Leonidas
- A king of Sparta, who fell at Thermopylae, Cic. Fin. 2, 30, 97; 2, 19, 62; id. Tusc. 1, 42, 101; 1, 49, 116; Nep. Them. 3.—
- II The name of a slave, Plaut. As. 1, 1, 43 (58) al.; v. also Leonides.
(Λεωνίδας), king of Sparta, 17th of the Agids, was one of the sons of Anaxandrides by his first wife, and, according to some accounts, was twin-brother to Cleombrotus (Hdt. 5.39-41; Paus. 3.3). He succeeded on the throne his half-brother Cleomenes I., about B. C. 491,his elder brother Dorieus also having previously died [Dorieus]. When Greece was invaded by Xerxes, the Greek congress, which was held at the Isthmus of Corinth, determined that a stand should be made against the enemy at the pass of Thermopylae, and Leonidas had the command of the force destined for this service. The number of his army is varionsly stated: according to Herodotus, it amounted to somewhat more than 5000 men, of whom 300 were Spartans; in all probability, the regular band of (so called) ἱππεῖς selected by the Hippagretae, τοὺς κατεστεῶτας τριηκοσίους, as Herodotus calls them (comp. Müller, Dor. book 3.12.5). The remainder of the Lacedaemonian force was to follow after the celebration of the festival of the Carneia. Plutarch affirms that funeral games were celebrated in honour of Leonidas and his comrades, before their departure from Sparta; according also to him and Diodorus, it was said at the same time by the self-devoting hero, that the men he took with him were indeed few to fight, but enough to die; and, when his wife, Gorgo, asked him what his last wishes were, he answered, " Marry a brave husband and bear brave sons." All this, however, has very much the air of a late and rhetorical addition to the story; nor is it certain that Leonidas and his band looked forward to their own death as the inevitable result of their expedition, though Herodotus tells us that he selected for it such only as had sons to leave behind them, and mentions an oracle besides, which declared that Sparta could not be saved from ruin but by the death of her king. When the Greek army was assembled at Thermopylae, there was a prevalent desire on the part of the Peloponnesians to fall back on the Isthmus, and make their stand against the Persians there; and it was mainly through the influence of Leonidas that the scheme, selfish at once and impolitic, was abandoned. The sayings ascribed to him before the battle by Plutarch are well-known and characteristic enough of a Spartan, but are probably the rhetorical inventions of a later age. When it was known that the treachery of the Malian Epbialtes had betrayed the mountain path of the Anopaea to the Persians, after their vain attempts to force their way through the pass of Thermopylae, Leonidas, declaring that he and the Spartans under his command must needs remain in the post they had been sent to guard, dismissed all the other Greeks, except the Thespian and Theban forces. Then, before the body of Persians, who were crossing the mountain under Hydarnes, could arrive to attack him in the rear, he advanced from the narrow pass and charged the myriads of the enemy with his handful of troops, hopeless now of preserving their lives, and anxious only to sell them dearly. In the desperate battle which ensued, Leonidas himself fell soon. His body was rescued by the Greeks, after a violent struggle. On the hillock in the pass, where the remnant of the Greeks made their last stand, a lion of stone (so Herodotus tells us) was set up in his honour; and Pausanias says that his bones were brought to Sparta forty years after, by one named Pausanias; but if he was the same who commanded at the battle of Plataea, " forty" must be an erroneous reading for " four" (see Larcher, ad Herod. 7.225). The later story of Leonidas and his followers perishing in a night-attack on the Persian camp is unworthy of credit. (Hdt. 7.175, 202_225; Paus. 3.4, 14, 7.15; Diod. 11.4_11; Plut. de Herod. Mal. 32, Apoph. Lac.; Strab. i. p.10, ix. p. 429; Ael. VH 3.25; Just. 2.11; C. Nep. Them. 3; V. Max. 3.2, Ext. 3; Cic. de Fin. 2.19, 30, Tusc. Disp. 1.42, 49; Simon. xv. Anthol. Graec. vol. i. p. 61, ed. Jacobs.) In the reign of Leonidas we arrive at an exact chronology (says Clinton, F. H. vol. ii. p. 209), which we have gradually approached in the two preceding reigns of Anaxandrides and Cleomenes I. [E.E]
(Λεωνίδας), king of Sparta, was son of the traitor, Cleonymus, and 28th of the Agids. He acted as guardian to his infant relative, Areus II., on whose death, at the age of eight years, he ascended the throne, about B. C. 256, being by this time considerably advanced in life. A great part of his earlier years he had spent in the courts of Seleucus Nicator and his satraps, and had even married an Asiatic wife, by whom he had two children. From this it is reasonable to suppose that he reversed the policy of his predecessors, who had cultivated a connection with Egypt: and it is at least an ingenious conjecture of Droysen's, that the adventurer, Xanthippus, who entered at this period into the Carthaginian service, and whom he identifies with the general of Ptolemy Euergetes in his war with Seleucus Callinicus, may have been one of those who, as favourers of the Egyptian alliance, were driven from Sparta by the party of Leonidas. (Droysen, Hellenismus, vol. ii. pp. 296, 347; comp. Arnold's Rome, vol. ii. p. 589.) The habits which Leonidas had contracted abroad, very different from the old Spartan simplicity, caused him to regard with strong dislike the projected reforms of Agis IV., and he laboured at first to counteract them by secret intrigues and by the slanderous insinuation that the object of Agis was to bribe the poor with the property of the rich, and thus to make himself tyrant of Sparta. When the measure of his colleague was actually brought forward, Leonidas opposed it with arguments ludicrously weak, but succeeded, nevertheless, in obtaining its rejection in the senate by a majority of one. It thus became necessary for the reformers to get rid of him, and accordingly the ephor Lysander revived an old law, which forbade a Heracleid to marry a foreigner, and affixed the penalty of death to a sojourn in a foreign land. There was also an ancient custom at Sparta, of which he took advantage to excite the stronger prejudice against Leonidas. Every ninth year the ephors sat in silence to observe the heavens on a clear and moonless night; and if a star was seen to shoot in a particular direction, it was interpreted as a sign of some offence against the gods on the part of the kings, who were therefore to be suspended from their office till an oracle from Delphi or Olympia should declare in their favour. Lysander professed to have seen the sign, and referred it to the displeasure of heaven at the illegal conduct of Leonidas. He also accused him, according to Pausanias, of having bound himself by an oath, while yet a boy, to his father Cleonymus, to work the downfall of Sparta. Leonidas, not venturing to abide his trial, took refuge in the temple of Athena Chalcioecus, where his daughter Cheilonis joined him. Sentence of deposition having been passed against him in his absence, the throne was transferred to his son-in-law, Cleombrotus; and the ephors of the succeeding year having failed in their attempt to crush Lysander and his colleague, Mandrocleidas, by a prosecution [see Vol. I. p.73], Leonidas went into exile to Tegea. * It is erroneously stated, in Vol. I. p. 6.91, that his daughter Cheilonis accompanied him thither. See Plut. Agis 17. When the misconduct of Agesilaus, the uncle of Agis, had led, not long after, to his restoration (B. C. 240), he listened to the entreaties of Cheilonis, and spared the life of her husband, Cleombrotus, contenting himself with his banishment; but he caused Agis to be put to death, though he owed his own life to the protection he had afforded him in his flight to Tegea. Archidamus, the brother of Agis, fled from Sparta: Agiatis, his widow, was forced by Leonidas into a marriage with his son, Cleomenes; and it seems doubtful whether the child Eurydamidas, her son by Agis, was allowed to bear the name of king. At any rate the whole of the royal power (such as it was, in a selfish oligarchy, of which he was the tool) remained with Leonidas; and Plutarch tells us that he utterly neglected public affairs, caring for nothing but a life of ease and luxury. He died about B. C. 236, and was succeeded by his son, Cleomenes III. (Plut. Agis, 3, 7, 10-12, 16-21, Cleom. 1-3; Paus. 3.6; Clinton, F. H. vol. ii. p. 217; Droysen, Hellenismus, vol. ii. pp. 295, 296, 384, &c., 445.) [E.E]
or Leo'nides (Λεωνίδας, Λεωνίδης), historical.
1. A general of the Byzantines, who, when the citizens, during a siege of their town, flocked to the taverns instead of manning the walls, established a number of wine-shops on the ramparts themselves, and so kept his men, with some difficulty, at their posts (Ael. VH 3.14 ; Athen. 10.442c.). He may have been the same Leonides whom Athenaeus mentions as a writer on fishing (Athen. 1.13c.).
2. A noble youth, a citizen of Heracleia on the Pontus, was one of those who put to death the tyrant Clearchus, B. C. 353. He is also called Leon. [Leo, No. 1, p. 741b.]
3. A kinsman of Olympias, the mother of Alexander the Great, was entrusted with the main superintendence of Alexander's education in his earlier years, apparently before he became the pupil of Aristotle. Leonidas was a man of austere character, and trained the young prince in hardy and self-denying habits. Thus, he would even examine the chests which contained his pupil's bedding and clothes, to see whether Olympias had placed any thing there that might minister to luxury. There were two excellent cooks (said Alexander afterwards) with which Leonidas had furnished him,--a night's march to season his breakfast, and a scanty breakfast to season his dinner. On one occasion, when Alexander at a sacrifice was throwing large quantities of incense on the fire, "be more sparing of it," said Leonidas, " till you have conquered the country where it grows." Alexander sent him afterwards from Asia 600 talents' weight of incense and myrrh, "that he might no longer be penurious" (so ran the message) "in his offerings to the gods." (Plat. Alex. 22, 25, Reg. et Imp. Apoph. Alex. 4, 9.) It may be questioned whether the rough discipline of Leonidas was not carried further than was altogether beneficial to Alexander's character (see Plut. Alex. 7; Thirlwall's Greece, vol. vi. p. 90, note 3).
4. A general of Antigonus, who, in B. C. 320, repressed by a skilful stratagem the revolt of 3000 Macedonians in Lycaonia (Polyaen. 4.6). It is possible that he may have left the service of Antigonus for that of Ptolemy, in which case he may be identified with the one immediately below.
5. A general of Ptolemy Soter, who sent him in B. C. 310 to dislodge from the maritime towns of Cilicia the garrisons of Antigonus, which, it was alleged, the treaty of the preceding year required him to withdraw. Leonidas was successful at first, but Demetrius Poliorcetes, arriving soon after, defeated him and regained the towns (Diod. 20.19). Suidas tells us (s. v. Δημήτριος ʽο Ἀντιγόνου) that Ptolemy, after having restored freedom to the Greek cities, left Leonidas in Greece as governor. He may perhaps be referring to Ptolemy's expedition to Greece in B. C. 308, with the professed object of vindicating the liberty of the several states there (see Diod. 20.37; Plut. Dem. 15), and the name Leonidas may be intended for Cleonidas. But the whole statement in Suidas is singularly confused. [E.E]
or Leo'nides, literary.
1. Of Tarentum, the author of upwards of a hundred epigrams in the Doric dialect.
All that we know of the poet's date is collected from his epigrams, and the indications are not very certain. He seems, however, to have lived in the time of Pyrrhus (Jacobs, l.c.). From one of the epigrams ascribed to him (No. 100, Br. and Jac., No. 98, Meineke), and which may either have been written after his death, or by himself for his own epitaph, we learn that he was born at Tarentum, and after many wanderings during which the Muses were his chief solace, he died and was buried at a distance from his native land. Works Epigrams
Leonidas' epigrams formed a part of the Garland of Meleager. In Brunck's Analecta, some of the epigrams ascribed to Leonidas of Tarentum belong properly to Leonidas of Alexandria; and on the other hand, some, which are found in other parts of the Anthology, should be restored to Leonidas of Tarentum. Jacobs (Anth. Graec. vol. xiii. pp. 909, 910) points out the necessary corrections. Editions
Meineke (Delect. Poet. Anth. Graec. pp. 24-52) has re-edited and re-arranged the epigrams of this writer, the number of which he makes 108. Assessment
The epigrams are chiefly inscriptions for dedicatory offerings and works of art, and, though not of a very high order of poetry, are usually pleasing, ingenious, and in good taste. Bernhardy not unhappily characterises them as being "in a sharp lapidary style" (Grundriss. d. Griech. Litt. vol. ii. p. 1055).
2. Of Alexandria, was born, as he informs us (Ep. 8), on the banks of the Nile, whence he went to Rome (Ep. 27), and there taught grammar for a long time without attracting any notice, but ultimately he became very popular, and obtained the patronage of the imperial family. Leonidas' epigrams show that he flourished under Nero, and probably down to the reign of Vespasian. Works Epigrams
In the Greek Anthology, forty-three epigrams are ascribed to him, but some of these belong to Leonidas of Tarentum. Assessment
The epigrams of Leonidas of Alexandria are of a very low order of merit. Several of them are distinguished by the petty conceit of having an equal number of letters in each distich; these are called ἰσόψηφα ἐπιγράμματα. Further Information
Jacobs, Anth. Graec. vol. xiii. pp. 908-909; Meineke, Prolusio ad utriusque Leonidae Carmina, Lips. 1791; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. iv. pp. 479-480.
3. Of Byzantium, the son of Metrodorus, who wrote a work, Ἁλιευτικά (Ath. i. p. 13c.) which is often quoted by Aelian (Ael. NA 2.6, 50, 3.18, 12.42).
4. A Stoic philosopher of Rhodes (Strab. xiv. p.655), and perhaps the same as the author of a work on Italy, which is quoted by Tzetzes (Schol. ad Lycophr. 756).
5. The tutor of Cicero's son Marcus, at Athens. (Cic. ad Div. 16.21, ad Att. 14.16.) [P.S]
a patronus causarum in the tribunal of the praefectus praetorio at Constantinople. He was one of the 16 commissioners appointed to compile the Digest under the presidency of Tribonian. (Const. Tanta, § 9; Const. Δέδωκεν, § 9.) [J.T.G]
(Λεωνίδας), physician who was a native of Alexandria, and belonged to the sect of the Episynthetici (Pseudo-Galen, Introd. c. 4. vol. xiv. p. 684; Cael. Aurel. De Morb. Acut. 2.1, p. 75). As he is quoted by Caelius Aurelianus (l.c.), and himself quotes Galen (apud Aet. 4.2, 11, p. 688), he probably lived in the second and third centuries after Christ. Of his writings, which appear to have chiefly related to surgical subjects, nothing remains but some fragments preserved by Aetius (pp. 241, 397, 686, 687, 688, 689, 691,692, 736, 741,743, 799, 800, 802) and Paulus Aegineta (4.59,p. 534, 6.32, 44, 64, 67, 78, pp. 562, 569, 578, 580, 585), from which we may judge that he was a skilful practitioner. [W.A.G]
artists.
1. A painter, of Anthedon, and a disciple of the great painter Euphranor. (Steph. Byz. s. v. Ἀνθηδών; Eustath. ad Hom. II. 2.508.)
2. An architect, of little note, who wrote upon proportions (Vitruv. vii. praef. §. 14). [P.S]
(Λεωνίδας). (1) A celebrated king of Lacedaemon, of the family of the Eurysthenidae, sent by his countrymen to maintain the pass of Thermopylae against the invading army of Xerxes (B.C. 480). A narrative of the affair will be found in the article Thermopylae.
(2) Son of Cleonymus, of the line of the Agidae, succeeded Areus II. on the throne of Sparta, B.C. 257. Agis , his colleague in the sovereignty, having resolved to restore the institutions of Lycurgus to their former vigour, Leonidas opposed his views, and became the main support of those who were inclined to a relaxation of ancient strictness. He was convicted, however, of having transgressed the laws, and was obliged to yield the supreme power to Cleombrotus, his son-in-law. Not long after he was reestablished on the Spartan throne, and avenged the affront which he had received at the hands of Agis , by impeaching him and effecting his condemnation (Pausan. ii. 9; iii. 6). He died about B.C. 236.
(3) A relative of Olympias, the mother of Alexander the Great. He had charge of Alexander's education before he became the pupil of Aristotle. Afterwards when king, Alexander said that Leonidas had furnished him with two excellent cooks—a night's march to give zest to his breakfast, and a scanty breakfast to give zest to his dinner.
(4) A native of Alexandria, who flourished at Rome as a grammarian towards the close of the first century of the Christian era. He wrote, among other things, epigrams denominated ἰσόψηφα, arranged in such a manner that the numerical value of all the letters composing any one distich is equal to that of the letters of any other. He was very probably the inventor of this learned species of trifling.
(5) A native of Tarentum, who flourished about B.C. 275. He left behind a hundred epigrams in the Doric dialect, and which belong to the best of those that have been preserved to modern times.
- king of Sparta, son of Anaxandrides: Hdt. 5.41; Paus. 3.3.9
- brother of Dorieus and Cleombrotus, Paus. 3.3.9Paus. 3.4.7
- his command and death at Thermopylae: Hdt. 7.204-238; Paus. 1.13.5, Paus. 3.3.9, Paus. 3.4.7ff., Paus. 7.6.3, Paus. 8.52.2, Paus. 10.20.1
- atonement for his death demanded by Sparta: Hdt. 8.114
- Pausanias' refusal to avenge Leonidas on Mardonius' dead body: Hdt. 9.79
- his bones brought from Thermopylae to Sparta: Paus. 3.14.1
- his tomb at Sparta: Paus. 3.14.1
- games held at his tomb: Paus. 3.14.1
- son of Cleonymus, king of Sparta: Paus. 2.9.1, Paus. 3.6.7
- deposed through intrigues of Lysander, but afterwards restored: Paus. 3.6.7ff.
- Paus. 6.16.5
- Olympic victor: Paus. 6.13.4
- dedicates Leonidaeum at Olympia: Paus. 5.15.2