Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men

Use in the book

Timarchus and Philemon son of Philemonides alone know the plot to kill Nicias son of Heroscamandrus. At a drinking party Timarchus announces a temporary departure. Socrates experiences the voice and insists he remain. The same happens on a second attempt. The third time Timarchus waits until Socrates’ attention is elsewhere, leaves silently, and does the deeds for which he is going to die.

The framing narrative supplies two additional figures. Clitomachus is Timarchus’ brother and the person whom the listeners can ask about his final statement. Euathlus, identified as the stadion-runner, sheltered Timarchus when he fled and is represented as going to death with him. Euathlus is not named as the companion in the original murder plot; that role belongs to Philemon. The passage does not state Philemon’s eventual fate or explain every judicial step connecting the actions to the condemned men’s deaths.

Timarchus’ final attribution is that he dies because he would not obey Socrates. The narrative makes the ignored warning central without saying Socrates knew the plot at the party. Indeed, “the two of them alone knew” excludes that inference at the relevant moment. The sign functions as an effective prohibition whose reason need not be consciously available to Socrates.

The account is retrospective testimony within Socrates’ narration. It is not a reproduced court record. The edition’s note emphasises how little independent identification is possible: proposed connections for Euathlus and Philemon with other ancient references remain unestablished. Nicias here must especially not be confused with the famous general associated with the subsequent Sicilian example.

Places to read

1. 129aτὸν Τιμάρχου ἀδελφὸν Κλειτόμαχον — Clitomachus is the brother and accessible witness
2. 129aΕὔαθλος ὁ σταδιοδρομῶν … ὑπεδέξατο φεύγοντα — Euathlus is the runner who sheltered the fugitive
3. 129a–bΤίμαρχος καὶ Φιλήμων ὁ Φιλημονίδου — these are the two plotters
4. 129bἀποκτενοῦντες Νικίαν τὸν Ἡροσκαμάνδρου — the intended victim is identified with his own patronymic
5. 129bἠπιστάσθην … αὐτὼ μόνω τὴν ἐπιβουλήν — dual forms stress the plotters’ exclusive knowledge
6. 129cδιεπράξατο ἐξ ὧν ᾔει ἀποθανούμενος — deeds and consequent death are linked without a detailed trial narrative

Translation in this edition

Note 33 distinguishes secure roles from uncertain historical identifications. At 129a †εὐθὺ τοῦ δαιμονίου† is marked corrupt; note 32 records conjectures meaning “the executioner” or “the public prison”. The printed corruption must not be treated as evidence for a religious destination or silently replaced by either conjecture.

Carry out; accomplish — διαπράττεσθαι

Carry out; accomplish. To perform the deeds in question; the narrative connects Timarchus’ actions after departure with his ensuing death. Attested: διεπράξατο (129c). Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men.

Clitomachus — Κλειτόμαχος

Clitomachus. Timarchus’ brother and proposed witness to his final explanation; not one of the named murder plotters. Attested: Κλειτόμαχον (129a). Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men.

Die — ἀποθνῄσκειν

Die. To die; the future participle describes Timarchus as going to his death after the deeds and flight. Attested: ἀποθανούμενος (129a). Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men.

Drinking party — συμπόσιον

Drinking party. A gathering for drinking; the setting from which the conspirators intend to leave. Attested: συμποσίου (129b). Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men.

Euathlus — Εὔαθλος

Euathlus. The stadion-runner who sheltered the fugitive Timarchus and is represented as going to death with him. Attested: Εὔαθλος (129a). Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men.

Flee — φεύγειν

Flee. To be in flight; it describes Timarchus when Euathlus received him, without specifying the legal stage of that flight. Attested: φεύγοντα (129a). Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men.

Kill — ἀποκτείνειν (apokteinein)

ἀποκτείνειν (apokteinein)

Kill. To put someone to death; the future participle states the plotters’ purpose in leaving. Attested: ἀποκτενοῦντες (129b). Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men.

Heroscamandrus — Ἡροσκάμανδρος

Heroscamandrus. Nicias’ father, identifying the victim by patronymic; no separate person named Scamander appears in the story. Attested: Ἡροσκαμάνδρου (129b). Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men.

Nicias son of Heroscamandrus — Νικίας

Nicias son of Heroscamandrus. The murder plot’s intended victim; not to be identified with the famous Sicilian commander on name alone. Attested: Νικίαν (129b). Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men.

Philemon — Φιλήμων

Philemon. Son of Philemonides and Timarchus’ partner in the plot against Nicias; distinct from the fugitive’s host Euathlus. Attested: Φιλήμων (129b). Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men.

Philemonides — Φιλημονίδης

Philemonides. Philemon’s father, supplied only as a patronymic; no participation in the plot is attributed to him. Attested: Φιλημονίδου (129b). Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men.

Plot — ἐπιβουλή

Plot. The hostile plan known only to Timarchus and Philemon before their departure from the drinking party. Attested: ἐπιβουλήν (129b). Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men.

Receive; shelter — ὑποδέχεσθαι

Receive; shelter. To take someone in; Euathlus sheltered Timarchus while he was fleeing. Attested: ὑπεδέξατο (129a). Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men.

Run the stadion — σταδιοδρομεῖν

Run the stadion. To compete as a stadium-length runner; the participle distinguishes Euathlus in the narrative. Attested: σταδιοδρομῶν (129a). Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men.

Timarchus — Τίμαρχος

Timarchus. The plotter who twice heeds a warning, then leaves unnoticed and later attributes his impending death to disobedience. Attested: Τίμαρχος (129a). Timarchus, the murder plot, and the condemned men.