Lycortas
Also known as: the Syracusan Lycortas · Family: Achaean · Role: military commander · First appears: Book 4 · Chapter 29
In Book 4, Chapter 29, Lycortas and his army were forced to withdraw from Messenia without achieving their aim when Dinocrates defended the town and surrounding districts. In Book 5, Chapter 27, he dedicated at Olympia a votive depiction of Phormis fighting several enemies; the inscription identifies it as “a votive offering of the Syracusan Lycortas.”
In Book 7, Chapter 9, Lycortas defended the claims of the Achæans and covertly blamed the Romans, while Appius and his party jeered at his speech. In Book 8, Chapter 51, Lycortas marched against Messene with forces from Arcadia and Achaia. There, those involved in Philopœmen’s murder were put to death except Dinocrates, who committed suicide.
Relationship record
Life events
- Dinocrates forced Lycortas and his army to retire, protecting Messenia from attack.(Book 4 · Chapter 29 · 📍 Messenia)
- With: Dinocrates
- “but Dinocrates a prominent man among the people, who had been recently elected ruler of the Messenians, forced Lycortas and the army with him to retire without effecting their object, and having occupied the byroads between Messenia and Arcadia he protected the Messenians in their town and in all the neighbouring districts.”
- Lycortas dedicated a votive depiction of Phormis fighting multiple enemies.(Book 5 · Chapter 27 · 📍 Olympia)
- With: Phormis
- “And among these votive offerings is Phormis himself contending with an enemy, and fighting with a second and even a third. And there is an inscription stating that the soldier fighting is Mænalian Phormis, and that it is a votive offering of the Syracusan Lycortas”
- Lycortas defended the Achæans while Appius’s party mocked his speech.(Book 7 · Chapter 9)
- With: Appius
- “But Appius and his suite jeered at Lycortas’ speech”
- Lycortas attacked Messene; Philopœmen’s conspirators were executed, and Dinocrates committed suicide.(Book 8 · Chapter 51 · 📍 Messene)
- With: Dinocrates Philopœmen
- “And Lycortas not long after collected a force from Arcadia and from Achaia and marched against Messene, and the popular party in Messene at once fraternized with them, and all except Dinocrates who were privy to the murder of Philopœmen were put to death. And he committed suicide.”
Book 4 · Chapter 29
- with Dinocrates (Dinocrates forced Lycortas to withdraw.) “but Dinocrates a prominent man among the people, who had been recently elected ruler of the Messenians, forced Lycortas and the army with him to retire without effecting their object”
- enemies with Dinocrates “but Dinocrates a prominent man among the people, who had been recently elected ruler of the Messenians, forced Lycortas and the army with him to retire without effecting their object”
Book 5 · Chapter 27
- with Phormis (Lycortas dedicated the offering out of affection for Phormis.) “it is a votive offering of the Syracusan Lycortas, who plainly offered it out of affection to Phormis”
Book 7 · Chapter 9
- friends with Philopœmen “Lycortas of Megalopolis, a man in merit behind none of the Arcadians, and who had friendly relations with Philopœmen upon whom he relied, put forward in his speech the just claims of the Achæans, and at the same time covertly blamed the Romans.”
- with Appius (Appius jeered at Lycortas’ speech.) “But Appius and his suite jeered at Lycortas’ speech, and passed a vote that Areus and Alcibiades had committed no crime against the Achæans, and allowed the Lacedæmonians to send envoys to Rome, thus contravening the previous convention between the Romans and Achæans.”
- with Areus (Spartan exile) (Areus was a member of Appius’ suite, which mocked Lycortas’ speech.) “But Appius and his suite jeered at Lycortas’ speech”
- with Alcibiades (Alcibiades was a member of Appius’ suite, which mocked Lycortas’ speech.) “But Appius and his suite jeered at Lycortas’ speech”
Book 8 · Chapter 9
- child: Polybius (Lycortas is Polybius's father.) “There also on a pillar is Polybius the son of Lycortas, whom we shall mention hereafter.”
Book 8 · Chapter 24
- ward: Psophis (daughter of Eryx) “intrusted her to Lycortas, a friend of his who dwelt at Phegia”
- friends with Eryx “intrusted her to Lycortas, a friend of his”
Book 8 · Chapter 30
- child: Polybius “And in the market-place behind the precincts sacred to Lycæan Zeus is the statue on a pillar of Polybius the son of Lycortas.”
Book 8 · Chapter 37
- child: Polybius “On a third figure are some Nymphs and Pans, and on a fourth Polybius the son of Lycortas.”
Book 8 · Chapter 48
- child: Polybius “a statue of Polybius the son of Lycortas”
Book 8 · Chapter 51
- with Philopœmen (Philopœmen dispatched Lycortas on a military campaign.) “he sent Lycortas with an army to ravage Messenia”
- with Philopœmen (They participated together in the action.) “himself the third day afterwards, though he was suffering from a fever and was more than 70, hurried on to share in the action of Lycortas”
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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.