Portrait of Olympiodoros Bronze in 280 B.C. Oslo National Museum 1292 Olympiodoros ( grc, Ὀλυμπιόδωρος) was a military leader (

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

) of ancient Greece. His capacity as a savior of Athens and his self-confident power and serious engagement during political crises were emphasized. He was elected

Strategos ''Strategos'', plural ''strategoi'', Linguistic Latinisation, Latinized ''strategus'', ( el, στρατηγός, pl. στρατηγοί; Doric Greek: στραταγός, ''stratagos''; meaning "army leader") is used in Greek language, Greek to ...

. He took part in the established Athenian coalition government with

Philippides of Paiania Philippides, son of Philomelos, of Paiania was an Athenian aristocratic oligarch. He is identified with the Philippides prosecuted by Hypereides in 336/5 B.C. who proposed honours for Macedonians after the Battle of Chaeronea, among them Alexan ...

. He commanded a body of three hundred picked men at the

Battle of Plataea The Battle of Plataea was the final land battle during the second Persian invasion of Greece. It took place in 479 BC near the city of Plataea in Boeotia, and was fought between an alliance of the Greek city-states (including Sparta, Athens, C ...

, who were engaged in a service from which all the other Greeks shrank. He was an Athenian general who, when Athens was attacked by

Cassander Cassander ( el, Κάσσανδρος ; c. 355 BC – 297 BC) was king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia from 305 BC until 297 BC, and ''de facto'' ruler of southern Greece from 317 BC until his death. A son of Antipater and a cont ...

, compelled the latter to withdraw his forces. He subsequently rid the city of Macedonian garrison which

Demetrius Demetrius is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning “Demetris” - "devoted to goddess Demeter". Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, Dimitri, Dimitrie, Dimitar, Dumit ...

had stationed there, and successfully defended Athens against Demetrius himself.

References

Ancient Greek generals {{AncientGreece-bio-stub