2 he pro-
posed the adoption of the Milesian alphabet
Archinos was an Athenian politician and (Theopompos FGrH 115 F 155; Phot. s.v.
orator (late fifth to early fourth century BCE), Samion ho demos); he also proposed a decree
perhaps son of Myronides (Dem. 24.135 men- on prytaneia and epobelia (Aeschin. 1.163).
tions a Myronides, son of Archinos; cf. SEG
28.45), of the deme of Koile. Archinos was part SEE ALSO: Thirty Tyrants, at Athens;
of THERAMENES’ moderate group ([Arist.] Ath. Thrasyboulos, Athenian democrat.
Pol. 34.3); after the latter’s death he joined
Thrasyboulos in the war against the Thirty REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS
Tyrants (Dem. 24.135; Aeschin. 2.176). After
the restoration of democracy he proposed Bertoli, M. (2003) “Archino tra oratoria e politica:
honors for the democrats of Phyle (Aeschin. l’epitafio.” Rendiconti dell’Istituto Lombardo
3.187); he indicted Thrasyboulos, who had 137: 339–66.
proposed a decree granting Athenian citizen- D’Angour, A. J. (1998–9) “Archinus, Eucleides
and the reform of the Athenian alphabet.”
ship to foreigners who had supported the dem-
Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies 43:
ocrats ([Arist.] Ath. Pol. 40.2; Aeschin. 3.195; 109–30.
Plut. Mor. 835f); he promoted the general Ostwald, M. (1986) From popular sovereignty to
AMNESTY ([Arist.] Ath. Pol. 40.2), introducing the sovereignty of law. Berkeley.
or regulating the PARAGRAPHE (Isoc. 18.2), and Strauss, B. S. (1986) Athens after the
shortened the lists of those wishing to move to Peloponnesian War: class, faction and policy,
Eleusis ([Arist.] Ath. Pol. 40.1). PLATO (Menex. 403–386 BC: 89–92, 96–8. London.
The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition. Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine,
and Sabine R. Huebner, print page 638.
© 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah04037
