Lycurgus Λυκοῦργος | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 390 BC |
| Died | c. 325 BC (aged c. 65) |
| Children | 3 sons |
Lycurgus (/laɪˈkɜːrɡəs/; Greek: Λυκοῦργος Λυκόφρονος Βουτάδης; c. 390 – c. 325 BC) was a statesman and logographer in Ancient Greece. In the aftermath of the Athenian defeat at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC, he became the leading figure in Athenian politics, taking control of Athenian finances and pushing through a range of measures which drastically increased Athens' revenues. This money was used to expand the navy, improve the city's fortifications, develop the temples and religious ceremonies, and to build up a hefty reserve. He also encouraged the restoration of traditional values and prosecuted those who fell short of his expectations of civic behaviour. Because of his leading role, the period from 338 to 324 BC is often known in modern scholarship as the "Age of Lycurgus."[1]
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 BC. His only surviving speech is the Against Leocrates.
He should not be confused with the quasi-mythological Spartan lawgiver of the same name.