Aristoteleia, festivals in honour of Aristotle, because he obtained the restitution of his country from Alexander.

Aristotĕles, a famous philosopher, son of the physician Nicomachus by Festiada, born at Stagira. After his father’s death he went to Athens to hear Plato’s lectures, where he soon signalized himself by the brightness of his genius. He had been of an inactive and dissolute disposition in his youth, but now he applied himself with uncommon diligence; and after he had spent 20 years in hearing the instructions of Plato, he opened a school for himself, for which he was accused of ingratitude and illiberality by his ancient master. He was moderate in his meals; he slept little, and always had one arm out of his couch with a bullet in it, which by falling into a brazen basin underneath, early awakened him. He was, according to some, 10 years preceptor to Alexander, who received his instructions with much pleasure and deference, and always respected him. According to Plutarch, the improvement that Alexander made under Aristotle was of more service to him than all the splendour and power which he received from Philip. Almost all his writings, which are composed on a variety of subjects, are extant: he gave them to Theophrastus at his death, and they were bought by one of the Ptolemies, and placed in the famous library of Alexandria. Diogenes Laertes has given us a very extensive catalogue of them. Aristotle had a deformed countenance, but his genius was a sufficient compensation for all his personal defects. He has been called by Plato the philosopher of truth; and Cicero compliments him with the title of a man of eloquence, universal knowledge, readiness and acuteness of invention, and fecundity of thought. The writings of Aristotle have been compared with those of Plato; but the one are the effusions of a lively and fruitful imagination, whilst the philosopher of Stagira studied nature more than art, and had recourse to simplicity of expression more than ornament. He neither worshipped nor cared for the divinity, concerning which his opinions were ever various and dissonant; and the more he disregarded the mythology of the ancients, the greater was the credit he acquired over his less philosophical predecessors. He was so authoritative in his opinions, that, as Bacon observes, he wished to establish the same dominion over men’s minds, as his pupil over nations. Alexander, it is said, wished and encouraged his learned tutor to write the history of animals; and the more effectually to assist him, he supplied him with 800 talents, and in his Asiatic expedition employed above 1000 men to collect animals, either in fishing, hunting, or hawking, which were carefully transmitted to the philosopher. Aristotle’s logic has long reigned in the schools, and been regarded as the perfect model of all imitation. As he expired, the philosopher is said to have uttered the following sentiment: Fœde hunc mundum intravi, anxius vixi, perturbatus egredior, causa causarum miserere mei. The letter which Philip wrote to Aristotle has been preserved, and is in these words: “I inform you I have a son; I thank the gods, not so much for making me a father, as for giving me a son in an age when he can have Aristotle for his instructor. I hope you will make him a successor worthy of me, and a king worthy of Macedonia.” Aristotle wished to make his wife Pythias a deity, and to pay her the same worship as was paid to Ceres. He died in the 63rd year of his age, B.C. 322. His treatises have been published separately; but the best edition of the works collectively, is that of Duval, 2 vols., folio, Paris, 1629. Tyrwhitt’s edition of the Poetica, Oxford, 4to, 1794, is a valuable acquisition to literature. He had a son whom he called Nicomachus, by the courtesan Herpyllis. Some have accused him of being accessary to the death of Alexander, and said that he drowned himself in the Euripus, because he could not find out the cause of its flux and reflux. There are, however, different reports about the manner of his death, and some believe that he died at Athens of a cholic, two years after Alexander’s death. The people of Stagira instituted festivals in his honour, because he had rendered important services to their city. Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers.—Plutarch, Alexander & de Alexandri Magni Fortuna Aut Virtute, &c.—Cicero, Academica Quæstiones, bk. 4; On Oratory, bk. 3; de Finibus, bk. 5.—Quintilian, bks. 1, 2, 5, 10.—Ælian, Varia Historia, bk. 4.—Justin, bk. 12.—Justin Martyr.—Augustine, City of God, bk. 8.—Pliny, bks. 2, 4, 5, &c.—Athenæus.—Valerius Maximus, bk. 5, ch. 6, &c. There were besides seven of the same name. A magistrate of Athens.——A commentator on Homer’s Iliad.——An orator of Sicily, who answered the panegyric of Isocrates.——A friend of Æschines.——A man of Cyrene who wrote on poetry.——A schoolmaster mentioned in Plato’s life, written by Aristoxenus.——An obscure grammarian. Diogenes Laërtius, Aristotle.

Aristotīmus, a tyrant of Elis, 271 years B.C. Pausanias, bk. 5, ch. 5.

Aristoxĕnus, a celebrated musician, disciple of Aristotle, and born at Tarentum. He wrote 453 different treatises on philosophy, history, &c., and was disappointed in his expectations of succeeding in the school of Aristotle, for which he always spoke with ingratitude of his learned master. Of all his works nothing remains but three books upon music, the most ancient on that subject extant.——A philosopher of Cyrene. Athenæus.——A physician whose writings are quoted by Galen.——A poet of Selinus.——A Pythagorean philosopher.

Aristus, a Greek historian of Salamas, who wrote an account of Alexander’s expedition. Strabo, bk. 14.—Arrian, bk. 7.

Aristyllus, an obscure poet. Aristophanes.——An astronomer of Alexandria, 292 B.C.

Arius, a river of Gaul, and——of Asia. The inhabitants in the neighbourhood are called Arii.——A celebrated writer, the origin of the Arian controversy, that denied the eternal divinity and consubstantiality of the Word. Though he was greatly persecuted for his opinions, he gained the favour of the emperor Constantine, and triumphed over his powerful antagonist Athanasius. He died the very night he was going to enter the church of Constantinople in triumph. Pressed by nature, he went aside to ease himself; but his bowels gushed out, and he expired on the spot, A.D. 336. Athanasius.

Armĕnes, a son of Nabis, led in triumph at Rome. Livy, bk. 34, ch. 1.

Armenia, a large country of Asia, divided into Upper and Lower Armenia. Upper Armenia, called also Major, has Media on the east, Iberia on the north, and Mesopotamia on the south. Lower Armenia, or Minor, is bounded by Cappadocia, Armenia Major, Syria, Cilicia, and the Euphrates. The Armenians were a long time under the dominion of the Medes and Persians, till they were conquered with the rest of Asia, by Alexander and his successors. The Romans made it one of their provinces, and under some of the emperors the Armenians had the privilege of choosing their own kings, but they were afterwards reduced. The country received its name from Armenus, who was one of the Argonauts, and of Thessalian origin. They borrowed the names and attributes of their deities from the Persians. They paid great adoration to Venus Anaitis, and the chiefest of the people always prostituted their daughters in honour of this goddess. Armenia Major is now called Turcomania, and Minor, Aladulia. Herodotus, bk. 1, ch. 194; bk. 5, ch. 49.—Curtius, bk. 4, ch. 12; bk. 5, ch. 1.—Strabo, bks. 1 & 11.—Mela, bk. 3, chs. 5 & 8.—Pliny, bk. 6, ch. 4, &c.—Lucan, bk. 2.

Armentarius, a Cæsar in Diocletian’s reign.

Armillatus, one of Domitian’s favourites. Juvenal, satire 4, li. 53.

Armilustrium, a festival at Rome on the 19th of October. When the sacrifices were offered, all the people appeared under arms. The festival has often been confounded with that of the Salii, though easily distinguished; because the latter was observed the 2nd of March, and on the celebration of the Armilustrium they always played on a flute, and the Salii played upon the trumpet. It was instituted A.U.C. 543. Varro, de Lingua Latina, bk. 5, ch. 3.—Livy, bk. 27, ch. 37.

Arminius, a warlike general of the Germans, who supported a bloody war against Rome for some time, and was at last conquered by Germanicus in two great battles. He was poisoned by one of his friends, A.D. 19, in the 37th year of his age. Dio Cassius, bk. 56.—Tacitus, Annals, bk. 1, &c.

Armorĭcæ, cities of Celtic Gaul, famous for the warlike, rebellious, and inconstant disposition of the inhabitants called Armorici. Armorica extended between the rivers Liger and Sequana, and comprehended those rich and populous provinces now called Britany and Normandy. Cæsar, Gallic War.

Arne, a city of Lycia, called afterwards Xanthus.——A town of Umbria in Italy.——A daughter of Æolus, who gave her name to two towns, one in Thessaly, the other in Bœotia. Neptune changed himself into a bull to enjoy her company. Strabo, bks. 1 & 2.—Pausanias, bk. 9, ch. 40.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 6, fable 4.

Arni, a people of Italy, destroyed by Hercules.

Arniensis, a tribe in Rome. Livy, bk. 6.

Arnobius, a philosopher in Diocletian’s reign, who became a convert to christianity. He applied for ordination, but was refused by the bishops till he gave them a proof of his sincerity. Upon this he wrote his celebrated treatise, in which he exposed the absurdity of irreligion, and ridiculed the heathen gods. Opinions are various concerning the purity of his style, though all agree in praise of his extensive erudition. The book that he wrote, De Rhetoricâ Institutione, is not extant. The best edition of his treatise Adversus Gentes is the 4to, printed Leiden, 1651.

Arnus, a river of Etruria, rising in the Apennine mountains, and falling into the Mediterranean. Livy, bk. 22, ch. 2.

Aroa, a town of Achaia. Pausanias, bk. 7.

Aroma, a town of Caria,——of Cappadocia.

Arpāni, a people of Italy.

Arpi, a city of Apulia, built by Diomedes after the Trojan war. Justin, bk. 20, ch. 1.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 10, li. 28.

Arpīnum, a town of the Volsci, famous for giving birth to Cicero and Marius. The words Arpinæ chartæ are sometimes applied to Cicero’s works. Martial, bk. 10, ltr. 19.—Juvenal, satire 8, li. 237.—Cicero, De Lege Agraria contra Rullum, speech 3.——A town of Magna Græcia.

Arræi, a people of Thrace. Pliny.

Arrharæus, the king of a nation in the neighbourhood of Macedonia, who greatly distressed Archelaus. Aristotle, bk. 5, Politics, ch. 10.

Arria. See: Aria.

Arria Galla, a beautiful but immodest woman in the reign of the emperors. Tacitus, bk. 15, ch. 19.

Arriānus, a philosopher of Nicomedia, priest of Ceres and Proserpine, and disciple of Epictetus, called a second Xenophon, from the elegance and sweetness of his diction, and distinguished for his acquaintance with military and political life. He wrote seven books on Alexander’s expedition, the periplus of the Euxine and Red seas, four books on the dissertations of Epictetus, besides an account of the Alani, Bithynians, and Parthians. He flourished about the 140th year of Christ, and was rewarded with the consulship and government of Cappadocia, by Marcus Antoninus. The best edition of Arrian’s Expeditio Alexandri, is the folio Gronovii, Leiden, 1704, and the 8vo, à Raphelio, 2 vols., 1757, and the Tactica, 8vo, Amsterdam, 1683.——A Greek historian.——An Athenian who wrote a treatise on hunting, and the manner of keeping dogs.——A poet who wrote an epic poem in 24 books on Alexander; also another poem on Attalus king of Pergamus. He likewise translated Virgil’s Georgics into Greek verse.

Arrius, a friend of Cicero, whose sumptuous feast Horace describes, bk. 2, satire 3, li. 86.——Aper, a Roman general who murdered the emperor, &c.

Arrius and Arius, a philosopher of Alexandria, who so ingratiated himself with Augustus, after the battle of Actium, that the conqueror declared the people of Alexandria owed the preservation of their city to three causes; because Alexander was their founder, because of the beauty of the situation, and because Arrius was a native of the place. Plutarch, Antonius.

Arruntius, a Roman consul.——A famous geographer who, upon being accused of adultery and treason, under Tiberius, opened his veins. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 6.

Arsabes, a satrap of Armenia.——Of Persia. Polyænus.

Arsăces, a man of obscure origin, who, upon seeing Seleucus defeated by the Gauls, invaded Parthia, and conquered the governor of the province called Andragoras, and laid the foundations of an empire, 250 B.C. He added the kingdom of the Hyrcani to his newly acquired possessions, and spent his time in establishing his power, and regulating the laws. After death he was made a god of his nation, and all his successors were called, in honour of his name, Arsacidæ. Justin, bk. 41, chs. 5 & 6.—Strabo, bks. 11 & 12.——His son and successor bore the same name. He carried war against Antiochus the son of Seleucus, who entered the field with 100,000 foot and 20,000 horse. He afterwards made peace with Antiochus, and died B.C. 217. Justin, bk. 41, ch. 5.——The third king of Parthia, of the family of the Arsacidæ, bore the same name, and was also called Priapatius. He reigned 12 years, and left two sons, Mithridates and Phraates. Phraates succeeded as being the elder, and at his death he left his kingdom to his brother, though he had many children; observing that a monarch ought to have in view, not the dignity of his family, but the prosperity of his subjects. Justin, bk. 31, ch. 5.——A king of Pontus and Armenia, in alliance with the Romans. He fought long with success against the Persians, till he was deceived by the snares of king Sapor, his enemy, who put out his eyes, and soon after deprived him of life. Marcellinus.——The eldest son of Artabanus, appointed over Armenia by his father, after the death of king Artaxias. Tacitus, Histories, bk. 6.——A servant of Themistocles.

Arsacĭdæ, a name given to some of the monarchs of Parthia, in honour of Arsaces, the founder of the empire. Their power subsisted till the 229th year of the christian era, when they were conquered by Artaxerxes king of Persia. Justin, bk. 41.

Arsamĕnes, a satrap of Persia, at the battle of the Granicus.

Arsametes, a river of Asia, near Parthia. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 15.

Arsamosāta, a town of Armenia Major, 70 miles from the Euphrates. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 15.

Arsānes, the son of Ochus and father of Codomanus.

Arsanias, a river of Armenia, which, according to some, flows into the Tigris, and afterwards into the Euphrates. Pliny, bk. 5, ch. 24.

Arsēna, a marsh of Armenia Major whose fishes are all of the same sort. Strabo.

Arses, the youngest son of Ochus, whom the eunuch Bagoas raised to the throne of Persia, and destroyed with his children, after a reign of three years. Diodorus, bk. 17.

Arsia, a wood of Etruria, famous for a battle between the Romans and the Veientes. Plutarch, Poplicola.——A small river between Illyricum and Istria, falling into the Adriatic.——A river of Italy, flowing through Campania.

Arsidæus, a son of Datames, &c.

Arsinoe, daughter of Leucippus and Philodice, was mother of Æsculapius by Apollo, according to some authors. She received divine honours after death at Sparta. Apollodorus, bk. 3.—Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 26; bk. 3, ch. 12.——A daughter of Phlegeus, promised in marriage to Alcmæon. Apollodorus, bk. 3, ch. 7.——A fountain of Peloponnesus. Pausanias, Messenia.——The sister and wife of Ptolemy Philadelphus, worshipped after death under the name of Venus Zephyritis. Dinochares began to build her a temple with loadstones, in which there stood a statue of Arsinoe suspended in the air by the power of the magnet; but the death of the architect prevented its being perfected. Pliny, bk. 34, ch. 14.——A daughter of Ptolemy Lagus, who married Lysimachus king of Macedonia. After her husband’s death, Ceraunus, her own brother, married her, and ascended the throne of Macedonia. He previously murdered Lysimachus and Philip, the sons of Arsinoe by Lysimachus, in their mother’s arms. Arsinoe was some time after banished to Samothrace. Justin, bk. 17, ch. 1, &c.——A younger daughter of Ptolemy Auletes, sister to Cleopatra. Antony despatched her to gain the good graces of her sister. Hirtius, Alexandrine War, ch. 4.—Appian.——The wife of Magas king of Cyrene, who committed adultery with her son-in-law. Justin, bk. 26, ch. 3.——A daughter of Lysimachus. Pausanias.——A town of Egypt, situated near the lake of Mœris, on the western shore of the Nile, where the inhabitants paid the highest veneration to the crocodiles. They nourished them in a splendid manner, and embalmed them after death, and buried them in the subterraneous cells of the labyrinth. Strabo.——A town of Cilicia,——of Æolia,——of Syria,——of Cyprus,——of Lycia, &c.

Arsites, a satrap of Paphlagonia.

Artabānus, son of Hystaspes, was brother to Darius I. He dissuaded his nephew Xerxes from making war against the Greeks, and at his return, he assassinated him with the hopes of ascending the throne. Darius the son of Xerxes was murdered in a similar manner; and Artaxerxes his brother would have shared the same fate, had not he discovered the snares of the assassin, and punished him with death. Diodorus, bk. 11.—Justin, bk. 3, ch. 1, &c.—Herodotus, bk. 4, ch. 38; bk. 7, ch. 10, &c.——A king of Parthia, after the death of his nephew Phraates II. He undertook a war against a nation of Scythia, in which he perished. His son Mithridates succeeded him, and merited the appellation of Great. Justin, bk. 42, ch. 2.——A king of Media, and afterwards of Parthia, after the expulsion of Vonones, whom Tiberius had made king there. He invaded Armenia, from whence he was driven away by one of the generals of Tiberius. He was expelled from his throne, which Tiridates usurped; and some time after he was restored again to his ancient power, and died A.D. 48. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 5, &c.——A king of Parthia, very inimical to the interest of Vespasian.——Another king of Parthia, who made war against the emperor Caracalla, who had attempted his life on pretence of courting his daughter. He was murdered, and the power of Parthia abolished, and the crown transferred to the Persian monarchs. Dio Cassius.—Herodian.

Artabazānes, or Artamĕnes, the eldest son of Darius, when a private person. He attempted to succeed to the Persian throne, in preference to Xerxes. Justin.

Artabāzus, a son of Pharnaces, general in the army of Xerxes. He fled from Greece upon the ill success of Mardonius. Herodotus, bks. 7, 8, & 9.——A general who made war against Artaxerxes, and was defeated. He was afterwards reconciled to his prince, and became the familiar friend of Darius III. After the murder of this prince, he surrendered himself up with his sons to Alexander, who treated him with much humanity and confidence. Curtius, bk. 5, chs. 9 & 12; bk. 6, ch. 5; bk. 7, chs. 3 & 5; bk. 8, ch. 1.——An officer of Artaxerxes against Datames. Diodorus, bk. 15.

Artabri and Artabrĭtæ, a people of Lusitania, who received their name from Artabrum, a promontory on the coast of Spain, now called Finisterre. Silius Italicus, bk. 3, li. 362.

Artacæas, an officer in the army of Xerxes, the tallest of all the troops, the king excepted.

Artacæna, a city of Asia, near Aria.

Artăce, a town and seaport near Cyzicus. It did not exist in the age of Pliny. There was in its neighbourhood a fountain called Artacia. Herodotus, bk. 4, ch. 14.—Procopius, The Persian War, bk. 1, ch. 25.—Strabo, bk. 13.—Pliny, bk. 5, ch. 32.——A city of Phrygia.——A fortified place of Bithynia.

Artacēne, a country of Assyria near Arbela, where Alexander conquered Darius. Strabo, bk. 16.

Artăcia, a fountain in the country of the Læstrygones. Tibullus, bk. 4, poem 1, li. 60.

Artæi, a name by which the Persians were called among their neighbours. Herodotus, bk. 7, ch. 61.

Artagreras, a town of Upper Armenia. Strabo.

Artagerses, a general in the army of Artaxerxes, killed by Cyrus the younger.—Plutarch, Artaxerxes.

Artanes, a king of the southern parts of Armenia. Strabo, bk. 11.——A river of Thrace flowing into the Ister. Herodotus, bk. 4, ch. 49.——A river of Colchis.

Artaphernes, a general whom Darius sent into Greece with Datis. He was conquered at the battle of Marathon, by Miltiades. See: Datis. Cornelius Nepos, Miltiades.—Herodotus.

Artatus, a river of Illyria. Livy, bk. 43, ch. 19.

Artavasdes, a son of Tigranes king of Upper Armenia, who wrote tragedies, and shone as an elegant orator and faithful historian. He lived in alliance with the Romans, but Crassus was defeated, partly on account of his delay. He betrayed Marcus Antony in his expedition against Parthia, for which Antony reduced his kingdom, and carried him to Egypt, where he adorned the triumph of the conqueror led in golden chains. He was some time after murdered. Strabo, bk. 11.——The crown of Armenia was given by Tiberius to a person of the same name, who was expelled.——Augustus had also raised to the throne of Armenia a person of the same name. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 2.

Artaxa and Artaxias, a general of Antiochus the Great, who erected the province of Armenia into a kingdom, by his reliance on the friendship of the Romans. King Tigranes was one of his successors. Strabo, bk. 11.

Artaxăta (orum), now Ardesh, a strongly fortified town of Upper Armenia, the capital of the empire, where the kings generally resided. It is said that Annibal built it for Artaxias the king of the country. It was burnt by Corbulo, and rebuilt by Tiridates, who called it Neronea, in honour of Nero. Strabo, bk. 11.

Artaxerxes I., succeeded to the kingdom of Persia, after his father Xerxes. He destroyed Artabanus, who had murdered Xerxes, and attempted to cut off the whole royal family to raise himself to the throne. He made war against the Bactrians, and reconquered Egypt that had revolted, with the assistance of the Athenians, and was remarkable for his equity and moderation. One of his hands was longer than the other, whence he has been called Macrochir or Longimanus. He reigned 39 years, and died B.C. 425. Cornelius Nepos, Kings.—Plutarch, Artaxerxes.——The second of that name, king of Persia, was surnamed Mnemon, on account of his extensive memory. He was son of Darius II. by Parysatis the daughter of Artaxerxes Longimanus, and had three brothers, Cyrus, Ostanes, and Oxathres. His name was Arsaces, which he changed into Artaxerxes when he ascended the throne. His brother Cyrus was of such an ambitious disposition, that he resolved to make himself king, in opposition to Artaxerxes. Parysatis always favoured Cyrus; and when he had attempted the life of Artaxerxes, she obtained his pardon by her entreaties and influence. Cyrus, who had been appointed over Lydia and the sea coasts, assembled a large army under various pretences, and at last marched against his brother at the head of 100,000 barbarians and 13,000 Greeks. He was opposed by Artaxerxes with 900,000 men, and a bloody battle was fought at Cunaxa, in which Cyrus was killed, and his forces routed. It has been reported that Cyrus was killed by Artaxerxes, who was so desirous of the honour, that he put to death two men for saying that they had killed him. The Greeks, who had assisted Cyrus against his brother, though at the distance of above 600 leagues from their country, made their way through the territories of the enemy; and nothing is more famous in the Grecian history, than the retreat of the 10,000. After he was delivered from the attacks of his brother, Artaxerxes stirred up a war among the Grecian states against Sparta, and exerted all his influence to weaken the power of the Greeks. He married two of his own daughters, called Atossa and Amestria, and named his eldest son Darius to be his successor. Darius, however, conspired against his father, and was put to death; and Ochus, one of the younger sons, called also Artaxerxes, made his way to the throne, by causing his elder brothers Ariaspes and Arsames to be assassinated. It is said that Artaxerxes died of a broken heart, in consequence of his son’s unnatural behaviour, in the 94th year of his age, after a reign of 46 years, B.C. 358. Artaxerxes had 150 children by his 350 concubines, and only four legitimate sons. Plutarch, Parallel Lives.—Cornelius Nepos, Kings.—Justin, bk. 10, ch. 1, &c.—Diodorus, bk. 13, &c.——The third, surnamed Ochus, succeeded his father Artaxerxes II., and established himself on his throne by murdering above 80 of his nearest relations. He punished with death one of his officers who conspired against him, and recovered Egypt, which had revolted, destroyed Sidon, and ravaged all Syria. He made war against the Cadusii, and greatly rewarded a private man called Codomanus for his uncommon valour. But his behaviour in Egypt, and his cruelty towards the inhabitants, offended his subjects, and Bagoas at last obliged his physician to poison him, B.C. 337, and afterwards gave his flesh to be devoured by cats, and made handles for swords with his bones. Codomanus, on account of his virtues, was soon after made king by the people; and that he might seem to possess as much dignity as the house of Artaxerxes, he reigned under the name of Darius III. Justin, bk. 10, ch. 3.—Diodorus, bk. 17.—Ælian, Varia Historia, bk. 6, ch. 8.

Artaxerxes, or Artaxares I., a common soldier of Persia, who killed Artabanus, A.D. 228, and erected Persia again into a kingdom, which had been extinct since the death of Darius. Severus the Roman emperor conquered him, and obliged him to remain within his kingdom. Herodian, bk. 5.——One of his successors, son of Sapor, bore his name, and reigned 11 years, during which he distinguished himself by his cruelties.

Artaxias, son of Artavasdes king of Armenia, was proclaimed king by his father’s troops. He opposed Antony, by whom he was defeated, and became so odious that the Romans, at the request of the Armenians, raised Tigranes to the throne.——Another, son of Polemon, whose original name was Zeno. After the expulsion of Vonones from Armenia, he was made king by Germanicus. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 6, ch. 31.——A general of Antiochus. See: Artaxa.

Artayctes, a Persian appointed governor of Sestos by Xerxes. He was hung on a cross by the Athenians for his cruelties. Herodotus, bks. 7 & 9.

Artaynta, a Persian lady whom Xerxes gave in marriage to his son Darius. She was one of the mistresses of her father-in-law. Herodotus, bk. 9, ch. 103, &c.

Artayntes, a Persian appointed over a fleet in Greece by Xerxes. Herodotus, bk. 8, ch. 13; bk. 9, ch. 107.

Artembares, a celebrated Mede in the reign of Cyrus the Great. Herodotus, bks. 1 & 9.

Artemidōrus, a native of Ephesus, who wrote a history and description of the earth, in 11 books. He flourished about 104 years B.C.——A physician in the age of Adrian.——A man in the reign of Antoninus, who wrote a learned work on the interpretation of dreams, still extant; the best edition of which is that of Rigaltius, Paris, 4to, 1604, to which is annexed Achmetis oneirocritica.——A man of Cnidus, son to the historian Theopompus. He had a school at Rome, and he wrote a book on illustrious men, not extant. As he was the friend of Julius Cæsar, he wrote down an account of the conspiracy which was formed against him. He gave it to the dictator from among the crowd as he was going to the senate, but Julius Cæsar put it with other papers which he held in his hand, thinking it to be of no material consequence. Plutarch, Cæsar.

Artĕmis, the Greek name of Diana. Her festivals, called Artemisia, were celebrated in several parts of Greece, particularly at Delphi, where they offered to the goddess a mullet, which, as was supposed, bore some affinity to the goddess of hunting, because it is said to hunt and kill the sea-hare. There was a solemnity of the same name at Syracuse; it lasted three days, which were spent in banqueting and diversions. Athenæus, bk. 7.

Artemisia, daughter of Lygdamis of Halicarnassus, reigned over Halicarnassus and the neighbouring country. She assisted Xerxes in his expedition against Greece with a fleet, and her valour was so great that the monarch observed that all his men fought like women, and all his women like men. The Athenians were so ashamed of fighting against a woman, that they offered a reward of 10,000 drachms for her head. It is said that she was fond of a youth of Abydos, called Dardanus, and that, to punish his disdain, she put out his eyes while he was asleep, and afterwards leaped down the promontory of Leucas. Herodotus, bk. 7, ch. 99; bk. 8, ch. 68, &c.—Justin, bk. 2, ch. 12.——There was also another queen of Caria of that name, often confounded with the daughter of Lygdamis. She was daughter of Hecatomnus king of Caria or Halicarnassus, and was married to her own brother Mausolus famous for his personal beauty. She was so fond of her husband, that at his death she drank in her liquor his ashes after his body had been burned, and erected to his memory a monument, which, for its grandeur and magnificence, was called one of the seven wonders of the world. This monument she called Mausoleum, a name which has been given from that time to all monuments of unusual splendour. She invited all the literary men of her age, and proposed rewards to him who composed the best elegiac panegyric upon her husband. The prize was adjudged to Theopompus. She was so inconsolable for the death of her husband that she died through grief two years after. Vitruvius.—Strabo, bk. 14.—Pliny, bk. 25, ch. 7; bk. 36, ch. 5.

Artemisia. See: Artemis.

Artemisium, a promontory of Eubœa, where Diana had a temple. The neighbouring part of the sea bore the same name. The fleet of Xerxes had a skirmish there with the Grecian ships. Herodotus, bk. 7, ch. 175, &c.——A lake near the grove Aricia, with a temple sacred to Artemis, whence the name.

Artemīta, a city at the east of Seleucia.——An island opposite the mouth of the Achelous. Strabo.

Artĕmon, an historian of Pergamus.——A native of Clazomenæ, who was with Pericles at the siege of Samos, where it is said he invented the battering ram, the testudo, and other equally valuable military engines.——A man who wrote a treatise on collecting books.——A native of Magnesia, who wrote the history of illustrious women.——A physician of Clazomenæ.——A painter.——A Syrian, whose features resembled, in the strongest manner, those of Antiochus. The queen, after the king’s murder, made use of Artemon to represent her husband in a lingering state, that, by his seeming to die a natural death, she might conceal her guilt, and effect her wicked purpose. See: Antiochus.

Artimpasa, a name of Venus among the Scythians. Herodotus, bk. 4, ch. 59.

Artobarzănes, a son of Darius, who endeavoured to ascend the throne in preference to his brother Xerxes, but to no purpose. Herodotus, bk. 7, chs. 2 & 3.

Artochmes, a general of Xerxes, who married one of the daughters of Darius. Herodotus, bk. 7, ch. 73.

Artōna, a town of the Latins, taken by the Æqui. Livy, bk. 2, ch. 43.

Artontes, a son of Mardonius. Pausanias, Bœotia.

Artonius, a physician of Augustus, who, on the night previous to the battle of Philippi, saw Minerva in a dream, who told him to assure Augustus of victory. Valerius Maximus, bk. 1, ch. 7.

Artoxares, a eunuch of Paphlagonia, in the reign of Artaxerxes I., cruelly put to death by Parysatis.

Arturius, an obscure fellow, raised to honours and wealth by his flatteries, &c. Juvenal, satire 3, li. 29.

Artynes, a king of Media.

Artynia, a lake of Asia Minor.

Artystŏna, a daughter of Darius. Herodotus, bk. 3, ch. 88.

Aruæ, a people of Hyrcania, where Alexander kindly received the chief officers of Darius. Curtius, bk. 6, ch. 4.

Arvāles, a name given to 12 priests who celebrated the festivals called Ambarvalia. According to some, they were descended from the 12 sons of Acca Laurentia, who suckled Romulus. They wore a crown of ears of corn, and a white fillet. Varro, de Lingua Latina, bk. 4. See: Ambarvalia.

Arueris, a god of the Egyptians, son of Isis and Osiris. According to some accounts, Osiris and Isis were married together in their mother’s womb, and Isis was pregnant of Arueris before she was born.

Arverni, a powerful people of Gaul, now Auvergne, near the Ligeris, who took up arms against Julius Cæsar. They were conquered with great slaughter. They pretended to be descended from the Trojans as well as the Romans. Cæsar, Gallic War, bk. 7.—Strabo, bk. 14.

Arvĭrăgus, a king of Britain. Juvenal, satire 4, li. 127.

Arvīsium and Arvīsus, a promontory of Chios, famous for its wine. Virgil, Eclogues, poem 5.

Lucius Arunculeius Costa [Cotta], an officer sent by Julius Cæsar against the Gauls, by whom he was killed. Cæsar, Gallic War.

Aruns, an Etrurian soothsayer in the age of Marius. Lucan, bk. 1, li. 586.——A soldier who slew Camilla, and was killed by a dart of Diana. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 11, li. 759.——A brother of Tarquin the Proud. He married Tullia, who murdered him to espouse Tarquin, who had assassinated his wife.——A son of Tarquin the Proud, who, in the battle that was fought between the partisans of his father and the Romans, attacked Brutus the Roman consul, who wounded him and threw him down from his horse. Livy, bk. 2, ch. 6.——A son of Porsenna king of Etruria, sent by his father to take Aricia. Livy, bk. 2, ch. 14.

Aruntius, a Roman who ridiculed the rites of Bacchus, for which the god inebriated him to such a degree that he offered violence to his daughter Medullina, who murdered him when she found that he acted so dishonourably to her virtue. Plutarch, Parallela minora.——A man who wrote an account of the Punic wars in the style of Sallust, in the reign of Augustus. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 1.—Seneca, ltr. 14.——Another Latin writer. Seneca, de Beneficiis, bk. 6.——Paterculus, a man who gave Æmylius Censorinus tyrant of Ægesta a brazen horse to torment criminals. The tyrant made the first experiment upon the body of the donor. Plutarch, Parallela minora.——Stella, a poet descended of a consular family in the age of Domitian.

Arupīnus, a maritime town of Istria. Tibullus, bk. 4, poem 1, li. 110.

Aruspex. See: Haruspex.

Aryxăta, a town of Armenia, near the Araxes. Strabo, bk. 11.

Aryandes, a Persian appointed governor of Egypt by Cambyses. He was put to death because he imitated Darius in whatever he did, and wished to make himself immortal. Herodotus, bk. 4, ch. 166.

Arybas, a native of Sidon, whose daughter was carried away by pirates. Homer, Odyssey, bk. 15, li. 425.——A king of the Molossi, who reigned 10 years.

Aryptæus, a prince of the Molossi, who privately encouraged the Greeks against Macedonia, and afterwards embraced the party of the Macedonians.

Asander, a man who separated, by a wall, Chersonesus Taurica from the continent. Strabo, bk. 7.

Asbestæ and Asbystæ, a people of Libya above Cyrene, where the temple of Ammon is built. Jupiter is sometimes called, on that account, Asbystius. Herodotus, bk. 4, ch. 170.—Ptolemy, bk. 4, ch. 3.

Asbŏlus (black hair), one of Actæon’s dogs. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 3.

Ascalăphus, a son of Mars and Astyoche, who was among the Argonauts, and went to the Trojan war at the head of the Ochomenians, with his brother Ialmenus. He was killed by Deiphobus. Homer, Iliad, bk. 2, li. 13; bk. 9, li. 82; bk. 13, li. 518.——A son of Acheron by Gorgyra or Orphne, stationed by Pluto to watch over Proserpine in the Elysian fields. When Ceres had obtained from Jupiter her daughter’s freedom and return upon earth, provided she had eaten nothing in the kingdom of Pluto, Ascalaphus discovered that she had eaten some pomegranates from a tree; upon which Proserpine was ordered by Jupiter to remain six months with Pluto, and the rest of the year with her mother. Proserpine was so displeased with Ascalaphus, that she sprinkled water on his head, and immediately turned him into an owl. Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 5; bk. 2, ch. 5.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 5, fable 8.

Ascălon, a town of Syria, near the Mediterranean, about 520 stadia from Jerusalem, still in being. It was anciently famous for its onions. Josephus, The Jewish War, bk. 3, ch. 2.—Theophrastus, Enquiry into Plants, bk. 7, ch. 4.

Ascania, an island of the Ægean sea.——A city of Troas, built by Ascanius.

Ascănius, son of Æneas by Creusa, was saved from the flames of Troy by his father, whom he accompanied in his voyage to Italy. He was afterwards called Iulus. He behaved with great valour in the war which his father carried on against the Latins, and succeeded Æneas in the kingdom of Latinus, and built Alba, to which he transferred the seat of his empire from Lavinium. The descendants of Ascanius reigned in Alba for above 420 years, under 14 kings, till the age of Numitor. Ascanius reigned 38 years; 30 at Lavinium, and eight at Alba; and was succeeded by Sylvius Posthumus son of Æneas by Lavinia. Iulus the son of Ascanius disputed the crown with him; but the Latins gave it in favour of Sylvius, as he was descended from the family of Latinus, and Iulus was invested with the office of high priest, which remained a long while in his family. Livy, bk. 1, ch. 3.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 1, &c.——According to Dionysius of Halicarnassus, bk. 1, ch. 15, &c., the son of Æneas by Lavinia was also called Ascanius.——A river of Bithynia. Virgil, Georgics, bk. 3, li. 270.

Ascii, a nation of India, in whose country objects at noon have no shadow. Pliny, bk. 2.

Asclēpia, festivals in honour of Asclepius, or Æsculapius, celebrated all over Greece, when prizes for poetical and musical compositions were honourably distributed. At Epidaurus they were called by a different name.

Asclēpiădes, a rhetorician in the age of Eumenes, who wrote an historical account of Alexander. Arrian.——A disciple of Plato.——A philosopher, disciple to Stilpo, and very intimate with Menedemus. The two friends lived together, and that they might not be separated when they married, Asclepiades married the daughter, and Menedemus, though much the younger, the mother. When the wife of Asclepiades was dead, Menedemus gave his wife to his friend, and married another. He was blind in his old age, and died in Eretria. Plutarch.——A physician of Bithynia, B.C. 90, who acquired great reputation at Rome, and was the founder of a sect in physic. He relied so much on his skill that he laid a wager he should never be sick; and won it, as he died of a fall, in a very advanced age. Nothing of his medical treatises is now extant.——An Egyptian, who wrote hymns on the gods of his country, and also a treatise on the coincidence of all religions.——A native of Alexandria, who gave a history of the Athenian archons.——The writer of a treatise on Demetrius Phalereus.——A disciple of Isocrates, who wrote six books on those events which had been the subject of tragedies.——A physician in the age of Pompey.——A tragic poet.——Another physician of Bithynia, under Trajan. He lived 70 years, and was a great favourite of the emperor’s court.

Asclepiodōrus, a painter in the age of Apelles, 12 of whose pictures of the gods were sold, for 300 minæ each, to an African prince. Pliny, bk. 35.——A soldier who conspired against Alexander with Hermolaus. Curtius, bk. 8, ch. 6.

Asclepiodotus, a general of Mithridates.

Asclepius. See: Æsculapius.

Ascletarion, a mathematician in the age of Domitian, who said that he should be torn by dogs. The emperor ordered him to be put to death, and his body carefully secured; but as soon as he was set on the burning pile, a sudden storm arose which put out the flames, and the dogs came and tore to pieces the mathematician’s body. Suetonius, Domitian, ch. 15.

Asclus, a town of Italy. Silius Italicus, bk. 8.

Ascolia, a festival in honour of Bacchus, celebrated about December by the Athenian husbandmen, who generally sacrificed a goat to the god, because that animal is a great enemy to the vine. They made a bottle with the skin of the victim, which they filled with oil and wine, and afterwards leaped upon it. He who could stand upon it first was victorious, and received the bottle as a reward. This was called ἀσκωλιαζειν παρα το ἐπι ἀσκον ἀλλεσθαι, leaping upon the bottle, whence the name of the festival is derived. It was also introduced in Italy, where the people besmeared their faces with the dregs of wine, and sang hymns to the god. They always hanged some small images of the god on the tallest trees in their vineyards, and these images they called Oscilla. Virgil, Georgics, bk. 2, li. 384.—Pollux, bk. 9, ch. 7.

Asconius Labeo, a preceptor of Nero.——Pedia, a man intimate with Virgil and Livy.——Another of the same family in the age of Vespasian, who became blind in his old age, and lived 12 years after. He wrote, besides some historical treatises, annotations on Cicero’s orations.

Ascra, a town of Bœotia, built, according to some, by the giants Otus and Ephialtes, at the foot of Mount Helicon. Hesiod was born there, whence he is often called the Ascrean poet, and whatever poem treats on agricultural subjects Ascræum carmen. The town received its name from Ascra, a nymph, mother of Œoclus by Neptune. Strabo, bk. 9.—Pausanias, bk. 9, ch. 29.—Paterculus, bk. 1.

Ascŭlum, now Ascoli, a town of Picenum, famous for the defeat of Pyrrhus by Curius and Fabricius. Florus, bk. 3, ch. 18.——Another in Apulia, near the Aufidus.

Asdrŭbal, a Carthaginian, son-in-law of Hamilcar. He distinguished himself in the Numidian war, and was appointed chief general on the death of his father-in-law, and for eight years presided with much prudence and valour over Spain, which submitted to his arms with cheerfulness. Here he laid the foundation of new Carthage, and saw it complete. To stop his progress towards the east, the Romans, in a treaty with Carthage, forbade him to pass the Iberus, which was faithfully observed by the general. He was killed in the midst of his soldiers, B.C. 220, by a slave whose master he had murdered. The slave was caught and put to death in the greatest torments, which he bore with patience, and even ridiculed. Some say that he was killed in hunting. Silius Italicus, bk. 1, li. 165.—Appian, Wars in Spain.—Polybius, bk. 2.—Livy, bk. 21, ch. 2, &c.——A son of Hamilcar, who came from Spain with a large reinforcement for his brother Annibal. He crossed the Alps and entered Italy; but some of his letters to Annibal having fallen into the hands of the Romans, the consuls Marcus Livius Salinator and Claudius Nero attacked him suddenly near the Metaurus, and defeated him, B.C. 207. He was killed in the battle, and 56,000 of his men shared his fate, and 5400 were taken prisoners; about 8000 Romans were killed. The head of Asdrubal was cut off, and some days after thrown into the camp of Annibal, who, in the moment that he was in the greatest expectations for a promised supply, exclaimed at the sight, “In losing Asdrubal, I lose all my happiness, and Carthage all her hopes.” Asdrubal had before made an attempt to penetrate into Italy by sea, but had been defeated by the governor of Sardinia. Livy, bks. 21, 23, 27, &c.—Polybius.—Horace, bk. 4, ode 4.——A Carthaginian general, surnamed Calvus, appointed governor of Sardinia, and taken prisoner by the Romans. Livy.——Another, son of Gisgon, appointed general of the Carthaginian forces in Spain, in the time of the great Annibal. He made head against the Romans in Africa, with the assistance of Scyphax, but he was soon after defeated by Scipio. He died B.C. 206. Livy.——Another, who advised his countrymen to make peace with Rome, and upbraided Annibal for laughing in the Carthaginian senate. Livy.——A grandson of Masinissa, murdered in the senate house by the Carthaginians.——Another, whose camp was destroyed in Africa by Scipio, though at the head of 20,000 men, in the last Punic war. When all was lost, he fled to the enemy, and begged his life. Scipio showed him to the Carthaginians, upon which his wife, with a thousand imprecations, threw herself and her two children into the flames of the temple of Æsculapius, which she and others had set on fire. He was not of the same family as Annibal. Livy, bk. 51.——A Carthaginian general, conquered by Lucius Cæcilius Metellus in Sicily, in a battle in which he lost 130 elephants. These animals were led in triumph all over Italy by the conquerors.

Asellio Sempronius, an historian and military tribune, who wrote an account of the actions in which he was present. Dionysius of Halicarnassus.

Asia, one of the three parts of the ancient world, separated from Europe by the Tanais, the Euxine, Ægean, and Mediterranean seas. The Nile and Egypt divide it from Africa. It received its name from Asia the daughter of Oceanus. This part of the globe has given birth to many of the greatest monarchies of the universe, and to the ancient inhabitants of Asia we are indebted for most of the arts and sciences. The soil is fruitful, and abounds with all the necessaries as well as luxuries of life. Asia was divided into many different empires, provinces, and states, of which the most conspicuous were the Assyrian and Persian monarchies. The Assyrian monarchy, according to Eusebius, lasted 1240 years, and according to Justin 1300 years, down to the year of the world 4380. The empire of Persia existed 228 years, till the death of Darius III., whom Alexander the Great conquered. The empire of the Medes lasted 259 years, according to Eusebius, or less, according to others, till the reign of Astyages, who was conquered by Cyrus the Great, who transferred the power from the Medes, and founded the Persian monarchy. It was in Asia that the military valour of the Macedonians, and the bold retreat of the 10,000 Greeks, were so conspicuously displayed. It is in that part of the world that we are to look for the more visible progress of luxury, despotism, sedition, effeminacy, and dissipation. Asia was generally divided into Major and Minor. Asia Major was the most extensive, and comprehended all the eastern parts; and Asia Minor was a large country in the form of a peninsula, whose boundaries may be known by drawing a line from the bay of Issus, in a northern direction, to the eastern part of the Euxine sea. Asia Minor has been subject to many revolutions. It was tributary to the Scythians for upwards of 1500 years, and was a long time in the power of the Lydians, Medes, &c. The western parts of Asia Minor were the receptacle of all the ancient emigrations from Greece, and it was totally peopled by Grecian colonies. The Romans generally and indiscriminately called Asia Minor by the name of Asia. Strabo.—Mela.—Justin.—Pliny.—Tacitus, &c.——One of the Oceanides, who married Japetus, and gave her name to one of the three divisions of the ancient globe. Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 2.——One of the Nereides. Hyginus.——A mountain of Laconia. Pausanias, bk. 3, ch. 24.

Asia Palus, a lake in Mysia. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 7, li. 701.

Asiātĭcus, a Gaul in the age of Vitellius. Tacitus, Histories, bk. 2.——The surname of one of the Scipios, and others, from their conquests or campaigns in Asia.

Asĭlas, an augur, who assisted Æneas against Turnus.——A Trojan officer. Virgil, Æneid, bks. 9, 10, &c.

Asināria, a festival in Sicily, in commemoration of a victory obtained over Demosthenes and Nicias at the river Asinarius.

Asinārius, a river of Sicily, where the Athenian generals, Demosthenes and Nicias, were taken prisoners.

Asĭne, one of the Sporades.——An island of the Adriatic.——Three towns of Peloponnesus bore that name, viz. in Laconia, Argolis, and Messenia.

Asĭnes, a river of Sicily.

Asinius Gallus, son of Asinius Pollio the orator, married Vipsania, after she had been divorced by Tiberius. This marriage gave rise to a secret enmity between the emperor and Asinius, who starved himself to death, either voluntarily, or by order of his imperial enemy. He had six sons by his wife. He wrote a comparison between his father and Cicero, in which he gave a decided superiority to the former. Tacitus bks. 1 & 5, Annals.—Dio Cassius, bk. 58.—Pliny, bk. 7, ltr. 4.——Marcellus, grandson of Asinius Pollio, was accused of some misdemeanours, but acquitted, &c. Tacitus, bk. 14, Annals.——Pollio, an excellent orator, poet, and historian, intimate with Augustus. He triumphed over the Dalmatians, and wrote an account of the wars of Cæsar and Pompey, in 17 books, besides poems. He refused to answer some verses against him by Augustus, “because,” said he, “you have the power to proscribe me, should my answer prove offensive.” He died in the 80th year of his age, A.D. 4. He was consul with Cnaeus Domitius Calvinus, A.U.C. 714. It is to him that the fourth of Virgil’s Bucolics is inscribed. Quintilian.—Suetonius, Cæsar, chs. 30 & 55.—Dio Cassius, bks. 37, 49, 55.—Seneca, de Tranquilitate Animi & ltr. 100.—Pliny, bk. 7, ch. 30.—Tacitus, bk. 6.—Paterculus, bk. 2.—Plutarch, Cæsar.——A commander of Mauritania, under the first emperors, &c. Tacitus, Histories, bk. 2.——An historian in the age of Pompey.——Another in the third century.——Quadratus, a man who published the history of Parthia, Greece, and Rome.

Asius, a son of Dymas, brother of Hecuba. He assisted Priam in the Trojan war, and was killed by Idomeneus. Homer, Iliad, bk. 2, li. 342; bk. 12, li. 95; bk. 13, li. 384.——A poet of Samos, who wrote about the genealogy of ancient heroes and heroines. Pausanias, bk. 7, ch. 4.——A son of Imbracus, who accompanied Æneas into Italy. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 10, li. 123.

Asius Campus, a place near the Cayster.

Asnāus, a mountain of Macedonia, near which the river Aous flows. Livy, bk. 32, ch. 5.

Asōphis, a small country of Peloponnesus, near the Asopus.

Asōpia, the ancient name of Sicyon. Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 1.

Asōpiădes, a patronymic of Æacus, son of Ægina, the daughter of Asopus. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 7, li. 484.

Asōpis, the daughter of the Asopus.——A daughter of Thespius mother of Mentor. Apollodorus, bk. 2, ch. 7.

Asōpus, a river of Thessaly, falling into the bay of Malta at the north of Thermopylæ. Strabo, bk. 8.——A river of Bœotia, rising near Platæa, and flowing into the Euripus, after it has separated the country of the Thebans and Platæans. Pausanias, bk. 9, ch. 4.——A river of Asia, flowing into the Lycus, near Laodicea.——A river of Peloponnesus, passing by Sicyon.——Another of Macedonia, flowing near Heraclea. Strabo, &c.——A river of Phœnicia.——A son of Neptune, who gave his name to a river of Peloponnesus. Three of his daughters are particularly celebrated, Ægina, Salamis, and Ismene. Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 9; bk. 3, ch. 12.—Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 12.

Aspa, a town of Parthia, now Ispahan, the capital of the Persian empire.

Aspamithres, a favourite eunuch of Xerxes, who conspired with Artabanus to destroy the king and the royal family, &c. Ctesias.

Asparagium, a town near Dyrrhachium. Cæsar, Civil War, bk. 3, ch. 30.

Aspăsia, a daughter of Hermotimus of Phocæa, famous for her personal charms and elegance. She was priestess of the sun, mistress to Cyrus, and afterwards to his brother Artaxerxes, from whom she passed to Darius. She was called Milto, vermilion, on account of the beauty of her complexion. Ælian, Varia Historia, bk. 12, ch. 1.—Plutarch, Artaxerxes.——Another woman, daughter of Axiochus, born at Miletus. She came to Athens, where she taught eloquence, and Socrates was proud to be among her scholars. She so captivated Pericles, by her mental and personal accomplishments, that he became her pupil, and at last took her for his mistress and wife. He was so fond of her, that he made war against Samos at her instigation. The behaviour of Pericles towards Aspasia greatly corrupted the morals of the Athenians, and introduced dissipation and lasciviousness into the state. She, however, possessed the merit of a superior excellence in mind as well as person, and her instructions helped to form the greatest and most eloquent orators of Greece. Some have confounded the mistress of Pericles with Aspasia the daughter of Hermotimus. Plutarch, Pericles.—Quintilian, bk. 11.——The wife of Xenophon was also called Aspasia, if we follow the improper interpretation given by some to Cicero, de Inventione, bk. 1, ch. 31.

Aspasius, a peripatetic philosopher in the second century, whose commentaries on different subjects were highly valued.——A sophist, who wrote a panegyric on Adrian.

Aspastes, a satrap of Carmania, suspected of infidelity to his trust while Alexander was in the east. Curtius, bk. 9, ch. 20.

Aspathīnes, one of the seven noblemen of Persia who conspired against the usurper Smerdis. Herodotus, bk. 5, ch. 70, &c.——A son of Prexaspes. Herodotus, bk. 7.

Aspendus, a town of Pamphylia, at the mouth of the river Eurymedon. Cicero, Against Verres, bk. 1, ch. 20. The inhabitants sacrificed swine to Venus.

Asphaltītes, a lake. See: Mare Mortuum.

Aspis, a satrap of Chaonia, who revolted from Artaxerxes. He was reduced by Datames. Cornelius Nepos, Datames.——A city and mountain of Africa.——One of the Cyclades.——A city of Macedonia.

Asplēdon, a son of Neptune by the nymph Midea. He gave his name to a city of Bœotia, whose inhabitants went to the Trojan war. Homer, Iliad, bk. 2, li. 18.—Pausanias, bk. 9, ch. 38.

Asporēnus, a mountain of Asia Minor near Pergamus, where the mother of the gods was worshipped, and called Asporena. Strabo, bk. 13.

Assa, a town near mount Athos.

Assabīnus, the Jupiter of the Arabians.

Assărăcus, a Trojan prince, son of Tros by Callirhoe. He was father to Capys, the father of Anchises. The Trojans were frequently called the descendants of Assaracus, Gens Assaraci. Homer, Iliad, bk. 20.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 1.——Two friends of Æneas in the Rutulian war. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 10, li. 124.

Asserīni, a people of Sicily.

Assōrus, a town of Sicily, between Enna and Argyrium.

Assos, a town of Lycia on the sea coast.

Assy̆ria, a large country of Asia, whose boundaries have been different in its flourishing times. At first it was bounded by the Lycus and Caprus; but the name of Assyria, more generally speaking, is applied to all that territory which lies between Media, Mesopotamia, Armenia, and Babylon. The Assyrian empire is the most ancient in the world. It was founded by Ninus or Belus, B.C. 2059, according to some authors, and lasted till the reign of Sardanapalus, the 31st sovereign since Ninus, B.C. 820. According to Eusebius, it flourished for 1240 years; according to Justin, 1300 years; but Herodotus says that its duration was not above 500 or 600 years. Among the different monarchs of the Assyrian empire Semiramis greatly distinguished herself, and extended the boundaries of her dominions as far as Æthiopia and Libya. In ancient authors the Assyrians are often called Syrians, and the Syrians Assyrians. The Assyrians assisted Priam in the Trojan war, and sent him Memnon with an army. The king of Assyria generally styled himself king of kings, as a demonstration of his power and greatness. The country is now called Curdistan. See: Syria. Strabo, bk. 16.—Herodotus, bks. 1 & 2.—Justin, bk. 1.—Pliny, bk. 6, chs. 13 & 26.—Ptolemy, bk. 1, ch. 2.—Diodorus, bk. 2.—Mela, bk. 1, ch. 2.

Asta, a city in Spain.

Astacœni, a people of India near the Indus. Strabo, bk. 15.

Astăcus, a town of Bithynia, built by Acastus son of Neptune and Olbia, or rather by a colony from Megara and Athens. Lysimachus destroyed it, and carried the inhabitants to the town of Nicomedia, which was then lately built. Pausanias, bk. 5, ch. 12.—Arrian.—Strabo, bk. 17.——A city of Acarnania. Pliny, bk. 5.

Astăpa, a town of Hispania Bætica. Livy, bk. 38, ch. 20.

Astăpus, a river of Æthiopia, falling into the Nile.

Astarte, a powerful divinity of Syria, the same as the Venus of the Greeks. She had a famous temple at Hierapolis in Syria, which was served by 300 priests, who were always employed in offering sacrifices. She was represented in medals with a long habit, and a mantle over it, tucked up on the left arm. She had one hand stretched forward, and held in the other a crooked staff in the form of a cross. Lucian, de Deâ Syriâ.—Cicero, de Natura Deorum, bk. 3, ch. 23.