Ia, the daughter of Midas, who married Atys, &c.
Iacchus, a surname of Bacchus, ab ἰαχειν, from the noise and shouts which the bacchanals raised at the festivals of this deity. Virgil, Eclogues, poem 6; Georgics, bk. 1, li. 166.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 4, ch. 15.——Some suppose him to be a son of Ceres; because in the celebration of the Eleusinian mysteries, the word Iacchus was frequently repeated. Herodotus, bk. 8, ch. 65.—Pausanias, bk. 1, ch. 2.
Iader, a river of Dalmatia.
Ialēmus, a wretched singer, son of the muse Calliope. Athenæus, bk. 14.
Ialmĕnus, a son of Mars and Astyoche, who went to the Trojan war with his brother Ascalaphus, with 30 ships, at the head of the inhabitants of Orchomenes and Aspledon, in Bœotia. Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 37.—Homer, Iliad, bk. 2, li. 19.
Iāly̆sus, a town of Rhodes, built by Ialysus, of whom Protogenes was making a beautiful painting when Demetrius Poliorcetes took Rhodes. The Telchines were born there. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 7, fable 9.—Pliny, bk. 35, ch. 6.—Cicero, bk. 2, Letters to Atticus, ltr. 21.—Plutarch, Demetrius.—Ælian, bk. 12, ch. 5.
Iambe, a servant-maid of Metanira, wife of Celeus king of Eleusis, who tried to exhilarate Ceres, when she travelled over Attica in quest of her daughter Proserpine. From the jokes and stories which she made use of, free and satirical verses have been called Iambics. Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 5.
Iamblĭcus, a Greek author who wrote the life of Pythagoras, and the history of his followers, an exhortation to philosophy, a treatise against Porphyry’s letter on the mysteries of the Egyptians, &c. He was a great favourite with the emperor Julian, and died A.D. 363.
Iamenus, a Trojan killed by Leonteus. Homer, Iliad, bk. 12, lis. 139 & 193.
Iamĭdæ, certain prophets among the Greeks, descended from Iamus, a son of Apollo, who received the gift of prophecy from his father, which remained among his posterity. Pausanias, bk. 6, ch. 2.
Janĭcŭlum and Janicularius mons, one of the seven hills at Rome joined to the city by Ancus Martius, and made a kind of citadel, to protect the place against an invasion. This hill [See: Janus], which was on the opposite shore of the Tiber, was joined to the city by the bridge Sublicius, the first ever built across the river, and perhaps in Italy. It was less inhabited than the other parts of the city, on account of the grossness of the air, though from its top the eye could have a commanding view of the whole city. It is famous for the burial of king Numa and of the poet Italicus. Porsenna king of Etruria pitched his camp on mount Janiculum, and the senators took refuge there in the civil wars, to avoid the resentment of Octavius. Livy, bk. 1, ch. 33, &c.—Dio Cassius, bk. 47.—Ovid, bk. 1, Fasti, li. 246.—Virgil, [Aeneid], bk. 8, li. 358.—Martial, bk. 4, ltr. 64; bk. 7, ltr. 16.
Ianīra, one of the Nereides.
Ianthe, a girl of Crete, who married Iphis. See: Iphis. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 9, li. 714, &c.
Ianthea, one of the Oceanides.——One of the Nereides. Pausanias, bk. 4, ch. 30.—Homer, Iliad, bk. 8, li. 47.
Jānus, the most ancient king who reigned in Italy. He was a native of Thessaly, and son of Apollo, according to some. He came to Italy, where he planted a colony and built a small town on the river Tiber, which he called Janiculum. Some authors make him son of Cœlus and Hecate; and others make him a native of Athens. During his reign, Saturn, driven from heaven by his son Jupiter, came to Italy, where Janus received him with much hospitality, and made him his colleague on the throne. Janus is represented with two faces, because he was acquainted with the past and the future; or, according to others, because he was taken for the sun, who opens the day at his rising, and shuts it at his setting. Some statues represented Janus with four heads. He sometimes appeared with a beard, and sometimes without. In religious ceremonies, his name was always invoked the first, because he presides over all gates and avenues, and it is through him only that prayers can reach the immortal gods. From that circumstance he often appears with a key in his right hand, and a rod in his left. Sometimes he holds the number of 300 in one hand, and in the other 65, to show that he presides over the year, of which the first month bears his name. Some suppose that he is the same as the world, or Cœlus; and from that circumstance they call him Eanus, ab eundo, because of the revolution of the heavens. He was called by different names, such as Consivius, a conserendo, because he presided over generation; Quirinus or Martialis, because he presided over war. He is also called Patuleius and Clausius, because the gates of his temples were open during the time of war, and shut in time of peace. He was chiefly worshipped among the Romans, where he had many temples, some erected to Janus Bifrons, others to Janus Quadrifrons. The temples of Quadrifrons were built with four equal sides, with a door and three windows on each side. The four doors were the emblems of the four seasons of the year, and the three windows in each of the sides the three months in each season, and, all together, the 12 months of the year. Janus was generally represented in statues as a young man. After death Janus was ranked among the gods, for his popularity and the civilization which he had introduced among the wild inhabitants of Italy. His temple, which was always open in times of war, was shut only three times during above 700 years, under Numa, 234 B.C., and under Augustus; and during that long period of time, the Romans were continually employed in war. Ovid, Fasti, bk. 1, li. 65, &c.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 7, li. 607.—Varro, de Lingua Latina, bk. 1.—Macrobius, Saturnalia, bk. 1.——A street at Rome near the temple of Janus. It was generally frequented by usurers and money-brokers, and booksellers also kept their shops there. Horace, bk. 1, ltr. 1.
Japetĭdes, a musician at the nuptials of Perseus and Andromeda. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 5, li. 111.
Japĕtus, a son of Cœlus or Titan by Terra, who married Asia, or, according to others, Clymene, by whom he had Atlas, Menœtius, Prometheus, and Epimetheus. The Greeks looked upon him as the father of all mankind, and therefore from his antiquity old men were frequently called Japeti. His sons received the patronymic of Iapetionides. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 4, li. 631.—Hesiod, Theogony, lis. 136 & 508.—Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 1.
Iāpis, an Ætolian, who founded a city upon the banks of the Timavus. Virgil, Georgics, bk. 3, li. 475.——A Trojan, favourite of Apollo, from whom he received the knowledge of the power of medicinal herbs. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 12, li. 391.
Iapy̆dia, a district of Illyricum, now Carniola. Livy, bk. 43, ch. 5.—Tibullus, bk. 4, li. 109.—Cicero, Cornelius Balbus, ch. 14.
Iāpy̆gia, a country on the confines of Italy, situated in the peninsula, between Tarentum and Brundusium. It is called by some Messapia, Peucetia, and Salentinum. Pliny, bk. 3, ch. 11.—Strabo, bk. 6.
Iapyx, a son of Dædalus, who conquered a part of Italy, which he called Iapygia. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 14, li. 458.——A wind which blows from Apulia, and is favourable to such as sail from Italy towards Greece. It was nearly the same as the Caurus of the Greeks. Horace, bk. 1, ode 3, li. 4; bk. 3, ode 7, li. 20.
Iarbas, a son of Jupiter and Garamantis, king of Gætulia, from whom Dido bought land to build Carthage. He courted Dido, but the arrival of Æneas prevented his success, and the queen, rather than marry Iarbas, destroyed herself. See: Dido. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 4, li. 36, &c.—Justin, bk. 18, ch. 6.—Ovid, Fasti, bk. 3, li. 552.
Iarchas and Jarchas, a celebrated Indian philosopher. His seven rings are famous for their power of restoring old men to the bloom and vigour of youth, according to the tradition of Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana.
Iardānus, a Lydian, father of Omphale the mistress of Hercules. Herodotus, bk. 1, ch. 7.——A river of Arcadia.——Another in Crete. Homer, Iliad, bk. 7.
Iasĭdes, a patronymic given to Palinurus, as descended from a person of the name of Jasius. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 5, li. 843.——Also of Jasus. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 12, li. 392.
Iăsion and Iăsius, a son of Jupiter and Electra, one of the Atlantides, who reigned over part of Arcadia, where he diligently applied himself to agriculture. He married the goddess Cybele or Ceres, and all the gods were present at the celebration of his nuptials. He had by Ceres two sons, Philomelus and Plutus, to whom some have added a third, Corybas, who introduced the worship and mysteries of his mother in Phrygia. He had also a daughter, whom he exposed as soon as born, saying that he would raise only male children. The child, who was suckled by a she-bear and preserved, rendered herself famous afterwards under the name of Atalanta. Jasion was killed with a thunderbolt of Jupiter, and ranked among the gods after death by the inhabitants of Arcadia. Hesiod, Theogony, li. 973.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 3, li. 168.—Hyginus, Poeticon Astronomicon, bk. 2, ch. 4.
Iăsis, a name given to Atalanta daughter of Jasius.
Iasius, a son of Abas king of Argos.——A son of Jupiter. See: Iasion.
Jāson, a celebrated hero, son of Alcimede daughter of Phylacus, by Æson the son of Cretheus and Tyro, the daughter of Salmoneus. Tyro, before her connection with Cretheus the son of Æolus, had two sons, Pelias and Neleus, by Neptune. Æson was king of Iolchis, and at his death the throne was usurped by Pelias, and Æson the lawful successor was driven to retirement and obscurity. The education of young Jason was entrusted to the care of the centaur Chiron, and he was removed from the presence of the usurper, who had been informed by an oracle that one of the descendants of Æolus would dethrone him. After he had made the most rapid progress in every branch of science, Jason left the centaur, and by his advice went to consult the oracle. He was ordered to go to Iolchos his native country, covered with the spoils of a leopard, and dressed in the garments of a Magnesian. In his journey he was stopped by the inundation of the river Evenus or Enipeus, over which he was carried by Juno, who had changed herself into an old woman. In crossing the stream he lost one of his sandals, and at his arrival at Iolchos, the singularity of his dress and the fairness of his complexion attracted the notice of the people, and drew a crowd around him in the market-place. Pelias came to see him with the rest, and as he had been warned by the oracle to beware of a man who should appear at Iolchos with one foot bare and the other shod, the appearance of Jason, who had lost one of his sandals, alarmed him. His terrors were soon after augmented. Jason, accompanied by his friends, repaired to the palace of Pelias, and boldly demanded the kingdom which he had unjustly usurped. The boldness and popularity of Jason intimidated Pelias; he was unwilling to abdicate the crown, and yet he feared the resentment of his adversary. As Jason was young and ambitious of glory, Pelias, at once to remove his immediate claims to the crown, reminded him that Ætes king of Colchis had severely treated and inhumanly murdered their common relation Phryxus. He observed that such a treatment called aloud for punishment, and that the undertaking would be accompanied with much glory and fame. He further added, that his old age had prevented him from avenging the death of Phryxus, and that if Jason would undertake the expedition, he would resign to him the crown of Iolchos, when he returned victorious from Colchis. Jason readily accepted a proposal which seemed to promise such military fame. His intended expedition was made known in every part of Greece, and the youngest and the bravest of the Greeks assembled to accompany him, and share his toils and glory. They embarked on board a ship called Argo, and after a series of adventures they arrived at Colchis. See: Argonautæ. Ætes promised to restore the golden fleece, which was the cause of the death of Phryxus, and of the voyage of the Argonauts, provided they submitted to his conditions. Jason was to tame bulls which breathed flames, and which had feet and horns of brass, and to plough with them a field sacred to Mars. After this he was to sow in the ground the teeth of a serpent, from which armed men would arise, whose fury would be converted against him who ploughed the field. He was also to kill a monstrous dragon which watched night and day at the foot of the tree on which the golden fleece was suspended. All were concerned for the fate of the Argonauts; but Juno, who watched with an anxious eye over the safety of Jason, extricated them from all these difficulties. Medea, the king’s daughter, fell in love with Jason, and as her knowledge of herbs, enchantments, and incantations was uncommon, she pledged herself to deliver her lover from all his dangers if he promised her eternal fidelity. Jason, not insensible to her charms and to her promise, vowed eternal fidelity in the temple of Hecate, and received from Medea whatever instruments and herbs could protect him against the approaching dangers. He appeared in the field of Mars, he tamed the fury of the oxen, ploughed the plain, and sowed the dragon’s teeth. Immediately an army of men sprang from the field, and ran towards Jason. He threw a stone among them, and they fell one upon the other till all were totally destroyed. The vigilance of the dragon was lulled to sleep by the power of herbs, and Jason took from the tree the celebrated golden fleece, which was the sole object of his voyage. These actions were all performed in the presence of Æetes and his people, who were all equally astonished at the boldness and success of Jason. After this celebrated conquest, Jason immediately set sail for Europe with Medea, who had been so instrumental in his preservation. Upon this Æetes, desirous to revenge the perfidy of his daughter Medea, sent his son Absyrtus to pursue the fugitives. Medea killed her brother, and strewed his limbs in her father’s way, that she might more easily escape, while he was employed in collecting the mangled body of his son. See: Absyrtus. The return of the Argonauts in Thessaly was celebrated with universal festivity; but Æson, Jason’s father, was unable to attend on account of the infirmities of old age. This obstruction was removed, and Medea, at the request of her husband, restored Æson to the vigour and sprightliness of youth. See: Æson. Pelias the usurper of the crown of Iolchos wished also to see himself restored to the flower of youth, and his daughters, persuaded by Medea, who wished to avenge her husband’s wrongs, cut his body to pieces, and placed his limbs in a cauldron of boiling water. Their credulity was severely punished. Medea suffered the flesh to be consumed to the bones, and Pelias was never restored to life. This inhuman action drew the resentment of the populace upon Medea, and she fled to Corinth with her husband Jason, where they lived in perfect union and love during 10 successive years. Jason’s partiality for Glauce the daughter of the king of the country afterwards disturbed their matrimonial happiness, and Medea was divorced, that Jason might more freely indulge his amorous propensities. This infidelity was severely revenged by Medea [See: Glauce], who destroyed her children in the presence of their father. See: Medea. After this separation from Medea, Jason lived an unsettled and melancholy life. As he was one day reposing himself by the side of the ship which had carried him to Colchis, a beam fell upon his head, and he was crushed to death. This tragical event had been predicted to him before by Medea, according to the relation of some authors. Some say that he afterwards returned to Colchis, where he seized the kingdom, and reigned in great security. Euripides, Medea.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 7, fables 2, 3, &c.—Diodorus, bk. 4.—Pausanias, bks. 2 & 3.—Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 9.—Cicero, de Natura Deorum, bk. 3.—Ovid, Tristia, bk. 3, poem 9.—Strabo, bk. 7.—Apollonius.—Flaccus.—Hyginus, fable 5, &c.—Pindar, bk. 3, Nemean.—Justin, bk. 42, ch. 2, &c.—Seneca, Medea.—Tzetzes, On Lycophron, li. 195, &c.—Athenæus, bk. 13.——A native of Argos, who wrote a history of Greece in four books, which ended at the death of Alexander. He lived in the age of Adrian.——A tyrant of Thessaly, who made an alliance with the Spartans, and cultivated the friendship of Timotheus.——Trallianus, a man who wrote tragedies, and gained the esteem of the kings of Parthia. Polyænus, bk. 7.
Jasonĭdæ, a patronymic of Thoas and Euneus, sons of Jason and Hypsipyle.
Iasus, a king of Argos, who succeeded his father Triopas. Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 16.——A son of Argus, father of Agenor.——A son of Argus and Ismena.——A son of Lycurgus of Arcadia.——An island, with a town of the same name, on the coast of Caria. The bay adjoining was called Iasius sinus. Pliny, bk. 5, ch. 28.—Livy, bk. 32, ch. 33; bk. 37, ch. 17.
Iaxartes, now Sir or Sihon, a river of Sogdiana, mistaken by Alexander for the Tanais. It falls into the east of the Caspian sea. Curtius, bks. 6 & 7.—Pliny, bk. 6, ch. 16.—Arrian, bk. 4, ch. 15.
Iazĭges, a people on the borders of the Palus Mæotis. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 12, ch. 29.—Ovid, Tristia, bk. 2, li. 191; ex Ponto, bk. 4, poem 7, li. 9.
Ibēria, a country of Asia, between Colchis on the west, and Albania on the east, governed by kings. Pompey invaded it, and made great slaughter of the inhabitants, and obliged them to surrender by setting fire to the woods where they had fled for safety. It is now called Georgia. Plutarch, Lycurgus, Antonius, &c.—Dio Cassius, bk. 36.—Florus, bk. 3.—Flaccus, bk. 5, li. 166.—Appian, Wars in Spain.——An ancient name of Spain, derived from the river Iberus. Lucan, bk. 6, li. 258.—Horace, bk. 4, ode 14, li. 50.
Ibērus, a river of Spain, now called Ebro, which, after the conclusion of the first Punic war, separated the Roman from the Carthaginian possessions in that country. Lucan, bk. 4, li. 335.—Pliny, bk. 3, ch. 3.—Horace, bk. 4, ode 14, li. 50.——A river of Iberia in Asia, flowing from mount Caucasus into the Cyrus. Strabo, bk. 3.——A fabulous king of Spain.
Ibi, an Indian nation.
Ibis, a poem of the poet Callimachus, in which he bitterly satirizes the ingratitude of his pupil the poet Apollonius. Ovid had also written a poem which bears the same name, and which, in the same satirical language, seems, according to the opinion of some, to inveigh bitterly against Hyginus the supposed hero of the composition. Suidas.
Iby̆cus, a lyric poet of Rhegium, about 540 years before Christ. He was murdered by robbers, and at the moment of death he implored the assistance of some cranes which at that moment flew over his head. Some time after, as the murderers were in the market-place, one of them observed some cranes in the air, and said to his companions, αἰ Ἰβυκου ἐκδικοι παρεισιν, there are the birds that are conscious of the death of Ibycus. These words and the recent murder of Ibycus raised suspicions in the people; the assassins were seized and tortured, and they confessed their guilt. Cicero, Tusculanæ Disputationes, bk. 4, ch. 43.—Ælian, Varia Historia.——The husband of Chloris, whom Horace ridicules, bk. 3, ode 15.
Icadius, a robber killed by a stone, &c. Cicero, De Fato, ch. 3.
Icăria, a small island in the Ægean sea, between Chio, Samos, and Myconus, where the body of Icarus was thrown by the waves, and buried by Hercules. Ptolemy, bk. 5, ch. 2.—Mela, bk. 2, ch. 7.—Strabo, bks. 10 & 14.
Icăris and Icariotis, a name given to Penelope as daughter of Icarius.
Icărium mare, a part of the Ægean sea near the islands of Mycone and Gyaros. See: Icarus.
Icărius, an Athenian, father of Erigone. He gave wine to some peasants, who drank it with the greatest avidity, ignorant of its intoxicating nature. They were soon deprived of their reason, and the fury and resentment of their friends and neighbours were immediately turned upon Icarius, who perished by their hands. After death he was honoured with public festivals, and his daughter was led to discover the place of his burial by means of his faithful dog Mœra. Erigone hung herself in despair, and was changed into a constellation called Virgo. Icarius was changed into the star Bootes, and the dog Mœra into the star Canis. Hyginus, fable 130.—Apollodorus, bk. 3, ch. 14.——A son of Œbalus of Lacedæmon. He gave his daughter Penelope in marriage to Ulysses king of Ithaca, but he was so tenderly attached to her, that he wished her husband to settle at Lacedæmon. Ulysses refused, and when he saw the earnest petitions of Icarius, he told Penelope as they were going to embark, that she might choose freely either to follow him to Ithaca, or to remain with her father. Penelope blushed in the deepest silence, and covered her head with her veil. Icarius upon this permitted his daughter to go to Ithaca, and immediately erected a temple to the goddess of modesty, on the spot where Penelope had covered her blushes with her veil. Homer, Odyssey, bk. 16, li. 435.
Icărus, a son of Dædalus, who, with his father, flew with wings from Crete to escape the resentment of Minos. His flight being too high, proved fatal to him; the sun melted the wax which cemented his wings, and he fell into that part of the Ægean sea which was called after his name. See: Dædalus. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 8, li. 178, &c.——A mountain of Attica.
Iccius, a lieutenant of Agrippa in Sicily. Horace writes to him, bk. 1, ode 29, and ridicules him for abandoning the pursuits of philosophy and the muses for military employments.——One of the Rhemi in Gaul, ambassador to Cæsar. Cæsar, Gallic War, bk. 2, ch. 3.
Icĕlos, one of the sons of Somnus, who changed himself into all sorts of animals, whence the name (εἰκελος, similis). Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 11, li. 640.
Icēni, a people of Britain who submitted to the Roman power. They inhabited the modern counties of Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridge, &c. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 12, ch. 31.—Cæsar, Gallic War, bk. 5, ch. 21.
Icĕtas, a man who obtained the supreme power at Syracuse after the death of Dion. He attempted to assassinate Timoleon, for which he was conquered, &c., B.C. 340. Cornelius Nepos, Timoleon.
Ichnæ, a town of Macedonia, whence Themis and Nemesis are called Ichnæa. Homer, Hymn 3 to Apollo.
Ichnūsa, an ancient name of Sardinia, which it received from its likeness to a human foot. Pausanias, bk. 10, ch. 17.—Silius Italicus, bk. 12, li. 358.—Pliny, bk. 3, ch. 7.
Ichonūphys, a priest of Heliopolis, at whose house Eudoxus resided when he visited Egypt with Plato. Diogenes Laërtius.
Ichthyophăgi, a people of Æthiopia, who received this name from their eating fishes. There was also an Indian nation of the same name, who made their houses with the bones of fishes. Diodorus, bk. 3.—Strabo, bks. 2 & 12.—Pliny, bk. 6, ch. 23; bk. 15, ch. 7.
Ichthys, a promontory of Elis in Achaia. Strabo, bk. 11.
Lucius Icilius, a tribune of the people who made a law, A.U.C. 397, by which mount Aventine was given to the Roman people to build houses upon. Livy, bk. 3, ch. 54.——A tribune who made a law, A.U.C. 261, that forbade any man to oppose or interrupt a tribune while he was speaking in an assembly. Livy bk. 2, ch. 58.——A tribune who signalized himself by his inveterate enmity against the Roman senate. He took an active part in the management of affairs after the murder of Virginia, &c.
Icius, a harbour in Gaul, on the modern straits of Dover, from which Cæsar crossed into Britain.
Iconium, the capital of Lycaonia, now Koniech. Pliny, bk. 5, ch. 27.
Icos, a small island near Eubœa. Strabo, bk. 9.
Ictinus, a celebrated architect, 430 years B.C. He built a famous temple to Minerva at Athens, &c.
Ictumulōrum vicus, a place at the foot of the Alps, abounding in gold mines.
Iculisma, a town of Gaul, now Angoulesme, on the Charente.
Ida, a nymph of Crete, who went into Phrygia, where she gave her name to a mountain of that country. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 8, li. 177.——The mother of Minos II.——A celebrated mountain, or more properly a ridge of mountains in Troas, chiefly in the neighbourhood of Troy. The abundance of its waters became the source of many rivers, and particularly of the Simois, Scamander, Æsepus, Granicus, &c. It was on mount Ida that the shepherd Paris adjudged the prize of beauty to the goddess Venus. It was covered with green woods, and the elevation of its top opened a fine extensive view of the Hellespont and the adjacent countries, from which reason the poets say that it was frequented by the gods during the Trojan war. Strabo, bk. 13.—Mela, bk. 1, ch. 18.—Homer, Iliad, bk. 14, li. 283.—Virgil, Æneid, bks. 3, 5, &c.—Ovid, Fasti, bk. 4, li. 79.—Horace, bk. 3, ode 11.——A mountain of Crete, the highest in the island, where it was reported that Jupiter was educated by the Corybantes, who, on that account, were called Idæi. Strabo, bk. 10.
Idæa, the surname of Cybele, because she was worshipped on mount Ida. Lucretius, bk. 2, li. 611.
Idæus, a surname of Jupiter. An arm-bearer and charioteer of king Priam, killed during the Trojan war. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 6, li. 487.——One of the attendants of Ascanius. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 9, li. 500.
Idalis, the country round mount Ida. Lucan, bk. 3, li. 204.
Idălus, a mountain of Cyprus, at the foot of which is Idalium, a town with a grove sacred to Venus, who was called Idalæa. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 1, li. 685.—Catullus, poems 37 & 62.—Propertius, bk. 2, poem 13.
Idanthyrsus, a powerful king of Scythia, who refused to give his daughter in marriage to Darius I. king of Persia. This refusal was the cause of a war between the two nations, and Darius marched against Idanthyrsus, at the head of 700,000 men. He was defeated, and retired to Persia, after an inglorious campaign. Strabo, bk. 13.
Idarnes, an officer of Darius, by whose negligence the Macedonians took Miletus. Curtius, bk. 4, ch. 5.
Idas, a son of Aphareus and Arane, famous for his valour and military glory. He was among the Argonauts, and married Marpessa, the daughter of Evenus king of Ætolia. Marpessa was carried away by Apollo, and Idas pursued his wife’s ravisher with bows and arrows, and obliged him to restore her. See: Marpessa. According to Apollodorus, Idas, with his brother Lynceus, associated with Pollux and Castor to carry away some flocks; but when they had obtained a sufficient quantity of plunder, they refused to divide it into equal shares. This provoked the sons of Leda. Lynceus was killed by Castor, and Idas, to revenge his brother’s death, immediately killed Castor, and in his turn perished by the hand of Pollux. According to Ovid and Pausanias, the quarrel between the sons of Leda and those of Aphareus arose from a more tender cause. Idas and Lynceus, as they say, were going to celebrate their nuptials with Phœbe and Hilaira the two daughters of Leucippus; but Castor and Pollux, who had been invited to partake the common festivity, offered violence to the brides, and carried them away. Idas and Lynceus fell in the attempt to recover their wives. Homer, Iliad, bk. 9.—Hyginus, fables 14, 100, &c.—Ovid, Fasti, bk. 5, li. 700.—Apollodorus, bks. 1 & 3.—Pausanias, bk. 4, ch. 2; bk. 5, ch. 18.——A son of Ægyptus.——A Trojan killed by Turnus. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 9, li. 575.
Idea, or Idæa, a daughter of Dardanus, who became the second wife of Phineus king of Bithynia, and abused the confidence reposed in her by her husband. See: Phineus.——The mother of Teucer by Scamander. Apollodorus.
Idessa, a town of Iberia on the confines of Colchis. Strabo, bk. 11.
Idex, a small river of Italy, now Idice, near Bononia.
Idistavisus, a plain, now Hastenbach, where Germanicus defeated Arminius, near Oldendorp, on the Weser, in Westphalia. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 2, ch. 16.
Idmon, son of Apollo and Asteria, or, as some say, of Cyrene, was the prophet of the Argonauts. He was killed in hunting a wild boar in Bithynia, where his body received a magnificent funeral. He had predicted the time and manner of his own death. Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 2.—Orpheus.——A dyer of Colophon, father to Arachne. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 6, li. 8.——A man of Cyzicus, killed by Hercules, &c. Flaccus, bk. 3.——A son of Ægyptus, killed by his wife. See: Danaides.
Idŏmĕne, a daughter of Pheres, who married Amythaon.
Idŏmĕneus, succeeded his father Deucalion on the throne of Crete, and accompanied the Greeks to the Trojan war, with a fleet of 90 ships. During this celebrated war he rendered himself famous by his valour, and slaughtered many of the enemy. At his return he made a vow to Neptune in a dangerous tempest, that if he escaped from the fury of the seas and storms, he would offer to the god whatever living creature first presented itself to his eye on the Cretan shore. This was no other than his own son, who came to congratulate his father upon his safe return. Idomeneus performed his promise to the god, and the inhumanity and rashness of his sacrifice rendered him so odious in the eyes of his subjects, that he left Crete, and migrated in quest of a settlement. He came to Italy, and founded a city on the coast of Calabria, which he called Salentum. He died in an extreme old age, after he had had the satisfaction of seeing his new kingdom flourish, and his subjects happy. According to the Greek scholiast of Lycophron, li. 1217, Idomeneus, during his absence in the Trojan war, entrusted the management of his kingdom to Leucos, to whom he promised his daughter Clisithere in marriage at his return. Leucos at first governed with moderation; but he was persuaded by Nauplius king of Eubœa to put to death Meda the wife of his master, with her daughter Clisithere, and to seize the kingdom. After these violent measures, he strengthened himself on the throne of Crete; and Idomeneus, at his return, found it impossible to expel the usurper. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 13, li. 358.—Hyginus, fable 92.—Homer, Iliad, bk. 11, &c.; Odyssey, bk. 19.—Pausanias, bk. 5, ch. 25.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 3, li. 122.——A son of Priam.——A Greek historian of Lampsacus, in the age of Epicurus. He wrote a history of Samothrace, the life of Socrates, &c.
Idŏthea, a daughter of Prœtus king of Argos. She was restored to her senses with her sisters, by Melampus. See: Prœtides. Homer, Odyssey, bk. 11.——A daughter of Proteus, the god who told Menelaus how he could return to his country in safety. Homer, Odyssey, bk. 4, li. 363.——One of the nymphs who educated Jupiter.
Idrieus, the son of Euromus of Caria, brother to Artimisia, who succeeded to Mausolus, and invaded Cyprus. Diodorus, bk. 16.—Polyænus, bk. 7.
Idubeda, a river and mountain of Spain. Strabo, bk. 3.
Idūme and Idūmēa, a country of Syria, famous for palm trees. Gaza is its capital, where Cambyses deposited his riches, as he was going to Egypt. Lucan, bk. 3, li. 216.—Silius Italicus, bk. 5, li. 600.—Virgil, Georgics, bk. 3, li. 12.
Idya, one of the Oceanides, who married Æetes king of Colchis, by whom she had Medea, &c. Hyginus.—Hesiod.—Cicero, de Natura Deorum, bk. 3.
Jenisus, a town of Syria. Herodotus, bk. 3, ch. 5.
Jera, one of the Nereides. Homer, Iliad, bk. 18.
Jerĭcho, a city of Palestine, besieged and taken by the Romans, under Vespasian and Titus. Pliny, bk. 5, ch. 14.—Strabo.
Jerne, a name of Ireland. Strabo, bk. 1.
Jerŏmus and Jerony̆mus, a Greek of Cardia, who wrote a history of Alexander.——A native of Rhodes, disciple of Aristotle, of whose compositions some few historical fragments remain. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, bk. 1.
Jerusalem, the capital of Judæa. See: Hierosolyma.
Jetæ, a place of Sicily. Silius Italicus, bk. 14, li. 272.
Igēni, a people of Britain. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 12, &c.
Igilium, now Giglio, an island of the Mediterranean, on the coast of Tuscany. Mela, bk. 2, ch. 7.—Cæsar, Gallic War, bk. 1, ch. 34.
Ignatius, an officer of Crassus in his Parthian expedition.——A bishop of Antioch, torn to pieces in the amphitheatre at Rome, by lions, during a persecution, A.D. 107. His writings were letters to the Ephesians, Romans, &c., and he supported the divinity of Christ, and the propriety of the episcopal order, as superior to priests and deacons. The best edition of his work is that of Oxford, in 8vo, 1708.
Iguvium, a town of Umbria, on the Via Flaminia, now Gubio. Cicero, Letters to Atticus, bk. 7, ltr. 13.—Silius Italicus, bk. 8, li. 460.
Ilaīra, or Hilaira, a daughter of Leucippus, carried away with her sister Phœbe, by the sons of Leda, as she was going to be married, &c.
Ilba, more properly Ilva, an island of the Tyrrhene sea, two miles from the continent. See: Ilua. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 10, li. 173.
Ilecaones and Ilecaonenses, a people of Spain. Livy, bk. 22, ch. 21.
Ilerda, now Lerida, a town of Spain, the capital of the Ilergetes, on an eminence on the right bank of the river Sicoris in Catalonia. Livy, bk. 21, ch. 23; bk. 22, ch. 21.—Lucan, bk. 4, li. 13.
Ilergetes. See: Ilerda.
Ilia, or Rhea, a daughter of Numitor king of Alba, consecrated by her uncle Amulius to the service of Vesta, which required perpetual chastity, that she might not become a mother to dispossess him of his crown. He was, however, disappointed; violence was offered to Ilia, and she brought forth Romulus and Remus, who drove the usurper from his throne, and restored the crown to their grandfather Numitor, its lawful possessor. Ilia was buried alive by Amulius for violating the laws of Vesta; and because her tomb was near the Tiber, some supposed that she married the god of that river. Horace, bk. 1, ode 2.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 1, li. 277.—Ovid, Fasti, bk. 2, li. 598.——A wife of Sylla.
Iliăci ludi, games instituted by Augustus, in commemoration of the victory which he had obtained over Antony and Cleopatra. They are supposed to be the same as the Trojani ludi and the Actia; and Virgil says they were celebrated by Æneas, and not because they were instituted at the time when he wrote his poem, but because he wished to compliment Augustus by making the founder of Lavinium solemnize games on the very spot which was, many centuries after, to be immortalized by the trophies of his patron. During these games were exhibited horse-races, and gymnastic exercises. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 3, li. 280.
Iliăcus, an epithet applied to such as belong to Troy. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 1, li. 101.
Iliădes, a surname given to Romulus, as son of Ilia. Ovid.——A name given to the Trojan women. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 1, li. 484.
Ilias, a celebrated poem composed by Homer, upon the Trojan war. It delineates the wrath of Achilles, and all the calamities which befel the Greeks, from the refusal of that hero to appear in the field of battle. It finished at the death of Hector, whom Achilles had sacrificed to the shades of his friend Patroclus. It is divided into 24 books. See: Homerus.——A surname of Minerva, from a temple which she had at Daulis in Phocis.
Ilienses, a people of Sardinia. Livy, bk. 43, ch. 19; bk. 41, chs. 6 & 12.
Ilion, a town of Macedonia. Livy, bk. 31, ch. 27. See: Ilium.
Ilĭone, the eldest daughter of Priam, who married Polymnestor king of Thrace. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 1, li. 657.
Iliŏneus, a Trojan, son of Phorbas. He came into Italy with Æneas. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 1, li. 525.——A son of Artabanus, made prisoner by Parmenio, near Damascus. Curtius, bk. 3, ch. 13.——One of Niobe’s sons. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 6, fable 6.
Ilipa, a town of Bætica. Livy, bk. 35, ch. 1.
Ilissus, a small river of Attica, falling into the sea near the Piræus. There was a temple on its banks sacred to the muses. Statius, Thebiad, bk. 4, li. 52.
Ilĭthyīa, a goddess, called also Juno Lucina. Some suppose her to be the same as Diana. She presided over the travails of women; and in her temple at Rome, it was usual to carry a small piece of money as an offering. This custom was first established by Servius Tullius, who, by enforcing it, was enabled to know the exact number of the Roman people. Hesiod, Theogony, li. 450.—Homer, Iliad, bk. 11, ode 19.—Apollodorus, bks. 1 & 2.—Horace, Carmen Sæculare.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 9, li. 283.
Ilium, or Ilion, a citadel of Troy, built by Ilus, one of the Trojan kings, from whom it received its name. It is generally taken for Troy itself; and some have supposed that the town was called Ilium, and the adjacent country Troja. See: Troja. Livy, bk. 35, ch. 43; bk. 37, chs. 9 & 37.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 1, &c.—Strabo, bk. 13.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 13, li. 505.—Horace, bk. 3, ode 3.—Justin, bk. 11, ch. 5; bk. 31, ch. 8.
Illiberis, a town of Gaul, through which Hannibal passed as he marched into Italy.
Illice, now Elche, a town of Spain, with a harbour and bay, Sinus et Portus Illicitanus, now Alicant. Pliny, bk. 3, ch. 3.
Illipŭla, two towns of Spain, one of which is called Major, and the other Minor.
Illiturgis, Iliturgus, or Ilirgia, a city of Spain, near the modern Andujar, on the river Bætis, destroyed by Scipio, for having revolted to the Carthaginians. Livy, bk. 23, ch. 49; bk. 24, ch. 41; bk. 26, ch. 17.
Ilorcis, now Lorca, a town of Spain. Pliny, bk. 3, ch. 3.
Illy̆rĭcum, Illy̆ris, and Illy̆ria, a country bordering on the Adriatic sea, opposite Italy, whose boundaries have been different at different times. It became a Roman province, after Gentius its king had been conquered by the pretor Anicius; and it now forms part of Croatia, Bosnia, and Sclavonia. Strabo, bks. 2 & 7.—Pausanias, bk. 4, ch. 35.—Mela, bk. 2, ch. 2, &c.—Florus, bks. 1, 2, &c.
Illy̆rīcus sinus, that part of the Adriatic which is on the coast of Illyricum.
Illy̆rius, a son of Cadmus and Hermione, from whom Illyricum received its name. Apollodorus.
Ilua, now Elba, an island in the Tyrrhene sea, between Italy and Corsica, celebrated for its iron mines. The people are called Iluates. Livy, bk. 30, ch. 39.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 10, li. 173.—Pliny, bk. 3, ch. 6; bk. 34, ch. 14.
Iluro, now Oleron, a town of Gascony in France.
Ilus, the fourth king of Troy, was son of Tros by Callirhoe. He married Eurydice the daughter of Adrastus, by whom he had Themis, who married Capys, and Laomedon the father of Priam. He built, or rather embellished, the city of Ilium, called also Troy, from his father Tros. Jupiter gave him the Palladium, a celebrated statue of Minerva, and promised that as long as it remained in Troy, so long would the town remain impregnable. When the temple of Minerva was in flames, Ilus rushed into the middle of the fire to save the Palladium, for which action he was deprived of his sight by the goddess; though he recovered it some time after. Homer, Iliad.—Strabo, bk. 13.—Apollodorus, bk. 3, ch. 12.—Ovid, Fasti, bk. 4, li. 33; bk. 6, li. 419.——A name of Ascanius, while he was at Troy. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 1, li. 272.——A friend of Turnus, killed by Pallas. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 10, li. 400.
Ilyrgis, a town of Hispania Bætica, now Ilora. Polybius.
Imanuentius, a king of part of Britain, killed by Cassivelaunus, &c.—Cæsar, Gallic War, bk. 5.
Imaus, a large mountain of Scythia, which is part of mount Taurus. It divides Scythia, which is generally called Intra Imaum, and Extra Imaum. It extends, according to some, as far as the boundaries of the eastern ocean. Pliny, bk. 6, ch. 17.—Strabo, bk. 1.
Imbărus, a part of mount Taurus in Armenia.
Imbrăsĭdes, a patronymic given to Asius, as son of Imbracus. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 10, li. 123.
Imbrăsĭdes, a patronymic given to Glaucus and Lades, as sons of Imbrasus. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 12, li. 343.
Imbrăsus, or Parthenius, a river of Samos. Juno, who was worshipped on its banks, received the surname of Imbrasia. Pausanias, bk. 7, ch. 4.——The father of Pirus, the leader of the Thracians during the Trojan war. Virgil, Æneid, bks. 10 & 12.—Homer, Iliad, bk. 4, li. 520.
Imbreus, one of the Centaurs, killed by Dryas at the nuptials of Pirithous. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 12, li. 310.
Imbrex Caius Licinius, a poet. See: Licinius.
Imbrius, a Trojan, killed by Teucer son of Mentor. He had married Medesicaste, Priam’s daughter. Homer, Iliad, bk. 13.
Imbrivium, a place of Samnium.
Imbros, now Embro, an island of the Ægean sea, near Thrace, 32 miles from Samothrace, with a small river and town of the same name. Imbros was governed for some time by its own laws, but afterwards subjected to the power of Persia, Athens, Macedonia, and the kings of Pergamus. It afterwards became a Roman province. The divinities particularly worshipped there were Ceres and Mercury. Thucydides, bk. 8.—Pliny, bk. 4, ch. 12.—Homer, Iliad, bk. 13.—Strabo, bk. 2.—Mela, bk. 2, ch. 7.—Ovid, Tristia, bk. 1, poem 10, li. 18.
Inăchi, a name given to the Greeks, particularly the Argives, from king Inachus.
Inachia, a name given to Peloponnesus, from the river Inachus.——A festival in Crete in honour of Inachus; or, according to others, of Ino’s misfortunes.——A courtesan in the age of Horace, Epode 12.
Inăchĭdæ, the name of the eight first successors of Inachus, on the throne of Argos.
Inăchĭles, a patronymic of Epaphus, as grandson of Inachus. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 1, li. 704.——Also of Perseus, descended from Inachus. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 4, fable 11.
Inăchis, a patronymic of Io, as daughter of Inachus. Ovid, Fasti, bk. 1, li. 454.
Inăchium, a town of Peloponnesus.
Inăchus, a son of Oceanus and Tethys, father of Io, and also of Phoroneus and Ægialeus. He founded the kingdom of Argos, and was succeeded by Phoroneus, B.C. 1807, and gave his name to a river of Argos, of which he became the tutelar deity. He reigned 60 years. Virgil, Georgics, bk. 3, li. 151.—Apollodorus, bk. 2, ch. 3.—Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 15.——A river of Argos.——Another in Epirus.
Inamămes, a river in the east of Asia, as far as which Semiramis extended her empire. Polyænus.
Inarĭme, an island near Campania, with a mountain under which Jupiter confined the giant Typhœus. It is now called Ischia, and is remarkable for its fertility and population. There was formerly a volcano in the middle of the island. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 9, li. 716.
Inărus, a town of Egypt, in whose neighbourhood the town of Naucratis was built by the Milesians.——A tyrant of Egypt, who died B.C. 456.
Incitātus, a horse of the emperor Caligula, made high priest.
Indathyrsus. See: Idanthyrsus.
India, the most celebrated and opulent of all the countries of Asia, bounded on one side by the Indus, from which it derives its name. It is situate at the south of the kingdoms of Persia, Parthia, &c., along the maritime coasts. It has always been reckoned famous for the riches it contains; and so persuaded were the ancients of its wealth, that they supposed that its very sands were gold. It contained 9000 different nations, and 5000 remarkable cities, according to geographers. Bacchus was the first who conquered it. In more recent ages, part of it was tributary to the power of Persia. Alexander invaded it; but his conquest was checked by the valour of Porus, one of the kings of the country, and the Macedonian warrior was unwilling or afraid to engage another. Semiramis also extended her empire far in India. The Romans knew little of the country, yet their power was so universally dreaded, that the Indians paid homage by their ambassadors to the emperors Antoninus, Trajan, &c. India is divided into several provinces. There is an India extra Gangem, an India intra Gangem, and an India propria; but these divisions are not particularly noticed by the ancients, who, even in the age of Augustus, gave the name of Indians to the Æthiopian nations. Diodorus, bk. 1.—Strabo, bk. 1, &c.—Mela, bk. 3, ch. 7.—Pliny, bk. 5, ch. 28.—Curtius, bk. 8, ch. 10.—Justin, bk. 1, ch. 2; bk. 12, ch. 7.
Indibĭlis, a princess of Spain betrothed to Albutius.
Indĭgĕtes, a name given to those deities who were worshipped only in some particular places, or who were become gods from men, as Hercules, Bacchus, &c. Some derive the word from Inde et geniti, born at the same place where they received their worship. Virgil, Georgics, bk. 1, li. 498.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 14, li. 608.
Indĭgĕti, a people of Spain.
Indus, now Sinde, a large river of Asia, from which the adjacent country has received the name of India. It falls into the Indian ocean by two mouths. According to Plato, it was larger than the Nile; and Pliny says that 19 rivers discharge themselves into it, before it falls into the sea. Cicero, de Natura Deorum, bk. 2, ch. 52.—Strabo, bk. 15.—Curtius, bk. 8, ch. 9.—Diodorus, bk. 2.—Ovid, Fasti, bk. 3, li. 720.—Pliny, bk. 6, ch. 20.——A river of Caria. Livy, bk. 38, ch. 14.
Indutiomarus, a Gaul, conquered by Cæsar, &c. Cæsar, Gallic War.
Inferum mare, the Tuscan sea.
Ino, a daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, who nursed Bacchus. She married Athamas king of Thebes, after he had divorced Nephele, by whom he had two children, Phryxus and Helle. Ino became mother of Melicerta and Learchus, and soon conceived an implacable hatred against the children of Nephele, because they were to ascend the throne in preference to her own. Phryxus and Helle were informed of Ino’s machinations, and they escaped to Colchis on a golden ram. See: Phryxus. Juno, jealous of Ino’s prosperity, resolved to disturb her peace; and more particularly because she was of the descendants of her greatest enemy, Venus. Tisiphone was sent, by order of the goddess, to the house of Athamas; and she filled the whole palace with such fury, that Athamas, taking Ino to be a lioness, and her children whelps, pursued her, and dashed her son Learchus against a wall. Ino escaped from the fury of her husband, and from a high rock she threw herself into the sea, with Melicerta in her arms. The gods pitied her fate, and Neptune made her a sea deity, which was afterwards called Leucothoe. Melicerta became also a sea god, known by the name of Palæmon. Homer, Odyssey, bk. 5.—Cicero, Tusculanæ Disputationes; de Natura Deorum, bk. 3, ch. 48.—Plutarch, Convivium Septem Sapientium, ch. 5.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 4, fable 13, &c.—Pausanias, bks. 1, 2, &c.—Apollodorus, bk. 2, ch. 4.—Hyginus, fables 12, 14, & 15.
Inōa, festivals in memory of Ino, celebrated yearly with sports and sacrifices at Corinth. An anniversary sacrifice was also offered to Ino at Megara, where she was first worshipped, under the name of Leucothoe.——Another in Laconia, in honour of the same. It was usual at the celebration to throw cakes of flour into a pond, which, if they sunk, were presages of prosperity; but if they swam on the surface of the waters, they were inauspicious and very unlucky.
Inous, a patronymic given to the god Palæmon, as son of Ino. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 5, li. 823.
Inōpus, a river of Delos, which the inhabitants suppose to be the Nile, coming from Egypt under the sea. It was near its banks that Apollo and Diana were born. Pliny, bk. 2, ch. 103.—Flaccus, bk. 5, li. 105.—Strabo, bk. 6.—Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 4.
Insŭbres, the inhabitants of Insubria, a country near the Po, supposed to be of Gallic origin. They were conquered by the Romans, and their country became a province, where the modern towns of Milan and Pavia were built. Strabo, bk. 5.—Tacitus, Annals, bk. 11, ch. 23.—Pliny, bk. 3, ch. 17.—Livy, bk. 5, ch. 34.—Ptolemy, bk. 3, ch. 1.
Intaphernes, one of the seven Persian noblemen who conspired against Smerdis, who usurped the crown of Persia. He was so disappointed for not obtaining the crown, that he fomented seditions against Darius, who had been raised to the throne after the death of the usurper. When the king had ordered him and all his family to be put to death, his wife, by frequently visiting the palace, excited the compassion of Darius, who pardoned her, and permitted her to redeem from death any one of her relations whom she pleased. She obtained her brother; and when the king expressed his astonishment, because she preferred him to her husband and children, she replied that she could procure another husband, and children likewise; out that she could never have another brother, as her father and mother were dead. Intaphernes was put to death. Herodotus, bk. 3.
Intemelium, a town at the west of Liguria, on the sea-shore. Cicero, ♦Letters to his Friends, bk. 8, ch. 14.
♦ ‘Div.’ replaced with ‘Letters to his Friends’
Interamna, an ancient city of Umbria, the birthplace of the historian Tacitus, and of the emperor of the same name. It is situate between two branches of the Nar (interamnes), whence its name. Varro, de Lingua Latina, bk. 4, ch. 5.—Tacitus, Histories, bk. 2, ch. 64.——A colony on the confines of Samnium, on the Liris.
Intercatia, a town of Spain.
Interrex, a supreme magistrate at Rome, who was intrusted with the care of the government after the death of a king, till the election of another. This office was exercised by the senators alone, and none continued in power longer than five days, or, according to Plutarch, only 12 hours. The first interrex mentioned in Roman history, is after the death of Romulus, when the Romans quarrelled with the Sabines concerning the choice of a king. There was sometimes an interrex during the consular government; but this happened only to hold assemblies in the absence of the magistrates, or when the election of any of the acting officers was disputed. Livy, bk. 1, ch. 17.—Dionysius of Halicarnassus, bk. 2, ch. 15.
Inui castrum. See: Castrum Inui. It received its name from Inuus, a divinity supposed to be the same as the Faunus of the Latins, and worshipped in this city.
Inȳcus, a city of Sicily. Herodotus.
Io, daughter of Inachus, or, according to others, of Jasus or Pirenes, was priestess of Juno at Argos. Jupiter became enamoured of her; but Juno, jealous of his intrigues, discovered the object of his affections, and surprised him in the company of Io, though he had shrouded himself in all the obscurity of clouds and thick mists. Jupiter changed his mistress into a beautiful heifer; and the goddess, who well knew the fraud, obtained from her husband the animal whose beauty she had condescended to commend. Juno commanded the hundred-eyed Argus to watch the heifer; but Jupiter, anxious for the situation of Io, sent Mercury to destroy Argus, and to restore her to liberty. See: Argus. Io, freed from the vigilance of Argus, was now persecuted by Juno; who sent one of the furies, or rather a malicious insect, to torment her. She wandered over the greatest part of the earth, and crossed over the sea, till at last she stopped on the banks of the Nile, still exposed to the unceasing torments of Juno’s insect. Here she entreated Jupiter to restore her to her ancient form; and when the god had changed her from a heifer into a woman, she brought forth Epaphus. Afterwards she married Telegonus king of Egypt, or Osiris, according to others, and she treated her subjects with such mildness and humanity, that after death she received divine honours, and was worshipped under the name of Isis. According to Herodotus, Io was carried away by Phœnician merchants, who wished to make reprisals for Europa, who had been stolen from them by the Greeks. Some suppose that Io never came to Egypt. She is sometimes called Phoronis, from her brother Phoroneus. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 1, li. 748.—Pausanias, bk. 1, ch. 25; bk. 3, ch. 18.—Moschus.—Apollodorus, bk. 2, ch. 1.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 7, li. 789.—Hyginus, fable 145.