Timodēmus, the father of Timoleon.
Timolāus, a Spartan, intimate with Philopœmen, &c.——A son of the celebrated Zenobia.——A general of Alexander, put to death by the Thebans.
Timoleon, a celebrated Corinthian, son of Timodemus and Demariste. He was such an enemy to tyranny, that he did not hesitate to murder his own brother Timophanes, when he attempted, against his representations, to make himself absolute in Corinth. This was viewed with pleasure by the friends of liberty; but the mother of Timoleon conceived the most inveterate aversion for her son, and for ever banished him from her sight. This proved painful to Timoleon; a settled melancholy dwelt upon his mind, and he refused to accept of any offices in the state. When the Syracusans, oppressed with the tyranny of Dionysius the younger, and of the Carthaginians, had solicited the assistance of the Corinthians, all looked upon Timoleon as a proper deliverer, but all applications would have been disregarded, if one of the magistrates had not awakened in him the sense of natural liberty. “Timoleon,” says he, “if you accept of the command of this expedition, we will believe that you have killed a tyrant; but if not, we cannot but call you your brother’s murderer.” This had due effect, and Timoleon sailed for Syracuse in 10 ships, accompanied by about 1000 men. The Carthaginians attempted to oppose him, but Timoleon eluded their vigilance. Icetas, who had the possession of the city, was defeated, and Dionysius, who despaired of success, gave himself up into the hands of the Corinthian general. This success gained Timoleon adherents in Sicily; many cities which hitherto had looked upon him as an impostor, claimed his protection; and when he was at last master of Syracuse by the total overthrow of Icetas and of the Carthaginians, he razed the citadel which had been the seat of tyranny, and erected on the spot a common hall. Syracuse was almost destitute of inhabitants, and at the solicitation of Timoleon, a Corinthian colony was sent to Sicily; the lands were equally divided among the citizens, and the houses were sold for 1000 talents, which were appropriated to the use of the state, and deposited in the treasury. When Syracuse was thus delivered from tyranny, the conqueror extended his benevolence to the other states of Sicily, and all the petty tyrants were reduced and banished from the island. A code of salutary laws was framed for the Syracusans; and the armies of Carthage, which had attempted again to raise commotions in Sicily, were defeated, and peace was at last re-established. The gratitude of the Sicilians was shown everywhere to their deliverer. Timoleon was received with repeated applause in the public assemblies, and though a private man, unconnected with the government, he continued to enjoy his former influence at Syracuse: his advice was consulted on matters of importance, and his authority respected. He ridiculed the accusations of malevolence, and when some informers had charged him with oppression, he rebuked the Syracusans who were going to put the accusers to immediate death. A remarkable instance of his providential escape from the dagger of an assassin, has been recorded by one of his biographers. As he was going to offer a sacrifice to the gods after a victory, two assassins, sent by the enemies, approached his person in disguise. The arm of one of the assassins was already lifted up, when he was suddenly stabbed by an unknown person, who made his escape from the camp. The other assassin, struck at the fall of his companion, fell before Timoleon, and confessed, in the presence of the army, the conspiracy that had been formed against his life. The unknown assassin was in the mean time pursued, and when he was found, he declared that he had committed no crime in avenging the death of a beloved father, whom the man he had stabbed had murdered in the town of Leontini. Inquiries were made, and his confessions were found to be true. Timoleon died at Syracuse, about 337 years before the christian era. His body received an honourable burial, in a public place called from him Timoleonteum; but the tears of a grateful nation were more convincing proofs of the public regret, than the institution of festivals and games yearly to be observed on the day of his death. Cornelius Nepos & Plutarch, Lives.—Polyænus, bk. 5, ch. 3.—Diodorus, bk. 16.
Timōlus. See: [Tmolus].
Timomăchus, a painter of Byzantium, in the age of Sylla and Marius. His painting of Medea murdering her children, and his Ajax, were purchased for 80 talents by Julius Cæsar, and deposited in the temple of Venus at Rome. Pliny, bk. 35, ch. 11.——A general of Athens, sent to assist the Thebans. Xenophon.
Timon, a native of Athens, called Misanthrope, for his unconquerable aversion to mankind and to all society. He was fond of Apemantus, another Athenian whose character was similar to his own, and he said that he had some partiality for Alcibiades, because he was one day to be his country’s ruin. Once he went into the public assembly, and told his countrymen that he had a fig tree on which many had ended their life with a halter, and that as he was going to cut it down to raise a building on the spot, he advised all such as were inclined to destroy themselves, to hasten and go and hang themselves in his garden. Plutarch, Alcibiades, &c.—Lucan, Timon.—Pausanias, bk. 6, ch. 12.——A Greek poet, son of Timarchus, in the age of Ptolemy Philadelphus. He wrote several dramatic pieces, all now lost, and died in the 90th year of his age. Diogenes Laërtius.—Athenæus, bks. 6 & 13.——An athlete of Elis. Pausanias, bk. 6, ch. 12.
Timophănes, a Corinthian, brother to Timoleon. He attempted to make himself tyrant of his country, by means of the mercenary soldiers with whom he had fought against the Argives and Cleomenes. Timoleon wished to convince him of the impropriety of his measures, and when he found him unmoved, he caused him to be assassinated. Plutarch & Cornelius Nepos, Timoleon.——A man of Mitylene, celebrated for his riches, &c.
Timotheus, a poet and musician of Miletus, son of Thersander or Philopolis. He was received with hisses the first time he exhibited as musician in the assembly of the people; and further applications would have totally been abandoned, had not Euripides discovered his abilities, and encouraged him to follow a profession in which he afterwards gained so much applause. He received the immense sum of 1000 pieces of gold from the Ephesians, because he had composed a poem in honour of Diana. He died about the 90th year of his age, two years before the birth of Alexander the Great. There was also another musician of Bœtia in the age of Alexander, often confounded with the musician of Miletus. He was a great favourite of the conqueror of Darius. Cicero, de Legibus, bk. 2, ch. 15.—Pausanias, bk. 3, ch. 12.—Plutarch, de Musica, de Fortuna, &c.——An Athenian general, son of Conon. He signalized himself by his valour and magnanimity, and showed that he was not inferior to his great father in military prudence. He seized Corcyra, and obtained several victories over the Thebans, but his ill success in one of his expeditions disgusted the Athenians, and Timotheus, like the rest of his noble predecessors, was fined a large sum of money. He retired to Chalcis, where he died. He was so disinterested, that he never appropriated any of the plunder to his own use, but after one of his expeditions, he filled the treasury of Athens with 1200 talents. Some of the ancients, to imitate his continual successes, have represented him sleeping by the side of Fortune, while the goddess drove cities into his net. He was intimate with Plato, at whose table he learned temperance and moderation. Athenæus, bk. 10, ch. 3.—Pausanias, bk. 1, ch. 29.—Plutarch, Sulla, &c.—Ælian, Varia Historia, bk. 2, chs. 10 & 18; bk. 3, ch. 16.—Cornelius Nepos.——A Greek statuary. Pausanias, bk. 1, ch. 32.——A tyrant of Heraclea, who murdered his father. Diodorus, bk. 16.——A king of the Sapæi.
Timoxĕnus, a governor of Sicyon, who betrayed his trust, &c. Polyænus.——A general of the Achæans.
Tingis, now Tangiers, a maritime town of Africa in Mauritania, built by the giant Antæus. Sertorius took it, and as the tomb of the founder was near the place, he caused it to be opened, and found in it a skeleton six cubits long. This increased the veneration of the people for their founder. Plutarch, Sertorius.—Mela, bk. 1, ch. 5.—Pliny, bk. 5, ch. 1.—Silius Italicus, bk. 3, li. 258.