year by the Bœotians. It was then usual to adorn an olive bough with
garlands of laurel and other flowers, and place on the top a brazen
globe, on which were suspended smaller ones. In the middle were
placed a number of crowns, and a globe of inferior size, and the
bottom was adorned with a saffron-coloured garment. The globe on the
top represented the sun, or Apollo; that in the middle was an emblem
of the moon, and the others of the stars. The crowns, which were 65
in number, represented the sun’s annual revolutions. This bough was
carried in solemn procession by a beautiful youth of an illustrious
family, and whose parents were both living. The youth was dressed in
rich garments which reached to the ground, his hair hung loose and
dishevelled, his head was covered with a golden crown, and he wore
on his feet shoes called _Iphicratidæ_, from Iphicrates, an Athenian
who first invented them. He was called δαφνηφορος, _laurel-bearer_,
and at that time he executed the office of priest of Apollo. He was
preceded by one of his nearest relations, bearing a rod adorned with
garlands, and behind him followed a train of virgins, with branches
in their hands. In this order the procession advanced as far as
the temple of Apollo, surnamed Ismenius, where supplicatory hymns
were sung to the god. This festival owed its origin to the following
circumstance: When an oracle advised the Ætolians, who inhabited
Arne and the adjacent country, to abandon their ancient possessions,
and go in quest of a settlement, they invaded the Theban territories,
which at that time were pillaged by an army of Pelasgians. As
the celebration of Apollo’s festivals was near, both nations, who
religiously observed it, laid aside all hostilities, and according
to custom, cut down laurel boughs from mount Helicon and in the
neighbourhood of the river Melas, and walked in procession in honour
of the divinity. The day that this solemnity was observed, Polemates
the general of the ♦Bœotian army saw a youth in a dream that
presented him with a complete suit of armour, and commanded the
Bœotians to offer solemn prayers to Apollo, and walk in procession
with laurel boughs in their hands every ninth year. Three days
after this dream, the Bœotian general made a sally, and cut off
the greatest part of the besiegers, who were compelled by this blow
to relinquish their enterprise. Polemates immediately instituted
a novennial festival to the god who seemed to be the patron of the
Bœotians. _Pausanias_, _Bœotia_, &c.
♦ ‘Bœtian’ replaced with ‘Bœotian’
=Daphnis=, a shepherd of Sicily, son of Mercury by a Sicilian nymph.
He was educated by the nymphs, Pan taught him to sing and play upon
the pipe, and the muses inspired him with the love of poetry. It was
supposed that he was the first who wrote pastoral poetry, in which
his successor Theocritus so happily excelled. He was extremely fond
of hunting; and at his death five of his dogs, from their attachment
to him, refused all aliments, and pined away. From the celebrity
of this shepherd, the name of _Daphnis_ has been appropriated by
the poets, ancient and modern, to express a person fond of rural
employments, and the peaceful innocence which accompanies the tending
of flocks. _Ælian_, _Varia Historia_, bk. 10, ch. 18.――_Diodorus_,
bk. 4.――――There was another shepherd on mount Ida of the same name
changed into a rock, according to _Ovid_, _Metamorphoses_, bk. 4,
li. 275.――――A servant of Nicocrates tyrant of Cyrene, &c. _Polyænus_,
bk. 8.――――A grammarian. _Suetonius_, _Lives of the Grammarians_.
――――A son of Paris and Œnone.
=Daphnus=, a river of Locris, into which the body of Hesiod was thrown
after his murder. _Plutarch_, _de Convivium Septem Sapientium_.――――A
physician who preferred a supper to a dinner, because he supposed
that the moon assisted digestion. _Athenæus_, bk. 7.
=Darăba=, a town of Arabia.
=Darantasia=, a town of Belgic Gaul, called also _Forum Claudii_, and
now _Motier_.
=Daraps=, a king of the Gangaridæ, &c. _Flaccus_, bk. 6, li. 67.
=Dardăni=, the inhabitants of Dardania.――――Also a people of Mœsia,
very inimical to the neighbouring power of Macedonia. _Livy_, bk. 26,
ch. 25; bk. 27, ch. 33; bk. 31, ch. 28; bk. 40, ch. 57.――_Pliny_,
bk. 4, ch. 1.
=Dardănia=, a town or country of Troas, from which the Trojans were
called _Dardani_ and _Dardanidæ_. There is also a country of the
same name near Illyricum. This appellation is also applied to
Samothrace. _Virgil_ & _Ovid_, _passim_.――_Strabo_, bk. 7.
=Dardănĭdes=, a name given to Æneas, as descended from Dardanus. The
word, in the plural number, is applied to the Trojan women. _Virgil_,
_Æneid_.
=Dardanium=, a promontory of Troas, called from the small town of
_Dardanus_, about seven miles from Abydos. The two castles built on
each side of the strait by the emperor Mahomet IV., A.D. 1659, gave
the name of _Dardanelles_ to the place. _Strabo_, bk. 13.
=Dardănus=, a son of Jupiter and Electra, who killed his brother
Jasius to obtain the kingdom of Etruria after the death of his
reputed father Corytus, and fled to Samothrace, and thence to
Asia Minor, where he married Batia the daughter of Teucer, king
of Teucria. After the death of his father-in-law he ascended the
throne, and reigned 62 years. He built the city of Dardania, and
was reckoned the founder of the kingdom of Troy. He was succeeded
by Erichthonius. According to some, Corybas his nephew accompanied
him to Teucria, where he introduced the worship of Cybele. Dardanus
taught his subjects to worship Minerva; and he gave them two statues
of the goddess, one of which is well known by the name of Palladium.
_Virgil_, _Æneid_, bk. 5, li. 167.――_Pausanias_, bk. 7, ch. 4.
――_Hyginus_, fables 155 & 275.――_Apollodorus_, bk. 3.――_Homer_,
_Iliad_, bk. 20.――――A Trojan killed by Achilles. _Homer_, _Iliad_,
bk. 20, li. 460.
=Dardării=, a nation near the Palus Mæotis. _Plutarch_, _Lucullus_.
=Dares=, a Phrygian who lived during the Trojan war, in which he was
engaged, and of which he wrote the history in Greek. This history
was extant in the age of Ælian; the Latin translation, now extant,
is universally believed to be spurious, though it is attributed by
some to Cornelius Nepos. The best edition is that of Smids cum not.
var. 4to & 8vo, Amsterdam, 1702.――_Homer_, _Iliad_, bk. 5, lis. 10
& 27.――――One of the companions of Æneas, descended from Amycus, and
celebrated as a pugilist at the funeral games in honour of Hector,
where he killed Butes. He was killed by Turnus in Italy. _Virgil_,
_Æneid_, bk. 5, li. 369; bk. 12, li. 363.
=Darētis=, a country of Macedonia.
=Darīa=, a town of Mesopotamia.
=Dariaves=, the name of Darius in Persian. _Strabo_, bk. 16.
=Dariobrigum=, a town of Gaul, now _Vennes_ in Britany.
=Darītæ=, a people of Persia. _Herodotus_, bk. 3, ch. 92.
=Darīus=, a noble satrap of Persia, son of Hystaspes, who conspired
with six other noblemen to destroy Smerdis, who usurped the crown
of Persia after the death of Cambyses. On the murder of the usurper,
the seven conspirators universally agreed, that he whose horse
neighed first should be appointed king. In consequence of this
resolution the groom of Darius previously led his master’s horse
to a mare at a place near which the seven noblemen were to pass.
On the morrow before sunrise, when they proceeded all together,
the horse, recollecting the mare, suddenly neighed; and at the same
time a clap of thunder was heard, as if in approbation of the choice.
The noblemen dismounted from their horses, and saluted Darius king;
and a resolution was made among them, that the king’s wives and
concubines should be taken from no other family but that of the
conspirators, and that they should for ever enjoy the unlimited
privilege of being admitted into the king’s presence without
previous introduction. Darius was 29 years old when he ascended
the throne, and he soon distinguished himself by his activity and
military accomplishments. He besieged Babylon, which he took after
a siege of 20 months, by the artifices of Zopyrus. From thence he
marched against the Scythians, and in his way conquered Thrace. This
expedition was unsuccessful; and, after several losses and disasters
in the wilds of Scythia, the king retired with shame, and soon after
turned his arms against the Indians, whom he subdued. The burning
of Sardis, which was a Grecian colony, incensed the Athenians, and a
war was kindled between Greece and Persia. Darius was so exasperated
against the Greeks, that a servant every evening, by his order,
repeated these words: “Remember, O king, to punish the Athenians.”
Mardonius, the king’s son-in-law, was entrusted with the care of
the war, but his army was destroyed by the Thracians; and Darius,
more animated by his loss, sent a more considerable force, under
the command of Datis and Artaphernes. They were conquered at the
celebrated battle of Marathon, by 10,000 Athenians; and the Persians
lost in that expedition no less than 206,000 men. Darius was not
disheartened by this severe blow, but he resolved to carry on the
war in person, and immediately ordered a still larger army to be
levied. He died in the midst of his preparations, B.C. 485, after
a reign of 36 years, in the 65th year of his age. _Herodotus_, bks.
1, 2, &c.――_Diodorus_, bk. 1.――_Justin_, bk. 1, ch. 9.――_Plutarch_,
_Aristotle_.――_Cornelius Nepos_, _Miltiades_.――――The second king of
Persia, of that name, was also called _Ochus_ or _Nothus_, because
he was the illegitimate son of Artaxerxes by a concubine. Soon after
the murder of Xerxes he ascended the throne of Persia, and married
Parysatis his sister, a cruel and ambitious woman, by whom he had
Artaxerxes Memnon, Amestris, and Cyrus the younger. He carried on
many wars with success, under the conduct of his generals and of
his son Cyrus. He died B.C. 404, after a reign of 19 years, and was
succeeded by his son Artaxerxes, who asked him on his death-bed, what
had been the guide of his conduct in the management of the empire,
that he might imitate him? “The dictates of justice and of religion,”
replied the expiring monarch. _Justin_, bk. 5, ch. 11.――_Diodorus_,
bk. 12.――――The third of that name was the last king of Persia,
surnamed _Codomanus_. He was son of Arsanes and Sysigambis, and
descended from Darius Nothus. The eunuch Bagoas raised him to the
throne, though not nearly allied to the royal family, in hopes that
he would be subservient to his will; but he prepared to poison him,
when he saw him despise his advice, and aim at independence. Darius
discovered his perfidy, and made him drink the poison which he had
prepared against his life. The peace of Darius was early disturbed,
and Alexander invaded Persia to avenge the injuries which the Greeks
had suffered from the predecessors of Darius. The king of Persia met
his adversary in person, at the head of 600,000 men. This army was
remarkable more for its opulence and luxury than for the military
courage of its soldiers; and Athenæus mentions that the camp of
Darius was crowded with 277 cooks, 29 waiters, 87 cup-bearers, 40
servants to perfume the king, and 66 to prepare garlands and flowers
to deck the dishes and meat which appeared on the royal table. With
these forces Darius met Alexander. A battle was fought near the
Granicus, in which the Persians were easily defeated. Another was
soon after fought near Issus; and Alexander left 110,000 of the
enemy dead on the field of battle, and took among the prisoners of
war, the mother, wife, and children of Darius. The darkness of the
night favoured the retreat of Darius, and he saved himself by flying
in disguise, on the horse of his armour-bearer. These losses weakened,
but discouraged not Darius. He assembled another more powerful army,
and the last decisive battle was fought at Arbela. The victory was
long doubtful; but the intrepidity of Alexander, and the superior
valour of the Macedonians, prevailed over the effeminate Persians;
and Darius, sensible of his disgrace and ruin, fled towards Media.
His misfortunes were now completed. Bessus the governor of Bactriana
took away his life, in hopes of succeeding him on the throne; and
Darius was found by the Macedonians in his chariot, covered with
wounds, and almost expiring, B.C. 331. He asked for water, and
exclaimed, when he received it from the hand of a Macedonian, “It
is the greatest of my misfortunes that I cannot reward thy humanity.
Beg Alexander to accept my warmest thanks for the tenderness with
which he has treated my wretched family, whilst I am doomed to
perish by the hand of a man whom I have loaded with kindness.” These
words of the dying monarch were reported to Alexander, who covered
the dead body with his own mantle, and honoured it with a most
magnificent funeral. The traitor Bessus met with a due punishment
from the conquerer, who continued his kindness to the unfortunate
family of Darius. Darius has been accused of imprudence, for the
imperious and arrogant manner in which he wrote his letters to
Alexander, in the midst of his misfortunes. In him the empire of
Persia was extinguished 228 years after it had been first founded
by Cyrus the Great. _Diodorus_, bk. 17.――_Plutarch_, _Alexander_.
――_Justin_, bks. 10, 11, &c.――_Curtius._――――A son of Xerxes, who
married Artaynta, and was killed by Artabanus. _Herodotus_, bk. 9,
ch. 108.――_Diodorus_, bk. 11.――――A son of Artaxerxes, declared
successor to the throne, as being the eldest prince. He conspired
against his father’s life, and was capitally punished. _Plutarch_,
_Artaxerxes_.
=Dascon=, a man who founded Camarina. _Thucydides_, bk. 6, ch. 5.
=Dascylitis=, a province of Persia. _Thucydides_, bk. 1, ch. 129.
=Dascy̆lus=, the father of Gyges. _Herodotus_, bk. 1, ch. 8.
=Dasea=, a town of Arcadia. _Pausanias_, bk. 8, ch. 27.
=Dasius=, a chief of Salapia, who favoured Annibal. _Livy_, bk. 26,
ch. 38.
=Dassarĕtæ=, =Dassarītæ=, =Dassarēni=, or =Dassariti=, a people of
Illyricum, or Macedonia. _Plutarch_, _Titus Flamininus_.
=Datămes=, son of Camissares, governor of Caria and general of the
armies of Artaxerxes. The influence of his enemies at court obliged
him to fly for safety, after he had greatly signalized himself by
his military exploits. He took up arms in his own defence, and
the king made war against him. He was treacherously killed by
Mithridates, who had invited him under pretence of entering into the
most inviolable connection and friendship, 362 B.C. _Cornelius Nepos_,
_Datames_.
=Dataphernes=, one of the friends of Bessus. After the murder of Darius,
he betrayed Bessus into Alexander’s hands. He also revolted from the
conqueror, and was delivered up by the Dahæ. _Curtius_, bk. 7, chs.
5 & 8.
=Datis=, a general of Darius I., sent with an army of 200,000 foot and
10,000 horse, against the Greeks, in conjunction with Artaphernes.
He was defeated at the celebrated battle of Marathon by Miltiades,
and some time after put to death by the Spartans. _Cornelius Nepos_,
_Miltiades_.
=Datos=, or =Daton=, a town of Thrace, on a small eminence, near the
Strymon. There is in the neighbourhood a fruitful plain, from which
Proserpine, according to some, was carried away by Pluto. That city
was so rich, that the ancients generally made use of the word _Datos_
to express abundance. When the king of Macedonia conquered it he
called it _Philippi_, after his own name. _Appian_, _Civil Wars_.
=Davara=, a hill near mount Taurus, in Asia Minor.
=Daulis=, a nymph, from whom the city of Daulis in Phocis, anciently
called _Anacris_, received its name. It was there that Philomela
and Procne made Tereus eat the flesh of his son, and hence the
nightingale, into which Philomela was changed, is often called
_Daulias avis_. _Ovid_, ltr. 15, li. 154.――_Strabo_, bk. 9.
――_Pausanias_, bk. 10, ch. 4.――_Ptolemy_, bk. 3, ch. 15.――_Livy_,
bk. 32, ch. 18.――_Pliny_, bk. 4, ch. 3.
=Dauni=, a people on the eastern part of Italy, conquered by Daunus,
from whom they received their name.
=Daunia=, a name given to the northern parts of Apulia, on the coast
of the Adriatic. It receives its name from Daunus, who settled there,
and is now called _Capitanata_. _Virgil_, _Æneid_, bk. 8, li. 146.
――_Silius Italicus_, bk. 9, li. 500; bk. 12, li. 429.――_Horace_,
bk. 4, ode 6, li. 27.――――Juturna, the sister of Turnus, was called
_Daunia_, after she had been made a goddess by Jupiter. _Virgil_,
_Æneid_, bk. 12, lis. 139 & 785.
=Daunus=, a son of Pilumnus and Danae. He came from Illyricum into
Apulia, where he reigned over part of the country, which from him
was called Daunia, and he was still on the throne when Diomedes came
to Italy. _Ptolemy_, bk. 3, ch. 1.――_Mela_, bk. 2, ch. 4.――_Strabo_,
bk. 5.――――A river of Apulia, now _Carapelle_. _Horace_, bk. 3, ode 30.
=Daurĭfer= and =Daurises=, a brave general of Darius, treacherously
killed by the Carians. _Herodotus_, bk. 5, ch. 116, &c.
=Davus=, a comic character in the Andria of Terence. _Horace_, bk. 1,
satire 10, li. 40.
=Debæ=, a nation of Arabia. _Diodorus_, bk. 3.
=Decapŏlis=, a district of Judæa, from its 10 cities. _Pliny_, bk. 5,
ch. 18.
=Decebălus=, a warlike king of the Daci, who made a successful war
against Domitian. He was conquered by Trajan, Domitian’s successor,
and he obtained peace. His active spirit again kindled rebellion,
and the Roman emperor marched against him, and defeated him. He
destroyed himself, and his head was brought to Rome, and Dacia became
a Roman province, A.D. 103. _Dio Cassius_, bk. 68.
=Deceleum= (or ea), now _Biala Castro_, a small village of Attica,
north of Athens; which, when in the hands of the Spartans, proved
a very galling garrison to the Athenians. The Peloponnesian war
has occasionally been called _Decelean_, because for some time
hostilities were carried on in its neighbourhood. _Cornelius Nepos_,
bk. 7, ch. 4.
=Decĕlus=, a man who informed Castor and Pollux that their sister,
whom Theseus had carried away, was concealed at Aphidnæ. _Herodotus_,
bk. 9, ch. 73.
=Decemvĭri=, 10 magistrates of absolute authority among the Romans.
The privileges of the patricians raised dissatisfaction among the
plebeians; who, though freed from the power of the Tarquins, still
saw that the administration of justice depended upon the will and
caprice of their superiors, without any written statute to direct
them, and convince them that they were governed with equity and
impartiality. The tribunes complained to the senate, and demanded
that a code of laws might be framed for the use and benefit of the
Roman people. This petition was complied with, and three ambassadors
were sent to Athens, and to all the other Grecian states, to collect
the laws of Solon, and of the other celebrated legislators of Greece.
Upon the return of the commissioners, it was universally agreed that
10 new magistrates, called _decemviri_, should be elected from the
senate, to put the project into execution. Their power was absolute;
all other offices ceased after their election, and they presided
over the city with regal authority. They were invested with the
badges of the consul, in the enjoyment of which they succeeded by
turns, and only one was preceded by the fasces, and had the power
of assembling the senate and confirming decrees. The first decemvirs
were Appius Claudius, Titus Genutius, Publius Sextus, Spurius
Veturius, Caius Julius, Aulus Manlius, Servius Sulpitius Pluriatius,
Titus Romulus, Spurius Posthumius, A.U.C. 303. Under them, the laws
which had been exposed to public view, that every citizen might speak
his sentiments, were publicly approved of as constitutional, and
ratified by the priests and augurs in the most solemn and religious
manner. These laws were 10 in number, and were engraved on tables of
brass; two were afterwards added, and they were called the laws of
the 12 tables, _leges duodecim tabularum_, and _leges decemvirales_.
The decemviral power, which was beheld by all ranks of people with
the greatest satisfaction, was continued; but in the third year
after their creation, the decemvirs became odious, on account of
their tyranny; and the attempt of Appius Claudius to ravish Virginia,
was followed by the total abolition of the office. The people were
so exasperated against them, that they demanded them from the senate,
to burn them alive. Consuls were again appointed, and tranquillity
re-established in the state.――――There were other officers in Rome,
called _decemvirs_, who were originally appointed, in the absence
of the pretor, to administer justice. Their appointment became
afterwards necessary, and they generally assisted at sales called
_subhastationes_, because a spear, _hasta_, was fixed at the door
of the place where the goods were exposed to sale. They were called
_decemviri litibus judicandis_. The officers whom Tarquin appointed
to guard the Sibylline books, were also called decemviri. They were
originally two in number, called _duumviri_, till the year of Rome
388, when their number was increased to 10, five of which were chosen
from the plebeians, and five from the patricians. Sylla increased
their number to 15, called _quindecemvirs_.
=Decetia=, a town of Gaul. _Cæsar._
=Decia lex=, was enacted by Marcus Decius the tribune, A.U.C. 442, to
empower the people to appoint two proper persons to fit and repair
the fleets.
=Lucius Decidius Saxa=, a Celtiberian in Cæsar’s camp. _Cæsar_, _Civil
War_, bk. 1.
=Decineus=, a celebrated soothsayer. _Strabo_, bk. 16.
=Decius Mus=, a celebrated Roman consul, who, after many glorious
exploits, devoted himself to the gods’ manes for the safety of his
country, in a battle against the Latins, 338 years B.C. His son
Decius imitated his example, and devoted himself in like manner in
his fourth consulship, when fighting against the Gauls and Samnites,
B.C. 296. His grandson also did the same in the wars against Pyrrhus
and the Tarentines, B.C. 280. This action of devoting oneself was
of infinite service to the state. The soldiers were animated by the
example, and induced to follow with intrepidity a commander who,
arrayed in an unusual dress, and addressing himself to the gods with
solemn invocation, rushed into the thickest part of the enemy to
meet his fate. _Livy_, bks. 8, 9, &c.――_Valerius Maximus_, bk. 5, ch.
6.――_Polybius_, bk. 2.――_Virgil_, _Æneid_, bk. 6, li. 824.――――Brutus,
conducted Cæsar to the senate-house the day that he was murdered.
――Cnæus Metius Q. Trajanus, a native of Pannonia, sent by the
emperor Philip to appease a sedition in Mœsia. Instead of obeying
his master’s command, he assumed the imperial purple, and soon after
marched against him, and at his death became the only emperor. He
signalized himself against the Persians; and when he marched against
the Goths, he pushed his horse in a deep marsh, from which he could
not extricate himself, and he perished with all his army by the
darts of the barbarians, A.D. 251, after a reign of two years.
This monarch enjoyed the character of a brave man and of a great
disciplinarian; and by his justice and exemplary life merited the
title of _Optimus_, which a servile senate had lavished upon him.
=Decurio=, a subaltern officer in the Roman armies. He commanded a
_decuria_, which consisted of 10 men, and was the third part of
a _turma_, or the thirtieth part of a _legio_ of horse, which was
composed of 300 men. The badge of the centurions was a vine rod or
sapling, and each had a deputy called _optio_. There were certain
magistrates in the provinces called _decuriones municipales_, who
formed a body to represent the Roman senate in free and corporate
towns. They consisted of 10, whence the name; and their duty
extended to watch over the interest of their fellow-citizens,
and to increase the revenues of the commonwealth. Their court was
called _curia decurionum_, and _minor senatus_; and their decrees,
called _decreta decurionum_, were marked with two D. D. at the top.
They generally styled themselves _civitatum patres curiales_, and
_honorati municipiorum senatores_. They were elected with the same
ceremonies as the Roman senators; they were to be at least 25 years
of age, and to be possessed of a certain sum of money. The election
happened on the calends of March.
=Decumates agri=, lands in Germany which paid the tenth part of their
value to the Romans. _Tacitus_, _Germania_, ch. 29.
=Deditamĕnes=, a friend of Alexander, made governor of Babylonia.
_Curtius_, bk. 8, ch. 3.
=Degis=, a brother of Decebalus king of the Daci. He came as ambassador
to the court of Domitian. _Martial_, bk. 5, ltr. 3.