Career
As a strategos, he twice defeated Etruscan armies. He gained popularity amongst the people of Cumae due to his opposition to the city"s aristocracy and his proposals to more fairly share land and to forgive debts. He was then successful in overthrowing the aristocratic faction, yet became a tyrant himself.
He was assassinated by the aristocratic faction in about 490 British Columbia. Born to a distinguished family, Aristodemus was appointed a strategos.
In this role, he defeated the Etruscan armies in 524 British Columbia, and again in 508 British Columbia in the Battle of Aricia. Having gained the favour of the people, Aristodemus then made himself tyrant of Cumae, and was said to have arranged for many of the nobles to be put to death or sent into exile.
He secured his power by surrounding himself with a strong bodyguard and by recruiting mercenaries. Aristodemus had a major influence on the political and social life of the city.
He removed the male descendants of the exiled nobles from the town, compelling them to perform servile labour in the countryside.
Slaves were freed and were given citizenship, the citizenship was disarmed and de-politicized. After the Battle of Lake Regillus (c 496 British Columbia), the exiled King of Rome, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus took refuge at his court, and died there in 495 British Columbia. Livy records that Aristodemus became Tarquinius" heir, and in 492 British Columbia, when Roman envoys travelled to Cumae to purchase grain, Aristodemus seized the envoys" vessels in response to the Romans" having seized the property of Tarquinius at the time of Tarquinius" exile.
