Onomarchus

Who is Onomarchus?

Onomarchus was general of the Phocians in the Third Sacred War, brother of Philomelus and son of Theotimus.

Onomarchus commanded a division of the Phocian army under Philomelus in the action at Tithorea, in which Philomelus perished. After the battle Onomarchus gathered the remains of the Phocian army and retreated to Delphi. An assembly of the people was held, in which Onomarchus strongly urged the prosecution of the war — in opposition to the counsels of the more moderate party — and succeeded in obtaining his own nomination to the chief command in the place of Philomelus 353 BC.

Onomarchus was, however, not inclined to imitate the moderation of his predecessor, who had 'borrowed' from the sacred treasures of Delphi and had kept scrupulous records. Instead, he confiscated the property of all those states who were opposed to Phocis and made full use of the accumulated wealth of the shrine. Using the treasures of Delphi he was able to assemble and maintain a large body of mercenary troops, in addition to bribing many of the hostile states, allowing him to influence the Thessalians to abandon their allies and take up a neutral position.

Thus freed from his most formidable antagonists, he was more than a match for his remaining foes. He invaded Locris, took the town of Thronium, compelled Amphissa to submit, ravaged the Dorian Tetrapolis, and finally turned his arms against Boeotia — where he took Orchomenus and laid siege to Chaeronea — but was compelled to retreat without effecting anything more.