Cleonymus ( grc, Κλεωνύμος) was a political ally of

Cleon Cleon (; grc-gre, Κλέων, ; died 422 BC) was an Athenian general during the Peloponnesian War. He was the first prominent representative of the commercial class in Athenian politics, although he was an aristocrat himself. He strongly advocate ...

and an Athenian general. In 424 BC, Cleonymus had dropped his shield in battle and fled and was branded a coward. This act is often used to comic effect by

Aristophanes Aristophanes (; grc, Ἀριστοφάνης, ; c. 446 – c. 386 BC), son of Philippus, of the deme In Ancient Greece, a deme or ( grc, δῆμος, plural: demoi, δημοι) was a suburb or a subdivision of Athens and other city-states ...

References

*Martin Ostwald
''From Popular Sovereignty to the Sovereignty of Law: Law, Society and Politics in Fifth-Century Athens.''

University of California Press The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by faculty ...

, 1990. ; pp. 205–206; p. 231 *

, '' The Birds'', 289-290. (Translated by Peter Meineck)
''Aristophanes 1 : Clouds, Wasps, Birds.''
Hackett Publishing Company, 1998. 5th-century BC Athenians Ancient Athenian generals Athenians of the Peloponnesian War {{ancientGreece-bio-stub