miles.
LYSIMACHUS. One of Alexander's generals, succeeded to Thrace on the
division of the Macedonian empire. His wife Arsinoë made him believe
that his son Agathocles was plotting against him, and he put him to
death.
LYSIPPUS. A great sculptor, of Sicyon, in the time of Alexander.
MAEANDRIUS. Secretary to Polycrates, tyrant of Samos, to whose power he
succeeded in 522 B.C.
MAGI. A priesthood among the Medes and Persians, founded by Zoroaster.
MAIA. Mother of Hermes.
MALTHACE. Stock name for a courtesan.
MANDROBULUS. Of Samos. He found a great treasure, his gratitude for
which was expressed at the time with an offering of a golden sheep, on
the first anniversary of the event with a silver one, on the second
with a copper, and on the third with none at all.
MARATHON. A village in Attica, the scene of a great victory of the
Athenians over the Persians in 490 B.C.
MARGITES. Hero of a comic epic poem, formerly supposed to be Homer's.
His name became proverbial for stupidity.
_Marsyas_. A Phrygian Satyr, who challenged Apollo to a musical
contest, and being defeated by him was flayed alive.
MAUSOLUS. King of Caria, 377-353 B.C. His wife Artemisia raised a
splendid monument to him after his death.
MEDEA. Daughter of Æetes king of Colchis, and famous for her skill in
witchcraft. Falling in love with Jason when he came to Colchis for
the Golden Fleece, she assisted him to obtain it, and followed him to
Greece as his wife. When Jason afterwards deserted her for the daughter
of Creon, she revenged herself by slaying her own children by him, and
his second wife.
MELAMPUS. A seer, whose ears were cleansed by some young snakes that
he had preserved from death, with the result that he was enabled to
understand the language of birds.
MELEAGER. Son of Oeneus, king of Calydon, and leader of the heroes who
slew the boar that Artemis, offended at Oeneus's neglect in not asking
her to a certain feast, had sent to ravage his country. Being in love
with Atalanta, he gave her the boar's hide, and subsequently slew
his mother's brothers for taking it from her. To avenge their death,
his mother Althaea threw into the fire that fatal firebrand whose
consumption, as she knew from the Fates, must be followed by his death.
MELETUS. An obscure tragic poet, one of the accusers of Socrates.
MELIA. A Nereid, mother of the river-god Ismenus.
MELICERTES. _See_ ATHAMAS.
MENANDER. A distinguished Athenian poet of the New Comedy, 342-291 B.C.
MENELAUS. Brother of Agamemnon, and Helen's husband. The abduction of
Helen by the Trojan Paris was the cause of the Trojan War.
MENIPPUS. A Cynic philosopher, originally a slave, of Gadara in
Coele-Syria. His date is placed about 60 B.C. It is probable that
Lucian was much indebted to the writings of Menippus, which are now
lost, though an imitation of them is still preserved in the _Menippean
Satires_ of Varro. Among the titles of his works are _A Visit to the
Shades_, _Wills_, and _Letters of the Gods_. He appears frequently as a
character in Lucian's dialogues.
MENTOR. A famous silversmith, before 356 B.C.
METRODORUS. A distinguished Epicurean philosopher, 330-277 B.C.
MIDAS. A king of Phrygia, to whom Dionysus granted the power of
changing all that he touched into gold. Being unable in consequence to
obtain any nourishment, Midas was permitted to cancel this privilege by
bathing in the Pactolus. Chosen as a judge in a musical contest between
Pan and Apollo he decided against the latter, who changed his ears into
those of an ass.
MIDIAS. A wealthy Athenian, and a bitter enemy of Demosthenes, whose
speech against him is extant.
MILO. Of Croton, a famous athlete, of whom various feats of strength
are recorded.
MILTIADES. Son of Cimon. Commanded the Athenians at Marathon. He
afterwards used the power entrusted to him for his private purposes,
and the charges brought against him were better justified than is
implied in _Slander_ (29).
MINA. A sum of money--£4 1_s._ 3_d._
MINOS I. Son of Zeus and Europa, brother of Rhadamanthus. King and
legislator of Crete and, after his death, a judge in Hades.
MINOS II. Grandson of Minos I, and king of Crete. Made war on the
Athenians and compelled them to send to Crete an annual tribute of
seven youths and seven maidens, to be devoured by the Minotaur, the
monstrous offspring of Pasiphae and a bull. _See_ THESEUS.
MINOTAUR. See MINOS II
MITHRAS. God of the sun among the Persians.
MOMUS. Son of Night, and God of criticism.
MORMO. A female spectre, used to frighten children with.
MUSAEUS. The supposed author of various poetical works. His origin is
doubtful; he is sometimes called the son of Orpheus.
MUSES. The Goddesses of poetry, and of the arts and sciences. They were
nine in number, and were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory).
Mount Helicon in Boeotia was their favourite haunt.
MUSONIUS RUFUS. A celebrated Stoic philosopher, banished by Nero in 66
A.D. on the pretext of conspiracy.
MYIA. Of this daughter of Pythagoras we have no certain information.
MYRON. A celebrated sculptor, born about 480 B.C.
MYSTERIES (Eleusinian). Eumolpus, Musaeus, and Demeter, are all
mentioned as the founders of these Mysteries, in which were
commemorated the rape of Persephone by Pluto, and the wanderings of
Demeter in search of her. They were held annually, the Greater at
Eleusis and Athens, the Lesser at Agrae. Persons initiated at the
Lesser could only be admitted to the Greater after a year's interval.
A part of the Greater Mysteries, to which those only were admitted who
had been fully initiated, and had taken the oath of secrecy, consisted
of a torchlight procession from Athens to the temple of Demeter at
Eleusis, after which the initiated were purified, repeated the oath of
secrecy, and were admitted to the inner sanctuary of the temple. Of the
secret doctrines there divulged nothing is known.
NARCISSUS. A youth so beautiful that he fell in love with his image
reflected in a pool.
NAUSICAA. The beautiful daughter of Alcinous and Arete, who received
Odysseus with kindness when cast up by the sea.
NELEUS. Of Scepsis; he is known to have been in possession of the MSS.
of Aristotle, and may therefore have been a patron of literature.
NEMESIS. 'Wrath,' the Goddess who avenges presumption.
NEOPTOLEMUS, also called Pyrrhus, son of Achilles, after whose death
the seer declared that Troy could not be taken without the help of his
son. He distinguished himself in the taking.
NEPHELE. _See_ ATHAMAS. Changed to a cloud after his desertion of her.
NEREÏDS. The sea nymphs, daughters of Nereus, a Sea-God.
NESIOTES. _See_ CRITIUS.
NESTOR. Oldest and wisest of the Greek chiefs at Troy. His cup was one
that 'scarce could another move from the table when it was full, but
old Nestor lifted it with ease.'
NICANDER. Grammarian, poet, and physician of Colophon, about 140 B.C.
Wrote _Theriaca_ and _Alexipharmaca_, works on poisons and antidotes.
NICIAS. The Athenian general in command of the Sicilian expedition, 415
B.C. Put to death by the Syracusans.
NICOSTRATUS. A wrestler and double Olympic victor, about 40 A.D.
NIOBE. _See_ LETO.
NIREUS. A Greek at the siege of Troy, famous for beauty.
NUMA. Second king of Rome; his reign was marked by peace and the
founding of religious institutions.
ODYSSEUS. Son of Laertes, king of Ithaca. To escape joining the Greeks
against Troy, simulated madness by driving a plough for a chariot, with
one ox and one horse. Palamedes exposed him by threatening Odysseus's
son Telemachus with a sword, when he confessed. In revenge, he ruined
Palamedes at Troy, convicting him by forged evidence of treacherous
dealings with the enemy. When Agamemnon lost heart, and was for
returning, Odysseus prevailed on the Greeks not to give up. Took ten
years getting home, detained by Calypso, by Circe, and otherwise. Circe
enabled him to visit Hades and consult Tiresias. Escaped the Sirens by
stopping his crew's ears with wax, and having himself bound to the mast.
OENEUS. _See_ MELEAGER.
OLYMPIA. In Elis; the Olympic games took place every four years, and,
starting from 776 B.C., from which time a record of them was kept,
were used for dating events, under the name of Olympiads. The games
were the occasion of the largest gatherings of Greeks that took place.
OLYMPIAS. Wife of Philip of Macedon and mother of Alexander.
OLYMPIEUM. A temple of Zeus at Athens, begun by the tyrant Pisistratus
(560-527 B.C.), but not finished till the time of Hadrian (117-138
A.D.).
OLYMPUS (1). A mountain separating Macedonia and Thessaly, the summit
of which was the residence of the Gods.
OLYMPUS (2). A celebrated flute-player of Phrygia.
OMPHALE. _See_ HERACLES.
ORESTES. _See_ AGAMEMNON.
ORION. A giant and hunter of Boeotia. Blinded by Oenopion for
ill-treatment of his daughter Merope, he recovered his sight by the
help of Cedalion, who directed his eyes towards the rising sun.
ORITHYIA. Daughter of Erechtheus, king of Athens. Carried off by Boreas.
ORPHEUS. A Thracian musician, son of the Muse Calliope. His music
charmed wild beasts, trees, and rocks, and prevailed upon Pluto to
restore his wife Eurydice, on condition that Orpheus should not look
back to see that she was following him; this condition not being
observed, Eurydice remained in Hades. Orpheus was afterwards torn in
pieces by the Thracian women, and his head and lyre thrown into the
Hebrus, and carried to Lesbos.
OSIRIS. An Egyptian king, deified after death, as the husband of Isis.
OSROËS. Son of Vologesus I. A king of Parthia, engaged in war with the
Emperor Trajan.
OTHRYADES. The only survivor of the three hundred Spartans who fought
with three hundred Argives for the possession of Thyrea in Cynuria.
Being left for dead by the two Argive survivors, he raised a trophy on
the field, with an inscription in his own blood, and thus secured the
victory.
OTUS. _See_ EPHIALTES.
PACTOLUS. A Lydian river, whose sands were said to contain gold.
PAEAN, (1) A name of Apollo; (2) a song sung before or after a battle.
PALAMEDES. A Greek hero in the Trojan War. _See under_ ODYSSEUS. Said
to have added certain letters to the Greek alphabet.
PAN. A rustic God, son of Hermes and Penelope. Invented the Pan's pipe,
and attended upon Dionysus. Represented with horns and goat's legs.
PANATHENAEA. Two festivals of this name were celebrated at Athens with
games, sacrifices, &c.; the Lesser annually, the Greater every fourth
year.
PANCRATIUM. A contest in the public games, in which both boxing and
wrestling were employed.
PANGAEUS. A range of mountains in Macedonia, famous for gold and silver
mines.
PANTHEA (1). Wife of Abradatas, king of Susa. Her spirit and loyalty
are commended by Xenophon.
PANTHEA (2). Presumably the mistress of the Emperor Lucius Verus.
PARIS. Son of Priam king of Troy.
PARMENIO. An able lieutenant of Alexander.
PARTHENIUS. A Greek elegiac poet, about 30 B.C.
PARTHIANS. The successors in Asia of the Persian monarchy. The war
between their king Vologesus III and Rome, 162-165 A.D., was conducted
on the Roman side by the Emperor Lucius Verus. He brought it to a
successful conclusion, more by the merits of his lieutenants, Cassius
and Statius Priscus, than his own.
PARTHONICE. 'Conquest of the Parthians,' quoted as an affected
poetical-sounding title.
PATROCLUS. Friend and follower of Achilles, who, when he sulked
himself, lent him his armour, in which Patroclus won great renown; but
Apollo struck him senseless, Euphorbus ran him through, and Hector gave
him the last fatal blow.
PEGASUS. _See_ BELLEROPHON.
PELASGICUM. A space under the Acropolis at Athens, unoccupied till the
Spartan invasions in the Peloponnesian war brought the country Attics
into the town.
PELEUS. Father of Achilles.
PELIAS. King of Iolcus, usurper of his nephew Jason's rights. When
Medea restored Jason's father Aeson to youth by cutting him to pieces
and boiling him, she persuaded the daughters of Pelias to try the same
system with their father, which resulted in his death.
PELOPIDS. The descendants of Pelops, many of them, as Atreus and
Thyestes, Agamemnon and Menelaus, Orestes, Electra and Iphigenia,
famous in tragic story.
PENELOPE. Wife of Odysseus.
PENTHEUS. King of Thebes, resisted the introduction of Dionysus's
rites; the God caused his Bacchantes, among them Pentheus's mother
Agave, to tear him to pieces in their frenzy.
PERDICCAS. One of Alexander's generals, who, on the strength of the
dying king's having handed him his ring, claimed the succession, but
was defeated by the combination of Ptolemy, Antipater, and other
generals, and finally assassinated.
PEREGRINE. Nothing can be added to Lucian's description of him in the
_Death of Peregrine_, but that he is a historical character.
PERIANDER. Son of Cypselus, and tyrant of Corinth. A patron of
literature, and one of the Seven Sages.
PERICLES. Greatest of Athenian statesmen. A pupil of Anaxagoras. He was
nicknamed 'Olympian.' Lucian mentions his funeral speech, delivered
in 431 B.C., and his intercourse with the famous Milesian courtesan
Aspasia, by whom he had a son Pericles.
PERIPATETICS. Aristotle of Stagira (385-323 B.C.), the founder of this
school of philosophers, studied for twenty years under Plato. In 335
B.C. he began teaching independently in the Lyceum, a public garden
at Athens. The name Peripatetic refers to his habit of walking about
while lecturing. Forty-six of his works remain, though perhaps only
in the form of notes. They are remarkable for the rigidly systematic
treatment applied to all subjects alike, to Ethics and Poetry, not less
than to Zoology and Mechanics. Most notable of his doctrines is that
which refers all definable things to four Causes, viz., Matter, the
existence of which is Potentiality, and the Moving, Final, and Formal
Causes, whose operation is included under the general term Energy; the
combination of Potentiality and Energy resulting in the perfection of
the completed thing. The _summum bonum_, according to Aristotle, is
Eudaemonia (Happiness); and each virtue is the mean between the excess
and defect of some quality. The virtuous mean between avarice and
profuseness, or between luxury and asceticism, might perhaps involve
that respect for money with which Lucian reproaches the Peripatetics.
The ten Categories, or Predicaments, were an attempt to classify
all existing things; among them were Substance, Quality, Quantity,
Relation, Time, and Place.
PERSEPHONE. Daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Pluto, with the permission of
Zeus, carried her down to Hades. Demeter, discovering the truth after a
long search, left Heaven in anger, and took up her abode on earth. Zeus
now ordered Pluto to restore Persephone: as, however, she had partaken
of food in the lower world, she was compelled to return thither for
one-third of each year.
PERSEUS. His story is given under DANAE, GORGONS, and ANDROMEDA.
PHAEACIANS. A fabulous people described in the Odyssey as inhabiting
Scheria. Alcinous was their king.
PHAEDRA. Daughter of Minos of Crete, and wife of Theseus. _See_
HIPPOLYTUS.
PHAEDRUS. A character in two of the dialogues of Plato, whose friend he
was.
PHAETHON. Son of Helius and Clymene. Being allowed on one occasion to
drive the chariot of the sun, he lost control of the horses, and almost
consumed the earth with fire. Zeus slew him with a thunderbolt, and
cast him into the river Eridanus. His sisters, changed into poplars on
its banks, wept tears of amber for his loss.
PHALARIS. Tyrant of Agrigentum in Sicily, 570-564 B.C. For the
brazen bull in which he is said to have burnt many victims alive, see
_Phalaris I_.
PHAON. An ugly old boatman at Mytilene, with whom Sappho is said to
have fallen in love, after he had been made young and beautiful by
Aphrodite as a reward for carrying her across the sea without payment.
PHARUS. A small island off the coast of Egypt, on which was a famous
lighthouse, built by Ptolemy II.
PHIDIAS. Famous Athenian sculptor, 490-432 B.C. The chryselephantine
statue of Zeus at Olympia was his work.
PHILIP OF MACEDON. King, 359-336 B.C. Raised Macedon from an
insignificant State to the mistress of Greece, and made possible the
conquests of his son Alexander by his organization. Used diplomacy as
much as arms to effect his ends, and systematically bribed persons in
the states opposed to him, especially in Athens.
PHILIPPIDES. More usually called Phidippides.
PHILO. The person to whom Lucian addresses _The Way to write History_
is unknown.
PHILOCRATES. Prominent Athenian, probably in the pay of Philip, into
whose hands he constantly played.
PHILOCTETES. Armour-bearer of Heracles, inherited his bow. Left at
Lemnos on the way to Troy, because a wound from a snake-bite rendered
him offensive by its stench. Later, an oracle declaring the bow
necessary for the capture of Troy, Odysseus went and induced him to
come.
PHILOSOPHY. Lucian is fond of ridiculing the different schools of
philosophy, some for their paradoxical choice of ends, some for
their hypocrisy in practically disregarding their own precepts. The
regulation philosophic garb and appearance also comes in for satire;
it consisted of threadbare cloak, wallet, and staff, with long beard.
A brief account of the chief schools will be found under ACADEMY,
CYNICS, CYRENAICS, PERIPATETICS, STOICS, EPICUREANS, SCEPTICS, PLATO,
PYTHAGORAS.
PHILOXENUS. A poet, who, for his severe criticism of a poem of
Dionysius I, was imprisoned in the Syracusan quarries. The tyrant,
having pardoned him and invited him to dinner, recited another poem he
had composed. Asked his opinion of it, Philoxenus made no direct reply,
but said, 'Take me back to the quarries.'
PHINEUS. King of Bithynia, blinded by Zeus for unjustly blinding his
own children; and _See_ HARPIES.
PHLEGETHON. 'Burning,' one of the infernal rivers.
PHOCION. Athenian statesman and general, died 318 B.C.; distinguished
for virtue, moderation, and poverty.
PHOEBUS. _See_ APOLLO.
PHOENIX (1). Son of Amyntor king of Argos. Blinded by his father, fled
to Peleus, was cured by Chiron of his blindness, and became tutor to
Achilles.
PHOENIX (2). An Indian bird which lived five hundred years and then
cremated itself, another rising from its ashes.
PHOLUS. _See_ HERACLES.
PHRIXUS. _See_ ATHAMAS.
PHRYGIANS. Troy being in Phrygia, 'Phrygians' is often used for
'Trojans.'
PHRYNE. Famous Athenian courtesan, 328 B.C.
PHRYNON. Athenian politician in the Macedonian interest, associated by
Demosthenes especially with Philocrates.
PIRAEUS. The port of Athens, about five miles off.
PISA. The town in Elis, near which the Olympic games were held.
PITCH-PLASTERS were employed by women and by effeminate men for
removing the hair from the body.
PITYOCAMPTES. 'Pine-bender,' descriptive surname of the robber Sinis,
who killed travellers by fastening them to the top of a pine bent down
and then allowed to spring up. He was killed by Theseus in the same way.
PLATAEA. A town in Boeotia, near which the final battle of the
Graeco-Persian war was fought, 478 B.C. The Persians were defeated.
PLATO. An Athenian philosopher (428-347 B.C.), and pupil of Socrates,
whom in his dialogues he often makes the mouthpiece of his own
doctrines. He studied in Africa, Egypt, Italy, and Sicily, and returned
to Athens in 386 B.C. to lecture in the gymnasium of the Academy. He
paid three visits to the Syracusan court of Dionysius I and II. The
Platonic theory of Ideas is an attempt to secure accuracy of definition
(which is the first step towards knowledge), by contemplation of those
abstract types or Ideas of things, of which external objects are in
every case only an imperfect manifestation, and which are perceptible
to us by reason of our familiarity with them in a previous existence;
for the soul is immortal, and what we call the acquisition of knowledge
is in fact only recollection. In his _Republic_ we have a sketch of a
model state, in which philosophers are to be kings, and community of
women is recommended as a means of securing scientific breeding.
PLUTO. 'Rich' in dead, according to Lucian's derivation; also called
Hades. Drew lots with his brothers Zeus and Posidon, and received the
Lower World for his share. His wife was Persephone.
PLUTUS. Son of Iasion and Demeter, and God of wealth. Blinded by Zeus.
PNYX. The place where the Athenian Assembly was held. It was cut out of
the side of a small hill west of the Acropolis.
PODALIRIUS. Son of Asclepius, and brother of Machaon, with whom he led
the Thessalians of Tricca against Troy. Both brothers inherited their
father's medical skill.
POECILE. The 'Painted' Porch in the Athenian market-place, adorned
with paintings of Polygnotus. Here Zeno, the founder of the Stoic
philosophy, opened his school, which was accordingly often spoken of as
'The Porch.'
POENAE. 'Punishments.' Infernal spirits, akin to the Erinyes.
POLEMON. Athenian philosopher, head of the Academy, 315 B.C. Had
been dissolute in youth, but was converted, as related in _The Double
Indictment_, by Xenocrates.
POLIAS. _See_ ATHENE.
POLLUX (1). _See_ CASTOR.
POLLUX (2). _See_ HERODES.
POLUS (1). A rhetorician of Agrigentum, pupil of Gorgias, with whom he
is introduced by Plato in the _Gorgias_.
POLUS (2). A celebrated tragic actor.
POLYCLITUS. 452-412 B.C. A Sicyonian sculptor, reckoned the equal of
Phidias. His 'canon' was a bronze statue in which he exemplified the
principles that he had laid down in a book to which he gave the same
name. The _Diadumenus_, or youth tying on a fillet, was one of his most
famous works.
POLYCRATES. Powerful tyrant of Samos. Frightened by his excessive
prosperity, tried to propitiate Nemesis by throwing into the sea a ring
that he prized highly; but a fisherman found it in a fish, and returned
it, a sign that his offering was rejected. He was lured to Asia by
Oroetes, satrap of Sardis, and by him crucified, 522 B.C.
POLYDAMAS. Olympic victor, 408 B.C. Marvellous stories are told of his
strength.
POLYGNOTUS. Famous painter, of Thasos, 422 B.C.
POLYNICES. One of the sons of Oedipus, who killed each other.
POLYPHEMUS. _See_ CYCLOPES. His story is given _Dialogues of the
Sea-Gods_, i.
POLYXENA. Daughter of Priam and Hecuba, loved by Achilles, who after
his death demanded that she should be sacrificed to his _manes_. She
submitted willingly, and was slain by Neoptolemus at his father's tomb.
PORCH, THE. _See_ POECILE and STOICS.
PORUS. _See_ ALEXANDER (1).
POSIDON. Son of Cronus, brother of Zeus and Pluto, received the sea
as his province. Assisted Apollo in building the walls of Troy for
Laomedon.
PRAXITELES. Athenian sculptor, 364 B.C. With Scopas, headed the
later Attic school, known less for sublimity than beauty. The Cnidian
_Aphrodite_ was his.
PRIAPUS. Son of Dionysus and Aphrodite, worshipped especially at
Lampsacus.
PRODICUS. Sophist of Ceos, often at Athens, where Socrates is said to
have attended his lectures, about 430 B.C. Spoken of by Plato with
more respect than most sophists, and famous for his apologue of _The
Choice of Heracles_, between Pleasure and Virtue.
PROETUS. _See_ BELLEROPHON.