But he
eminently
de- A.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - b
(Paus.
ii.
18.
§ 4; Eurip.
Supple
in their stead the scourging of youths. (Paus. iii. 1034, &c. )
16. § 6; Dict. of Antiq. s. 0. Diamastigosis. ) 2. A son of Sthenelus, and brother of Eurys-
That in Attica, also, human sacrifices were offered theus, was one of the Argonauts who fell in the
to her, at least in early times, may be inferred battle with Aeetes. (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. iv.
from the fact of its being customary to shed some 223; Val. Flacc. i. 441; Diod. iv. 48, with Wes-
human blood in the worship instituted there in seling's note. )
honour of Orestes. (Eurip. Iph. Taur. 1446, &c. ) 3. [ANAXARETE. )
(L. S. )
Now, as regards the explanation of the mythus IPHIS (*1915). 1. One of the daughters of
of Iphigeneia, we are informed by Pausanias (ii. Thespius, by whom Heracles became the father of
35. § 2) that Artemis had a temple at Hermione, Celeustanor. (Apollod. ii. 7. $ 8. )
under the surname of Iphigeneia ; and the same 2. The beloved of Patroclus, of the island of
author (vii. 26) and Herodotus (iv. 103) tell us, Scyros. (Hom. Il. ix. 667; Philostr. Her. 10. )
:
## p. 620 (#636) ############################################
620
IRENAEUS.
IRENAEUS.
3. A daughter of Ligdus and Telethusa, of example, his writings contain the most puerile
Phaestus in Crete. She was brought up as a boy, absurdities.
because, previous to her birth, her father had or- The chief work of Irenaeus, and the only one
dered the child to be killed, if it should be a girl. now extant, is entitled Adversus Haereses, or De
When Iphis had grown up, and was to be be- Refutatione et Eversione fulsae Scientiae, Libri V.
trothed to lanthe, the difficulty thus arising was the object of which is to refute the Gnostics. The
removed by the favons of Isis, who had before ad-original Greek is lost, with the exception of some
vised the mother to treat Iphis as a boy, and now fragments preserved by Epiphanius and other
metamorphosed her into a youth. (Öv. Met. ix. writers on heresies; but the work exists in a bar.
665, &c. )
(L. S. ) barous, but ancient Latin version, which Dodwell
I'PHITUS (*101T08). ). A son of Eurytus of supposes to have been composed towards the end of
Oechalia, is mentioned among the Argonauts, but the 4th century. Irenaeus also wrote a discours
was killed by Heracles. (Hom. Od. xxi. 14, &c. ; agninst the Gentiles, teplétiothuns ; a work on
Apollod. ii. 6. Ø 1; Paus. iii. 15. § 2; Apollon. the preaching of the apostles, addressed to his
Rhod. i. 86. )
brother Marcianus ; a book of tracts on various
2. A son of Naubolus, and father of Schedius, questions, Alané rwv diapópw; and several letters
Epistrophus, and Eurynome, in Phocis, was like respecting the ecclesiastical controversies of his day,
wise one of the Argonauts. (Hom. II. ii. 518, xvii. among which were two to Florinus, a friend of his,
306; Paus. X. 4. § 1; Apollod. i. 9. 16; Apol- who had become a convert to Gnosticism ; one to
lon. Rhod, i. 207 ; Orph. Arg. 144. )
Blastus on schism, and the synodic epistle above
3. A son of Haemon, Prxonides, or Iphitus. referred to, from the Gallic churches to Victor,
At the command of the Delphic oracle, he restored bishop of Rome, respecting Easter. Of these works
the Olympian games, and instituted the cessation only a few fragments remain.
of all war during their celebration. (Paus. v. 4. The elitio princeps of Irenaeus is that of Eras-
5. ) Another Iphitus, who is otherwise unknown, mus, Basel, 1526, 8vo. , containing the Latin version
is mentioned by Apollodorus (ii. 5. Ø 1). [L. S. ] of the five books against heretics, reprinted at
IPHTHI'ME ('1qolun). 1. One of the Nere- 1 Basel, 1534, 1548, 1554, and 1560, fol. ; at Paris,
ides, and the mother of the Satyrs. (Nonn. Dionys. 1545, 1563, and 1567, 8vo. ; re-edited, with va-
xiv. 114. )
rious readings, by Jo. Jac. Grynaeus, Basel, 1571:
2. A daughter of Icarius, and sister of Penelope. the first edition, containing the fragments, besides
Athena assumed the appearance of Iphthime, when the Latin version, was that of Nicolas Gallasius,
she appeared to the unfortunate mother of Tele- | Paris, 1570, fol. ; next comes the edition of Fr.
machus. (Hom. Od. iv. 797. )
[L. S. ] Feuardentius, Cologne, 1596, 1625, and best, 1639 ;
IRENAEUS (Eipnvaios). 1. St. , bishop of but the best edition of all is that of Grabe, Oxon.
Lyon, in Gaul, during the latter part of the second | 1702, fol. , which was re-edited by the Benedictine
century after Christ, seems to have been a native Massuet, Paris, 1710, fol. : this Benedictine edition
of Smyrna, or of some neighbouring place in Asia was reprinted in two volumes folio, at Venice,
Minor. The time of his birth is not known ex- 1734. The chief separate edition of the fragments
actly, but Dodwell is certainly wrong in placing it is that of Pfaff, Hag. Com. 1715, 8vo. (Euseb.
80 early as A. D. 97 ; it was probably between A. D. H. E. v. 15, 20, 24, 26 ; Hieron. de Vir. Illust.
120 and A. D. 140. In his early youth he heard 33; Dodwell, Dissertationes in Irenaeum ; Cave,
Polycarp, for whom he felt throughout life the Hist. Litt. sub ann. 167; Lardner's Credibility; the
greatest reverence. The occasion of his going from Ecclesiasticul Histories of Tillemont, Fleury, Jortin,
Asia to Gaul is uncertain ; the common account is Mosheim, and Schrockh; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol.
that he accompanied Pothinus on his mission to vii. p. 75. )
Gaul, which resulted in the formation of the churches 2. Bishop of Tyre, but previously a count of the
at Lyon and Vienne. He became a presbyter to empire, was the representative of the emperor Theo
Pothinus, on whose martyrdom, in A. D. 177, dosius at the council of Ephesus, where he took
Irenaeus succeeded to the bishopric of the church part with the Nestorians, A. D. 431. Immediately
at Lyon. His government was signalised by after the council, he hastened Constantinople, in
Christian devotedness and zeal, and he made many order to counteract the influence of the representi-
converts from heathenism. He was most active in tives of the party of Cyril on the emperor's mind.
opposing the Gnostics, and especially the Valen- In this he succeeded for the time ; but, after long
tinians. He also took part in the controversy re- vacillation, Theodosius at last declared himself
specting the time of keeping Easter, and wrote a against the Nestorians, and banished Irenaeus from
letter to Victor, bishop of Rome, rebuking the arro his court, about A. D. 435. Irenaeus betook him-
gance with which he anathematised the Asiatic self to his friends, the Oriental bishops, by whom he
churches. Irenaeus seems to have lived till about was made bishop of Tyre, A. D. 444. In an im-
the end of the second century. The silence of all perial decree against the Nestorians, which still
the early writers, such as Tertullian, Eusebius, exists, it is ordered that Irenaeus should be deposed
Augustin, and Theodoret, sufficiently refutes the from bis bishopric, and deprived of his clerical
claim to the honours of martyrdom, which later character. The sentence was carried into effect in
writers set up in his behalf.
But he eminently de- A. D. 448. In his retirement, Irenaeus wrote a
serves the far higher honour attached to sincere history of the Nestorian struggle, under the title of
piety and the zealous, but not arrogant discharge Tragoedia seu Commentarii de Rebus in Synodo
of his episcopal duties. He was possessed of con- Ephesina ac in Oriente gestis. The original Greek
siderable learning, but was very deficient in sound is lost entirely, but we have an old Latin transla-
judgment respecting the value of those traditions, tion of parts of it, published by Christian Lupus,
which, as they came from men who lived in the Louvain, 1682 ; for, though Lupus entitled his
age next to the apostles, he engerly received and book Variorum Patruin Epistolue ad Concilium
recorded. On the subject of the Millennium, for | Ephesinum pertinentes, there can be no doubt that
## p. 621 (#637) ############################################
IRENE.
621
IRIS.
all the passages in it are remains of the work of empires ; and, according to the same sources, the
Irenacus. Mansi, Sacr. Concil. Nov. Collect. vol. plan first originated with the Frankish king. The
v. pp. 417, 731; Tillemont, Mém. Eccles. vol. xiv. ; whole scheme is said to have been rendered abortive
Cave, Hist. Litt. sub ann. 441. )
by Aetius. The western writers do not even
3. An Alexandrian grammarian, known also by allude to this match, though Eginhard would cer-
the Latin name of Minucius Pacatus, was the pupil tainly have mentioned it had Charlemagne actually
of Heliodorus Metricts. His works, which were entertained such designs. The scheme must there
chiefly on the Alexandrian and Attic diulects, were fore have been concocted at Constantinople, and
held in high esteem, and are often quoted : a list of kept there as a secret, which was only divulged
them is given by Suidas. He probably lived about after the death of the parties. From the accession
the time of Augustus. " (Suid. s. r. Eipnvaſos and of Charlemagne, the Greek emperors were no longer
Nákutos; Fabric. Bibl. Gruec. vol. vi. pp. 170, styled “father” and “ lord" by the Frankish and
171. )
German kings and emperors ; but down to a late
4. Referendarius, the author of three amatory period the successors of Constantine refused the
epigrams in the Greek Anthology, from a com- title of Baoineús to the Roman emperors in Ger-
parison of which with the epigrams of Agathias many. Irene continued to govern the empire with
and Paul the Silentiary, Jacobs concludes that the great prudence and energy, but she never succeeded
author lived under Justinian. (Brunck, Anal. vol. entirely in throwing oblivion over the horrible
iii. p. 10; Jacobs, Anth. Graec. vol. iii. p. 231, vol. crime she had committed against her son ; and she
xüi. p. 905. )
[P. S. ] who trusted nobody was at last ensnared by a
IRENE (Eiphm), empress of Constantinople man who deserved her keenest suspicions, for the
(A. D. 797-802), one of the most extraordinary despicable vices of hypocrisy, ararice, and ingrati-
women in Byzantine history, was born at Athens tude. We speak of the great treasurer, Nicephorus,
about A. D. 752. She was so much distinguished who suddenly kindled a rebellion, and was pro-
by beauty and genius, that she attracted the atten- claimed emperor before the empress had recovered
tion of Leo, the son and afterwards successor of the from her surprise and indignation. Irene proposed
emperor Constantine V. Copronymus, who married to share the throne with him; and Nicephorus
her in 769, the nuptials being celebrated with great having apparently acceded to her proposals, she
splendour at Constantinople. She had been educated received him with confidence in her palace, but was
in the worship of images, and was compelled by suddenly arrested and banished to the island of
her husband to adopt the purer form of religion Lesbos (802). Deprived, through the base avarice
which he professed. Leo was extremely kind to- of the usurper, of all means of subsistence, this
wards her and her family both before and after his haughty princess was compelled to gain her liveli-
accession in 775 ; but having discovered that she hood by spinning; and she died of grief in the
still adored images, he banished her from his palace. following year, at the age of about fifty. Forgetful
Leo IV. died shortly afterwards (780), and Irene of her bloody crime, and only remembering her
administered the government for her minor son, protection of images, the Greeks have placed her
Constantine VI. The principal events of her among their saints, and celebrate her memory on
regency are related in the life of Constantine VI. : the 15th of August, the supposed day of her death.
we therefore confine ourselves to such occurrences (Cedren. p. 473, &c. ; Theophan. p. 399, &c. ;
as are in closer connection with her personal | Zonar. vol. ii. p. 120, &c. ; Glycas, p. 285, in the
history. In 786 she assembled a council at Con- Paris editions ; Vincent Mignot, Histoire de l'Im-
stantinople for the purpose of re-establishing the peratrice Irène, Amsterdam, 1762, is a very good
worship of images throughout the whole empire ; book. The character of Irene is best drawn by
and the assembled bishops having been driven out Gibbon, and by Schlosser in Geschichte der bilder-
by the riotous garrison of the capital, she found a stürmenden Kaiser des Ost-Römischen Reiches, Frank-
pretext for removing the troops; and during their fort-on-the-Main, 1812. )
(W. P. ]
absence she assembled another council in 787, at IRENE, the daughter and pupil of the painter
Nicomedeia, where the adorers of images obtained Cratinus, painted a picture of a girl, which Pliny
a complete victory. The attempts of Constantine saw at Eleusis. (Plin. H. N. xxxv. 11. s. 40. §
to emancipate himself from his mother's control are 43; Clem. Alex. Strom. iv. p. 523, b. ed. Syl-
intimately connected with the religious troubles : burg. )
(P. S. )
they ended with the assassination of the young IRIS ("Ipus), a daughter of Thaumas (whence
emperor by a band hired by Irene and her favourite, she is called Thaumantias, Virg. Aen. ix. 5) and
the general Stauracius. Irene succeeded her son Electra, and sister of the Harpies. (Hes. Theog.
on the throne (797), and had some difficulty in 266, 780; Apollod. i. 2. & 6; Plat. Theaet. p. 155.
maintaining her independence against the influence d; Plut. de Plac. Philos. iii. 5. ) In the Homeric
of Stauracius and another favourite, Aetius, who, poems she appears as the minister of the Olympian
in their turn, were jealous of each other, and would gods, who carries messages from Ida to Olympus,
have caused great dissensions at the court, and from gods to gods, and from gods to men. (Il. xv.
perhaps a civil war, but for the timely death of 144, xxiv, 78, 95, ii. 787, xviii. 168, Hymn, in
Stauracius (800). About this time Irene renewed Apoll. Del. 102, &c. ) In accordance with these
the intercourse between the Byzantine court and functions of Iris, her name is commonly derived from
that of Aix-la-Chapelle ; and, if we can trust the epw elpw; so that Iris would mean “ the speaker
Greek writers, she sent ambassadors to Charlemagne or messenger : ” but it is not impossible that it may
in order to negotiate a marriage between him and be connected with expw, “ I join," whence cipio;
herself, and to unite the western and the eastern 80 that Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, would be
the joiner or conciliator, or the messenger of heaven,
In HELIODORUS, No. II. 1. the writer fell who restores peace in nature, In the Homeric
into the error of several preceding writers, in making poems, it is true, Iris does not appear as the god-
Irenaeus and Minucius Pacatus distinct persons. dess of the rainbow, but the rainbow itself is called
## p. 622 (#638) ############################################
622
IRUS.
ISAACUS.
;
ipes (I. xi. 27, xvii. 547): and this brilliant phe- ISAACUS I. COMNENUS ('loaários Kom
nomenon in the skies, which vanishes as quickly as muós), emperor of Constantinople (A. D. 1057–
it appears, was regarded as the swift minister of the 1059), and the first of the Comneni who ascended
gods. Her genealogy tno supports the opinion the imperial throne, was one of the most virtuous
that Iris was originally the personification of the emperors of the East. (See the genealogical table
rainbow. In the earlier poets, and even in Theo of the Comneni, Vol. I. p. 820. ] He was the elder
critus (xvii. 13+) and Virgil (Aen. , v. 610) Iris son of Manuel Comnenus, praefectus totius orientis
appears as a virgin goddess; but according to later in the reign of Basil II. , whom he lost while still
writers, she was married to Zephyrus, and became a boy, and was educated, ogether with his younger
by him the mother of Eros. (Eustath. ad Hom. brother John, under the care of Basil. Their learn-
pp. 391, 555; Plut. Amat. 20. ) With regard to ing, talents, and moral principles, as much as the
her functions, which we have above briefly de merits of their late father, recommended them te
scribed, we may further observe, that the Odyssey the favour of the emperor, and at an early age they
never mentions Iris, but only lermes as the mos- vore both entrusted with important civil and mili-
senger of the gods : in the Iliad, on the other hand, my functions. Isaac became so distinguished
she appears most frequently, and on the most dif- that, supported by the illustrious name of biz
ferent occasions. She is principally engnged in the family, he succeeded in obtaining the hand of
service of Zeus, but also in that of Hera, and even Catharina, or Aicatharina, the daughter of Samuel,
serves Achilles in calling the winds to his assist- or perhaps John Wladislaus, king of the Bulgarians,
ance. (ll. xxiii. 199. ) She further performs her a lady who, at the time when Isaac made her ac-
services not only when commanded, but she some- quaintance, was a captive at the Byzantine court.
times advises and assists of her own accord (iii. During the stormy reigns of the eight immediate
122, xv. 201, xviii. 197. xxiv. 74, &c. ). In later successors of Basil 11. (Constantine IX. , Romanus
poets she appears on the whole in the same capacity III. , Michael IV. , Michael V. , Zoe, Constantine X. ,
as in the Iliad, but she occurs gradually more and Theodora, and Michael VI. ), who successively oc-
more exclusively in the service of Hera, both in the cupied the throne during the short period of 32
later Greek and Latin poets. (Callim. Hymn. in years, the position of Isaac was often dangerous ;
Del. 232 ; Virg. Aen.
in their stead the scourging of youths. (Paus. iii. 1034, &c. )
16. § 6; Dict. of Antiq. s. 0. Diamastigosis. ) 2. A son of Sthenelus, and brother of Eurys-
That in Attica, also, human sacrifices were offered theus, was one of the Argonauts who fell in the
to her, at least in early times, may be inferred battle with Aeetes. (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. iv.
from the fact of its being customary to shed some 223; Val. Flacc. i. 441; Diod. iv. 48, with Wes-
human blood in the worship instituted there in seling's note. )
honour of Orestes. (Eurip. Iph. Taur. 1446, &c. ) 3. [ANAXARETE. )
(L. S. )
Now, as regards the explanation of the mythus IPHIS (*1915). 1. One of the daughters of
of Iphigeneia, we are informed by Pausanias (ii. Thespius, by whom Heracles became the father of
35. § 2) that Artemis had a temple at Hermione, Celeustanor. (Apollod. ii. 7. $ 8. )
under the surname of Iphigeneia ; and the same 2. The beloved of Patroclus, of the island of
author (vii. 26) and Herodotus (iv. 103) tell us, Scyros. (Hom. Il. ix. 667; Philostr. Her. 10. )
:
## p. 620 (#636) ############################################
620
IRENAEUS.
IRENAEUS.
3. A daughter of Ligdus and Telethusa, of example, his writings contain the most puerile
Phaestus in Crete. She was brought up as a boy, absurdities.
because, previous to her birth, her father had or- The chief work of Irenaeus, and the only one
dered the child to be killed, if it should be a girl. now extant, is entitled Adversus Haereses, or De
When Iphis had grown up, and was to be be- Refutatione et Eversione fulsae Scientiae, Libri V.
trothed to lanthe, the difficulty thus arising was the object of which is to refute the Gnostics. The
removed by the favons of Isis, who had before ad-original Greek is lost, with the exception of some
vised the mother to treat Iphis as a boy, and now fragments preserved by Epiphanius and other
metamorphosed her into a youth. (Öv. Met. ix. writers on heresies; but the work exists in a bar.
665, &c. )
(L. S. ) barous, but ancient Latin version, which Dodwell
I'PHITUS (*101T08). ). A son of Eurytus of supposes to have been composed towards the end of
Oechalia, is mentioned among the Argonauts, but the 4th century. Irenaeus also wrote a discours
was killed by Heracles. (Hom. Od. xxi. 14, &c. ; agninst the Gentiles, teplétiothuns ; a work on
Apollod. ii. 6. Ø 1; Paus. iii. 15. § 2; Apollon. the preaching of the apostles, addressed to his
Rhod. i. 86. )
brother Marcianus ; a book of tracts on various
2. A son of Naubolus, and father of Schedius, questions, Alané rwv diapópw; and several letters
Epistrophus, and Eurynome, in Phocis, was like respecting the ecclesiastical controversies of his day,
wise one of the Argonauts. (Hom. II. ii. 518, xvii. among which were two to Florinus, a friend of his,
306; Paus. X. 4. § 1; Apollod. i. 9. 16; Apol- who had become a convert to Gnosticism ; one to
lon. Rhod, i. 207 ; Orph. Arg. 144. )
Blastus on schism, and the synodic epistle above
3. A son of Haemon, Prxonides, or Iphitus. referred to, from the Gallic churches to Victor,
At the command of the Delphic oracle, he restored bishop of Rome, respecting Easter. Of these works
the Olympian games, and instituted the cessation only a few fragments remain.
of all war during their celebration. (Paus. v. 4. The elitio princeps of Irenaeus is that of Eras-
5. ) Another Iphitus, who is otherwise unknown, mus, Basel, 1526, 8vo. , containing the Latin version
is mentioned by Apollodorus (ii. 5. Ø 1). [L. S. ] of the five books against heretics, reprinted at
IPHTHI'ME ('1qolun). 1. One of the Nere- 1 Basel, 1534, 1548, 1554, and 1560, fol. ; at Paris,
ides, and the mother of the Satyrs. (Nonn. Dionys. 1545, 1563, and 1567, 8vo. ; re-edited, with va-
xiv. 114. )
rious readings, by Jo. Jac. Grynaeus, Basel, 1571:
2. A daughter of Icarius, and sister of Penelope. the first edition, containing the fragments, besides
Athena assumed the appearance of Iphthime, when the Latin version, was that of Nicolas Gallasius,
she appeared to the unfortunate mother of Tele- | Paris, 1570, fol. ; next comes the edition of Fr.
machus. (Hom. Od. iv. 797. )
[L. S. ] Feuardentius, Cologne, 1596, 1625, and best, 1639 ;
IRENAEUS (Eipnvaios). 1. St. , bishop of but the best edition of all is that of Grabe, Oxon.
Lyon, in Gaul, during the latter part of the second | 1702, fol. , which was re-edited by the Benedictine
century after Christ, seems to have been a native Massuet, Paris, 1710, fol. : this Benedictine edition
of Smyrna, or of some neighbouring place in Asia was reprinted in two volumes folio, at Venice,
Minor. The time of his birth is not known ex- 1734. The chief separate edition of the fragments
actly, but Dodwell is certainly wrong in placing it is that of Pfaff, Hag. Com. 1715, 8vo. (Euseb.
80 early as A. D. 97 ; it was probably between A. D. H. E. v. 15, 20, 24, 26 ; Hieron. de Vir. Illust.
120 and A. D. 140. In his early youth he heard 33; Dodwell, Dissertationes in Irenaeum ; Cave,
Polycarp, for whom he felt throughout life the Hist. Litt. sub ann. 167; Lardner's Credibility; the
greatest reverence. The occasion of his going from Ecclesiasticul Histories of Tillemont, Fleury, Jortin,
Asia to Gaul is uncertain ; the common account is Mosheim, and Schrockh; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol.
that he accompanied Pothinus on his mission to vii. p. 75. )
Gaul, which resulted in the formation of the churches 2. Bishop of Tyre, but previously a count of the
at Lyon and Vienne. He became a presbyter to empire, was the representative of the emperor Theo
Pothinus, on whose martyrdom, in A. D. 177, dosius at the council of Ephesus, where he took
Irenaeus succeeded to the bishopric of the church part with the Nestorians, A. D. 431. Immediately
at Lyon. His government was signalised by after the council, he hastened Constantinople, in
Christian devotedness and zeal, and he made many order to counteract the influence of the representi-
converts from heathenism. He was most active in tives of the party of Cyril on the emperor's mind.
opposing the Gnostics, and especially the Valen- In this he succeeded for the time ; but, after long
tinians. He also took part in the controversy re- vacillation, Theodosius at last declared himself
specting the time of keeping Easter, and wrote a against the Nestorians, and banished Irenaeus from
letter to Victor, bishop of Rome, rebuking the arro his court, about A. D. 435. Irenaeus betook him-
gance with which he anathematised the Asiatic self to his friends, the Oriental bishops, by whom he
churches. Irenaeus seems to have lived till about was made bishop of Tyre, A. D. 444. In an im-
the end of the second century. The silence of all perial decree against the Nestorians, which still
the early writers, such as Tertullian, Eusebius, exists, it is ordered that Irenaeus should be deposed
Augustin, and Theodoret, sufficiently refutes the from bis bishopric, and deprived of his clerical
claim to the honours of martyrdom, which later character. The sentence was carried into effect in
writers set up in his behalf.
But he eminently de- A. D. 448. In his retirement, Irenaeus wrote a
serves the far higher honour attached to sincere history of the Nestorian struggle, under the title of
piety and the zealous, but not arrogant discharge Tragoedia seu Commentarii de Rebus in Synodo
of his episcopal duties. He was possessed of con- Ephesina ac in Oriente gestis. The original Greek
siderable learning, but was very deficient in sound is lost entirely, but we have an old Latin transla-
judgment respecting the value of those traditions, tion of parts of it, published by Christian Lupus,
which, as they came from men who lived in the Louvain, 1682 ; for, though Lupus entitled his
age next to the apostles, he engerly received and book Variorum Patruin Epistolue ad Concilium
recorded. On the subject of the Millennium, for | Ephesinum pertinentes, there can be no doubt that
## p. 621 (#637) ############################################
IRENE.
621
IRIS.
all the passages in it are remains of the work of empires ; and, according to the same sources, the
Irenacus. Mansi, Sacr. Concil. Nov. Collect. vol. plan first originated with the Frankish king. The
v. pp. 417, 731; Tillemont, Mém. Eccles. vol. xiv. ; whole scheme is said to have been rendered abortive
Cave, Hist. Litt. sub ann. 441. )
by Aetius. The western writers do not even
3. An Alexandrian grammarian, known also by allude to this match, though Eginhard would cer-
the Latin name of Minucius Pacatus, was the pupil tainly have mentioned it had Charlemagne actually
of Heliodorus Metricts. His works, which were entertained such designs. The scheme must there
chiefly on the Alexandrian and Attic diulects, were fore have been concocted at Constantinople, and
held in high esteem, and are often quoted : a list of kept there as a secret, which was only divulged
them is given by Suidas. He probably lived about after the death of the parties. From the accession
the time of Augustus. " (Suid. s. r. Eipnvaſos and of Charlemagne, the Greek emperors were no longer
Nákutos; Fabric. Bibl. Gruec. vol. vi. pp. 170, styled “father” and “ lord" by the Frankish and
171. )
German kings and emperors ; but down to a late
4. Referendarius, the author of three amatory period the successors of Constantine refused the
epigrams in the Greek Anthology, from a com- title of Baoineús to the Roman emperors in Ger-
parison of which with the epigrams of Agathias many. Irene continued to govern the empire with
and Paul the Silentiary, Jacobs concludes that the great prudence and energy, but she never succeeded
author lived under Justinian. (Brunck, Anal. vol. entirely in throwing oblivion over the horrible
iii. p. 10; Jacobs, Anth. Graec. vol. iii. p. 231, vol. crime she had committed against her son ; and she
xüi. p. 905. )
[P. S. ] who trusted nobody was at last ensnared by a
IRENE (Eiphm), empress of Constantinople man who deserved her keenest suspicions, for the
(A. D. 797-802), one of the most extraordinary despicable vices of hypocrisy, ararice, and ingrati-
women in Byzantine history, was born at Athens tude. We speak of the great treasurer, Nicephorus,
about A. D. 752. She was so much distinguished who suddenly kindled a rebellion, and was pro-
by beauty and genius, that she attracted the atten- claimed emperor before the empress had recovered
tion of Leo, the son and afterwards successor of the from her surprise and indignation. Irene proposed
emperor Constantine V. Copronymus, who married to share the throne with him; and Nicephorus
her in 769, the nuptials being celebrated with great having apparently acceded to her proposals, she
splendour at Constantinople. She had been educated received him with confidence in her palace, but was
in the worship of images, and was compelled by suddenly arrested and banished to the island of
her husband to adopt the purer form of religion Lesbos (802). Deprived, through the base avarice
which he professed. Leo was extremely kind to- of the usurper, of all means of subsistence, this
wards her and her family both before and after his haughty princess was compelled to gain her liveli-
accession in 775 ; but having discovered that she hood by spinning; and she died of grief in the
still adored images, he banished her from his palace. following year, at the age of about fifty. Forgetful
Leo IV. died shortly afterwards (780), and Irene of her bloody crime, and only remembering her
administered the government for her minor son, protection of images, the Greeks have placed her
Constantine VI. The principal events of her among their saints, and celebrate her memory on
regency are related in the life of Constantine VI. : the 15th of August, the supposed day of her death.
we therefore confine ourselves to such occurrences (Cedren. p. 473, &c. ; Theophan. p. 399, &c. ;
as are in closer connection with her personal | Zonar. vol. ii. p. 120, &c. ; Glycas, p. 285, in the
history. In 786 she assembled a council at Con- Paris editions ; Vincent Mignot, Histoire de l'Im-
stantinople for the purpose of re-establishing the peratrice Irène, Amsterdam, 1762, is a very good
worship of images throughout the whole empire ; book. The character of Irene is best drawn by
and the assembled bishops having been driven out Gibbon, and by Schlosser in Geschichte der bilder-
by the riotous garrison of the capital, she found a stürmenden Kaiser des Ost-Römischen Reiches, Frank-
pretext for removing the troops; and during their fort-on-the-Main, 1812. )
(W. P. ]
absence she assembled another council in 787, at IRENE, the daughter and pupil of the painter
Nicomedeia, where the adorers of images obtained Cratinus, painted a picture of a girl, which Pliny
a complete victory. The attempts of Constantine saw at Eleusis. (Plin. H. N. xxxv. 11. s. 40. §
to emancipate himself from his mother's control are 43; Clem. Alex. Strom. iv. p. 523, b. ed. Syl-
intimately connected with the religious troubles : burg. )
(P. S. )
they ended with the assassination of the young IRIS ("Ipus), a daughter of Thaumas (whence
emperor by a band hired by Irene and her favourite, she is called Thaumantias, Virg. Aen. ix. 5) and
the general Stauracius. Irene succeeded her son Electra, and sister of the Harpies. (Hes. Theog.
on the throne (797), and had some difficulty in 266, 780; Apollod. i. 2. & 6; Plat. Theaet. p. 155.
maintaining her independence against the influence d; Plut. de Plac. Philos. iii. 5. ) In the Homeric
of Stauracius and another favourite, Aetius, who, poems she appears as the minister of the Olympian
in their turn, were jealous of each other, and would gods, who carries messages from Ida to Olympus,
have caused great dissensions at the court, and from gods to gods, and from gods to men. (Il. xv.
perhaps a civil war, but for the timely death of 144, xxiv, 78, 95, ii. 787, xviii. 168, Hymn, in
Stauracius (800). About this time Irene renewed Apoll. Del. 102, &c. ) In accordance with these
the intercourse between the Byzantine court and functions of Iris, her name is commonly derived from
that of Aix-la-Chapelle ; and, if we can trust the epw elpw; so that Iris would mean “ the speaker
Greek writers, she sent ambassadors to Charlemagne or messenger : ” but it is not impossible that it may
in order to negotiate a marriage between him and be connected with expw, “ I join," whence cipio;
herself, and to unite the western and the eastern 80 that Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, would be
the joiner or conciliator, or the messenger of heaven,
In HELIODORUS, No. II. 1. the writer fell who restores peace in nature, In the Homeric
into the error of several preceding writers, in making poems, it is true, Iris does not appear as the god-
Irenaeus and Minucius Pacatus distinct persons. dess of the rainbow, but the rainbow itself is called
## p. 622 (#638) ############################################
622
IRUS.
ISAACUS.
;
ipes (I. xi. 27, xvii. 547): and this brilliant phe- ISAACUS I. COMNENUS ('loaários Kom
nomenon in the skies, which vanishes as quickly as muós), emperor of Constantinople (A. D. 1057–
it appears, was regarded as the swift minister of the 1059), and the first of the Comneni who ascended
gods. Her genealogy tno supports the opinion the imperial throne, was one of the most virtuous
that Iris was originally the personification of the emperors of the East. (See the genealogical table
rainbow. In the earlier poets, and even in Theo of the Comneni, Vol. I. p. 820. ] He was the elder
critus (xvii. 13+) and Virgil (Aen. , v. 610) Iris son of Manuel Comnenus, praefectus totius orientis
appears as a virgin goddess; but according to later in the reign of Basil II. , whom he lost while still
writers, she was married to Zephyrus, and became a boy, and was educated, ogether with his younger
by him the mother of Eros. (Eustath. ad Hom. brother John, under the care of Basil. Their learn-
pp. 391, 555; Plut. Amat. 20. ) With regard to ing, talents, and moral principles, as much as the
her functions, which we have above briefly de merits of their late father, recommended them te
scribed, we may further observe, that the Odyssey the favour of the emperor, and at an early age they
never mentions Iris, but only lermes as the mos- vore both entrusted with important civil and mili-
senger of the gods : in the Iliad, on the other hand, my functions. Isaac became so distinguished
she appears most frequently, and on the most dif- that, supported by the illustrious name of biz
ferent occasions. She is principally engnged in the family, he succeeded in obtaining the hand of
service of Zeus, but also in that of Hera, and even Catharina, or Aicatharina, the daughter of Samuel,
serves Achilles in calling the winds to his assist- or perhaps John Wladislaus, king of the Bulgarians,
ance. (ll. xxiii. 199. ) She further performs her a lady who, at the time when Isaac made her ac-
services not only when commanded, but she some- quaintance, was a captive at the Byzantine court.
times advises and assists of her own accord (iii. During the stormy reigns of the eight immediate
122, xv. 201, xviii. 197. xxiv. 74, &c. ). In later successors of Basil 11. (Constantine IX. , Romanus
poets she appears on the whole in the same capacity III. , Michael IV. , Michael V. , Zoe, Constantine X. ,
as in the Iliad, but she occurs gradually more and Theodora, and Michael VI. ), who successively oc-
more exclusively in the service of Hera, both in the cupied the throne during the short period of 32
later Greek and Latin poets. (Callim. Hymn. in years, the position of Isaac was often dangerous ;
Del. 232 ; Virg. Aen.
