Damon and Pythias
Preserved but no longer current.
A type of inseparable friends. They were Syracusans of the first half of the 4th century B c. : Pythias being condemned to death by Dionysius the tyrant, obtained leave to go home to arrange his affairs after Damon had agreed to take his place and be executed should Pythias not return. Pythias being delayed, Damon was led to execution, but his friend arrived just in time to save him.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Damon and Pythias” mean?
A type of inseparable friends. They were Syracusans of the first half of the 4th century B c. : Pythias being condemned to death by Dionysius the tyrant, obtained leave to go home to arrange his affairs after Damon had agreed to take his place and be executed should Pythias not return. Pythias being delayed, Damon was led to execution, but his friend arrived just in time to save him.
Is “Damon and Pythias” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.