Codrus
Encyclopedia
Codrus was the last of the semi-mythical Kings of Athens
(r. ca 1089
-1068 BC
). He was an ancient exemplar of patriotism and self-sacrifice. He was succeeded by his son Medon, who ruled not as king but as the first Archon of Athens
.
The earliest version of the story of Codrus comes from the 4th oration Against Leocrates by Lycurgus
. During the time of the Dorian Invasion of Peloponnesus (c. 1068 BC
), the Dorians under Aletes
had consulted the Delphic Oracle, who prophesied that their invasion would succeed as long as the king was not harmed. The news of this prophecy, that only the death of an Athenian
king would ensure the safety of Athens
, quickly found its way to the ears of Codrus. In devotion to his people, Codrus disguised himself as a peasant and made it to the vicinity of the Dorian encampment across the river, where he provoked a group of Dorian soldiers. He was put to death in the quarrel, and the Dorians, realizing Codrus had been slain, decided to retreat in fear of their prophesied defeat.
In the aftermath of these events, no one thought himself worthy to succeed Codrus, the title of king was abolished, and that of archon
substituted for it. The first such archon was Codrus' son, Medon
.
King of Athens
Before the Athenian democracy, the tyrants, and the Archons, the city-state of Athens was ruled by kings. Most of these are probably mythical or only semi-historical...
(r. ca 1089
1080s BC
The 1080s BC witnessed the early years of the Iron Age. Many of the great powers of the High Bronze Age in the Western Mediterranean had either collapsed or been severely weakened...
-1068 BC
1060s BC
-Events and trends:* c. 1069 BC — End of New Kingdom in Ancient Egypt.* c. 1069 BC - Third Intermediate Period of Egypt starts.* 1069 BC — Ramses XI dies, ending the Twentieth Dynasty. He is succeeded by Smendes I, who founds the Twenty-first Dynasty....
). He was an ancient exemplar of patriotism and self-sacrifice. He was succeeded by his son Medon, who ruled not as king but as the first Archon of Athens
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...
.
The earliest version of the story of Codrus comes from the 4th oration Against Leocrates by Lycurgus
Lycurgus of Athens
Lycurgus was a logographer in Ancient Greece. He was one of the ten Attic orators included in the "Alexandrian Canon" compiled by Aristophanes of Byzantium and Aristarchus of Samothrace in the third century BCE.Lycurgus was born at Athens about 396 BC, and was the son of Lycophron, who belonged...
. During the time of the Dorian Invasion of Peloponnesus (c. 1068 BC
1060s BC
-Events and trends:* c. 1069 BC — End of New Kingdom in Ancient Egypt.* c. 1069 BC - Third Intermediate Period of Egypt starts.* 1069 BC — Ramses XI dies, ending the Twentieth Dynasty. He is succeeded by Smendes I, who founds the Twenty-first Dynasty....
), the Dorians under Aletes
Aletes, son of Hippotes
Aletes was a son of Hippotes and a fifth-generation descendant of Heracles. He is said to have taken possession of Corinth, and to have expelled the Sisyphids thirty years after the first invasion of the Peloponnesus by the Heraclids. His family, sometimes called the Aletidae, maintained...
had consulted the Delphic Oracle, who prophesied that their invasion would succeed as long as the king was not harmed. The news of this prophecy, that only the death of an Athenian
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...
king would ensure the safety of 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...
, quickly found its way to the ears of Codrus. In devotion to his people, Codrus disguised himself as a peasant and made it to the vicinity of the Dorian encampment across the river, where he provoked a group of Dorian soldiers. He was put to death in the quarrel, and the Dorians, realizing Codrus had been slain, decided to retreat in fear of their prophesied defeat.
In the aftermath of these events, no one thought himself worthy to succeed Codrus, the title of king was abolished, and that of archon
Archon
Archon is a Greek word that means "ruler" or "lord", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem ἀρχ-, meaning "to rule", derived from the same root as monarch, hierarchy, and anarchy.- Ancient Greece :In ancient Greece the...
substituted for it. The first such archon was Codrus' son, Medon
Medôn
In Greek mythology, there were four people called Medon .#Medon is the faithful herald of Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey. Following the advice of his son Telemachus, Odysseus spares Medon’s life after murdering the suitors who had been plaguing his halls in his homeland of Ithaca...
.