Demokedes

Family: Crotonian · Role: physician · First appears: Book 3 · §120–127

Demokedes was the son of Calliphon, a Crotonian physician. He became an associate of Polycrates, and was successively engaged by the Eginetans, the Athenians, and then Polycrates. When Dareios injured his foot, Demokedes treated him and made him well in a short time. Dareios rewarded him with golden fetters and sent him to visit his wives; later, Atossa called for him to treat a tumour on her breast and promised to grant his request if he cured her. After Demokedes made her well, Dareios decided to send him with Persians to investigate Hellas.

At dawn, Dareios ordered Demokedes to guide fifteen Persians through the coasts of Hellas and return. Demokedes accepted the promised merchant ship, but not the movable goods. He escaped from the Persians and reached Croton, where the Crotonians rescued him. Aristophilides removed the steering-oars of the Median ships and imprisoned the Persians; they were told to explain that Demokedes was betrothed to Milon’s daughter.

Relationship record

Life events

• Dareios summoned Demokedes to treat his injured foot.(Book 3 · §128–134)
  • With: Dareios
  • “on the eighth day, when he was in a wretched state, some one who had heard talk before while yet at Sardis of the skill of Demokedes of Croton, reported this to Dareios; and he bade them bring him forthwith into his presence.”
• Demokedes healed Dareios’s injured foot.(Book 3 · §128–134)
  • With: Dareios
  • “by using Hellenic drugs and applying mild remedies after the former violent means, he caused him to get sleep, and in a short time made him perfectly well”
• Dareios rewarded Demokedes with golden fetters and sent him to visit his wives.(Book 3 · §128–134)
  • With: Dareios
  • “Upon this Dareios presented him with two pairs of golden fetters”
• Atossa sent for Demokedes to treat the tumour on her breast.(Book 3 · §128–134)
  • With: Atossa
  • “she sent for Demokedes and showed it to him”
• Demokedes healed Atossa after she promised to grant his request.(Book 3 · §128–134)
  • With: Atossa
  • “So when after this by his treatment he had made her well”
• Dareios decided to send Persians with Demokedes to investigate Hellas before attacking it.(Book 3 · §128–134)
  • With: Dareios
  • “I think it better to send first to them men of the Persians together with him of whom thou speakest, to make investigation”
• Dareios ordered Demokedes to guide the Persians through Hellas and return.(Book 3 · §135–141)
  • With: Dareios
  • “as soon as day dawned, he summoned fifteen Persians, men of repute, and bade them pass through the coasts of Hellas in company with Demokedes”
• Demokedes accepted Dareios’s promised merchant ship but declined to take his movable goods.(Book 3 · §135–141)
  • With: Dareios
  • “he said however that he accepted the merchant ship which Dareios promised him for the presents to his brothers.”
• Demokedes escaped from the Persians and reached his native place.(Book 3 · §135–141 · 📍 Croton)
  • “Demokedes went away and reached Croton; and when he had now reached his own native place”
• The men of Croton rescued Demokedes from the Persians.(Book 3 · §135–141 · 📍 Croton)
  • “Thus saying they did not however persuade the men of Croton, but having had Demokedes rescued from them”
• Demokedes was betrothed to Milon’s daughter.(Book 3 · §135–141)
  • With: Milon
  • “bidding them say to Dareios that Demokedes was betrothed to the daughter of Milon”

Book 3 · §120–127

• parent: Calliphon “Demokedes also the son of Calliphon, a man of Croton, who was a physician”

Book 3 · §128–134

• with Polycrates (interaction) “This Demokedes came from Croton, and became the associate of Polycrates in the following manner:”
• employer: Polycrates “in the fourth by Polycrates for two talents.”
• servant: Skiton “his servant, whose name was Skiton, following and gathering up the coins which fell from the cups, collected for himself a very large sum of gold.”
• with Polycrates (Polycrates engaged Demokedes as a physician.) “In the next year the Eginetan State engaged him for a payment of one talent, in the third year he was engaged by the Athenians for a hundred pounds weight of silver, and in the fourth by Polycrates for two talents.”
• with Oroites (Demokedes was held among Oroites' slaves.) “So having found him somewhere unnoticed among the slaves of Oroites, they brought him forth into the midst dragging fetters after him and clothed in rags.”
• with Dareios (interaction) “When he had been placed in the midst of them, Dareios asked him whether he understood the art;”

Book 3 · §135–141

• employer: Dareios (The Persians describe Demokedes as Dareios's slave.) “Men of Croton, take care what ye are about: ye are rescuing a man who was a slave of king Dareios and who ran away from him.”
• with Dareios (Dareios appointed Demokedes as a guide.) “next he summoned Demokedes himself and asked him to act as a guide for the whole of Hellas and show it to the Persians, and then return back”
• with Aristophilides (Aristophilides acted in Demokedes's favor.) “There from complaisance to Demokedes Aristophilides the king of the Tarentines unfastened and removed the steering-oars of the Median ships, and also confined the Persians in prison”
• with Milon (Milon is identified as the father of Demokedes's betrothed; she is unnamed.) “bidding them say to Dareios that Demokedes was betrothed to the daughter of Milon”

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Extracted from the original text of The Histories. Made with Rho MD.