Cleonymus of Athens

Cleonymus ( Κλεώνυμος ) was an Athenian politician at the time of the Peloponnesian War. He was the butt of jokes of the Greek comedy, but is only about a decade ( 426-415 BC) detectable.

Life

The first known report of Cleonymus was dated July 426 BC, when he applied for the second decree in favor of Methoni in Thrace. 426/425 BC, he turned the subsequent application to increase the tribute of the Delian League. 415 BC, he joined a very active investigation in Hermenfrevel and could enforce that informers were rewarded with 1,000 drachmas.

Contemporary poets of the Greek comedy, Aristophanes in particular, mocked Cleonymus very often. Due to the severity and frequency of attacks in the comedies Cleonymus likely to have been a major representative of the Democratic Party of Athens. Aristophanes describes him as a tall, fat, gluttonous and boastful; he also said to have been a miser, cheater and a coward. Often the poet used to achieve a humorous effect, the motive that Cleonymus in a fight - have thrown away his shield - probably in the defeat of Delion 424 BC. It is not possible to determine the extent to which these attacks are true; but probably contains the representation of Aristophanes also strong exaggerations. This poet mentioned Cleonymus last 414 BC in his comedy The Birds. Therefore, the criticized politicians should have either retired from politics or to have died at that time.