Python of Aenus
Encyclopedia
Python of Aenus was a Greek philosopher
and a former student of Plato
. Around 360 BC, he and his brother Heraclides
assassinated Cotys I, the ruler of Thrace
.
Based on Demosthenes
's Against Aristocrates, Python of Aenus was identified as Python of Byzantium
, a Greek statesman. However, it is highly unlikely that both names are attributed to the same person.
Greek philosophy
Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BCE and continued through the Hellenistic period, at which point Ancient Greece was incorporated in the Roman Empire...
and a former student of Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
. Around 360 BC, he and his brother Heraclides
Heraclides of Aenus
Heraclides of Aenus was one of Plato's students. Around 360 BC, he and his brother Python assassinated Cotys I, the ruler of Thrace....
assassinated Cotys I, the ruler of Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
.
Based on 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...
's Against Aristocrates, Python of Aenus was identified as Python of Byzantium
Python of Byzantium
Python of Byzantium was an ancient Greek statesman and former student of Isocrates. In 346 BC, he appears to have participated in negotiations at Pella that resulted in the Peace of Philocrates. In 343 BC, Python represented Philip II of Macedon in Athens with an offer to alter the overall treaty...
, a Greek statesman. However, it is highly unlikely that both names are attributed to the same person.