imaginary
victories, with his own head on the re
(Juv.
(Juv.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - a
499 (#519) ############################################
BOMILCAR.
499
BONA DEA.
a
name.
sopher of Mende, to whom they ascribe several of Masinise, and a rival claimant to the throne of
works, which are otherwise entirely unknown. Numidia. The murder was discovered and traced
From this Pythagorean, Suidas distinguishes a to Bomilcar, who was obliged to enter into large
Bolus who was a philosopher of the school of De recognizances to appear and stand his trial; but,
mocritus, who wrote on medicine and also an his before the trial came on, his master privately sent
torical work. But, from a passage of Columella him back to Africa. (Sall. Jug. 35; comp. Liv.
(vii. 5 ; comp. Stobacus, Serm. 51), it appears that Epit. 64. ) In the ensuing year, we find him com-
Bolus of Mende and the follower of Democritus manding a portion of Jugurtha's army, with which
were one and the same person ; and he seems to he was defeated in a skirmish at the river Mu-
have lived subsequently to the time of Theophrastus, thul by Rutilius, lioutenant of Metellus. (Sall.
whose work on plants he appears to have known. Jug. 49, 52, 53. ) In the winter of the same year
(Steph. Byz. s. v. "Ayudos; Schol. ad Nicand. Metellus, after his unsuccessful attempt on Zama,
Theriac. 764. )
[L. S. ] engaged Bomilcar by promises of Roman favour to
BOMILCAR (Βομίλκας, Βοαμίλκας). 1. A deliver Jugurtha to him alive or dead ; and it was
commander of the Carthaginians against Aga- accordingly at his instigation that the king sent
thocles, when the latter invaded Africa, B. c. 310. ambassadors to make offers of unconditional sub-
In the first battle with the invaders, Bomilcar, his mission to Metellus. (Sall. Jug. 61, 62. ) In con-
colleague Hanno having fallen, betrayed the fortune sequence of this advice Bomilcar seems to have
of the day to the enemy, with the view, according become an object of suspicion to his master, which
to Diodorus, of humbling the spirit of his country- urged him the more towards the execution of his
men, and so making himself tyrant of Carthage. treachery. Accordingly he formed a plot with
(Diod. xx. 10, 12; comp. Arist. Polit. v. 11, ed. Nabdalsa, a Numidian nobleman, for the seizure or
Bekk. ) Two years after this, B. C. 308, after assassination of the king ; but the design was dis-
many delays and misgivings, he attempted to seize covered to Jugurtha by Nabdalsa's agent or
the government with the aid of 500 citizens and a secretary, and Bomilcar was put to death. (Sall.
number of mercenaries ; but his followers were in-Jug. 70, 71. )
[E. E. ]
duced to desert him by promises of pardon, and he BONA DEA, a Roman divinity, who is de-
himself was taken and crucified. (Diod. xx. 43, 44; scribed as the sister, wife, or daughter of Faunus,
Justin, xxii. 7. )
and was herself called Fauna, Fatua, or Oma.
2. Father of the Hanno who commanded a portion (Serv. ad Aen. viii. 314; Macrob. Sat. i. 12. )
of Hannibal's army at the passage of the Rhone, She was worshipped at Rome from the earliest
B. c. 218. This Bomilcar seems to have been one times as a chaste and prophetic divinity; and her
of the Carthaginian Sutfetes (rex, not praetor ; see worship was so exclusively confined to women,
Göttling, Excurs. ii. ad Arist. Polit. p. 484), and that men were not even allowed to know her
to have presided in that assembly of the senate
Faunus himself had not been able to over-
in which the second Punic war was resolved on. come her aversion to men, except by changing her
(Polyb. iii. 33, 42; Liv. xxi. 18, 27, 28. )
into a serpent. (Cic. de Harusp. resp. 17; Varr.
3. Commander of the Carthaginian supplies ar. Lactant. i. 22, Serv. I. c. ) She revealed her
which were voted to Hannibal after the battle of oracles only to females, as Faunus did only to
Cannae, B. C. 216, and with which he arrived in males. Her sanctuary was a grotto in the Aven-
Italy in the ensuing year. (Liv. xxiii. 13, 41. ) tine, which had been consecrated to her by Claudia,
In B. c. 214, he was sent with fifty-five ships to a pure maiden. (Macrob. l. c. ; Ov. Fast. v. 148,
the aid of Syracuse, then besieged by the Romans; &c. ) In the time of Cicero, however, she had also
but, finding himself unable to cope with the supe- a sanctuary between Aricia and Bovillae. (Cic.
rior fleet of the enemy, he withdrew to Africa. pro Mil. 31; Ascon. ad Milon. p. 32. ) Her festi-
(Liv. xxiv. 36. ) Two years after, we again find val, which was celebrated every year on the 1st of
him at Syracuse ; for we hear of his making his May, was held in the house of the consul or prae-
escape out of the harbour, carrying to Carthage tor, as the sacrifices on that occasion were offered
intelligence of the perilous state of the city (all of on behalf of the whole Roman people. The solem-
which, except Achradina, was in the possession of nities were conducted by the Vestals, and only
Marcellus), and returning within a few days with women, usually of the higher orders, were allowed
100 ships. (Liv. xxv. 25. ) In the same year, on to take part in them. (Cic. ad Att. i. 13, de Ha-
the destruction by pestilence of the Carthaginian rusp. resp. l. c. ; Dion Cass. xxxvii. 45. ) During
land-forces under Hippocrates and Himilco, Bo- the solemnity, no male person was allowed to be
milcar again sailed to Carthage with the news, in the house, and portraits of men were tolerated
and returned with 130 ships, but was prevented only when they were covered over. It is a well-
by Marcellus from reaching Syracuse. He then known fact, that P. Clodius profaned the sacred
proceeded to Tarentum, apparently with the view ceremonies on such an occasion by entering the
ol cutting off the supplies of the Roman garrison house of Caesar in the disguise of a woman. (Juv.
in that town; but, as the presence of his force vi. 429; Senec. Epist. 97; Plut. Caes. 9, Quaest.
only increased the scarcity under which the Taren- Rom. 20; Cic. Paradox. 4, ad Att. ii. 4. ) The women
tines themselves suffered, they were obliged to who celebrated the festival of Fauna had to pre-
dismiss him. (Liv. xxv. 27, xxvi. 20; comp. Po pare themselves for it by abstaining from various
lyb. Spicil. Rel. ix. l; Schweig. ad loc. )
things, especially from intercourse with men. The
4. A Numidian, deep in the confidence of Ju- house of the consul or praetor was decorated by
gurtha, by whom he was employed on many secret the Vestals as a temple, with flowers and foliage
services. In particular, when Jugurtha was at of every kind except myrtle, on account of its sym-
Rome, in B. C. 108, Bomilcar undertook and ef- bolic meaning. The head of the goddess's staine
fected for him the assassination of Massiva, who was adorned with a garland of vine-leaves, and a
happened to be at Rome at the same time, and serpent surrounded its feet. The women were de-
who, as well as Jugurtha himself, was a grandson corated in a similar manner. Although no one was
9
2 к 2
## p. 500 (#520) ############################################
500
BONIFACIUS.
BONOSUS.
allowed to bring wine with her, a vessel filled with he was, in 427, entmpped by his rival Aëtivo
wine, stood in the room, and from it the women (AETIUS) into the belief that the empresa Placidia
made their libations and drank. This wine, how- was bent on his destruction; and under this im-
ever, was called niilk, and the vessel containing it pression he yielded to the temptation of inviting
mellarium, 80 that the name of wine was avoided Genseric, king of the Vandals, to settle in Africa
altogether. The solemnity commenced with a sa- (Procop. Bell. Vand. i. 4. ) Bitterly reproached for
crifice called dumium (the priestess who performed his crime by Augustin (Ep. 220), and discovering
bore the name damiatrit, and the goddess damia; the fraud when it was too late, he took arms against
Fest. s. v. Damium, who however gives an absurd Genseric, but was driven by him into Hippo (A. D.
account of these names). One might suppose that 430), and thence, after a year's siege, during which
the sacrifice consisted of a chamois (dama) or some he witnessed the death of his friend, Augustin, he
kind of substitute for a chamois ; but Pliny (H. N. escaped with a great part of the inhabitants to
x. 77) seems to suggest, that the sacrifice consisted Italy, where he was restored to the favour of Pla-
of hens of various colours, except black ones. After cidia, and even enjoyed the almost unexampled
this sacrifice, the women began to perform Bacchic honour of having coins struck in honour of his
dances, and to drink of the wine prepared for them.
imaginary victories, with his own head on the re
(Juv. vi. 314. ) The goddess herself was believed verse. Aëtius, however, challenged him to single
to have set the example for this ; for, while yet on combat, shortly after which, either by a wound
earth, she was said to have intoxicated herself by from the longer spear of his adversary (Marcellinus
emptying a large vessel of wine, whereupon Faunus in anno) or from illness (Prosper), he expired, ex-
killed her with a myrtle staff, but afterwards raised pressing his forgiveness to Aetius, and advising
her to the rank of a goddess. (Varr. ap. Lactant. his widow to marry him. (A. D. 432. )
l. c. ; Arnob. adv. Gent. v. 18; Plut. Quaest. Rom. His career is singularly and exactly the reverse
20. ) This whole ceremony took place at night, of that of his rival, Aetius. Uniting true Roman
whence it is usually called sacrum opertum, or sacra courage and love of justice with true Christian
opertanea. (Cic. de Legg. ii. 9, ad Att. i. 13. ) | piety, he yet by one fatal step brought on his
Fauna was also regarded as a goddess possessed of church and country the most severe calamities
healing powers, as might be inferred from the ser- which it had been in the power of any of the
pents being part of her worship; but we know | barbarian invaders to inflict on either of them.
that various kinds of medicinal herbs were sold in The authorities for his life are Procopius, Bell,
her temple, and bought largely by the poorer Vand. i. 3, 4; Olymp. ap. Phot. pp. 59, 62;
classes. (Macrob. , Plut. , Arnob. I. cc. ) Greek Augustin. Ep. 185 (or 50), 189 (or 95), 220 (or
writers, in their usual way, identify the Bona Dea 70); and, of modern writers, Gibbon, c. 33; at
with some Greek divinity, such as Semele, Medeia, greater length, Tillemont, Mem. Eccl. xiii. pp. 713
Hecate, or Persephone. The Angitia of the Mar-1-886, in which last (note 77) is a discussion o:)
sians seems to have been the same goddess with a correspondence of sixteen smaller letters, falsely
them as the Bona Dea with the Romans. (ANGI- ascribed to him and Augustin. [A. P. S. )
TIA; comp. Hartung, Die Relig. der Röm. ii. p. BONO'SUS, was born in Spain; his ancestors
195, &c. )
[L. S. ) were from Britain and Gaul. The son of a huinble
BONIFA'CIUS, a Roman general, tribunus, schoolmaster, he displayed a marked inaptitude for
and comes in the province of Africa under Valen- literary pursuits; but, having entered the army,
tinian 111. In the early part of his career he was gradually rose to high military rank, and was in-
distinguished for his prompt administration of jus debted for much of his success in life to the singular
tice, and also for his activity against the barbarians, faculty which he possessed of being able to drink 10
as at Massilia in a. D. 413 against the Gothic king excess (bibit quantum hominum nemo) without be-
Ataulphus (Olymp. ap. Phot. p. 59, Bekk. ), and in coming intoxicated or losing his self-command.
422 against the Vandals in Spain. (Prosper. ) His Aurelian, resolving to take advantage of this na-
high character procured for him the friendship tural gift, kept him near his person, in order that
of Augustin, whom he consulted with regard to when ambassadors arrived from barbarian tribes,
enforcing the imperial laws against the Donatists, they might be tempted to deep potations by Bo-
and to scruples which he entertained against con- nosus, and so led to betray the secrets of their
tinuing military pursuits, and (on the death of mission. In pursuance of this plan, the emperor
his wife) eren against remaining in the world at caused him to wed Hunila, a damsel of the noblest
all. These scruples Augustin wisely allayed, only blood among the Goths, in hopes of gaining early
recommending to him resolutions, which he adopted, information of the schemes in agitation among her
of confining himself to defensive warfare against the kinsmen, which they were apt to divulge when
barbarians, and of leading a single life. (Augustin. under the influence of wine. How the husband-
Ep. 185, 189. ) (1. D. 417, 418. )
spy discharged his task we are not told; but we
The abandonment of this last resolution, in his find him at a subsequent period in the command of
second marriage with a rich Arian lady of the troops upon the Rhaetian frontier, and afterwards
name of Pelagia, seems to have exercised a perni- stationed on the Rhine. The Germans having
cious influence over his general character. Al succeeded in destroying certain Roman vessels in
though he so far maintained his own religious consequence of some carelessness or breach of duty
convictions as to insist on the previous conversion of on his part, in order to avoid immediate punish-
his wife, yet he so far gave them up as to allow his ment, he prevailed upon his soldiers to proclaim
child to receive Arian baptism; and as the first breach him emperor. After a long and severe struggle, he
of eren slight scruples may prepare a conscience was vanquished by Probus, and hanged himself.
naturally tender for the commission of actual crimes, The conqueror magnanimously spared his two sons
he is afterwards reported to have lived with concu- and pensioned his widow. No medals are extant
bines. (Augustin. I p. 220. ) (A. D. 424. ) Whilst in except those published by Goltzius, which are
the unsettled state consequent on this change of life, spurious. (Vopiscus, Vit. Bonos. ) [W. R. ]
## p. 501 (#521) ############################################
BOSTAR.
50!
BRACHYLLES.
BOOʻPIS (BOWTIs), an epithet commonly given that Bostor died of the treatment he received.
to Hera in the Homeric poems. It has been said, The cruelty of the family, however, excited so
that the goddess was thus designated in allusion to much odium at Rome, that the sons of Regulus
her having metamorphosed Io into a cow; but this thought it advisable to burn the body of Bostar,
opinion is contradicted by the fact, that other divi- and send his ashes to Carthage. This account of
nities too, such as Euryphaëssa (Hom. Hymn. in Diodorus, which, Niebuhr remarks, is probably
Sol. 2) and Pluto (Hesiod. Theog. 355), are men- taken from Philinus, must be regarded as of doubt-
tioned with the same epithet; and from this cir- ful authority. (Polyb. i. 30; Oros. ir. 8; Eutrop.
cumstance it must be inferred, that the poets meant ii. 21 ; Flor. ii. 2; Diod. Exc. xxxiv. ; Niebuhr,
to express by it nothing but the sublime and ma- Hist. of Rome, iii. p. 600. )
jestic character of those divinities. [L. S. ) 2. The Carthaginian commander of the merca-
BOʻREAS (Bopéas or Bopas), the North wind, nary troops in Sardinia, was, together with all the
was, according to Hesiod (Theog. 379), a son of Carthaginians with him, killed by these soldiers
Astraeus and Eos, and brother of Hesperus, Ze when they revolted in B. C. 240. (Polyb. i. 79. )
phyrus, and Notus. He dwelt in a cave of mount 3. A Carthaginian general, who was sent by
Haemus in Thrace. (Callim. Hymn. in Del. 63. ) Hasdrubal, the commander-in-chief of the Cartha-
He is mixed up with the early legends of Attica ginian forces in Spain, to prevent the Romans un-
in the story of his having carried off Oreithyia, der Scipio from crossing the Iberus in B. -c. 217.
the daughter of Erechtheus, by whom he begot But not daring to do this, Bostar fell back upon
Zetes, Calais, and Cleopatra, the wife of Phineus, Saguntum, where all the hostages were kept which
who are therefore called Boreades. (Ov. Met. vi. had been given to the Carthaginians by the diffe-
683, &c. ; Apollon. Rhod. i. 211; Apollod. iii. 15. rent states in Spain. Here he was persuaded by
$2; Paus. i. 19. $6. ) In the Persian war, Boreas Abelox, who had secretly gone over to the Ro-
shewed his friendly disposition towards the Athe- mans, to set these hostages at liberty, because such
nians by destroying the ships of the barbarians. an act would secure the affections of the Spanish
(Herod. vii. 189. ) He also assisted the Megalo people. But the hostages had no sooner left the
politans against the Spartans, for which he was city, than they were betrayed by Abelox into the
honoured at Megalopolis with annual festivals. hands of the Romans. For his simplicity on this
(Paus. viii. 36. $ 3. ) According to an Homeric occasion, Bostar was involved in great danger.
tradition (IL. XI. 223), Boreas begot twelve horses (Polyb. iii. 98, 99, Liv. xxii. 22. )
by the mares of Erichthonius, which is commonly 4. One of the ambassadors sent by Hannibal
explained as a mere figurative mode of expressing to Philip of Macedonia in B. c. 215. _The ship in
the extraordinary swiftness of those horses. On which they sailed was taken by the Romans, and
the chest of Cypselus he was represented in the the ambassadors themselves sent as prisoners to
act of carrying off Oreithyia, and here the place of Rome. (Liv. xxiii. 34. ) We are not told whether
his legs was occupied by tails of serpents. (Paus. they obtained their freedom; and consequently it
v. 19. & 1.
BOMILCAR.
499
BONA DEA.
a
name.
sopher of Mende, to whom they ascribe several of Masinise, and a rival claimant to the throne of
works, which are otherwise entirely unknown. Numidia. The murder was discovered and traced
From this Pythagorean, Suidas distinguishes a to Bomilcar, who was obliged to enter into large
Bolus who was a philosopher of the school of De recognizances to appear and stand his trial; but,
mocritus, who wrote on medicine and also an his before the trial came on, his master privately sent
torical work. But, from a passage of Columella him back to Africa. (Sall. Jug. 35; comp. Liv.
(vii. 5 ; comp. Stobacus, Serm. 51), it appears that Epit. 64. ) In the ensuing year, we find him com-
Bolus of Mende and the follower of Democritus manding a portion of Jugurtha's army, with which
were one and the same person ; and he seems to he was defeated in a skirmish at the river Mu-
have lived subsequently to the time of Theophrastus, thul by Rutilius, lioutenant of Metellus. (Sall.
whose work on plants he appears to have known. Jug. 49, 52, 53. ) In the winter of the same year
(Steph. Byz. s. v. "Ayudos; Schol. ad Nicand. Metellus, after his unsuccessful attempt on Zama,
Theriac. 764. )
[L. S. ] engaged Bomilcar by promises of Roman favour to
BOMILCAR (Βομίλκας, Βοαμίλκας). 1. A deliver Jugurtha to him alive or dead ; and it was
commander of the Carthaginians against Aga- accordingly at his instigation that the king sent
thocles, when the latter invaded Africa, B. c. 310. ambassadors to make offers of unconditional sub-
In the first battle with the invaders, Bomilcar, his mission to Metellus. (Sall. Jug. 61, 62. ) In con-
colleague Hanno having fallen, betrayed the fortune sequence of this advice Bomilcar seems to have
of the day to the enemy, with the view, according become an object of suspicion to his master, which
to Diodorus, of humbling the spirit of his country- urged him the more towards the execution of his
men, and so making himself tyrant of Carthage. treachery. Accordingly he formed a plot with
(Diod. xx. 10, 12; comp. Arist. Polit. v. 11, ed. Nabdalsa, a Numidian nobleman, for the seizure or
Bekk. ) Two years after this, B. C. 308, after assassination of the king ; but the design was dis-
many delays and misgivings, he attempted to seize covered to Jugurtha by Nabdalsa's agent or
the government with the aid of 500 citizens and a secretary, and Bomilcar was put to death. (Sall.
number of mercenaries ; but his followers were in-Jug. 70, 71. )
[E. E. ]
duced to desert him by promises of pardon, and he BONA DEA, a Roman divinity, who is de-
himself was taken and crucified. (Diod. xx. 43, 44; scribed as the sister, wife, or daughter of Faunus,
Justin, xxii. 7. )
and was herself called Fauna, Fatua, or Oma.
2. Father of the Hanno who commanded a portion (Serv. ad Aen. viii. 314; Macrob. Sat. i. 12. )
of Hannibal's army at the passage of the Rhone, She was worshipped at Rome from the earliest
B. c. 218. This Bomilcar seems to have been one times as a chaste and prophetic divinity; and her
of the Carthaginian Sutfetes (rex, not praetor ; see worship was so exclusively confined to women,
Göttling, Excurs. ii. ad Arist. Polit. p. 484), and that men were not even allowed to know her
to have presided in that assembly of the senate
Faunus himself had not been able to over-
in which the second Punic war was resolved on. come her aversion to men, except by changing her
(Polyb. iii. 33, 42; Liv. xxi. 18, 27, 28. )
into a serpent. (Cic. de Harusp. resp. 17; Varr.
3. Commander of the Carthaginian supplies ar. Lactant. i. 22, Serv. I. c. ) She revealed her
which were voted to Hannibal after the battle of oracles only to females, as Faunus did only to
Cannae, B. C. 216, and with which he arrived in males. Her sanctuary was a grotto in the Aven-
Italy in the ensuing year. (Liv. xxiii. 13, 41. ) tine, which had been consecrated to her by Claudia,
In B. c. 214, he was sent with fifty-five ships to a pure maiden. (Macrob. l. c. ; Ov. Fast. v. 148,
the aid of Syracuse, then besieged by the Romans; &c. ) In the time of Cicero, however, she had also
but, finding himself unable to cope with the supe- a sanctuary between Aricia and Bovillae. (Cic.
rior fleet of the enemy, he withdrew to Africa. pro Mil. 31; Ascon. ad Milon. p. 32. ) Her festi-
(Liv. xxiv. 36. ) Two years after, we again find val, which was celebrated every year on the 1st of
him at Syracuse ; for we hear of his making his May, was held in the house of the consul or prae-
escape out of the harbour, carrying to Carthage tor, as the sacrifices on that occasion were offered
intelligence of the perilous state of the city (all of on behalf of the whole Roman people. The solem-
which, except Achradina, was in the possession of nities were conducted by the Vestals, and only
Marcellus), and returning within a few days with women, usually of the higher orders, were allowed
100 ships. (Liv. xxv. 25. ) In the same year, on to take part in them. (Cic. ad Att. i. 13, de Ha-
the destruction by pestilence of the Carthaginian rusp. resp. l. c. ; Dion Cass. xxxvii. 45. ) During
land-forces under Hippocrates and Himilco, Bo- the solemnity, no male person was allowed to be
milcar again sailed to Carthage with the news, in the house, and portraits of men were tolerated
and returned with 130 ships, but was prevented only when they were covered over. It is a well-
by Marcellus from reaching Syracuse. He then known fact, that P. Clodius profaned the sacred
proceeded to Tarentum, apparently with the view ceremonies on such an occasion by entering the
ol cutting off the supplies of the Roman garrison house of Caesar in the disguise of a woman. (Juv.
in that town; but, as the presence of his force vi. 429; Senec. Epist. 97; Plut. Caes. 9, Quaest.
only increased the scarcity under which the Taren- Rom. 20; Cic. Paradox. 4, ad Att. ii. 4. ) The women
tines themselves suffered, they were obliged to who celebrated the festival of Fauna had to pre-
dismiss him. (Liv. xxv. 27, xxvi. 20; comp. Po pare themselves for it by abstaining from various
lyb. Spicil. Rel. ix. l; Schweig. ad loc. )
things, especially from intercourse with men. The
4. A Numidian, deep in the confidence of Ju- house of the consul or praetor was decorated by
gurtha, by whom he was employed on many secret the Vestals as a temple, with flowers and foliage
services. In particular, when Jugurtha was at of every kind except myrtle, on account of its sym-
Rome, in B. C. 108, Bomilcar undertook and ef- bolic meaning. The head of the goddess's staine
fected for him the assassination of Massiva, who was adorned with a garland of vine-leaves, and a
happened to be at Rome at the same time, and serpent surrounded its feet. The women were de-
who, as well as Jugurtha himself, was a grandson corated in a similar manner. Although no one was
9
2 к 2
## p. 500 (#520) ############################################
500
BONIFACIUS.
BONOSUS.
allowed to bring wine with her, a vessel filled with he was, in 427, entmpped by his rival Aëtivo
wine, stood in the room, and from it the women (AETIUS) into the belief that the empresa Placidia
made their libations and drank. This wine, how- was bent on his destruction; and under this im-
ever, was called niilk, and the vessel containing it pression he yielded to the temptation of inviting
mellarium, 80 that the name of wine was avoided Genseric, king of the Vandals, to settle in Africa
altogether. The solemnity commenced with a sa- (Procop. Bell. Vand. i. 4. ) Bitterly reproached for
crifice called dumium (the priestess who performed his crime by Augustin (Ep. 220), and discovering
bore the name damiatrit, and the goddess damia; the fraud when it was too late, he took arms against
Fest. s. v. Damium, who however gives an absurd Genseric, but was driven by him into Hippo (A. D.
account of these names). One might suppose that 430), and thence, after a year's siege, during which
the sacrifice consisted of a chamois (dama) or some he witnessed the death of his friend, Augustin, he
kind of substitute for a chamois ; but Pliny (H. N. escaped with a great part of the inhabitants to
x. 77) seems to suggest, that the sacrifice consisted Italy, where he was restored to the favour of Pla-
of hens of various colours, except black ones. After cidia, and even enjoyed the almost unexampled
this sacrifice, the women began to perform Bacchic honour of having coins struck in honour of his
dances, and to drink of the wine prepared for them.
imaginary victories, with his own head on the re
(Juv. vi. 314. ) The goddess herself was believed verse. Aëtius, however, challenged him to single
to have set the example for this ; for, while yet on combat, shortly after which, either by a wound
earth, she was said to have intoxicated herself by from the longer spear of his adversary (Marcellinus
emptying a large vessel of wine, whereupon Faunus in anno) or from illness (Prosper), he expired, ex-
killed her with a myrtle staff, but afterwards raised pressing his forgiveness to Aetius, and advising
her to the rank of a goddess. (Varr. ap. Lactant. his widow to marry him. (A. D. 432. )
l. c. ; Arnob. adv. Gent. v. 18; Plut. Quaest. Rom. His career is singularly and exactly the reverse
20. ) This whole ceremony took place at night, of that of his rival, Aetius. Uniting true Roman
whence it is usually called sacrum opertum, or sacra courage and love of justice with true Christian
opertanea. (Cic. de Legg. ii. 9, ad Att. i. 13. ) | piety, he yet by one fatal step brought on his
Fauna was also regarded as a goddess possessed of church and country the most severe calamities
healing powers, as might be inferred from the ser- which it had been in the power of any of the
pents being part of her worship; but we know | barbarian invaders to inflict on either of them.
that various kinds of medicinal herbs were sold in The authorities for his life are Procopius, Bell,
her temple, and bought largely by the poorer Vand. i. 3, 4; Olymp. ap. Phot. pp. 59, 62;
classes. (Macrob. , Plut. , Arnob. I. cc. ) Greek Augustin. Ep. 185 (or 50), 189 (or 95), 220 (or
writers, in their usual way, identify the Bona Dea 70); and, of modern writers, Gibbon, c. 33; at
with some Greek divinity, such as Semele, Medeia, greater length, Tillemont, Mem. Eccl. xiii. pp. 713
Hecate, or Persephone. The Angitia of the Mar-1-886, in which last (note 77) is a discussion o:)
sians seems to have been the same goddess with a correspondence of sixteen smaller letters, falsely
them as the Bona Dea with the Romans. (ANGI- ascribed to him and Augustin. [A. P. S. )
TIA; comp. Hartung, Die Relig. der Röm. ii. p. BONO'SUS, was born in Spain; his ancestors
195, &c. )
[L. S. ) were from Britain and Gaul. The son of a huinble
BONIFA'CIUS, a Roman general, tribunus, schoolmaster, he displayed a marked inaptitude for
and comes in the province of Africa under Valen- literary pursuits; but, having entered the army,
tinian 111. In the early part of his career he was gradually rose to high military rank, and was in-
distinguished for his prompt administration of jus debted for much of his success in life to the singular
tice, and also for his activity against the barbarians, faculty which he possessed of being able to drink 10
as at Massilia in a. D. 413 against the Gothic king excess (bibit quantum hominum nemo) without be-
Ataulphus (Olymp. ap. Phot. p. 59, Bekk. ), and in coming intoxicated or losing his self-command.
422 against the Vandals in Spain. (Prosper. ) His Aurelian, resolving to take advantage of this na-
high character procured for him the friendship tural gift, kept him near his person, in order that
of Augustin, whom he consulted with regard to when ambassadors arrived from barbarian tribes,
enforcing the imperial laws against the Donatists, they might be tempted to deep potations by Bo-
and to scruples which he entertained against con- nosus, and so led to betray the secrets of their
tinuing military pursuits, and (on the death of mission. In pursuance of this plan, the emperor
his wife) eren against remaining in the world at caused him to wed Hunila, a damsel of the noblest
all. These scruples Augustin wisely allayed, only blood among the Goths, in hopes of gaining early
recommending to him resolutions, which he adopted, information of the schemes in agitation among her
of confining himself to defensive warfare against the kinsmen, which they were apt to divulge when
barbarians, and of leading a single life. (Augustin. under the influence of wine. How the husband-
Ep. 185, 189. ) (1. D. 417, 418. )
spy discharged his task we are not told; but we
The abandonment of this last resolution, in his find him at a subsequent period in the command of
second marriage with a rich Arian lady of the troops upon the Rhaetian frontier, and afterwards
name of Pelagia, seems to have exercised a perni- stationed on the Rhine. The Germans having
cious influence over his general character. Al succeeded in destroying certain Roman vessels in
though he so far maintained his own religious consequence of some carelessness or breach of duty
convictions as to insist on the previous conversion of on his part, in order to avoid immediate punish-
his wife, yet he so far gave them up as to allow his ment, he prevailed upon his soldiers to proclaim
child to receive Arian baptism; and as the first breach him emperor. After a long and severe struggle, he
of eren slight scruples may prepare a conscience was vanquished by Probus, and hanged himself.
naturally tender for the commission of actual crimes, The conqueror magnanimously spared his two sons
he is afterwards reported to have lived with concu- and pensioned his widow. No medals are extant
bines. (Augustin. I p. 220. ) (A. D. 424. ) Whilst in except those published by Goltzius, which are
the unsettled state consequent on this change of life, spurious. (Vopiscus, Vit. Bonos. ) [W. R. ]
## p. 501 (#521) ############################################
BOSTAR.
50!
BRACHYLLES.
BOOʻPIS (BOWTIs), an epithet commonly given that Bostor died of the treatment he received.
to Hera in the Homeric poems. It has been said, The cruelty of the family, however, excited so
that the goddess was thus designated in allusion to much odium at Rome, that the sons of Regulus
her having metamorphosed Io into a cow; but this thought it advisable to burn the body of Bostar,
opinion is contradicted by the fact, that other divi- and send his ashes to Carthage. This account of
nities too, such as Euryphaëssa (Hom. Hymn. in Diodorus, which, Niebuhr remarks, is probably
Sol. 2) and Pluto (Hesiod. Theog. 355), are men- taken from Philinus, must be regarded as of doubt-
tioned with the same epithet; and from this cir- ful authority. (Polyb. i. 30; Oros. ir. 8; Eutrop.
cumstance it must be inferred, that the poets meant ii. 21 ; Flor. ii. 2; Diod. Exc. xxxiv. ; Niebuhr,
to express by it nothing but the sublime and ma- Hist. of Rome, iii. p. 600. )
jestic character of those divinities. [L. S. ) 2. The Carthaginian commander of the merca-
BOʻREAS (Bopéas or Bopas), the North wind, nary troops in Sardinia, was, together with all the
was, according to Hesiod (Theog. 379), a son of Carthaginians with him, killed by these soldiers
Astraeus and Eos, and brother of Hesperus, Ze when they revolted in B. C. 240. (Polyb. i. 79. )
phyrus, and Notus. He dwelt in a cave of mount 3. A Carthaginian general, who was sent by
Haemus in Thrace. (Callim. Hymn. in Del. 63. ) Hasdrubal, the commander-in-chief of the Cartha-
He is mixed up with the early legends of Attica ginian forces in Spain, to prevent the Romans un-
in the story of his having carried off Oreithyia, der Scipio from crossing the Iberus in B. -c. 217.
the daughter of Erechtheus, by whom he begot But not daring to do this, Bostar fell back upon
Zetes, Calais, and Cleopatra, the wife of Phineus, Saguntum, where all the hostages were kept which
who are therefore called Boreades. (Ov. Met. vi. had been given to the Carthaginians by the diffe-
683, &c. ; Apollon. Rhod. i. 211; Apollod. iii. 15. rent states in Spain. Here he was persuaded by
$2; Paus. i. 19. $6. ) In the Persian war, Boreas Abelox, who had secretly gone over to the Ro-
shewed his friendly disposition towards the Athe- mans, to set these hostages at liberty, because such
nians by destroying the ships of the barbarians. an act would secure the affections of the Spanish
(Herod. vii. 189. ) He also assisted the Megalo people. But the hostages had no sooner left the
politans against the Spartans, for which he was city, than they were betrayed by Abelox into the
honoured at Megalopolis with annual festivals. hands of the Romans. For his simplicity on this
(Paus. viii. 36. $ 3. ) According to an Homeric occasion, Bostar was involved in great danger.
tradition (IL. XI. 223), Boreas begot twelve horses (Polyb. iii. 98, 99, Liv. xxii. 22. )
by the mares of Erichthonius, which is commonly 4. One of the ambassadors sent by Hannibal
explained as a mere figurative mode of expressing to Philip of Macedonia in B. c. 215. _The ship in
the extraordinary swiftness of those horses. On which they sailed was taken by the Romans, and
the chest of Cypselus he was represented in the the ambassadors themselves sent as prisoners to
act of carrying off Oreithyia, and here the place of Rome. (Liv. xxiii. 34. ) We are not told whether
his legs was occupied by tails of serpents. (Paus. they obtained their freedom; and consequently it
v. 19. & 1.
