Editing Callimachus (polemarch)

{{Short description|Athenian polemarch at Battle of Marathon in 490 BC}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix  = 
| name              = Callimachus 
| honorific_suffix  = 
| native_name        = Καλλίμαχος
| native_name_lang  = Gr
| image         = Datis fighting Kallimachos at the Battle of Marathon in the Stoa Poikile (reconstitution).jpg
| image_size    = 300
| alt           = 
| caption       = [[Datis]] fighting Kallimachos at the [[Battle of Marathon]], in the [[Stoa Poikile]] (reconstitution)
| birth_date    = <!-- {{birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{birth date|YYYY|MM|DD}} if dead-->
| death_date    = 490 BC
| birth_place   = [[Afidnes]]
| death_place   = Marathon
| placeofburial = 
| placeofburial_label = 
| placeofburial_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
| nickname      = 
| birth_name    = 
| allegiance    = Athens
| branch        = 
| serviceyears  = 
| rank          = [[Polemarch]]
| servicenumber = <!--Do not use data from primary sources such as service records.-->
| unit          = 
| commands      = 
| battles       = [[Battle of Marathon]]
| battles_label = 
| awards        = 
| spouse        = <!-- Add spouse if reliably sourced --> 
| relations     =
| laterwork     = 
| signature     = 
| website       = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
| memorials     = {{bulleted list| The statue of the "Nike of Callimachus" | He was portrayed among the Athenian gods and heroes on the wall-paintings of the [[Stoa Poikile]]}}
| module        = 
}}

'''Callimachus''' {{IPAc-en|k|ə|ˈ|l|ɪ|m|ə|k|ə|s}} ({{langx|el|Καλλίμαχος}} ''Kallímakhos'') was the Athenian [[polemarch]] at the [[Battle of Marathon]], which took place during 490 BC. According to [[Herodotus]], he was from the [[Attica]] [[deme]] of [[Aphidna]].<ref>[http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hh/hh6100.htm Herodotus Book 6: Erato, 109] "the polemarch was Callimachos of the deme of Aphidnai"</ref>

== The Battle of Marathon ==
{{main|Battle of Marathon}}

As polemarch, Callimachus had a vote in military affairs along with the 10 ''[[strategos|strategoi]]'', including [[Miltiades the Younger|Miltiades]]. Miltiades convinced Callimachus to vote in favour of a battle when the ''strategoi'' were split evenly on the matter.

Miltiades is supposed to have said to Callimachus just before the polemarch cast his vote: "Everything now rests on you."{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}

During the battle, as polemarch, Callimachus commanded the right wing of the Athenian army as was the Athenian custom at that time.<ref>[http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hh/hh6110.htm Herodotus Book 6: Erato, 111] "On the right wing the polemarch Callimachos was leader (for the custom of the Athenians then was this, that the polemarch should have the right wing)"</ref> The right and left wings (the left wing commanded by the [[Plataea]]ns) surrounded the Persians after a seemingly suicidal charge by the centre line.

Although the Greeks were victorious, Callimachus was killed during the retreat of the Persians while he was chasing them to their ships.<ref>[http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hh/hh6110.htm Herodotus Book 6: Erato, 114] "In this part of the work was slain the polemarch Callimachos after having proved himself a good man,&nbsp;..."</ref>

[[Plutarch]], in his work: ''Moralia. Greek and Roman Parallel Stories'' mentions that Callimachus was pierced with so many spears that, even when he was dead, he continued to be in an upright posture.<ref>[https://www.loebclassics.com/view/plutarch-moralia_greek_roman_parallel_stories/1936/pb_LCL305.257.xml Plutarch, Moralia. Greek and Roman Parallel Stories: "Callimachus was pierced with so many spears that, dead though he was, he stood upright"]</ref>

There was a custom at Athens that the father of the man who had the most valorous death in a battle should pronounce the funerary oration in public. So, after the battle of Marathon, the father of Callimachus and the father of [[Cynaegirus]] had an argument about who of their sons were the bravest.

Callimachus was portrayed among the Athenian gods and heroes on the wall-paintings of the [[Stoa Poikile]].  The Athenians erected a statue in honour of Callimachus, the "[[Nike of Callimachus]]".

According to some sources, before the battle, Callimachus promised that if the Greeks won, he would sacrifice to [[Artemis]] [[Agrotera]] as many goats as the number of Persians killed at the battlefield. Athenians kept his promise, in spirit, and every year sacrificed 500 goats, because they didn't have enough goats for every single Persian who was killed at the battle (6,400).<ref>{{cite journal |date= 1940|title= Two Monuments Erected after the Victory of Marathon|journal= American Journal of Archaeology|publisher= Archaeological Institute of America|volume= 44|issue= 1|pages= 53–59|doi= 10.2307/499590|jstor= 499590|last1= Raubitschek|first1= A. E.}}</ref>

== The statue of the "Nike of Callimachus" ==
{{main|Nike of Callimachus}}

After the battle of Marathon, Athenians created a statue in honour of Callimachus. The statue was the "''[[Nike of Callimachus]]''" and it was erected next to the Parthenon (not the [[Parthenon]] that we can see today, but the previous temple which was destroyed by the Persians) on the [[Acropolis of Athens]].

The surviving fragments of the statue, depicting the goddess [[Nike (mythology)|Nike]] atop a large column and made of [[Pentelic marble|Pentelic]] and [[Parian marble|Parian]] [[marble]], are now housed in the [[Acropolis Museum]] in Athens.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The "Nike of Kallimachos" {{!}} Acropolis Museum {{!}} Official website |url=https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en/nike-kallimachos |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=www.theacropolismuseum.gr}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[First Persian invasion of Greece]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book 
|title=Twenty Decisive Battles of the World
|last1=Mitchell 
|first1=Joseph B.
|last2=Creasy
|first2=Sir Edward S. 
|location=Old Saybrook, Connecticut
|publisher=Konecky & Konecky
|year=1964
|isbn=9781568524580}}
* {{cite book
|title=Battles of the Ancient World
|author=Don Nardo
|year=1995
|publisher=Lucent Books
|isbn=9781560064121
|url-access=registration
|url=https://archive.org/details/battleofmarathon0000nard
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Callimachus}}
[[Category:490 BC deaths]]
[[Category:5th-century BC Athenians]]
[[Category:Ancient Greeks killed in battle]]
[[Category:Athenians of the Greco-Persian Wars]]
[[Category:Battle of Marathon]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]