Andocides
(Greek: Ἀνδοκίδης, Andokides; c. 440 – c. 390 BC) was a logographer
(speech writer) in Ancient Greece. He was one of the ten Attic orators
included in the "Alexandrian Canon" compiled by Aristophanes of
Byzantium and Aristarchus of Samothrace in the third century BC.
Andocides
was the son of Leogoras, and was born in Athens around 440 BC. He
belonged to the ancient Eupatrid family of the Kerykes, who traced their
lineage up to Odysseus and the god Hermes.
In his youth, he seems to have been employed on various occasions as
ambassador to Thessaly, Macedonia, Molossia, Thesprotia, Italy and
Sicily. And although he was frequently attacked for his political
opinions,] he maintained his ground until, in 415 BC, when he became
involved in the charge brought against Alcibiades for having profaned
the mysteries and mutilated the Herms on the eve of the departure of the
Athenian expedition against Sicily. It appeared particularly likely
that Andocides was an accomplice in the latter of these crimes, which
was believed to be a preliminary step towards overthrowing the
democratic constitution, since the Herm standing close to his house in
the phyle Aegeis was among the very few which had not been injured.
Andocides was accordingly seized and thrown into prison, but after some
time recovered his freedom by a promise that he would turn informer and
reveal the names of the real perpetrators of the crime; and on the
suggestion of one Charmides or Timaeus, he mentioned four, all of whom
were put to death. He is said to have also denounced his own father on
the charge of profaning the mysteries, but to have rescued him again in
the hour of danger - a charge he strenuously denied. But as Andocides
was unable to clear himself from the charge, he was deprived of his
rights as a citizen, and left Athens.
He now traveled about in various parts of Greece, and was chiefly
engaged in commercial enterprise and in forming connections with
powerful people. The means he employed to gain the friendship of
powerful men were sometimes of the most disreputable kind; among which a
service he rendered to a prince in Cyprus is mentioned in particular.
In 411 BC, Andocides returned to Athens on the establishment of the
oligarchic government of the Four Hundred, hoping that a certain service
he had rendered the Athenian ships at Samos would secure him a welcome
reception. But no sooner were the oligarchs informed of the return of
Andocides, than their leader Peisander had him seized, and accused him
of having supported the party opposed to them at Samos. During his
trial, Andocides, who perceived the exasperation prevailing against him,
leaped to the altar which stood in the court, and there assumed the
attitude of a supplicant. This saved his life, but he was imprisoned.
Soon afterwards, however, he was set free, or escaped from prison.
Andocides now went to Cyprus, where for a time he enjoyed the friendship
of Evagoras; but, by some circumstance or other, he exasperated his
friend, and was consigned to prison. Here again he escaped, and after
the restoration of democracy in Athens and the abolition of the Four
Hundred, he ventured once more to return to Athens; but as he was still
suffering under a sentence of civil disenfranchisement, he endeavored by
means of bribes to persuade the prytaneis to allow him to attend the
assembly of the people. The latter, however, expelled him from the city.
It was on this occasion, 411 BC, that Andocides delivered the speech
still extant "On his return", on which he petitioned for permission to
reside at Athens, but in vain. In his third exile, Andocides went to
reside in Elis, and during the time of his absence from his native city,
his house there was occupied by Cleophon, the leading demagogue.
Andocides remained in exile until after the overthrow of the tyranny of
the Thirty by Thrasybulus, when the general amnesty then proclaimed made
him hope that its benefit would be extended to him also. He himself
says that he returned to Athens from Cyprus, where he claimed to have
great influence and considerable property. Because of the general
amnesty, he was allowed to remain at Athens, enjoyed peace for the next
three years, and soon recovered an influential position. According to
Lysias, it was scarcely ten days after his return that he brought an
accusation against Archippus or Aristippus, which, however, he dropped
on receiving a sum of money. During this period Andocides became a
member of the boule, in which he appears to have possessed a great
influence, as well as in the popular assembly. He was gymnasiarch at the
Hephaestaea, was sent as architheorus to the Isthmian Games and Olympic
games, and was even entrusted with the office of keeper of the sacred
treasury.
But in 400 BC, Callias, supported by Cephisius, Agyrrhius, Meletus, and
Epichares, urged the necessity of preventing Andocides from attending
the assembly, as he had never been formally freed from the civil
disenfranchisement. Callias also charged him with violating the laws
respecting the temple at Eleusis. The orator pleaded his case in the
oration still extant "on the Mysteries" (περὶ τῶν μυστηρίων), in which
he argued that he had not been involved in the profanation of the
mysteries or the mutilation of the herms, that he had not violated the
laws of the temple at Eleusis, that anyway he had received his
citizenship back as a result of the amnesty, and that Callias was really
motivated by a private dispute with Andocides over inheritance. He was
acquitted. After this, he again enjoyed peace until 394 BC, he was sent
as ambassador to Sparta respecting the peace to be concluded in
consequence of Conon's victory off Cnidus. On his return he was accused
of illegal conduct during his embassy. The speech "On the peace with the
Lacedaemons" (περὶ τῆς πρὸς Λακεδαιμονίους εἰρήνης), which is still
extant, refers to this affair. It was delivered in 393 BC (though some
scholars place it in 391 BC). Andocides was found guilty, and sent into
exile for the fourth time. He never returned afterwards, and seems to
have died soon after this blow.
Andocides appears to have fathered no children, since he is described at
the age of 70 as being childless, although the scholiast on
Aristophanes mentions Antiphon as a son of Andocides. The large fortune
which he had inherited from his father, or acquired in his commercial
undertakings, was greatly diminished in the latter years of his life.
As
an orator Andocides does not appear to have been held in very high
esteem by the ancients, as he is seldom mentioned, though Valerius Theon
is said to have written a commentary on his orations. We do not hear of
his having been trained in any of the sophistical schools of the time,
and he had probably developed his talents in the practical school of the
popular assembly. Hence his orations have no mannerism in them, and are
really, as Plutarch says, simple and free from all rhetorical pomp and
ornament.
Sometimes, however, his style is diffuse, and becomes tedious and
obscure. The best among his orations is that on the Mysteries; but, for
the history of the time, all are of the highest importance.
Besides the three orations already mentioned, which are undoubtedly
genuine, there is a fourth against Alcibiades (κατὰ Ἀλκιβιάδου), said to
have been delivered by Andocides during the ostracism of 415 BC; but it
is probably spurious, though it appears to contain genuine historical
matter. Some scholars ascribed it to Phaeax, who took part in the
ostracism, according to Plutarch. But it is more likely that it is a
rhetorical exercise from the early fourth century BC, since formal
speeches were not delivered during ostracisms and the accusation or
defense of Alcibiades was a standing rhetorical theme. Besides these
four orations we possess only a few fragments and some very vague
allusions to other orations.