Lydiadas of Megalopolis ( grc, Λυδιάδας ὁ Μεγαλοπολίτης) was an ancient Greek

tyrant A tyrant (), in the modern English usage of the word, is an absolute ruler who is unrestrained by law, or one who has usurped a legitimate ruler's sovereignty. Often portrayed as cruel, tyrants may defend their positions by resorting to re ...

of his city

Megalopolis A megalopolis () or a supercity, also called a megaregion, is a group of metropolitan areas which are perceived as a continuous urban area through common systems of transport, economy, resources, ecology, and so on. They are integrated enoug ...

in Arcadia. He came to power around the year 245 BC, but after ten years he decided to step down, leading his city to join the

Achaean League The Achaean League ( Greek: , ''Koinon ton Akhaion'' "League of Achaeans") was a Hellenistic-era confederation of Greek city states on the northern and central Peloponnese. The league was named after the region of Achaea in the northwestern P ...

. As a reward the Achaeans elected him to the post of '' strategos'', that is (commanding

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

) of the League, for three terms in 234/33, 232/31 and 230/29 BC. In 227 BC he lost the elections against

Aratus of Sicyon Aratus of Sicyon (Ancient Greek: Ἄρατος ὁ Σικυώνιος; 271–213 BC) was a politician and military commander of Hellenistic Greece. He was elected strategos of the Achaean League 17 times, leading the League through numerous m ...

, but was chosen as '' hipparch'', in this position he fell at the gates of his city during a cavalry charge against the

Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...

n king

Cleomenes III Cleomenes III ( grc, Κλεομένης) was one of the two kings of Sparta from 235 to 222 BC. He was a member of the Agiad dynasty and succeeded his father, Leonidas II. He is known for his attempts to reform the Spartan state. From 229 to ...

Biography

Probably a son of Eudamus from

Caphyae Caphyae or Kaphyai ( grc, Καφύαι) was a city of ancient Arcadia situated in a small plain, northwest of the lake of Orchomenus. It was protected against inundations from this lake by a mound or dyke, raised by the inhabitants of Caphyae. The ...

, Lydiadas was raised as a citizen of

. Almost nothing is known of the steps by which he rose to power, but the sources represent him as a man of an ambitious yet generous character, who was misled by false rhetorical arguments to believe that a monarchical government was the best for his fellow-citizens. His elevation appeared to have taken place about the time that

Antigonus Gonatas Antigonus II Gonatas ( grc-gre, Ἀντίγονος Γονατᾶς, ; – 239 BC) was a Macedonian ruler who solidified the position of the Antigonid dynasty in Macedon after a long period defined by anarchy and chaos and acquired fame for ...

made himself master of Corinth (244 BC)

Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to: *Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium'' *Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC * Pausanias of Sicily, physician of t ...

mentions him as one of the commanders of the forces of Megalopolis at the battle of Mantineia (c. 249 BC) against the Spartans under Agis As he was associated on that occasion with another general, Leocydes, it may be inferred that he had not then established himself in absolute power. If he came to power around 245 BC, he had held the position for power about ten years, when the progress of the

and the fame of its leader

led him to form projects more worthy of his ambition. After the fall of the tyrant

Aristippus of Argos Aristippus of Argos (; grc-gre, Ἀρίστιππος) was a tyrant of Argos in the 3rd century BC. His grandfather may have been the Aristippus installed as tyrant by the Macedonian king Antigonus II Gonatas in 272, and his father was the tyran ...

, instead of waiting until he was attacked in his turn, Lydiadas determined voluntarily to abdicate as tyrant and permit Megalopolis to join the Achaean League as a free state. This generous resolution was rewarded by the Achaeans by the election of Lydiadas to the prestigious post of strategos or commander-in-chief of the confederacy the following year 233 BC. His desire for fame and his wish to distinguish the year of his command through some brilliant exploit led him to plan an expedition against

, which was, however, opposed by Aratus, who is said to have already begun to be jealous of Lydiadas' favour and reputation. Lydiadas, indeed, proved to be a formidable rival; he quickly rose to such esteem in the league as to be deemed second only to Aratus, and notwithstanding the opposition of the latter, was elected strategos a second and third time, holding that important office alternately with Aratus. The most bitter enmity had by this time arisen between the two men. Each strove to undermine the other in the popular estimation. But though Lydiadas was unable to shake Aratus' long-established standing, he maintained his ground, not withstanding the insidious attacks of his rival, and the suspicion that naturally attached to one who had formerly borne the name of tyrant. In 227 BC, the conduct of Aratus, in avoiding a battle with

of Sparta at Pallantium, gave Lydiadas fresh cause to renew his attacks, but they were again unsuccessful, and he was unable to prevent the appointment of Aratus for the twelfth time to the office of strategos, in 226 BC. Instead, Lydiadas was elected hipparch and had to serve under the command of his rival. The two armies under Aratus and Cleomenes met a short distance from Megalopolis, and though Aratus would not consent to bring on a general engagement, Lydiadas, with the cavalry under his command, charged the right wing of the enemy and put them to the rout, but being led by his eagerness to pursue them too far, got entangled in some enclosures, where his troops suffered severely, and he himself fell, after a gallant resistance. His body was left on the field, but Cleomenes had the generosity to honour a fallen foe, and sent it back to Megalopolis, adorned with the insignia of royal dignity. Polybius II 44,51 ; Plutarch ''Aratus'' 30, 35, 37, ''Cleomenes 6 ; Pausanias VIII 27,12-15.

References

Bibliography

"Lydiades (1)"
William Smith (ed.). ''

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' (1849, originally published 1844 under a slightly different title) is an encyclopedia/biographical dictionary. Edited by William Smith, the dictionary spans three volumes and 3,700 ...

.'' 2. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1867. {{DEFAULTSORT:Lydiadas Of Megalopolis Ancient Greek generals Ancient Megalopolitans 3rd-century BC Greek people Year of birth unknown Achaean League Ancient Greek tyrants 227 BC deaths