1
Andocides attending the Eleusinian Mysteries. Andocides
successfully defended himself by arguing
EDWARD M. HARRIS
that the decree was no longer in effect and
denying that he had committed impiety. In
Andocides came from a prominent Athenian 387/6 Andocides was one of the ambassadors
family. One of his ancestors, also named who went to Sparta to negotiate the Peace of
Andocides, was a treasurer of ATHENA in the ANTALKIDAS, which made the Greeks of Asia the
sixth century; another named Charias helped subjects of the Persian King (see KING’S PEACE).
the Spartans and the Alcmeonids to drive out On his return Kallistratos prosecuted him
the Peisistratids in 510 BCE (see ALKMAIONIDAI; and Epikrates, Kratinos, and Euboulides for
KLEISTHENES OF ATHENS). His grandfather served disobeying the orders of the assembly, making
as general in the Megarid and on SAMOS and false reports, and accepting bribes. Andocides
was one of the envoys who negotiated peace was convicted and sentenced to permanent
with SPARTA in 446 (see THIRTY YEARS’ PEACE). His exile. Nothing more is known about him.
father Leogoras married a sister-in-law of Four speeches are attributed to Andocides.
PERIKLES’ son Xanthippos. Andocides himself On the Mysteries was delivered at his trial for
appears to have been born around 440. impiety in 400/399, and On his Return was
Andocides was denounced for impiety (see delivered to the council after the overthrow of
ASEBEIA) during the religious hysteria of 415. the Four Hundred, probably in 409 or 408.
He was accused of parodying the Mysteries Both of these speeches are thought to be gen-
(see ELEUSIS, MYSTERIES OF) and mutilating the uine. On the Peace and Against Alkibiades are
HERMS, which some believed was part of an forgeries composed during the Hellenistic or
oligarchic plot against the democracy (see Roman periods. There are several fragments of
HETAIREIA). He avoided punishment by giving a speech To the Members of his Party (Pros tous
evidence against some of his associates and hetairous) attributed to Andocides; this may
may have admitted his own guilt. After the also have been a forgery.
decree of Isotimides banned all those convicted
of impiety from entering temples and the
SEE ALSO: Alkibiades; Democracy, Athenian;
agora, Andocides withdrew into exile. His
Kallistratos, Athenian politician; Orators, Attic.
stay on CYPRUS may have ended when he ran
into trouble with the king of KITION. In 411 he
persuaded the Macedonian king ARCHELAOS to
REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS
export timber to the Athenian fleet on Samos
and also had BRONZE and WHEAT shipped there. Edwards, M. J. (1995) Greek orators, vol. 4:
This support for the democratic forces drew Andocides. Warminster.
the suspicions of the oligarchs at Athens, who Gribble, D. (1997) “Rhetoric and history in
had him arrested. Following his release after [Andocides] 4, Against Alcibiades.” Classical
the overthrow of the Four Hundred (see FOUR Quarterly 45: 367–91.
Harris, E. M. (2000) “The authenticity of
HUNDRED, OLIGARCHS AT ATHENS), he withdrew
Andokides’ De Pace.” In P. Flensted-Jensen,
into exile again and visited Sicily, Italy, ELIS, T. H. Nielsen, and L. Rubinstein, eds., Polis and
the HELLESPONT, IONIA, and Cyprus. politics: studies in ancient Greek history
After the restoration of the democracy in 403 presented to Mogens Herman Hansen on his
Andocides returned to Athens under the terms sixtieth birthday: 479–505. Copenhagen.
of the AMNESTY. In 400/399 Kephisios accused MacDowell, D. M. (1962) Andocides: On the
him of violating the decree of Isotimides for Mysteries. Oxford.
The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition. Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine,
and Sabine R. Huebner, print pages 413–414.
© 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah04030
