Загадка Деметрия «Этолика»

Abstract

The paper is devoted to a problem of identification of a mysterious Demetrius «Aetolicus». This man, mentioned only by Strabo (X.2.4), ravaged territory near Old Pleuron in Aetolia. Afterwards the inhabitants founded a New Pleuron (Demetrius «Aetolicus» ravaged chora of Old Pleuron, but not the city—cf. Lippman M. B. // Hesperia. 2004. Vol. 73.4. P. 497–512). Three candidatures were offered: Demetrius I Poliorcetes (K. J. Beloch, R. Flacelière), Demetrius II of Macedon (W. J. Woodhouse, G. Klaffenbach, F. W. Walbank, C. Ehrhardt, J. D. Grainger, J. B. Scholten, S. K. Sizov, S. Yu. Vlasyukov et al.) and Illyrian ruler Demetrius of Pharos (E. Kirsten). Most commonly, «Aetolicus» is identified with Antigonid Demetrius II of Macedon (239 -229 BC), who was in war with Aetolians and Achaeans (so-called Δημητριακός πό-λεμος). However, Demetrius I Poliorcetes or Demetrius of Pharos (the both of them ravaged Aetolia: one in 289 BC, other in 220 BC—Plut. Demetr. 41.1-2; idem. Pyrrh. 7.4; Polyb. IV.19.7-9), also can be a man mentioned by Strabo. Nickname Αίτωλικός was obviously unofficial, but coincided with the ravage of Pleuron’s territory by one of those three men. Archaeological investigations don’t give any evidence (except existence of two settlements — Old and New Pleuron) for studying a problem of Demetrius «Aetolicus».