For further information respecting Dios Lacedaemon, and consequently
brothers
of Helena.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - a
s.
v.
Nikólaos; Eudoc.
p.
309.
) the articles then used in medicine, with an account
2. O: Cyprus, a sceptic philosopher, and a pupil of their supposed virtues. The descriptions are
of Timon. (Diog. Laërt. ix. 114, 115. )
brief, and not unfrequently so little characterized as
3. A disciple of Isocrates, who is said by Athe- not to enable us to ascertain with any degree of
naeus (i. p. 11) to have interpolated the Homeric accuracy to what they refer; while the practica!
poems. Suidas (s. v. 'Ounpos) attributes to him part of his work is in a great measure empirical,
a work entitled oi trap? 'Ouýpo vóuoi. As he is although his general principles (so far as they can
thus known to have been engaged in the study of be detected) appear to be those of the Dogmatic
Homer, it is not improbable that he was also the sect. The great importance which was for so long
author of the περί του των ηρώων καθ' “Ομηρον | a period attached to the works of Dioscorides, has
Biov, from which a fragment is quoted by Athe- rendered them the subject of almost innumerable
naeus (i. p. 8; comp. Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1270. ) commentaries and criticisms, and even some of the
The amournuovetuara, mentioned by Diogenes most learned of our modern naturalists have not
Laërtius (i. 63) and Athenaeus (xi. p. 507), may thought it an unworthy task to attempt the illus-
likewise have been his work, though everything is tration of his Materia Medica. Upon the whole,
uncertain. We have further mention of a work on we must attribute to him the merit of great industry
the constitution of Lacedaemon ascribed to Diosco and patient research ; and it seems but just to
rides (Athen. iv. p. 140; Plut. Lyc. 11, Ages. 35), ascribe a large portion of the errors and inaccuracies
and of another nepi vouiuwv (Schol. aul Aristoph. into which he has fallen, more to the imperfect state
Ar. 1283; Suid. and Phot. s. v. okutáln; Eudoc. of science when he wrote, than to any defect in the
p. 280); but whether they were the productions of character and talents of the writer.
ܪ
## p. 1052 (#1072) ##########################################
1052
DIOSCORIDES.
DIOSCURI.
was
His work has been compared with that of Theo-neta (De Rc Med. iv. 24), as a native of Alexandrin.
phrastus, but this seems to be doing justice to He wrote several medical works, which are not now
neither party, as the objects of the two authors extant. (Suid. l. c. ; Erotian. Gloss. Ilippocr. p. 8. )
wore totally different, the one writing as a scien- 3. DIOSCORIDES, a Grammarian at Rome, who,
titic botanist, the other merely as a herbalist; and if not actually a physician, appears, at any ratc, to
accordingly we find each of these celebrated men have given great attention to medical literature. He
superior to the other in his own department. lived in the beginning of the second century after
With respect to the ancient writers on Materia Christ, probably in the reign of Hadrian, a. D.
Medica who succeeded Dioscorides, they were 117-138, and superintended an edition of the
generally content to quote his authority without works of Hippocrates, which was much esteemed.
presuming to correct his errors or supply his defi- He is, however, accused by Galen of having made
ciencies. That part of his work which relates to considerable alterations in the text, and of changing
the plants growing in Greece has be’n very much the old readings and modernizing the language.
illustrated by the late Dr. John Sibthorp, who, He was a relation of Artemidorus Capito, another
when he was elected one of the Radcliffe Travelling editor of Hippocrates, and is several times quoted
Fellows of the University of Oxford, travelled in by Galen. (Galen, Comment. in Hippocr. “ De Nat.
Greece and the neighbouring parts for the purpose Hom. ”i. l ; ii. 1, vol. xv. pp. 21, 110; Comment, in
of collecting materials for a * Flora Graeca. ” This lippocr. “ De Ilumor. ” j. proocm. vol. xvi. p. 2;
tnagnificent work was begun after his death, under Comment. in Ilippocr. “Epidem. VI. " i. prooem. vol.
the direction of the late Sir J. E. Smith (1806), xvii. part i. p. 795; Gloss. Ilippocr. in v. dneßpár-
and has been lately finished, in ten volumes folio, Eto, vol. xix. p. 83. )
[W. A. G. )
by Professor Lindley. With respect to the plants DIOSCOʻRIUS (A100 Kópios) of Myra, was the
and other productions of the East mentioned by instructor in grammar of the daughters of the en-
Dioscorides, much still remains to be done towards peror Leo, at Byzantium, and also prefect of the
their illustration, and identification with the articles city and of the praetorians. (Suid. s. v. ) [P. S.
met with in those countries in the present day. A
DIOʻSCORUS (A100 kopos). 1. A physician,
few specimens of this are given by Dr. Royle, in probably born at Tralles in Lydia, in the sixth
his “Essay on the Antiquity of Hindoo Medicine" century after Christ His father's name
(Lond. 8vo. 1837), and probably no man in Eng. Stephanus, who was a physician (Alex. Trall. de
land is more fitted to undertake the task than Re Med. ir. 1, p. 198); one of his brothers was
himself.
the physician Alexander Trallianus ; another was
Besides the celebrated treatise on Materia Medica, the architect and mathematician, Anthemius; and
the following works are generally attributed to Dios- Agathias mentions that his two other brothers,
corides : llepl Anantnplwv Papuakwv, De l'enenis ; | Metrodorus and Olympius, were both eminent in
Tepi 'Iobówv, De Venenatis Animalibus ; Nepl EJ- their several professions. (Hist. v. p. 149. )
πορίστων Απλών τε και Συνθέτων Φαρμάκων, De 2. Another physician of the same name, must
facile Parabilibus tam Simplicibus quam Compositis have lived some time in or before the second cen-
Medicamentis; and a few smaller works, which are tury after Christ, as one of his medical formulae is
considered spurious. His works first appeared in a quoted by Galen. (De Compos. Medicam. sec.
Latin translation (supposed to be by Petrus de Locos, viii. 7, vol. xiii. p. 204. ) (W. A. G. )
Abano) in 1478, fol. Colle, in black letter. The first DIOSCURUS, a togatus of the praetorian
Greek edition was published by Aldus Manutius, forum, was one of the commission of ten appointed
Venet. 1499, fol. , and is said to be very scarce. Per- by Justinian in A. D. 528, to compile the Constitu-
haps the most valuable edition is that by J. A. Sa- tionum Codex. (Const. Haec quue necessario, § 1,
racenus, Greek and Latin, Francof. 1598. fol. , with Const. Summa Reip. $ 2. ). [J. T. G. ]
a copious and learned commentary. The last edition DIOSCUʻRI (A:00 Koupoi), that is, sons of
is that by C. Sprengel, in two vols. 8vo. Lips. 1829, Zeus, the well-known heroes, Castor and Pollux,
1830, in Greek and Latin, with a useful commen- or Polydeuces. The singular form Albo kovpos, or
tary, forming the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth vols. Acórkopos, occurs only in the writings of gram-
of Kühn's Collection of the Greek Medical Writers. marians, and the Latins sometimes use Castores
The work of Dioscorides has been translated and for the two brothers. (Plin. 11. N. x. 43 ; Sers.
published in the Italian, German, Spanish, and ad Virg. Georg. 11. 89 ; Horat. Carm. iii. 29, 67. )
French languages ; there is also an Arabic Trans According to the Homeric poems (Od. xi. 298, &c. )
lation, which is still in MS. in several European they were the sons of Leda and Tyndareus, king of
libraries.
For further information respecting Dios Lacedaemon, and consequently brothers of Helena.
corides and the editions of his work, see Le Clerc, (Hom. 11. iii. 426. ) Hence they are often called by
Hist. de la Med. ; Haller, Biblioth. Botan. ; Sprengel, the patronymic Tyndaridae. (Ov. Fast. v. 700,
Hist. de la Méd. ; Fabric. Biblioth. Graeca; Bo- Mel. viii. 301. ) Castor was famous for his skill
stock's History of Medicine ; Choulant, Handbuch in taming and managing horses, and Pollux for
der Bücherkunde für die Adltere Medicin.
his skill in boxing. Both bad disappeared from
2. DIOSCORIDES Phacas (pakas) a physician the earth before the Greeks went against Troy.
who was one of the followers of Herophilus (Galen, Although they were buried, says Homer, yet they
Gloss. Hippocr. prooem. vol. xix. p. 63), and lived came to life every other day, and they enjoyed
in the second or first century B. C. According to honours like those of the gods. According to
Suidas (s. r. A100k. ), who, however, confounds him other traditions both were the sons of Zeus and
with Dioscorides of Anazarba, he lived at the court of Leda, and were born at the same time with their
Cleopatra in the time of Antony, B. c. 41—30, and sister Helena out of an egg (Hom. Hymn. xiii. 5 ;
was surnamed Phacas on account of the moles or Theocrit. xxii. ; Schol. ad Pind. Nem. x. 150;
freckles on his face. He is probably the same phy- Apollon. Rhod. i. 149; Hygin. Fab. 155 ; Tzetz.
sician who is mentioned by Galen (Gloss. I lippocr. al Lycoph. 511 ; Serv. ad Aen. iii. 328), or with-
s. v. 'Ivoikóv, vol. xix. p. 105), and Paulus degi- | out their sister, and either out of an egg or in the
## p. 1053 (#1073) ##########################################
DIOSCURI.
1053
DIOSCURI.
natural way, but in snch a manner that Pollux | ther's in addition, and then drove the whole hierd
was the first born. (Tzetz. . wi Lycrph. 38, 511. ) to his home in Messene. (Pind. Nem. x. 60 ;
According to others again, Polydeuces and Helena Apollod. in. 11. $ 2; Lycoph. l. c. ) The Dios-
only were children of Zeus, and Castor was the curi then invaded Messene, drove away the cattle
son of Tyndareus. Hence, Polydeuces was im- of which they had been deprived, and much more
mortal, while Castor was subject to old age and in addition. This became the occasion of a war
death like every other mortal. (Pind. Nem. x. 80, between the Dioscuri and the sons of Aphareus,
with the Schol. ; Theocrit. xxiv. 130 ; Apollod. which was carried on in Messene, or Laconia.
iii. 10. 87; Hygin. Fab. 77. ) They were born, In this war, the details of which are related dif-
according to different traditions, at different places, ferently, Castor, the mortal. fell by the hands of
Buch as Amyclae, mount Taygetus, the island of Idas, but Pollux slew Lynceus, and Zeus killed
Pephnos, or Thalamac. (Theocrit. xxii. 122 ; Idas by a flash of lightning. (Pind. Apollod.
Virg. Georg. jii. 89 ; Serv. al Aen. x. 564 ; Hom. 11. cc. ; Tzetz. ad Lycopil. 1514 ; Theocrit. xxii. ;
Humn. xiji. 4 ; Paus. ii. 1. $ 4, 26. & 2. )
Hygin. Fub. 80, Poct. Astr. ii. 22. ) Polydeuces
The fabulous life of the Dioscuri is marked by then returned to his brother, whom he found
three great events : 1. Their expedition against breathing his last, and he prayed to Zeus, to
Athens. Theseus had carried off their sister He be permitted to die with him. Zeus left bin
lena from Sparta, or, according to others, he had the option, either to live as his immortal son in
promised Idas and Lynceus, the sons of Aphareus, Olympus, or to share his brother's fate, and to
who had carried her off, to guard her, and he live, alternately, one day under the earth, and the
kept her in confinement at Aphidnae, under the other in the heavenly abodes of the gods. (Horn.
superintendence of his mother Aethra. While 11. iii. 243 ; Pind. Nem. x. in fin. ; Hygin. Fub.
Theseus was absent from Attica and Menestheus 251. ) According to a different form of the story,
was endeavouring to usurp the government, the Zeus rewarded the attachment of the two brothers
Dioscuri marched into Attica, and ravaged the by placing them among the stars as Gemini.
country round the city. Academus revealed to (Ilygin. Poet. Astr. 1. c. ; Schol. ad Eurip. Orest.
them, that Helena was kept at Aphidnae (Herod. 465. )
ix. 73), and the Dioscuri took the place by assault. These heroic youths, who were also believed to
They carried away their sister Helena, and Aethra have reigned as Kings of Sparta (Paus. iii. 1. S 5),
was made their prisoner. (Apollod. l. c. ) Menes- received divine honours at Sparta, though not till
theus then opened to them also the gates of Athens, forty years after their war with the sons of Apha-
and Aphidnus adopted them as his sons, in order reus. (Paus. iii. 13. 9,1. ) Müller (Dor. ii. 10. $ 8)
that, according to their desire, they might become conceives that the worship of the Dioscuri had a
initiated in the mysteries, and the Athenians paid double source, viz. the heroic honours of the human
divine honours to them. (Plut. Thes. 31, &c. ; Tyndaridae, and the worship of some ancient Pelo-
Lycoph. 499. ) 2. Their part in the erpedition of ponnesian deities, so that in the process of time the
the Argonauts, as they had before taken part in attributes of the latter were transferred to the for-
the Calydonian hunt. (Apollon. Rhod. i. 149 ; mer, viz. the name of the sons of Zeus, the birth from
Paus. iii. 24. § 5 ; Hygin. Fab. 173. ) During an egg, and the like. Their worship spread from
the voyage of the Argonauts, it once happened, Peloponnesus over Greece, Sicily, and Italy. (Paus.
that when the heroes were detained by a vehe- x. 33. § 3, 38.
2. O: Cyprus, a sceptic philosopher, and a pupil of their supposed virtues. The descriptions are
of Timon. (Diog. Laërt. ix. 114, 115. )
brief, and not unfrequently so little characterized as
3. A disciple of Isocrates, who is said by Athe- not to enable us to ascertain with any degree of
naeus (i. p. 11) to have interpolated the Homeric accuracy to what they refer; while the practica!
poems. Suidas (s. v. 'Ounpos) attributes to him part of his work is in a great measure empirical,
a work entitled oi trap? 'Ouýpo vóuoi. As he is although his general principles (so far as they can
thus known to have been engaged in the study of be detected) appear to be those of the Dogmatic
Homer, it is not improbable that he was also the sect. The great importance which was for so long
author of the περί του των ηρώων καθ' “Ομηρον | a period attached to the works of Dioscorides, has
Biov, from which a fragment is quoted by Athe- rendered them the subject of almost innumerable
naeus (i. p. 8; comp. Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1270. ) commentaries and criticisms, and even some of the
The amournuovetuara, mentioned by Diogenes most learned of our modern naturalists have not
Laërtius (i. 63) and Athenaeus (xi. p. 507), may thought it an unworthy task to attempt the illus-
likewise have been his work, though everything is tration of his Materia Medica. Upon the whole,
uncertain. We have further mention of a work on we must attribute to him the merit of great industry
the constitution of Lacedaemon ascribed to Diosco and patient research ; and it seems but just to
rides (Athen. iv. p. 140; Plut. Lyc. 11, Ages. 35), ascribe a large portion of the errors and inaccuracies
and of another nepi vouiuwv (Schol. aul Aristoph. into which he has fallen, more to the imperfect state
Ar. 1283; Suid. and Phot. s. v. okutáln; Eudoc. of science when he wrote, than to any defect in the
p. 280); but whether they were the productions of character and talents of the writer.
ܪ
## p. 1052 (#1072) ##########################################
1052
DIOSCORIDES.
DIOSCURI.
was
His work has been compared with that of Theo-neta (De Rc Med. iv. 24), as a native of Alexandrin.
phrastus, but this seems to be doing justice to He wrote several medical works, which are not now
neither party, as the objects of the two authors extant. (Suid. l. c. ; Erotian. Gloss. Ilippocr. p. 8. )
wore totally different, the one writing as a scien- 3. DIOSCORIDES, a Grammarian at Rome, who,
titic botanist, the other merely as a herbalist; and if not actually a physician, appears, at any ratc, to
accordingly we find each of these celebrated men have given great attention to medical literature. He
superior to the other in his own department. lived in the beginning of the second century after
With respect to the ancient writers on Materia Christ, probably in the reign of Hadrian, a. D.
Medica who succeeded Dioscorides, they were 117-138, and superintended an edition of the
generally content to quote his authority without works of Hippocrates, which was much esteemed.
presuming to correct his errors or supply his defi- He is, however, accused by Galen of having made
ciencies. That part of his work which relates to considerable alterations in the text, and of changing
the plants growing in Greece has be’n very much the old readings and modernizing the language.
illustrated by the late Dr. John Sibthorp, who, He was a relation of Artemidorus Capito, another
when he was elected one of the Radcliffe Travelling editor of Hippocrates, and is several times quoted
Fellows of the University of Oxford, travelled in by Galen. (Galen, Comment. in Hippocr. “ De Nat.
Greece and the neighbouring parts for the purpose Hom. ”i. l ; ii. 1, vol. xv. pp. 21, 110; Comment, in
of collecting materials for a * Flora Graeca. ” This lippocr. “ De Ilumor. ” j. proocm. vol. xvi. p. 2;
tnagnificent work was begun after his death, under Comment. in Ilippocr. “Epidem. VI. " i. prooem. vol.
the direction of the late Sir J. E. Smith (1806), xvii. part i. p. 795; Gloss. Ilippocr. in v. dneßpár-
and has been lately finished, in ten volumes folio, Eto, vol. xix. p. 83. )
[W. A. G. )
by Professor Lindley. With respect to the plants DIOSCOʻRIUS (A100 Kópios) of Myra, was the
and other productions of the East mentioned by instructor in grammar of the daughters of the en-
Dioscorides, much still remains to be done towards peror Leo, at Byzantium, and also prefect of the
their illustration, and identification with the articles city and of the praetorians. (Suid. s. v. ) [P. S.
met with in those countries in the present day. A
DIOʻSCORUS (A100 kopos). 1. A physician,
few specimens of this are given by Dr. Royle, in probably born at Tralles in Lydia, in the sixth
his “Essay on the Antiquity of Hindoo Medicine" century after Christ His father's name
(Lond. 8vo. 1837), and probably no man in Eng. Stephanus, who was a physician (Alex. Trall. de
land is more fitted to undertake the task than Re Med. ir. 1, p. 198); one of his brothers was
himself.
the physician Alexander Trallianus ; another was
Besides the celebrated treatise on Materia Medica, the architect and mathematician, Anthemius; and
the following works are generally attributed to Dios- Agathias mentions that his two other brothers,
corides : llepl Anantnplwv Papuakwv, De l'enenis ; | Metrodorus and Olympius, were both eminent in
Tepi 'Iobówv, De Venenatis Animalibus ; Nepl EJ- their several professions. (Hist. v. p. 149. )
πορίστων Απλών τε και Συνθέτων Φαρμάκων, De 2. Another physician of the same name, must
facile Parabilibus tam Simplicibus quam Compositis have lived some time in or before the second cen-
Medicamentis; and a few smaller works, which are tury after Christ, as one of his medical formulae is
considered spurious. His works first appeared in a quoted by Galen. (De Compos. Medicam. sec.
Latin translation (supposed to be by Petrus de Locos, viii. 7, vol. xiii. p. 204. ) (W. A. G. )
Abano) in 1478, fol. Colle, in black letter. The first DIOSCURUS, a togatus of the praetorian
Greek edition was published by Aldus Manutius, forum, was one of the commission of ten appointed
Venet. 1499, fol. , and is said to be very scarce. Per- by Justinian in A. D. 528, to compile the Constitu-
haps the most valuable edition is that by J. A. Sa- tionum Codex. (Const. Haec quue necessario, § 1,
racenus, Greek and Latin, Francof. 1598. fol. , with Const. Summa Reip. $ 2. ). [J. T. G. ]
a copious and learned commentary. The last edition DIOSCUʻRI (A:00 Koupoi), that is, sons of
is that by C. Sprengel, in two vols. 8vo. Lips. 1829, Zeus, the well-known heroes, Castor and Pollux,
1830, in Greek and Latin, with a useful commen- or Polydeuces. The singular form Albo kovpos, or
tary, forming the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth vols. Acórkopos, occurs only in the writings of gram-
of Kühn's Collection of the Greek Medical Writers. marians, and the Latins sometimes use Castores
The work of Dioscorides has been translated and for the two brothers. (Plin. 11. N. x. 43 ; Sers.
published in the Italian, German, Spanish, and ad Virg. Georg. 11. 89 ; Horat. Carm. iii. 29, 67. )
French languages ; there is also an Arabic Trans According to the Homeric poems (Od. xi. 298, &c. )
lation, which is still in MS. in several European they were the sons of Leda and Tyndareus, king of
libraries.
For further information respecting Dios Lacedaemon, and consequently brothers of Helena.
corides and the editions of his work, see Le Clerc, (Hom. 11. iii. 426. ) Hence they are often called by
Hist. de la Med. ; Haller, Biblioth. Botan. ; Sprengel, the patronymic Tyndaridae. (Ov. Fast. v. 700,
Hist. de la Méd. ; Fabric. Biblioth. Graeca; Bo- Mel. viii. 301. ) Castor was famous for his skill
stock's History of Medicine ; Choulant, Handbuch in taming and managing horses, and Pollux for
der Bücherkunde für die Adltere Medicin.
his skill in boxing. Both bad disappeared from
2. DIOSCORIDES Phacas (pakas) a physician the earth before the Greeks went against Troy.
who was one of the followers of Herophilus (Galen, Although they were buried, says Homer, yet they
Gloss. Hippocr. prooem. vol. xix. p. 63), and lived came to life every other day, and they enjoyed
in the second or first century B. C. According to honours like those of the gods. According to
Suidas (s. r. A100k. ), who, however, confounds him other traditions both were the sons of Zeus and
with Dioscorides of Anazarba, he lived at the court of Leda, and were born at the same time with their
Cleopatra in the time of Antony, B. c. 41—30, and sister Helena out of an egg (Hom. Hymn. xiii. 5 ;
was surnamed Phacas on account of the moles or Theocrit. xxii. ; Schol. ad Pind. Nem. x. 150;
freckles on his face. He is probably the same phy- Apollon. Rhod. i. 149; Hygin. Fab. 155 ; Tzetz.
sician who is mentioned by Galen (Gloss. I lippocr. al Lycoph. 511 ; Serv. ad Aen. iii. 328), or with-
s. v. 'Ivoikóv, vol. xix. p. 105), and Paulus degi- | out their sister, and either out of an egg or in the
## p. 1053 (#1073) ##########################################
DIOSCURI.
1053
DIOSCURI.
natural way, but in snch a manner that Pollux | ther's in addition, and then drove the whole hierd
was the first born. (Tzetz. . wi Lycrph. 38, 511. ) to his home in Messene. (Pind. Nem. x. 60 ;
According to others again, Polydeuces and Helena Apollod. in. 11. $ 2; Lycoph. l. c. ) The Dios-
only were children of Zeus, and Castor was the curi then invaded Messene, drove away the cattle
son of Tyndareus. Hence, Polydeuces was im- of which they had been deprived, and much more
mortal, while Castor was subject to old age and in addition. This became the occasion of a war
death like every other mortal. (Pind. Nem. x. 80, between the Dioscuri and the sons of Aphareus,
with the Schol. ; Theocrit. xxiv. 130 ; Apollod. which was carried on in Messene, or Laconia.
iii. 10. 87; Hygin. Fab. 77. ) They were born, In this war, the details of which are related dif-
according to different traditions, at different places, ferently, Castor, the mortal. fell by the hands of
Buch as Amyclae, mount Taygetus, the island of Idas, but Pollux slew Lynceus, and Zeus killed
Pephnos, or Thalamac. (Theocrit. xxii. 122 ; Idas by a flash of lightning. (Pind. Apollod.
Virg. Georg. jii. 89 ; Serv. al Aen. x. 564 ; Hom. 11. cc. ; Tzetz. ad Lycopil. 1514 ; Theocrit. xxii. ;
Humn. xiji. 4 ; Paus. ii. 1. $ 4, 26. & 2. )
Hygin. Fub. 80, Poct. Astr. ii. 22. ) Polydeuces
The fabulous life of the Dioscuri is marked by then returned to his brother, whom he found
three great events : 1. Their expedition against breathing his last, and he prayed to Zeus, to
Athens. Theseus had carried off their sister He be permitted to die with him. Zeus left bin
lena from Sparta, or, according to others, he had the option, either to live as his immortal son in
promised Idas and Lynceus, the sons of Aphareus, Olympus, or to share his brother's fate, and to
who had carried her off, to guard her, and he live, alternately, one day under the earth, and the
kept her in confinement at Aphidnae, under the other in the heavenly abodes of the gods. (Horn.
superintendence of his mother Aethra. While 11. iii. 243 ; Pind. Nem. x. in fin. ; Hygin. Fub.
Theseus was absent from Attica and Menestheus 251. ) According to a different form of the story,
was endeavouring to usurp the government, the Zeus rewarded the attachment of the two brothers
Dioscuri marched into Attica, and ravaged the by placing them among the stars as Gemini.
country round the city. Academus revealed to (Ilygin. Poet. Astr. 1. c. ; Schol. ad Eurip. Orest.
them, that Helena was kept at Aphidnae (Herod. 465. )
ix. 73), and the Dioscuri took the place by assault. These heroic youths, who were also believed to
They carried away their sister Helena, and Aethra have reigned as Kings of Sparta (Paus. iii. 1. S 5),
was made their prisoner. (Apollod. l. c. ) Menes- received divine honours at Sparta, though not till
theus then opened to them also the gates of Athens, forty years after their war with the sons of Apha-
and Aphidnus adopted them as his sons, in order reus. (Paus. iii. 13. 9,1. ) Müller (Dor. ii. 10. $ 8)
that, according to their desire, they might become conceives that the worship of the Dioscuri had a
initiated in the mysteries, and the Athenians paid double source, viz. the heroic honours of the human
divine honours to them. (Plut. Thes. 31, &c. ; Tyndaridae, and the worship of some ancient Pelo-
Lycoph. 499. ) 2. Their part in the erpedition of ponnesian deities, so that in the process of time the
the Argonauts, as they had before taken part in attributes of the latter were transferred to the for-
the Calydonian hunt. (Apollon. Rhod. i. 149 ; mer, viz. the name of the sons of Zeus, the birth from
Paus. iii. 24. § 5 ; Hygin. Fab. 173. ) During an egg, and the like. Their worship spread from
the voyage of the Argonauts, it once happened, Peloponnesus over Greece, Sicily, and Italy. (Paus.
that when the heroes were detained by a vehe- x. 33. § 3, 38.
