Echedemos (; fl. 190 BC) was a Greek statesman of ancient Athens.Pantos 1989, p. 282

Biography

Echedemos, son of Mnesitheos, Kydathenaieus, was a member of an important family, part of Athenian aristocracy.Pantos 1989, p.283, p. 284, fn. 48, p. 286, text + fn. 56

He had at least two sons, Mnesitheos and Arketos, born circa 200 BC or slightly later.This can be inferred from the fact that they were still minors in 183/182 BC, see Pantos 1989, p. 287

In 190 BC, Echedemos was the head of the Athenian embassy that negotiated a truce between the Roman Republic and the Aetolian League.

In 185/184 BC he played a significant role in the reorganization of the Delphic Amphictyonic League.

In the year of 170/169 BC he is thought to have been the city's mint master.Pantos 1989, p. 284

Embassy Echedemos was the leader of the Athenian embassy (princeps legationis eorum) that mediated in a conflict between Aetolians and Romans in 190 BC.

These negotiations are reported in detail by the Greek historian Polybius (The Histories, XXI.4–5) and Roman historian Livy (The History of Rome, XXXVII.6–7).Polybius, The Histories, book 21, chapter 4, "The Athenians Intercede for the Aetolians"Polybius, The Histories, book 21, chapter 5, "Truce With the Aetolians"Livy, The History of Rome, book 37, chapter 6Livy, The History of Rome, book 37, chapter 7

Amphictyonic League In 185/184 BC Echedemos played a significant role in the reorganization of the Delphic Amphictyonic League.

This is attested by two inscriptions, one from Delphi and one from Athens.Habicht 1987

Epigrams

Echedemos is probably the subject of two epigrams from the Palatine Anthology, by the Athenian poet Artemon.Pantos 1989, pp. 283–284

In one poem, in which Echedemos is still a boy "in his prime", the poet is in love and steals a kiss from him:Anthologia Palatina, XII.124, see Pantos 1989, p. 283; translated by William Roger Paton; original:

The poet's dread has been interpreted as referring to the high social status and power of Echedemos's family, who could cause considerable harm to the poet if his advances were judged too bold.Pantos 1989, p. 283

In the second poem, in which Echedemos has grown up, he is given a much more elaborate set of compliments:Anthologia Palatina, XII.55, see Pantos 1989, pp. 283–284; translated by William Roger Paton; original:

Here, he is called "a second Attic Phoebus", Phoebus (literally "radiant") being a common epithet of Apollo. This comparison is certainly a reference to his beauty, but could also refer to a personal device he later stamped on Athenian coins. Echedemos is also called "the lord of the land of Cecrops", i.e. lord of Athens, indicating his high social standing and wealth. Two final lines, lamenting the former glory of Athens, indicate the date for the epigram in the beginning of the 2nd century BC when the ever-waning power of Athens allowed Romans to increase their influence in Greece and broader Hellenistic world (conflict with Aetolians being one example).Pantos 1989, p. 284, p. 282

Coinage

Some time in the second century BC Athens have established a new iconography of coinage, with obverse featuring a head of Athena and reverse showing an owl with additional images, symbols and inscriptions identifying, among other things, the people responsible for minting the coins.Lewis 1962

Among these Athenian New Style coins there is a whole series bearing letters EXE on the reverse, possibly dating from 170–169 BC.Photos of two coins are published in Pantos 1989, pl.49:e,f; additional examples: SH26465. Silver tetradrachm, Ancients: Classic Greek Coins: Part 1 (Athens, Silver Tetradrachm), Classical Numismatic Group, XXVIII, New York Sale, December 8, 1993 (p. 18, cat.120) — all with letters EXE over a bust or head of Helios on the right of the reverse These have been cited as a proof that Echedemos was the Athenian mint master at the time.Pantos 1989, p.284Chronology of the Athenian New Style coinage remains somewhat uncertain, see Mattingly 1990; another date suggested for the coins is 137–136 BC or 135–134 BC, in this case EXE could refer to a later member of the same family, Echedemos son of Arketos, Kydathenaieus, and the head of Helios could be a family emblem, see Pantos 1989, p. 284; this Echedemos (Ἐχέδημος Ἀρκέτου) is known from an inscription of circa 155–154 BC as a victor at the festival of Theseia, see: Pantos 1989, pp. 284–285, fn. 49; Inscriptiones Graecae IG II² 958 The office of the mint master was given almost exclusively to members of the Athenian aristocracy, conferring the almost royal honour to place one's name and emblem on the city's coins.Pantos 1989, p. 284, fn. 48

Below the monogram, the coins bear a small device of a head or bust of Helios, with a crown of rays above seemingly rich curly voluminous hair. This emblem could be an allusion to the fair looks of Echedemos, paralleling the comparison to Apollo in an epigram by Artemon.Pantos 1989, pp. 284–285

Portrait

A portrait on a ring from the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore was tentatively identified as that of Echemedos.Pantos 1989

The portrait is a garnet intaglio of circa 220 BC.Ring with Portrait of a Courtier at the Walters Art Museum; ca. 220 BC; gold, garnet; 2.8 x 2.3 x 2.5 cm; inscription "of Apollonios" (translation); museum purchase, 1942; accession number 57.1698The stone is specifically a pyrope, 2.6 x 2.3 cm, see: Vollenweider 1980, p. 153; Pantos 1989, p. 278, fn. 8; Gross 2008 p. 57, fn. 47Photo of the intaglio's impression is published in: Furtwängler 1900, I, pl. LXIII:36; Hill 1943, p. 62, fig. 3; Vollenweider 1980, pl. 40:3a,3b; Pantos 1989, pl. 49:d; Gross 2008, p. 187, pl. 2:3; Messina 2012, p. 122, fig. 2 It is set into an original elaborate gold swivel ring.Hill 1943, p. 62Profile view of the ring can be found on the museum website, additional views are published in Hill 1943, p. 61, fig. 2 The work can be confidently dated as it is signed by engraver Apollonios (ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΙΟ[Σ or Υ]),Pantos 1989, pl. 49:c,d; Messina 2012, p. 122 who also carved and signed a portrait of a very young Antiochus III (also called Antiochus the Great, ruled Seleucid Empire in 222–187 BC).Vollenweider 1980, pp. 151–152; Pantos 1989, pp. 278–279; Gross 2008, p. 134, cat. II 6; the identification of these two rings as by the same master has recently been questioned, see Messina 2012The signed intaglio portrait is on a bezel, from a seal or a ring, in the National Museum, Athens, inv. 594, see: Gross 2008, p. 134, cat. II 6; Messina 2012, p. 121; the stone is variously described as a garnet (pyrope) or a carnelian, diameter as 1.9 cm or 2.1 cm, see: Vollenweider 1980, p. 153; Gross 2008, p. 134, cat. II 6; Messina 2012, p. 121, fn. 2; photos of the stone published in: Vollenweider 1980, pl. 40:2; Gross 2008, p. 187 pl. 2:2; Messina 2012, p. 121, fig. 1; photos of the impression published in: Vollenweider 1980, pl. 40:2a,2b; Gross 2008, p. 187, pl. 2:1; Messina 2012, p. 121, fig. 1The subject can be confidently identified by comparison with the coins issued circa 223–213 BC, see Gross 2008, p. 38; some doubts have occasionally been expressed, see Messina 2012, p. 121, fn. 4; Antiochus III was just 18 when he assumed the throne, which agrees well with the portrait being made circa 220 BC, see Pantos 1989, p. 287 Apollonios might have also been responsible for making coin dies for Antiochus III, as some of his coins bear monogram ΑΠΟ,Vollenweider 1980, p. 151, fn. 29; Pantos 1989, p. 287Photos of a tetradrachm from a mint in Nisibis (Mesopotamia, modern Turkey), now in Hunterian Museum, Glasgow, are published in: Vollenweider 1980, pl. 39:3a; Messina 2012, p. 122, fig. 2 although this is controversial.Gross 2008, p. 52; Messina 2012, p. 123 Several seal impressions — one of Antiochus III,Seal size over 1.9 x 1.7 cm, impression kept in Iraq Museum, Baghdad, see Messina 2012, p. 123, p.124, fn. 15; photo published in Messina 2012, p. 123, fig. 4a one of Antiochus IV,Seal size over 2.1 x 1.9 cm, impression kept in Iraq Museum, Baghdad, see Messina 2012, p. 123, p.124, fn. 15; photo published in Messina 2012, p. 123, fig. 4b and six of an unknown noblemanThese are particularly well impressed and preserved. Seal size over 1.8 x 1.6 cm, all impressions kept in Iraq Museum, Baghdad, see Messina 2012, p.124; photos of one of the impressions are published in Messina 2012, p. 123, fig. 4c, and on the catalogue book cover — excavated in Seleucia on the Tigris in modern Iraq, all unsigned, have been ascribed to Apollonios or his circle on stylistic grounds.Messina 2012, pp. 124–125The impressions come from the archive building of Seleucis, where over 25,000 clay sealings have been found, dated to the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC using the ruler portraits and stamps of the salt tax department, see Messina 2012, p.121 Influence of his work has been deduced in coins of Antiochus III minted in Antiokheia.Gross 2008, pp. 39–40 Apollonios was certainly an engraver of the first rank,Hill 1943, p. 64; Pantos 1989, p. 288; Gross 2008, p. 39; Messina 2012, p. 121, fn. 2 but nothing else is known about him as his is a very common name.Pantos 1989, p.287; Messina 2012, p. 123Another engraver of the same name but working at a later period is known from several signed works, see Richter 1956, pp. XXXVI–XXXVII; one low-quality portrait seal impression from Seleucia on the Tigris is signed "ΑΠΟΛΛ[Ο or Ω][...]" in reverse, although it could also be the name of the owner, see Messina 2012, p. 124, fig.5, p.125; Athens produced many sculptors with this name, see: Pantos 1989, p. 287; Messina 2012, p. 123, fn. 13; the famous Belvedere Torso is prominently signed "Apollonios, son of Nestor, Athenian"; the bronze Boxer of Quirinal is also signed "Apollonios, son of Nestor", see Messina 2012, p. 123, fn. 13; finally, Pliny the Elder ascribed the monumental Farnese Bull to a certain Apollonios of Tralles and his brother TauriscusEven the two signed portraits under discussion have been suggested as works of two different contemporaneous engravers of the same name, see Messina 2012 He has been hypothesized to be an Athenian who worked for some time in the Seleucid and possibly other Hellenistic courts.Pantos 1989, p. 288; Gross 2008, p. 39; Spier 1991, p. 91

Dating of the ring to around 220 BC agrees with what is known about Echedemos. His two sons were born circa 200 BC, so twenty years earlier he must have been fairly young.Pantos 1989, p. 287