Aristophanes. He lived the greatest part of his life at Alexandria,
and Ptolemy Philometer entrusted him with the education of his sons.
He was famous for his critical powers, and he revised the poems of
Homer with such severity that ever after all severe critics were
called _Aristarchi_. He wrote above 800 commentaries on different
authors, much esteemed in his age. In his old age he became
dropsical, upon which he starved himself, and died in his 72nd year,
B.C. 157. He left two sons called Aristarchus and Aristagoras, both
famous for their stupidity. _Horace_, _Art of Poetry_, li. 499.
――_Ovid_, bk. 3, _ex Ponto_, ltr. 9, li. 24.――_Cicero_, _Letters to
his Friends_, bk. 3, ltr. 11; _Letters to Atticus_, bk. 1, ltr. 14.
――_Quintilian_, bk. 10, ch. 1.――――A tragic poet of Tegea in Arcadia,
about 454 years B.C. He composed 70 tragedies, of which two only
were rewarded with the prize. One of them, called Achilles, was
translated into Latin verse by Ennius. _Suidas._――――A physician
to queen Berenice the widow of Antiochus. _Polyænus_, bk. 8.――――An
orator of Ambracia.――――An astronomer of Samos, who first supposed
that the earth turned round its axis, and revolved round the sun.
This doctrine nearly proved fatal to him, as he was accused of
disturbing the peace of the gods Lares. He maintained that the sun
was 19 times further distant from the earth than the moon, and that
the moon was 56 semi-diameters of our globe, and little more than
one-third, and the diameter of the sun six or seven times more than
that of the earth. The age in which he flourished is not precisely
known. His treatise on the largeness and the distance of the sun and
moon is extant, of which the best edition is that of Oxford, 8vo,
1688.
=Aristazānes=, a noble Persian in favour with Artaxerxes Ochus.
_Diodorus_, bk. 16.
=Aristeas=, a poet of Proconnesus, who, as fables report, appeared
seven years after his death to his countrymen, and 540 years after
to the people of Metapontum in Italy, and commanded them to raise
him a statue near the temple of Apollo. He wrote an epic poem on
the Arimaspi in three books, and some of his verses are quoted by
Longinus. _Herodotus_, bk. 4, ch. 13.――_Strabo_, bk. 14.――_Maximus
Tyrius_, bk. 22.――――A ♦physician of Rhodes.――――A geometrician,
intimate with Euclid.――――A poet, son of Demochares, in the age of
Crœsus.
♦ ‘physican’ replaced with ‘physician’
=Aristĕræ=, an island on the coast of Peloponnesus. _Pausanias_, bk. 2,
ch. 34.
=Aristeus=, a man of Argos, who excited king Pyrrhus to take up arms
against his countrymen the Argives. _Polyænus_, bk. 8, ch. 68.
=Aristhĕnes=, a shepherd who found Æsculapius, when he had been
exposed in the woods by his mother Coronis.
=Aristhus=, an historian of Arcadia. _Dionysius of Halicarnassus_,
bk. 1.
=Aristībus=, a river of Pæonia. _Polyænus_, bk. 4, ch. 12.
=Aristīdes=, a celebrated Athenian, son of Lysimachus, whose great
temperance and virtue procured him the surname of _Just_. He was
rival to Themistocles, by whose influence he was banished for 10
years, B.C. 484; but before six years of his exile had elapsed, he
was recalled by the Athenians. He was at the battle of Salamis, and
was appointed chief commander with Pausanias against Mardonius, who
was defeated at Platæa. He died so poor, that the expenses of his
funeral were defrayed at the public charge, and his two daughters,
on account of their father’s virtues, received a dowry from the
public treasury when they were come to marriageable years. Poverty,
however, seemed hereditary in the family of Aristides, for the
grandson was seen in the public streets, getting his livelihood by
explaining dreams. The Athenians became more virtuous in imitating
their great leader: and from the sense of his good qualities, at the
representation of one of the tragedies of Æschylus, on the mentioning
of a sentence concerning moral goodness, the eyes of the audience
were all at once turned from the actor to Aristides. When he sat as
judge, it is said that the plaintiff, in his accusation, mentioned
the injuries his opponent had done to Aristides. “Mention the wrongs
you have received,” replied the equitable Athenian; “I sit here as
judge, and the lawsuit is yours, and not mine.” _Cornelius Nepos_
& _Plutarch_, _Parallel Lives_.――――An historian of Miletus, fonder
of stories, and of anecdotes, than of truth. He wrote a history
of Italy, of which the 40th volume has been quoted by _Plutarch_,
_Parallela minora_.――――An athlete, who obtained a prize at the
Olympian, Nemæan, and Pythian games. _Pausanias_, bk. 6, ch. 16.
――――A painter of Thebes in Bœotia, in the age of Alexander the Great,
for one of whose pieces Attalus offered 6000 sesterces. _Pliny_,
bks. 7 & 35.――――A Greek orator who wrote 50 orations, besides other
tracts. When Smyrna was destroyed by an earthquake, he wrote so
pathetic a letter to Marcus Aurelius, that the emperor ordered the
city immediately to be rebuilt, and a statue was in consequence
raised to the orator. His works consist of hymns in prose in honour
of the gods, funeral orations, apologies, panegyrics, and harangues,
the best edition of which is that of Jebb, 2 vols., 4to, Oxoford,
1722, and that in a smaller size in 12mo, 3 vols., of Canterus
apud P. Steph. 1604.――――A man of Locris, who died by the bite of a
weasel. _Ælian_, _Varia Historia_, bk. 14.――――A philosopher of Mysia,
intimate with Marcus Antoninus.――――An Athenian, who wrote treatises
on animals, trees, and agriculture.
=Aristillus=, a philosopher of the Alexandrian school, who about 300
years B.C. attempted, with Timocharis, to determine the place of
the different stars in the heavens, and to trace the course of the
planets.
=Aristio=, a sophist of Athens, who by the support of Archelaus, the
general of Mithridates, seized the government of his country, and
made himself absolute. He poisoned himself when defeated by Sylla.
_Livy_, bks. 81, 82.
=Aristippus=, _the elder_, a philosopher of Cyrene, disciple to
Socrates, and founder of the Cyrenaic sect. He was one of the
flatterers of Dionysius of Sicily, and distinguished himself for
his epicurean voluptuousness, in support of which he wrote a book,
as likewise a history of Libya. When travelling in the deserts of
Africa, he ordered his servants to throw away the money they carried,
as too burdensome. On another occasion, discovering that the ship
in which he sailed belonged to pirates, he designedly threw his
property into the sea, adding, that he chose rather to lose it than
his life. Many of his sayings and maxims are recorded by _Diogenes
Laërtius_, in his life. _Horace_, bk. 2, satire 3, li. 100.――――His
grandson of the same name, called _the younger_, was a warm defender
of his opinions, and supported that the principles of all things
were pain and pleasure. He flourished about 363 years B.C.――――A
tyrant of Argos, whose life was one continued series of apprehension.
He was killed by a Cretan in a battle against Aratus, B.C. 242.
_Diogenes Laërtius._――――A man who wrote a history of Arcadia.
_Diogenes Laërtius_, bk. 2.
=Marcus Aristius=, a tribune of the soldiers in Cæsar’s army. _Cæsar_,
_Gallic War_, bk. 7, ch. 42.――――Another. _See:_ Fuscus.――――A
satirist, who wrote a poem called Cyclops.
=Aristo.= _See:_ Ariston.
=Aristobūla=, a name given to Diana by Themistocles.
=Aristobūlus=, a name common to some of the high priests and kings
of Judæa, &c. _Josephus._――――A brother of Epicurus.――――One of
Alexander’s attendants, who wrote the king’s life, replete with
adulation and untruth.――――A philosopher of Judæa, B.C. 150.
=Aristoclēa=, a beautiful woman, seen naked by Strato as she was
offering a sacrifice. She was passionately loved by Callisthenes,
and was equally admired by Strato. The two rivals so furiously
contended for her hand, that she died during their quarrel, upon
which Strato killed himself, and Callisthenes was never seen after.
_Plutarch_, _Amatoriæ Narrationes_.
=Aristŏcles=, a peripatetic philosopher of Messenia, who reviewed,
in a treatise on philosophy, the opinions of his predecessors. The
14th book of this treatise is quoted, &c. He also wrote on rhetoric,
and likewise nine books on morals.――――A grammarian of Rhodes.――――A
stoic of Lampsacus.――――An historian. _Strabo_, bk. 4.――――A musician.
_Athenæus_, &c.――――A prince of Tegæa, &c. _Polyænus._――――This name
is common to many Greeks, of whom few or no particulars are recorded.
=Aristoclīdes=, a tyrant of Orchomenes, who, because he could not win
the affection of Stymphalis, killed her and her father, upon which
all Arcadia took up arms and destroyed the murderer.
=Aristocrătes=, a king of Arcadia, put to death by his subjects for
offering violence to the priestess of Diana. _Pausanias_, bk. 8,
ch. 5.――――His grandson, of the same name, was stoned to death
for taking bribes, during the second Messenian war, and being the
cause of the defeat of his Messenian allies, B.C. 682. _Pausanias_,
_ibid._――――A Rhodian.――――A man who endeavoured to destroy the
democratical power at Athens.――――An Athenian general sent to the
assistance of Corcyra with 25 galleys. _Diodorus_, bk. 15.――――An
Athenian who was punished with death for flying from the field
of battle.――――A Greek historian, son of Hipparchus. _Plutarch_,
_Lycurgus_.
=Aristocreon=, the writer of a book on geography.
=Aristocrĭtus=, wrote a treatise concerning Miletus.
=Aristodēme=, a daughter of Priam.
=Aristodēmus=, son of Aristomachus, was one of the Heraclidæ. He,
with his brothers Temenus and Cresphontes, invaded Peloponnesus,
conquered it, and divided the country among themselves, 1104 years
before the christian era. He married Argia, by whom he had the twins
Procles and Eurysthenes. He was killed by a thunderbolt at Naupactum,
though some say that he died at Delphi in Phocis. _Pausanias_,
bk. 2, ch. 18; bk. 3, chs. 1 & 16.――_Herodotus_, bk. 7, ch. 204;
bk. 8, ch. 131.――――A king of Messenia, who maintained a famous war
against Sparta. After some losses, he recovered his strength, and
so effectually defeated the enemy’s forces, that they were obliged
to prostitute their women to repeople their country. The offspring
of this prostitution were called Partheniæ, and 30 years after
their birth they left Sparta, and seized upon Tarentum. Aristodemus
put his daughter to death for the good of his country; but being
afterwards persecuted in a dream by her manes, he killed himself,
after a reign of six years and some months, in which he had obtained
much military glory, B.C. 724. His death was lamented by his
countrymen, who did not appoint him a successor, but only invested
Damis, one of his friends, with absolute power to continue the war,
which was at last terminated after much bloodshed and many losses
on both sides. _Pausanias_, _Messenia_.――――A tyrant of Cumæ.――――A
philosopher of Ægina.――――An Alexandrian who wrote some treatises, &c.
――――A Spartan who taught the children of Pausanias.――――A man who was
preceptor to the children of Pompey.――――A tyrant of Arcadia.――――A
Carian who wrote a history of painting.――――A philosopher of Nysa,
B.C. 68.
=Aristogĕnes=, a physician of Cnidos, who obtained great reputation
by the cure of Demetrius Gonatus king of Macedonia.――――A Thasian who
wrote 24 books on medicine.
=Aristogīton= and =Harmodius=, two celebrated friends of Athens, who
by their joint efforts delivered their country from the tyranny of
the Pisistratidæ, B.C. 510. They received immortal honours from the
Athenians, and had statues raised to their memory. These statues
were carried away by Xerxes when he took Athens. The conspiracy
of Aristogiton was so secretly planned, and so wisely carried into
execution, that it is said a courtesan bit her tongue off, not
to betray the trust reposed in her. _Pausanias_, bk. 1, ch. 29.
――_Herodotus_, bk. 5, ch. 55.――_Plutarch_, _Lives of the Ten
Orators_.――――An Athenian orator, surnamed _Canis_, from his
impudence. He wrote orations against Timarchus, Timotheus, Hyperides,
and Thrasyllus.――――A statuary. _Pausanias._
=Aristolāus=, a painter. _Pliny_, bk. 31, ch. 11.
=Aristomăche=, the wife of Dionysius of Syracuse. _Cicero_, _Tusculanæ
Disputationes_, bk. 5, ch. 20.――――The wife of Dion.――――A poetess.
_Plutarch_, _Convivium Septem Sapientium_.――――A daughter of Priam,
who married Critolaus. _Pausanias_, bk. 10, ch. 26.
=Aristomăchus=, an Athenian, who wrote concerning the preparation
of wine. _Pliny_, bk. 14, ch. 9.――――A man so excessively fond of
bees, that he devoted 58 years of his life in raising swarms of
them. _Pliny_, bk. 11, ch. 9.――――The son of Cleodæus and grandson
of Hyllus, whose three sons, Cresphontes, Temenus, and Aristodemus,
called Heraclidæ, conquered Peloponnesus. _Pausanias_, bk. 2, ch. 7;
bk. 3, ch. 15.――_Herodotus_, bks. 6, 7, & 8.――――A man who laid aside
his sovereign power at Argos, at the persuasion of Aratus.
_Pausanias_, bk. 2, ch. 8.
=Aristomēdes=, a Thessalian general in the interest of Darius III.
_Curtius_, bk. 3, ch. 9.
=Aristomĕnes=, a commander of the fleet of Darius on the Hellespont,
conquered by the Macedonians. _Curtius_, bk. 4, ch. 1.――――A famous
general of Messenia, who encouraged his countrymen to shake off the
Lacedæmonian yoke under which they had laboured for above 30 years.
He once defended the virtue of some Spartan women, whom his soldiers
had attempted; and when he was taken prisoner and carried to Sparta,
the women whom he had protected interested themselves so warmly in
his cause that they procured his liberty. He refused to assume the
title of king, but was satisfied with that of commander. He acquired
the surname of _Just_, from his equity, to which he joined the true
valour, sagacity, and perseverance of a general. He often entered
Sparta without being known and was so dexterous in eluding the
vigilance of the Lacedæmonians, who had taken him captive, that
he twice escaped from them. As he attempted to do it a third time,
he was unfortunately killed, and his body being opened, his heart
was found all covered with hair. He died 671 years B. C., and it is
said that he left dramatical pieces behind him. _Diodorus_, bk. 15.
――_Pausanias_, _Messenia_.――――A Spartan sent to the assistance of
Dionysius. _Polyænus_, bk. 2.
=Ariston=, the son of Agasicles king of Sparta. Being unable to raise
children by two wives, he married another famous for her beauty, by
whom he had, after seven months, a son Demaratus, whom he had the
impudence to call not his own. _Herodotus_, bk. 6, ch. 61, &c.――――A
general of Ætolia.――――A sculptor.――――A Corinthian who assisted
the Syracusans against the Athenians.――――An officer in Alexander’s
army.――――A tyrant of Methymna, who, being ignorant that Chios had
surrendered to the Macedonians, entered into the harbour, and was
taken and put to death. _Curtius_, bk. 4, ch. 9.――――A philosopher
of Chios, pupil to Zeno the stoic, and founder of a sect which
continued but a little while. He supported that the nature of the
divinity is unintelligible. It is said that he died by the heat of
the sun, which fell too powerfully upon his bald head. In his old
age he was much given to sensuality. _Diogenes Laërtius._――――A
lawyer in Trajan’s reign, whose eulogium has been written by Pliny,
ltr. 22, bk. 1.――――A peripatetic philosopher of Alexandria, who
wrote concerning the course of the Nile. _Strabo._――――A wrestler of
Argos, under whom Plato performed some exercises.――――A musician of
Athens.――――A tragic poet.――――A peripatetic of Cos.――――A native of
Pella, in the age of Adrian, who wrote on the rebellion of the Jews.
=Aristonautæ=, the naval dock of Pellene. _Pausanias_, bk. 2.
=Aristonīcus=, son of Eumenes by a concubine of Ephesus, 126 B.C.,
invaded Asia and the kingdom of Pergamus, which Attalus had left by
his will to the Roman people. He was conquered by the consul Perpenna,
and strangled in prison. _Justin_, bk. 36, ch. 4.――_Florus_, bk. 2,
ch. 20.――――A musician of Olynthus.――――A grammarian of Alexandria,
who wrote a commentary on Hesiod and Homer, besides a treatise on
the museum established in Alexandria by the Ptolemies.
=Aristonĭdes=, a noble statuary. _Pliny_, bk. 34, ch. 14.
=Aristŏnus=, a captain of Alexander’s cavalry. _Curtius_, bk. 9, ch. 5.
=Aristony̆mus=, a comic poet under Philadelphus, keeper of the library
at Alexandria. He died of a retention of urine, in his 77th year.
_Athenæus._――――One of Alexander’s musicians. _Plutarch_, _Alexander_.
=Aristophănes=, a celebrated comic poet of Athens, son of Philip of
Rhodes. He wrote 54 comedies, of which only 11 are come down to us.
He lived in the age of Socrates, Demosthenes, and Euripides, B.C.
434, and lashed the vices of his age with a masterly hand. The wit
and excellence of his comedies are well known; but they abound
sometimes too much with obscenity; and his attack upon the venerable
character of Socrates has been always censured, and with justice.
As a reward for his mental greatness, the poet received a crown of
olive, in a public assembly; but if he deserved praise, he merited
blame for his licentiousness, which spared not even the gods, and was
so offensive to his countrymen, that Alcibiades made a law at Athens,
which forbade the comic writers from mimicking or representing on
the stage any living character by name. Aristophanes has been called
the prince of ancient comedy, as Menander of the new. The play
called _Nubes_ is pointedly against Socrates, and the philosopher
is exposed to ridicule, and his precepts placed in a most ludicrous
point of view by the introduction of one of his pupils in the
characters of the piece. It is said that St. Chrysostom used to
keep the comedies of Aristophanes under his pillow, on account of
the brilliancy of the composition. Plutarch has made a comparison
between the princes of the new and old comedy, which abounds
with many anecdotes concerning these original characters. The
best editions of the works of Aristophanes are, Kuster’s, folio,
Amsterdam, 1710, and the 12mo, Leiden, 1670, and that of Brunck,
4 vols., 8vo, Strasbourg, 1783, which would still be more perfect
did it contain the valuable scholia. _Quintilian_, bk. 10, ch. 1.
――_Paterculus_, bk. 1, ch. 16.――_Horace_, bk. 1, satire 4, li. 1.
――――A grammarian of Byzantium, keeper of the library of Alexandria
under Ptolemy Evergetes. He wrote a treatise on the harlots of
Attica. _Diogenes Laërtius_, _Plutarch_ & _Epicurus_.――_Athenæus_,
bk. 9.――――A Greek historian of Bœotia, quoted by _Plutarch_, _de
Herodoti Malignitate_.――――A writer on agriculture.
=Aristophilīdes=, a king of Tarentum in the reign of Darius son of
Hystaspes. _Herodotus_, bk. 3.
=Aristŏphon=, a painter in the age of Socrates. He drew the picture
of Alcibiades softly reclining on the bosom of the courtesan Nemea,
and all the people of Athens ran in crowds to be spectators of the
masterly piece. He also made a painting of Mars leaning on the arm
of Venus. _Plutarch_, _Alcibiades_.――_Athenæus_, bk. 13.――_Pliny_,
bk. 35, ch. 11.――――A comic poet in the age of Alexander, many of
whose fragments are collected in Athenæus.
=Aristor=, the father of Argus the hundred-eyed keeper of Io.
=Aristorĭdes=, the patronymic of Argus. _Ovid_, _Metamorphoses_,
bk. 1, li. 624.
=Aristoteleia=, festivals in honour of Aristotle, because he obtained
the restitution of his country from Alexander.