According
to Ovid (Met.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - a
) [R.
W.
)
traditions a son of Xuthus and Creus, and conse- ACHAE'MENES ('Axarmérns). i. The an-
quently a brother of lon and grandson of Hellen. cestor of the Persian kings, who founded the
The Achaeans regarded him as the author of their family of the Achaemenidae ('Axalpevída), which
race, and derived from him their own name as well was the noblest family of the Pasargadae, the
as that of Achaia, which was formerly called noblest of the Persian tribes. Achaemenes is said
Aegialus. When his uncle Aeolus in Thessaly, to have been brought up by an eagle. According
whence he himself had come to Peloponnesus, died, to a genealogy given by Xerxes, the following was
he went thither and made himself master of the order of the descent: Achaemenes, Teispes,
Phthiotis, which now also received from him the Cambyses, Cyrus, Teïspes, Ariaramnes, Arsames,
name of Achaia. (Paus, rii. l. $ 2; Strab. vii. Hystaspes, Darius, Xerxes. (Herod. i. 125, vii. ll;
p. 383 ; A pollod. i. 7. $ 3. ) Servius (ad den. i. 242) Aelian, Hist. Anim. xii. 21. ) The original seat of
alone calls Achaeus a son of Jupiter and Pithia, this family was Achaemenia in Persis. (Steph. s. e.
which is probably miswritten for Phthia. [L. S. ) 'Axalueria. ) The Roman poets use the adjective
ACHAEUS ('Axalos), son of Andromachus, Achaemenius in the sense of Persian. (Hor. Carm.
whose sister Laodice married Seleucus Callinicus, 1. 1. 44, xiii. 8; Ov. Ar. Am. i. 226, Me. iv.
the father of Antiochus the Great. Achaeus 212. )
himself married Laodice, the daughter of Mithri- 2. The son of Darius I. was appointed by his
dates, king of Pontus. (Polyb. iv. öl. § 4, vui. brother Xerxes govemor of Egypt, B. C. 484. He
22. $ 11. ) He accompanied Seleucus Ceraunus, the commanded the Egyptian fleet in the expedition of
son of Callinicus, in his expedition across mount Xerxes against Greece, and strongly opposed the
Taurus against Attalus, and after the assassination prudent advice of Demaratus. When Egypt revolted
of Seleucus revenged his death; and though he under Inarus the Libyan in B. c. 460, Achaemenes
might easily have assumed the royal power, he re was sent to subdue it, but was defeated and killed
mained faithful to the family of Seleucus. Anti- in battle by Inarus. (Herod. ii. 12, vii. 7, 97,
ochus the Great, the successor of Seleucus, ap 236 ; Diod. xi. 74. )
pointed him to the command of all Asia on this ACHAEME'NIDES or ACHEME'NIDES, a
,
side of mount Taurus, B. C. 223. Achaeus re son of Adamastus of Ithacamand a companion of
covered for the Syrian empire all the districts Ulysses who left him behind in Sicily, when he
which Attalus bad gained ; but having been falsely tied from the Cyclops. Here he was found by
accused by Hermeias, the minister of Antiochus, Aeneas who took him with him. (Virg. Aen. iii.
of intending to revolt, he did so in self-defence, 613, &c. ; Ov. Ex Pont. ü. 2. 25. ) (L. S. ]
assumed the title of king, and ruled over the whole ACHA'ICUS, a surname of L. MUMMIUS.
of Asia on this side of the Taurus. As long as ACHA'ICUS ('Axaikos), a philosopher, who
Antiochus was engaged in the war with Ptolemy, wrote a work on Ethics. His time is unknown.
he could not march against Achaeus ; but after a (Diog. Laert. vi. 99; Theodor. Graec. affect. cur.
peace had been concluded with Ptolemy, he crossed viii. p. 919, ed. Schulze ; Clem. Alex. Strom. iv.
the Taurus, united his forces with Attalus, de p. 496, d. )
prived Achaeus in one campaign of all his do ACHELO'IS. 1. A surname of the Sirens,
minions and took Sardis with the exception of the daughters of Achelous and a muse. (Ov.
the citadel. Achaeus after sustaining a siege of Met. v. 552, xiv. 87; Apollod. i. 7. § 10. )
two years in the citadel at last fell into the hands 2. A general name for water-nymphs, as in
of Antiochus B. c. 214, through the treachery of Columella (r. 263), where the companions of the
Bolis, who had been employed by Sosibius, the Pegasids are called Acheloides. (L. S. )
minister of Ptolemy, to deliver him from his ACHELO'US ('Axengos), the god of the river
danger, but betrayed him to Antiochus, who Achelous which was the greatest, and according to
ordered him to be put to death immediately. (Polyb. tradition, the most ancient among the rivers of
iv. 2. $ 6, iv. 48, v. 40. § 7, 42, 57, vii. 15-18, Greece. He with 3000 brother-rivers is described
viii. 17-23. )
as a son of Oceanus and Thetys (Hes. Theog. 340),
ACHAEUS ('Axaiós) of Eretria in Euboea, a or of Oceanus and Gaea, or lastly of Helios and
tragic poet, was born B. C. 484, the year in which Gaea. (Natal. Com. vii. 2. ) The origin of the
Aeschylus gained his first victory, and four years river Achelous is thus described by Servius (ad
before the birth of Euripides. "In B. c. 477, he Virg. Georg. i. 9; Aen. viii
. 300): When Ache
contended wi:h Sophocles and Euripides, and lous on one occasion had lost his daughters, the
thougla he subsequently brought out niany dramas, Sirens, and in his grief invoked his mother Gaea,
according to some as many as thirty or forty, he she received him to her bobom, and on the spot
Levertheless only gained the prize once. The where she received him, she caused the river bear-
## p. 9 (#29) ###############################################
ACHERON.
9
ACHILLES.
ing his name to gush forth. Other accounts about more distant parts, and at last the Acheron was
the origin of the river and its naine are given by placed in the lower world itself. Thus we find in
Stephanus of Byzantium, Strabo (x. p. 450), and the Homeric poems (Od. x. 513; comp. Paus. i. 17.
Plutarch. (De Flum. 22. ) Achelous the god was 85) the Acheron described as a river of Hades, into
a competitor with Heracles in the suit for which the Pyriphlegeton and Cocytus are said to
Deïaneira, and fought with him for the bride. flow. Virgil (Aen. vi. 297, with the note of Ser-
Achelous was conquered in the contest, but as he vius) describes it as the principal river of Tartarus,
possessed the power of assuming various forms, he from which the Styx and Cocytus sprang. Ac-
Inetamorphosed himself first into a serpent and cording to later traditions, Acheron had been a son
then into a bull. But in this form too he was con- of Helios and Gaea or Demeter, and was changed
quered by Heracles, and deprived of one of his into the river bearing his name in the lower world,
horns, which however he recovered by giving up because he had refreshed the Titans with drink
the horn of Amalthea. (Ov. Met. ix. 8, &c. ; Apollod. during their contest with Zeus. They further
i. 8. $ 1, q. 7. 5. ) Sophocles (Trachin. 9, &c. ) state that A scalaphus was a son of Acheron and
makes Deïaneira relate these occurrences in a somé Orphne or Gorgyra. (Natal. Com. iii. 1. ) In late
what different manner.
According to Ovid (Met. writers the name Acheron is used in a general
ix. 87), the Naiads changed the horn which sense to designate the whole of the lower world.
Heracles took from Achelous into the horn of (Virg. Aen, vii. 312; Cic. post redit. in Senat. 10;
plenty. When Theseus returned home from the C. Nepos, Dion, 10. ) The Etruscans too were
Calydonian chase he was invited and hospitably acquainted with the worship of Acheron (Acheruns)
received by Achelous, who related to him in what from very early times, as we must infer from their
manner he had created the islands called Echinades. Acheruntici libri, which among various other things
(Or. Met. viij. 547, &c. ) The numerous wives treated on the deification of the souls, and on the
and descendants of Achelous are spoken of in sacrifices (Acheruntia sacra) by which this was to
separate articles. Strabo (x. p. 458) proposes a be effected. (Müller, Etrusker, ii. 27, &c. ) The
very ingenious interpretation of the legends about description of the Acheron and the lower world in
Achelous, all of which according to him arose from general in Plato's Phaedo (p. 112) is very pecu-
the nature of the river itself. It resembled a bull's liar, and not very easy to understand. [L. S. ]
voice in the noise of the water ; its windings and ACHERU'sIA (Αχερουσία λίμνη, or 'Αχερου-
its reaches gave rise to the story about his forming ois), a name given by the ancients to several lakes
himself into a serpent and about his horns; the or swamps, which, like the various rivers of the
formation of islands at the mouth of the river re- name of Acheron, were at some time believed to
quires no explanation. His conquest by Heracles be connected with the lower world, until at last the
lastly refers to the embankments by which Heracles Acherusia came to be considered to be in the lower
confined the river to its bed and thus gained large world itself. The lake to which this belief seems to
tracts of land for cultivation, which are expressed have been first attached was the Acherusia in Thes
by the horn of plenty. (Compare Voss, Mytholog. protia, through which the river Acheron flowed.
Briefe, lxxji. ) Others derive the legends about (Thuc. i. 46, Strab. vii. p. 324. ) Other lakes or
Achelous
from Egypt, and describe bim as a second swamps of the same name, and believed to be in con-
Nilus. But however this may be, he was from nexion with the lower world, were near Hermione
the earliest times considered to be a great divinity in Argolis (Paus. ii. 35. & 7), near Heraclea in Bi-
throughout Greece (Hom. ll. xxi. 194), and was thynia (Xen. Anab. vi. 2. $ 2; Diod. xiv. 31), be-
invoked in prayers, sacrifices, on taking oaths, &c. tween Cumae and cape Misenum in Campania
(Ephorus ap. Macrob. v. 18), and the Dodonean (Plin. H. N. iii. 5; Strab. v. p. 243), and lastly
Zeus usually added to each oracle he gave, the in Egyph, near Memphis. (Diod. i. 96. ) [L. S. ]
command to offer sacrifices to Achelous. (Ephorus, ACHILLAS ('Axırdas), one of the guardians
L c. ) This wide extent of the worship of Achelous of the Egyptian king Ptolemy Dionysus, and
also accounts for his being regarded as the repre-commander of the troops, when Pompey fled
sentative of sweet water in general, that is, as the to Egypt, B. C. 48. He is called by Caesar a man
source of all nourishment. (Virg. Georg. i. 9, with of extraordinary daring, and it was he and L.
the note of Voss. ) The contest of Achelous with Septimius who killed Pompey. (Caes. B. C. iji.
Heracles was represented on the throne of Amyclae 104; Liv. Epit. 104 ; Dion Cass. xlii
. 4. ) He
(Paus. iii. 18. § 9), and in the treasury of the subsequently joined the eunuch Pothinus in re-
Megariane at Olympia there was a statue of him sisting Caesar, and baving had the command of the
made by Dontas of cedar-wood and gold. (Paus. whole army entrusted to him by Pothinus, he
vi. 19. § 9. ) On several coins of Acarnania the marched against Alexandria with 20,000 foot and
god is represented as a bull with the head of an 2000 horse. Caesar, who was at Alexandria, had
old man. (Comp. Philostr. Imag. n. 4. ) [L. S. ] not sufficient forces to oppose him, and sent am-
ACHEMENIDES. (ACHAEMENIDES. ] bassadors to treat with him, but these Achillas
ACHERON (Axépwr). In ancient geography murdered to remove all hopes of reconciliation.
there occur several rivers of this name, all of which He then marched into Alexandria and obtained
were, at least at one time, believed to be connected | possession of the greatest part of the city. Mean-
with the lower world. The river first looked upon while, however, Arsinoë, the younger sister of
in this light was the Acheron in Thesprotia, in Ptolemy, escaped from Caesar and joined Achillas ;
Epirus, a country which appeared to the earliest but dissensions breaking out between them, she
Greeks as the end of the world in the west, and had Achillas put to death by Ganymedes a eunuch,
the locality of the river led them to the belief that B. C. 47, to whom she then entrusted the command
it was the entrance into the lower world. When of the forces. (Caes. B. C. iii. 108-112 ; B. Aler.
subsequently Epirus and the countries beyond the 4; Dion Cass. xlii. 36—40; Lucan £ 519–
hea became betier known, the Acheron or the en- 523. )
irance to the lower world was transferred to other ACHILLES ('Axilleus). In the legends about
1
## p. 10 (#30) ##############################################
10
ACAILLES.
ACHILLES.
to 'return.
Achilles, as about all the heroes of the Trojan war, , ed and slew numbers of Trojans (11. xxi. ), and
the Homeric traditions should be carefully kept at length met Hector, whom he chased thrice
apart from the various additions and embellish- around the walls of the city. He then slew him,
ments with which the gaps of the ancient story tied his body to his chariot, and dragged him
have been filled up by later poets and mythogra- to the ships of the Greeks. (xxii. ) After this, he
phers, not indeed by fabrications of their own, but burnt the body of Patroclus, together with twelve
by adopting those supplementary details, by which young captive Trojans, who were sacrificed to ap
oral tradition in the course of centuries had va- pease the spirit of his friend ; and subsequently
riously altered and developed the original kernel gave up the body of Hector to Priam, who came
of the story, or those accounts which were peculiar in person to beg for it. (xxiii. xxiv. ) Achilles
only to certain localities.
himself fell in the battle at the Scaean gate, before
Homeric story. Achilles was the son of Peleus, Troy was taken. His death itself does not occur
king of the Myrmidones in Phthiotis, in Thessaly, in the Iliad, but it is alluded to in a few passager
and of the Nereid Thetis. (Hom. ll. xx. 206, &c. ) (xxii. 358, &c. , xxi. 278, &c. ). It is expressly
From his father's name he is often called Ilmnelons, mentioned in the Odyssey (xxiv. 36, &c. ), where
Dinamiádns, or linaelwv (Hom. ll. xviii. 316; i. it is said that his fall-his conqueror is not men-
); i. 197 ; Virg. Aen. ii. 263), and from that of tioned-was lamented by gods and men, that his
his grandfather Aeacus, he derived his name Aea- remains together with those of Patroclus were bu-
cides (Aiacions, 11. ii. 860 ; Virg. Aen. i. 99). ried in a golden urn which Dionysus had given as
He was educated from his tender childhood by a present to Thetis, and were deposited in a place
Phoenix, who taught him eloquence and the arts on the coast of the Hellespont, where a mound
of war, and accompanied him to the Trojan war, was raised over them. Achilles is the principal
and to whom the hero always shewed great at- hero of the Iliad, and the pret dwells upon the
tachment. (ix. 485, &c. ; 438, &c. ) In the heal delineation of his character with love and admins-
ing art he was instructed by Cheiron, the centaur. tion, feelings in which his readers cannot but sym-
(xi. 832. ) His mother Thetis foretold him that pathise with him. Achilles is the handsomest
his fate was either to gain glory and die early, or and bravest of all the Greeks; be is affectionate
to live a long but inglorious life. (ix. 410,&c. ) towards his mother and his friends, formidable in
The hero chose the latter, and took part in the battles, which are his delight; open-bearted and
Trojan war, from which he knew that he was not without fear, and at the same time susceptible to
In fifty ships, or according to later the gentle and quiet joys of home. His greatest
traditions, in sixty (Hygin. Fab. 97), he led his passion is ambition, and when his sense of honour is
hosts of Myrmidones, Hellenes, and Achaeans hurt
, he is unrelenting in his revenge and anger, but
against Troy. (ii. 681, &c. , xvi. 168. ) Here the withal submits obediently to the will of the gods
swiſt-footed Achilles was the great bulwark of the Later traditions. These chiefly consist in ao-
Greeks, and the worthy favourite of Athena and counts which fill up the history of his youth and
Hera. (i. 195, 208. ) Previous to his dispute with death. His mother wishing to make her son im-
Agamemnon, he Favaged the country around Troy, mortal, is said to have concealed him by night in
and destroyed twelve towns on the coast and ele fire, in order to destroy the mortal parts he had
ven in the interior of the country. (ix. 328, &c. ) inherited from his father, and by day she anointed
When Agamemnon was obliged to give up Chrys him with ambrosia. But Peleus one night disco
seſs to her father, he threatened to take away vered his child in the fire, and cried out in terror.
Briseis from Achilles, who surrendered her on the Thetis left her son and fled, and Peleus entrusted
persuasion of Athena, but at the same time refused him to Cheiron, who educated and instructed him
to take any further part in the war, and shut him in the arts of riding, hunting, and playing the
self up in his tent. Zeus, on the entreaty of The phorminx, and also changed his original name,
tis, promised that victory should be on the side of Ligyron, i. e.
traditions a son of Xuthus and Creus, and conse- ACHAE'MENES ('Axarmérns). i. The an-
quently a brother of lon and grandson of Hellen. cestor of the Persian kings, who founded the
The Achaeans regarded him as the author of their family of the Achaemenidae ('Axalpevída), which
race, and derived from him their own name as well was the noblest family of the Pasargadae, the
as that of Achaia, which was formerly called noblest of the Persian tribes. Achaemenes is said
Aegialus. When his uncle Aeolus in Thessaly, to have been brought up by an eagle. According
whence he himself had come to Peloponnesus, died, to a genealogy given by Xerxes, the following was
he went thither and made himself master of the order of the descent: Achaemenes, Teispes,
Phthiotis, which now also received from him the Cambyses, Cyrus, Teïspes, Ariaramnes, Arsames,
name of Achaia. (Paus, rii. l. $ 2; Strab. vii. Hystaspes, Darius, Xerxes. (Herod. i. 125, vii. ll;
p. 383 ; A pollod. i. 7. $ 3. ) Servius (ad den. i. 242) Aelian, Hist. Anim. xii. 21. ) The original seat of
alone calls Achaeus a son of Jupiter and Pithia, this family was Achaemenia in Persis. (Steph. s. e.
which is probably miswritten for Phthia. [L. S. ) 'Axalueria. ) The Roman poets use the adjective
ACHAEUS ('Axalos), son of Andromachus, Achaemenius in the sense of Persian. (Hor. Carm.
whose sister Laodice married Seleucus Callinicus, 1. 1. 44, xiii. 8; Ov. Ar. Am. i. 226, Me. iv.
the father of Antiochus the Great. Achaeus 212. )
himself married Laodice, the daughter of Mithri- 2. The son of Darius I. was appointed by his
dates, king of Pontus. (Polyb. iv. öl. § 4, vui. brother Xerxes govemor of Egypt, B. C. 484. He
22. $ 11. ) He accompanied Seleucus Ceraunus, the commanded the Egyptian fleet in the expedition of
son of Callinicus, in his expedition across mount Xerxes against Greece, and strongly opposed the
Taurus against Attalus, and after the assassination prudent advice of Demaratus. When Egypt revolted
of Seleucus revenged his death; and though he under Inarus the Libyan in B. c. 460, Achaemenes
might easily have assumed the royal power, he re was sent to subdue it, but was defeated and killed
mained faithful to the family of Seleucus. Anti- in battle by Inarus. (Herod. ii. 12, vii. 7, 97,
ochus the Great, the successor of Seleucus, ap 236 ; Diod. xi. 74. )
pointed him to the command of all Asia on this ACHAEME'NIDES or ACHEME'NIDES, a
,
side of mount Taurus, B. C. 223. Achaeus re son of Adamastus of Ithacamand a companion of
covered for the Syrian empire all the districts Ulysses who left him behind in Sicily, when he
which Attalus bad gained ; but having been falsely tied from the Cyclops. Here he was found by
accused by Hermeias, the minister of Antiochus, Aeneas who took him with him. (Virg. Aen. iii.
of intending to revolt, he did so in self-defence, 613, &c. ; Ov. Ex Pont. ü. 2. 25. ) (L. S. ]
assumed the title of king, and ruled over the whole ACHA'ICUS, a surname of L. MUMMIUS.
of Asia on this side of the Taurus. As long as ACHA'ICUS ('Axaikos), a philosopher, who
Antiochus was engaged in the war with Ptolemy, wrote a work on Ethics. His time is unknown.
he could not march against Achaeus ; but after a (Diog. Laert. vi. 99; Theodor. Graec. affect. cur.
peace had been concluded with Ptolemy, he crossed viii. p. 919, ed. Schulze ; Clem. Alex. Strom. iv.
the Taurus, united his forces with Attalus, de p. 496, d. )
prived Achaeus in one campaign of all his do ACHELO'IS. 1. A surname of the Sirens,
minions and took Sardis with the exception of the daughters of Achelous and a muse. (Ov.
the citadel. Achaeus after sustaining a siege of Met. v. 552, xiv. 87; Apollod. i. 7. § 10. )
two years in the citadel at last fell into the hands 2. A general name for water-nymphs, as in
of Antiochus B. c. 214, through the treachery of Columella (r. 263), where the companions of the
Bolis, who had been employed by Sosibius, the Pegasids are called Acheloides. (L. S. )
minister of Ptolemy, to deliver him from his ACHELO'US ('Axengos), the god of the river
danger, but betrayed him to Antiochus, who Achelous which was the greatest, and according to
ordered him to be put to death immediately. (Polyb. tradition, the most ancient among the rivers of
iv. 2. $ 6, iv. 48, v. 40. § 7, 42, 57, vii. 15-18, Greece. He with 3000 brother-rivers is described
viii. 17-23. )
as a son of Oceanus and Thetys (Hes. Theog. 340),
ACHAEUS ('Axaiós) of Eretria in Euboea, a or of Oceanus and Gaea, or lastly of Helios and
tragic poet, was born B. C. 484, the year in which Gaea. (Natal. Com. vii. 2. ) The origin of the
Aeschylus gained his first victory, and four years river Achelous is thus described by Servius (ad
before the birth of Euripides. "In B. c. 477, he Virg. Georg. i. 9; Aen. viii
. 300): When Ache
contended wi:h Sophocles and Euripides, and lous on one occasion had lost his daughters, the
thougla he subsequently brought out niany dramas, Sirens, and in his grief invoked his mother Gaea,
according to some as many as thirty or forty, he she received him to her bobom, and on the spot
Levertheless only gained the prize once. The where she received him, she caused the river bear-
## p. 9 (#29) ###############################################
ACHERON.
9
ACHILLES.
ing his name to gush forth. Other accounts about more distant parts, and at last the Acheron was
the origin of the river and its naine are given by placed in the lower world itself. Thus we find in
Stephanus of Byzantium, Strabo (x. p. 450), and the Homeric poems (Od. x. 513; comp. Paus. i. 17.
Plutarch. (De Flum. 22. ) Achelous the god was 85) the Acheron described as a river of Hades, into
a competitor with Heracles in the suit for which the Pyriphlegeton and Cocytus are said to
Deïaneira, and fought with him for the bride. flow. Virgil (Aen. vi. 297, with the note of Ser-
Achelous was conquered in the contest, but as he vius) describes it as the principal river of Tartarus,
possessed the power of assuming various forms, he from which the Styx and Cocytus sprang. Ac-
Inetamorphosed himself first into a serpent and cording to later traditions, Acheron had been a son
then into a bull. But in this form too he was con- of Helios and Gaea or Demeter, and was changed
quered by Heracles, and deprived of one of his into the river bearing his name in the lower world,
horns, which however he recovered by giving up because he had refreshed the Titans with drink
the horn of Amalthea. (Ov. Met. ix. 8, &c. ; Apollod. during their contest with Zeus. They further
i. 8. $ 1, q. 7. 5. ) Sophocles (Trachin. 9, &c. ) state that A scalaphus was a son of Acheron and
makes Deïaneira relate these occurrences in a somé Orphne or Gorgyra. (Natal. Com. iii. 1. ) In late
what different manner.
According to Ovid (Met. writers the name Acheron is used in a general
ix. 87), the Naiads changed the horn which sense to designate the whole of the lower world.
Heracles took from Achelous into the horn of (Virg. Aen, vii. 312; Cic. post redit. in Senat. 10;
plenty. When Theseus returned home from the C. Nepos, Dion, 10. ) The Etruscans too were
Calydonian chase he was invited and hospitably acquainted with the worship of Acheron (Acheruns)
received by Achelous, who related to him in what from very early times, as we must infer from their
manner he had created the islands called Echinades. Acheruntici libri, which among various other things
(Or. Met. viij. 547, &c. ) The numerous wives treated on the deification of the souls, and on the
and descendants of Achelous are spoken of in sacrifices (Acheruntia sacra) by which this was to
separate articles. Strabo (x. p. 458) proposes a be effected. (Müller, Etrusker, ii. 27, &c. ) The
very ingenious interpretation of the legends about description of the Acheron and the lower world in
Achelous, all of which according to him arose from general in Plato's Phaedo (p. 112) is very pecu-
the nature of the river itself. It resembled a bull's liar, and not very easy to understand. [L. S. ]
voice in the noise of the water ; its windings and ACHERU'sIA (Αχερουσία λίμνη, or 'Αχερου-
its reaches gave rise to the story about his forming ois), a name given by the ancients to several lakes
himself into a serpent and about his horns; the or swamps, which, like the various rivers of the
formation of islands at the mouth of the river re- name of Acheron, were at some time believed to
quires no explanation. His conquest by Heracles be connected with the lower world, until at last the
lastly refers to the embankments by which Heracles Acherusia came to be considered to be in the lower
confined the river to its bed and thus gained large world itself. The lake to which this belief seems to
tracts of land for cultivation, which are expressed have been first attached was the Acherusia in Thes
by the horn of plenty. (Compare Voss, Mytholog. protia, through which the river Acheron flowed.
Briefe, lxxji. ) Others derive the legends about (Thuc. i. 46, Strab. vii. p. 324. ) Other lakes or
Achelous
from Egypt, and describe bim as a second swamps of the same name, and believed to be in con-
Nilus. But however this may be, he was from nexion with the lower world, were near Hermione
the earliest times considered to be a great divinity in Argolis (Paus. ii. 35. & 7), near Heraclea in Bi-
throughout Greece (Hom. ll. xxi. 194), and was thynia (Xen. Anab. vi. 2. $ 2; Diod. xiv. 31), be-
invoked in prayers, sacrifices, on taking oaths, &c. tween Cumae and cape Misenum in Campania
(Ephorus ap. Macrob. v. 18), and the Dodonean (Plin. H. N. iii. 5; Strab. v. p. 243), and lastly
Zeus usually added to each oracle he gave, the in Egyph, near Memphis. (Diod. i. 96. ) [L. S. ]
command to offer sacrifices to Achelous. (Ephorus, ACHILLAS ('Axırdas), one of the guardians
L c. ) This wide extent of the worship of Achelous of the Egyptian king Ptolemy Dionysus, and
also accounts for his being regarded as the repre-commander of the troops, when Pompey fled
sentative of sweet water in general, that is, as the to Egypt, B. C. 48. He is called by Caesar a man
source of all nourishment. (Virg. Georg. i. 9, with of extraordinary daring, and it was he and L.
the note of Voss. ) The contest of Achelous with Septimius who killed Pompey. (Caes. B. C. iji.
Heracles was represented on the throne of Amyclae 104; Liv. Epit. 104 ; Dion Cass. xlii
. 4. ) He
(Paus. iii. 18. § 9), and in the treasury of the subsequently joined the eunuch Pothinus in re-
Megariane at Olympia there was a statue of him sisting Caesar, and baving had the command of the
made by Dontas of cedar-wood and gold. (Paus. whole army entrusted to him by Pothinus, he
vi. 19. § 9. ) On several coins of Acarnania the marched against Alexandria with 20,000 foot and
god is represented as a bull with the head of an 2000 horse. Caesar, who was at Alexandria, had
old man. (Comp. Philostr. Imag. n. 4. ) [L. S. ] not sufficient forces to oppose him, and sent am-
ACHEMENIDES. (ACHAEMENIDES. ] bassadors to treat with him, but these Achillas
ACHERON (Axépwr). In ancient geography murdered to remove all hopes of reconciliation.
there occur several rivers of this name, all of which He then marched into Alexandria and obtained
were, at least at one time, believed to be connected | possession of the greatest part of the city. Mean-
with the lower world. The river first looked upon while, however, Arsinoë, the younger sister of
in this light was the Acheron in Thesprotia, in Ptolemy, escaped from Caesar and joined Achillas ;
Epirus, a country which appeared to the earliest but dissensions breaking out between them, she
Greeks as the end of the world in the west, and had Achillas put to death by Ganymedes a eunuch,
the locality of the river led them to the belief that B. C. 47, to whom she then entrusted the command
it was the entrance into the lower world. When of the forces. (Caes. B. C. iii. 108-112 ; B. Aler.
subsequently Epirus and the countries beyond the 4; Dion Cass. xlii. 36—40; Lucan £ 519–
hea became betier known, the Acheron or the en- 523. )
irance to the lower world was transferred to other ACHILLES ('Axilleus). In the legends about
1
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10
ACAILLES.
ACHILLES.
to 'return.
Achilles, as about all the heroes of the Trojan war, , ed and slew numbers of Trojans (11. xxi. ), and
the Homeric traditions should be carefully kept at length met Hector, whom he chased thrice
apart from the various additions and embellish- around the walls of the city. He then slew him,
ments with which the gaps of the ancient story tied his body to his chariot, and dragged him
have been filled up by later poets and mythogra- to the ships of the Greeks. (xxii. ) After this, he
phers, not indeed by fabrications of their own, but burnt the body of Patroclus, together with twelve
by adopting those supplementary details, by which young captive Trojans, who were sacrificed to ap
oral tradition in the course of centuries had va- pease the spirit of his friend ; and subsequently
riously altered and developed the original kernel gave up the body of Hector to Priam, who came
of the story, or those accounts which were peculiar in person to beg for it. (xxiii. xxiv. ) Achilles
only to certain localities.
himself fell in the battle at the Scaean gate, before
Homeric story. Achilles was the son of Peleus, Troy was taken. His death itself does not occur
king of the Myrmidones in Phthiotis, in Thessaly, in the Iliad, but it is alluded to in a few passager
and of the Nereid Thetis. (Hom. ll. xx. 206, &c. ) (xxii. 358, &c. , xxi. 278, &c. ). It is expressly
From his father's name he is often called Ilmnelons, mentioned in the Odyssey (xxiv. 36, &c. ), where
Dinamiádns, or linaelwv (Hom. ll. xviii. 316; i. it is said that his fall-his conqueror is not men-
); i. 197 ; Virg. Aen. ii. 263), and from that of tioned-was lamented by gods and men, that his
his grandfather Aeacus, he derived his name Aea- remains together with those of Patroclus were bu-
cides (Aiacions, 11. ii. 860 ; Virg. Aen. i. 99). ried in a golden urn which Dionysus had given as
He was educated from his tender childhood by a present to Thetis, and were deposited in a place
Phoenix, who taught him eloquence and the arts on the coast of the Hellespont, where a mound
of war, and accompanied him to the Trojan war, was raised over them. Achilles is the principal
and to whom the hero always shewed great at- hero of the Iliad, and the pret dwells upon the
tachment. (ix. 485, &c. ; 438, &c. ) In the heal delineation of his character with love and admins-
ing art he was instructed by Cheiron, the centaur. tion, feelings in which his readers cannot but sym-
(xi. 832. ) His mother Thetis foretold him that pathise with him. Achilles is the handsomest
his fate was either to gain glory and die early, or and bravest of all the Greeks; be is affectionate
to live a long but inglorious life. (ix. 410,&c. ) towards his mother and his friends, formidable in
The hero chose the latter, and took part in the battles, which are his delight; open-bearted and
Trojan war, from which he knew that he was not without fear, and at the same time susceptible to
In fifty ships, or according to later the gentle and quiet joys of home. His greatest
traditions, in sixty (Hygin. Fab. 97), he led his passion is ambition, and when his sense of honour is
hosts of Myrmidones, Hellenes, and Achaeans hurt
, he is unrelenting in his revenge and anger, but
against Troy. (ii. 681, &c. , xvi. 168. ) Here the withal submits obediently to the will of the gods
swiſt-footed Achilles was the great bulwark of the Later traditions. These chiefly consist in ao-
Greeks, and the worthy favourite of Athena and counts which fill up the history of his youth and
Hera. (i. 195, 208. ) Previous to his dispute with death. His mother wishing to make her son im-
Agamemnon, he Favaged the country around Troy, mortal, is said to have concealed him by night in
and destroyed twelve towns on the coast and ele fire, in order to destroy the mortal parts he had
ven in the interior of the country. (ix. 328, &c. ) inherited from his father, and by day she anointed
When Agamemnon was obliged to give up Chrys him with ambrosia. But Peleus one night disco
seſs to her father, he threatened to take away vered his child in the fire, and cried out in terror.
Briseis from Achilles, who surrendered her on the Thetis left her son and fled, and Peleus entrusted
persuasion of Athena, but at the same time refused him to Cheiron, who educated and instructed him
to take any further part in the war, and shut him in the arts of riding, hunting, and playing the
self up in his tent. Zeus, on the entreaty of The phorminx, and also changed his original name,
tis, promised that victory should be on the side of Ligyron, i. e.
