Apollodorus of Acharnae

Acharnae

Acharnae was the largest deme of ancient Attica; it was located in the northwest part of the Attic plain, south of Mt. Parnes in the general vicinity of the modern suburbs of Acharnes and Ano Liosia, about due north of Athens. The Acharnians chiefly grew cereals, grapes, and olives, although...

 in Attica

Attica

Attica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...

 (born 394 BCE) is known from several of Demosthenes

Demosthenes

Demosthenes was a prominent Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide an insight into the politics and culture of ancient Greece during the 4th century BC. Demosthenes learned rhetoric by...

' forensic speeches. Apollodorus was the son of the banker Pasion

Pasion

Pasion was an ancient Greek slave from the 4th century BC. He was owned by the bankers Antisthenes and Archestratus, located at Piraeus, the harbor five miles out of Athens. During his slavery, he quickly rose to chief clerk in charge of a money-changing table at the port , and proved so valuable...

, who died in 370 BCE when Apollodorus was twenty-four. After Pasion's death his widow married Phormion, a freedman of Pasion, and subsequently died in 360 BCE. Phormion then became the guardian of her younger son Pasicles.

In 350 BCE, Apollodorus brought a lawsuit against Phormio. Demosthenes wrote the defence speech For Phormion, which is extant. At this time Apollodorus held the post of archon eponymos

Archon of Athens

This is a list of the eponymous archons of Athens.-Background:The archon was the chief magistrate in many Greek cities, but in Athens there was a council of archons which comprised a form of executive government...

at Athens

Athens

Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

. A rumour later circulated that Demosthenes leaked the defence speech to Apollodorus before the trial. Apollodorus afterwards attacked the witnesses who had supported Phormion. Demosthenes wrote for Apollodorus the two extant speeches entitled On the crown.

Apollodorus had many lawsuits, for many of which Demosthenes wrote the speeches for him. The latest of them is Against Neaira

Neaira (hetaera)

Neaira, or Neaera, was a hetaera who lived in the 4th century BC in ancient Greece; there is no reliable data about the exact dates of her birth and death...

, a courtesan

Courtesan

A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...

, and which may date to 340 BCE. Apollodorus was extremely wealthy and performed the liturgy

Liturgy

Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...

 of trierarch

Trierarch

Trierarch was the title of officers who commanded a trireme in the classical Greek world. In Athens and a few other states this officer was also required to pay for the outfitting and maintenance of the ship. Trierarchs thus had to be men of considerable means, since the expenses incurred could...

y twice, in a period when it was unusual for a single person to take that role because of the enormous expense.

Sources