Demon of Athens (Δήμων ὁ Ἀθηναῖος) was a 4th-century BCE Atthidographer, a writer of local Athenian history. He belonged to the prominent Paianieis family and was a relative of the orator Demosthenes, identified by some as an uncle and by others as a cousin [1]. Demon was the father of the orator Dinarchus and served as a commissioner for rebuilding Athens’s walls in 307/6 BCE, indicating his political activity extended into the early Hellenistic period [1][2].

His only known work is an Atthis (Ἀθθίς), a history of Athens now surviving only in fragments. It treated Attic antiquities, myths, religious rites, and historical events. Other titles, such as On Proverbs (Περὶ Παροιμιῶν) and On Sacrifices (Περὶ Ἱερῶν), may have been separate works or sections within his Atthis [1][2].

As an Atthidographer, Demon helped preserve Athenian local traditions and institutions. His fragments were cited by later lexicographers like Harpocration for explanations of obscure terms and customs, providing valuable insights into Athenian religious practice and lore [1][2]. His familial ties and public role place him within the Athenian political elite during the transition from the Classical to Hellenistic age.

Sources 1. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics: Demon: https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-2132 2. Perseus Digital Library, Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: Demon: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Ddemon-bio-1