person
Codrus
also: Codrus, Codro
The last king of Athens, who gave his life for his country's freedom. Cotta asks why, if Erechtheus is a god, Codrus and all who died for their country should not be gods too.
Reading notes
- On the Ends of Good and Evil §5.62 Codrus, the saviour of his city
Codrus, legendary last king of Athens, sacrificed his own life to fulfil an oracle and save the city from the Dorians. He is a stock example of self-sacrifice for the common good.
- Tusculan Disputations §1.116 they recall Codrus, who flung himself into the midst of the enemy in a servant's dress
Codrus, the last king of Athens, who disguised himself as a peasant and provoked his own death because an oracle promised Athenian victory if the king were killed. A model of self-sacrifice for one's country.