]
read Paulus Silentiarius : Niebuhr is of this opi- AGATHOCLE'A ('Agadókmeia), a mistress of
nion.
read Paulus Silentiarius : Niebuhr is of this opi- AGATHOCLE'A ('Agadókmeia), a mistress of
nion.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - a
(Plat.
by Diodorus. (iii. 12–18. ) Amongst other ex- Perid. 13. ) Plutarch ( Alcib. 16) and Andocides at
traordinary animals he mentions the camelopard, greater length (in Alcib. p. 31. 15) tell an anecdote
which was found in the country of the Troglo of Alcibiades having inveigled Agatharchus to his
dytae, and the rhinoceros.
house and kept him there for more than three
Agatharchides wrote in the Attic dialect. His months in strict durance, compelling him to adorn
style, according to Photius, was dignified and per- it with his pencil. The speech of Andocides above
spicuous, and abounded in sententious passages, referred to seems to bave been delivered after the
which inspired a favourable opinion of his judg- destruction of Melos (B. C. 416) and be! ore the
In the composition of his speeches he was expedition to Sicily (B. c. 415); so that from the
an imitator of Thucydides, whom he equalled in above data the age of Agatharchus may be accu-
dignity and excelled in clearness. His rhetorical rately fixed. Some scholars (as Bentley, Böttiger,
talents also are highly praised by Photius. He and Meyer) have supposed him to be the same as
Sich
ced
o is
the
$
ment.
## p. 62 (#82) ##############################################
62
AGATHIAS.
AGATHIAS
1
1
1
!
1
i
.
I
the contemporary of Aeschylus, who, however, with great success the profession of an advocate,
must have preceded him by a good half century. though only for the sake of a livelihood, his fa-
(Müller, Arch. d. Kunst, p. 88. ) [C. P. M. ] vourite occupation being the study of ancient
AGATHE’MERUS ('Agaonuepos), the son of poetry (Hist. iii. 1); and he paid particular atten-
Orthon, and the author of a small geographical tion to history. His profession of a lawyer was
work in two books, entitled tñis yewypapias ÚTO- the cause of his surname EXOQOTIKÓS (Suidas, s. o.
τυπώσεις εν επιτομή (« A Sketch of Geography | 'Αγαθίας), which word signited an advocate in the
in epitome"), addressed to his pupil Philon. His time of Agathias. Niebuhr (Vita Agath. in ed.
age cannot be fixed with much certainty, but he | Bonn. p. xv. ) believes, that he died during the
is supposed to have lived about the beginning of reign of Tiberius Thrax, a short time before the
the third century after Christ. He lived after death of this emperor and the accession of Mauri-
Ptolemy, whom he often quotes, and before the tius in 582, at the age of only 44 or 45 years.
foundation of Constantinople on the site of Byzan- Agathias, who was a Christian (Epir. 3, 5, and
tium in A. D. 328, as he mentions only the old especially 4), enjoyed during his life the esteem of
city Byzantium. (ii. 14. ) Wendelin has attempt- several great and distinguished men of his time,
ed to shew that he wrote in the beginning of the such as Theodorus the decurio, Paulus Silentiarius,
third century, from the statement he gives of the Eutychianus the younger, and Macedonius the ex-
distance of the tropic from the equator; but Dod- consul. He shewed them bis gratitude by dedicnt-
well, who thinks he lived nearer the time of ing to them several of his literary productions, and
Ptolemy, contends that the calculation cannot be be paid particular homage to Paulus Silentiarius,
depended on. From his speaking of Albion ev the son of Cyrus Florus, who was descended from
OTPATÓTeda loputau, it has been thought that he an old and illustrious family. (Hist. v. 9. )
wrote not very long after the erection of the wall Agathias is the author of the following works:
of Severus. This is probably true, but the language 1. A apviaxá, a collection of small love poems
is scarcely definite enough to establish the point. divided into nine books; the poems are written in
His work consists chiefly of extracts from hexametres. Nothing is extant of this collection,
Ptolemy and other earlier writers. From a com- which the author calls a juvenile essay. (Agath.
parison with Pliny, it appears that Artemidorus, Prooemium, p. 6, ed. Bonn. ; p. 4, Par. ; p. 6, Ven. )
of whose work a sort of compendium is contained 2. Kúkios, an anthology containing poems of
in the first book, was one of his main authorities. early writers and of several of his contemporaries,
He gives a short account of the various forms chiefly of such as were his protectors, among whom
assigned to the earth by earlier writers, treats of were Paulus Silentiarius and Macedonius. This
the divisions of the earth, seas, and islands, the collection was divided into seven books, but nothing
winds, and the length and shortness of the days, of it is extant except the introduction, which was
and then lays down the most important distances written by Agathias himself. However, 108 epi-
on the inhabited part of the earth, reckoned in grams, which were in circulation either before he
stadia. The surname Agathemerus frequently collected his Kúkdos, or which he composed at a
occurs in inscriptions. (Dodwell in Hudson's Geo Later period, have come down to us. The last
graph. Scriptores Gr. Minores; Ukert, Geogr. der seven and several others of these epigrams are ge
Griechen u. Römer, pt. i. div. I. p. 236. ) (C. P. M. ) nerally attributed to other writers, such as Paulus
AGATHE’MERUS, CLAUDIUS (Rtavolos Silentiarius, &c. The epigrams are contained in
'Agatńuepos), an ancient Greek physician, who the Anthologia Graeca (iv. p. 3, ed. Jacobs), and
lived in the first century after Christ. He was in the editions of the historical work of Agathias.
born at Lacedaemon, and was a pupil of the philo Joseph Scaliger, Janus Douza, and Bonaventura
sopher Cornutus, in whose house he became ac- Vulcanius, have translated the greater part of
quainted with the poet Persius about A. D. 50. them into Latin. The epigrams were written and
(Psendo-Sueton. vita Persü. ) In the old editions published after the Aadviaká.
of Suetonius he is called Agaternus, a mistake 3. Αγαθίου Σχολαστικού Μυριναίου Ιστορίων Ε.
which was first corrected by Reinesius (Syntagma“ Agathiae Scholastici Myrinensis Historiarum
Inscript. Antiq. p. 610), from the epitaph upon Libri V. " This is his principai work. It con-
him and his wife, Myrtale, which is preserved tains the history from 553—558 h. D. , a short
in the Marmora Oxoniensia and the Greek An- penod, but remarkable for the important events
thology, vol. iii. p. 381. § 224, ed. Tauchn. with which it is filled up. The first book contains
The apparent anomaly of a Roman praenomen the conquest of Italy by Narses over the Goths,
being given to a Greek, may be accounted for and the first contests between the Greeks and the
by the fact which we learn from Suetonius Franks; the second book contains the continua-
(Tiber. 6), that the Spartans were the hereditary tion of these contests, the description of the great
clients of the Claudia Gens. (C. G. Kühn, Ad earthquake of 554, and the beginning of the war
ditam. ad Elench. Medic. Vet. a J. A. Fabricio, in between the Greeks and the Persiaus ; the third
“Biblioth. Graeca" exhibit. ) (W. A. G. ] and the fourth books contain the continuation of
AGATHIAS ('Agadías), the son of Mamno- this war until the first peace in 536; the fifth
nius, a rhetorician, was born, as it seems, in 536 book relates the second great earthquake of 557,
or 537 A. D. (Hist. ii. 16, and Vita Agathiae in ed. the rebuilding of St. Sophia by Justinian, the
Bonn. p. xiv. ), at Myrina, a town at the mouth of plague, the exploits of Belisarius over the Huns
the river Pythicus in Aeolia (Agathiae Prooemium, and other barbarians in 558, and it finishes
p. 9, ed. Bonn. ; p. 5, Par. ; p. 7, Ven. ), and reabruptly with the 25th chapter.
ceived his education in Alexandria, where he Agathias, after having related that he had
studied literature. In 554 he went to Constanti- abandoned his poetical occupation for more serious
nople (Hist. ii. 16), where his father then most studies (Proocmium, ed. Bonn. pp. 6, 7; Par. p. 4;
probably resided, and studied for several years the Ven. p. 6), tells us that several distinguished men
Roman law. (Epigr. 4. ) He afterward exercised l bad suggested to him the idea of writing the history
1
## p. 63 (#83) ##############################################
AGATHOCLES.
63
:
AGATHINUS.
of his time, and he adds, that he had undertaken | known, but they were probably nearly the same
the tank especially on the advice of Eutychianus. as those of the Eclectici. (Dict. of Ant. s. r.
(16. ) However, he calls Eutychianus the ornar ECLECTICI. ) (See J. C. Osterhausen, Histor. Sectac
inent of the family of the Flori, a family to which Pneumatic. Med. Altorf. 1791, 8vo. ; C. G. Kühn,
Futychianus did not belong at all. It is therefore Additum. ad Elench. Medic. Vet. a 5. A. Fabricio
probable that, instead of Eutychianus, we must in “ Biblioth. Graeca" exhibit. ) [W. A. G.
]
read Paulus Silentiarius : Niebuhr is of this opi- AGATHOCLE'A ('Agadókmeia), a mistress of
nion. (Ib. not. 19. ) Agathias is not a great histo- the profligate Ptolemy Philopator, King of Egypt,
rian; he wants historical and geographical know- and sister of his no less profligate minister
ledge, principally with regard to Italy, though he Agathocles. She and her brother, who both exer-
knows the East better. He seldom penetrates into cised the most unbounded influence over the king,
the real causes of those great events which forin were introduced to him by their ambitious and
the subjects of his book : his history is the work avaricious mother, Oenanthe. After Ptolemy had
of a man of business, who adorns his style with put to death his wife and sister Eurydice, Aga-
poetical reminiscences. But he is honest and im- thoclea became his favourite. On the death of
partial, and in all those things which he is able to Ptolemy (B. C. 205), Agathoclea and her friends
understand he shews himself a man of good sense. kept the event secret, that they might have an
His style is often bombastic; he praises himself ; opportunity of plundering the royal treasury.
in his Greek the Ionic dialect prevails, but it is the They also formed a conspiracy for setting Aga-
Ionic of his time, degenerated from its classical thocles on the throne. He managed for some
purity into a sort of mixture of all the other Greek time, in conjunction with Sosibius, to act as
dialects Nothwithstanding these deficiences the guardian to the young king Ptolemy Epiphanes.
work of Agathias is of high value, because it con- At last the Egyptians and the Macedonians of
tains a great number of important facts concerning Alexandria, exasperated at his outrages, rose
one of the most eventful periods of Roman history. against him, and Tlepolemus placed himself at
Editions: 'Ayablou ExoQOTIXOÛ Tepl rîs Baco their head. They surrounded the palace in the
delas 'lovotiviavoll, Touo. E. , ed. Bonaventura night, and forced their way in. Agathocles and
Vulcanius, with a Latin translation, Lugduni, 1594. his sister implored in the most abject manner that
The Parisian edition, which is contained in the their lives might be spared, but in vain. The
“ Corpus Script. Byzant. ” was published in 1660; former was killed by his friends, that he might not
it contains many errors and conjectural innova- be exposed to a more cruel fate. Agathoclea with
tions, which have been reprinted and augmented her sisters, and Oenanthe, who had taken refuge
by the editors of the Venetian edition. Another in a temple, were dragged forth, and in a state of
edition was published at Basel (in 1576? ). A nakedness exposed to the fury of the multitude,
Latin translation by Christophorus Persona was who literally tore them limb from limb. All their
separately published at Rome, 1516, fol. , and relations and those who had had any share in the
afterwards at Augsburg, 1519, 410. ; at Basel, 1531, murder of Eurydice were likewise put to death.
fol. , and at Leyden, 1594, 8vo. The best edition (Polyb. v. 63, xiv. 11, xv. 25—34 ; Justin, xxx.
is that of Niebuhr, Bonn. 1828, 8vo. , which forms 1, 2; Athen. vi. p. 251, xiii. p. 576; Plut. Cleorn.
the third volume of the “ Corpus Scriptorum 33. ) There was another Agathoclea, the daughter
Historiae Byzantinae. " It contains the Latin of a man named Aristomenes, who was by birth
translation and the notes of Bonaventura Vulcanius. an Acarnanian, and rose to great power in Egypt.
The Epigrams form an appendix of this edition of (Polyb. I. c. )
(C. P. M. ]
Niebuhr, who has carefully corrected the errors, AGATHOCLES (Ayalokañs), a Sicilian of
and removed the innovations of the Parisian such remarkable ability and energy, that he raised
edition.
(W. P. ) himself from the station of a potter to that of tyrant
AGATHI'NUS ('Agádivos), an eminent an- of Syracuse and king of Sicily. He flourished in
cient Greek physician, the founder of a new the latter part of the fourth and the beginning of
medical sect, to which he gave the name of Epi- the third century, B. C, 80 that the period of his
synthetic. (Dict. of Ant. s. 0. EPISYNTHETICI. ) dominion is contemporary with that of the second
He was born at Sparta and must have lived in the and third Samnite wars, during which time his
first century after Christ, as be was the pupil of power must have been to Rome a canse of painful
Athenaeus, and the tutor of Archigenes (Galen. I interest ; yet so entire is the loss of all Roman
Definit. Med. c. 14. vol. xix. p. 353; Suidas, s. v. history of that epoch, that he is not once mentioned
'Apxoyens ; Eudoc. Violur. ap. Villoison, Anecd. in the 9th and 10th books of Livy, though we
Gr. vol. i. p. 65. ) He is said to have been once know that he had Samnites and Etruscans in his
seized with an attack of delirium, brought on by service, that assistance was asked from him by the
want of sleep, from which he was delivered by his Tarentines (Strab. vi. p. 280), and that he actually
pupil Archigenes, who ordered his head to be landed in Italy. (See Arnold's Rome, c. XXXV. )
fomented with a great quantity of warm oil. The events of his life are detailed by Diodorus and
(Aëtius, tetr. i. serm. iii. 172, p. 156. ) He is Justin. Of these the first has taken his account
frequently quoted by Galen, wbo mentions him from Timaeus of Tauromenium, a historian whom
among the Pneumatici. (De Dignosc. Puls. i. 3, Agathocles banished from Sicily, and whose love
rol viii. p. 787. ) None of his writings are now for censuring others was so great, that he was nick-
extant, but a few fragments are contained in named Epitimaeus (fault-finder). (Athen. vi. p. 272. )
Matthaei's Collection, entitled XXI Veterum et His natural propensity was not likely to be soft.
Clarorum Medicorum Graecorum Varia Opusculan ened when he was describing the author of his
Mosquae, 1808, 4to. See also Palladius, Com- exile ; and Diodorus himself does not besitate to
ment. in Hippocr. “ De Morl. Popul. lib. vi. ” ap. accuse him of having calumniated Agathocles very
Dietz, Scholia in Hippocr. et Galen. vol. ii. p. 56. xrossly. (Fragm. lib. xxi. ) Polybius too charges
The particular opinions of his sect are not exactly him with wilfully perverting the truth (xi. 15), 60
## p. 64 (#84) ##############################################
64
AGATHOCLES.
AGATHOCLES.
that the account which he has left must be received this desertion, the soldiers murdered his sons, and
with much suspicion. Marvellous stories are re- then made peace with Carthage. New troubles
lated of the early years of Agathocles. Born at awaited him in Sicily, where Deinocrates, a Syra-
Thermae, a town of Sicily subject to Carthage, he cusin exile, was at the head of a large army against
is said to have been exposed when an infant, by him. But he made a treaty with the Carthaginians,
his father, Carcinus of Rhegium, in consequence of defeated the exiles, received Deinocrates into fa-
a succession of troublesoine dreams, portending vour, and then had no difficulty in reducing the
that he would be a source of much evil to Sicily. revolted cities of Sicily, of which island he had
llis mother, however, secretly preserved his life, some time before assumed the title of king. He
and at seven ars old he was restored to his fa- afterwards crossed the Ionian sea, and defended
ther, who had long repented of his conduct to the Corcyra against Cassander. (Diod. xxi. Fragm. )
child. By him he was taken to Syracuse and He plundered the Lipari isles, and also carried his
brought up as a potter. In his youth he led a arms into Italy, in order to attack the Bruttii.
life of extravagance and debauchery, but was re But his designs were interrupted by severe ill-
markable for strength and personal beauty, qualities ness accompanied by great anxiety of mind, in
which recommended him to Damas, a noble Syra- consequence of family distresses. His grandson
cusan, under whose auspices he was made first a Arcbagathus murdered his son Agathocles, for the
soldier, then a chiliarch, and afterwards a military sake of succeeding to the crown, and the old king
tribune. On the death of Damas, he married his feared that the rest of his family would share his
rich widow, and so became one of the wealthiest fate. Accordingly, he resolved to send his wife
citizens in Syracuse. His ambitious schemes then Texena and her two children to Egyph, her native
developed themselves, and he was driven into country; they wept at the thoughts of his dying
exile. “ After several changes of fortune, he col. thus uncared for and alone, and he at seeing them
lected an army which overawed both the Syracusans depart as exiles from the dominion which he had
and Carthaginians, and was restored under an oath won for them. They left him, and his death fol-
that he would not interfere with the democracy, lowed almost immediately. For this touching nar-
which oath he kept by murdering 4000 and banish. rative, Timaeus and Diodorus after him substituted
ing 6000 citizens. He was immediately declared a monstrous and incredible story of his being poi-
sovereign of Syracuse, under the title of Autocrator. soned by Maeno, an associate of Archagathus
Bui Hamilcar, the Carthaginian general in Sicily, The poison, we are told, was concealed in the quill
kept the field successfully against him, after the with which he cleaned his teeth, and reduced him
whole of Sicily, which was not under the dominion to so frightful a condition, that he was placed on
of Carthage, had submitted to him. In the battle the funeral pile and burnt while yet living, being
of Himera, the army of Agathocles was defeated unable to give any signs that he was not dead.
with great slaughter, and immediately after, Syra- There is no doubt that Agathocles was a man
cuse itself was closely besieged. At this juncture, who did not hesitate to plunge into any excesses
he formed the bold design of averting the ruin of cruelty and treachery to further his own pur-
which threatened him, by carrying the war into poses. He persuaded Ophellas, king of Cyrene,
Africa. To obtain money for this purpose, he of- to enter into an alliance with him against Cartbage,
fered to let those who dreaded the miseries of a and then murdered him at a banques, and seized
protracted siege depart from Syracuse, and then the command of his army. He invited the princi-
sent a body of armed men to plunder and murder pal Syracusans to a festival, plied them with wine,
those who accepted his offer. He kept his design mixed freely with them, discovered their secret
a profound secret, eluded the Carthaginian fleet, feelings, and killed 500 who seemed opposed to his
which was blockading the harbour, and though views. So that while we reject the fictions of
closely pursued by them for six days and nighis, Timaeus, we can as little understand the statement
landed his men in safety on the shores of Africa of Polybius, that though be used bloody means to
Advancing then into the midst of his army, arrayed acquire his power, he afterwards became most mild
in a splendid robe, and with a crown on his head, and gentle. To his great abilities we have the
he announced that he had vowed, as a thank-offer- testimony of Scipio Africanus, who when asked
ing for his escape, to sacrifice his ships to Demeter what men were in his opinion at once the boldest
and the Kora, goddesses of Sicily. Thereupon, he warriors and wisest statesmen, replied, Agathocles
burnt them all, and so left his soldiers no hope of and Dionysius. (Polyb. xv. 35. ) He appears also
safety except in conquest.
to bave possessed remarkable powers of wit and
His successes were most brilliant and rapid. of repartee, to have been a most agreeable companion,
the two Suffetes of Carthage, the one, Bomilcar, and to have lived in Syracuse in a security gene-
aimed at the tyranny, and opposed the invaders rally unknown to the Greek tyrants, unattended
with little vigour; while the other, Hanno, fell in in public by guards, and trusting entirely either to
battle. He constantly defeated the troops of Car- the popularity or terror of his name.
thage, and had almost encamped under its walls, As to the chronology of his life, his landing in
when the detection and crucifixion of Bomilcar in- Africa was in the archonship of Hieromnemon at
fused new life into the war. Agathocles too was | Athens, and accompanied by an eclipse of the sun,
summoned from Africa by the affairs of Sicily, i. e. Aug. 15, B. c. 310. (Clinton, Fast. Hell. )
where the Agrigentines had suddenly invited their He quitted it at the end of B. c. 307, died B. C. 289,
fellow-countrymen to shake off his yoke, and left after a reign of 28 years, aged 72 according to
his army under his son Arcbagathus, who was un Diodorus, though Lucian (Macrob. 10), gives his
able to prevent a mutiny. Agathocles returned, age 95. Wesseling and Clinton prefer the state-
but was defeated ; and, fearing a new outbreak on ment of Diodorus. The Italian mercenaries whom
the part of his troops, fled from his camp with Agathocles left, were the Mamertini who after his
Archagathus, who, however, lost his way and was death seized Messana, and occasioned the first
taken. Agathocles escaped; but in revenge for Punic war.
(G. E.
by Diodorus. (iii. 12–18. ) Amongst other ex- Perid. 13. ) Plutarch ( Alcib. 16) and Andocides at
traordinary animals he mentions the camelopard, greater length (in Alcib. p. 31. 15) tell an anecdote
which was found in the country of the Troglo of Alcibiades having inveigled Agatharchus to his
dytae, and the rhinoceros.
house and kept him there for more than three
Agatharchides wrote in the Attic dialect. His months in strict durance, compelling him to adorn
style, according to Photius, was dignified and per- it with his pencil. The speech of Andocides above
spicuous, and abounded in sententious passages, referred to seems to bave been delivered after the
which inspired a favourable opinion of his judg- destruction of Melos (B. C. 416) and be! ore the
In the composition of his speeches he was expedition to Sicily (B. c. 415); so that from the
an imitator of Thucydides, whom he equalled in above data the age of Agatharchus may be accu-
dignity and excelled in clearness. His rhetorical rately fixed. Some scholars (as Bentley, Böttiger,
talents also are highly praised by Photius. He and Meyer) have supposed him to be the same as
Sich
ced
o is
the
$
ment.
## p. 62 (#82) ##############################################
62
AGATHIAS.
AGATHIAS
1
1
1
!
1
i
.
I
the contemporary of Aeschylus, who, however, with great success the profession of an advocate,
must have preceded him by a good half century. though only for the sake of a livelihood, his fa-
(Müller, Arch. d. Kunst, p. 88. ) [C. P. M. ] vourite occupation being the study of ancient
AGATHE’MERUS ('Agaonuepos), the son of poetry (Hist. iii. 1); and he paid particular atten-
Orthon, and the author of a small geographical tion to history. His profession of a lawyer was
work in two books, entitled tñis yewypapias ÚTO- the cause of his surname EXOQOTIKÓS (Suidas, s. o.
τυπώσεις εν επιτομή (« A Sketch of Geography | 'Αγαθίας), which word signited an advocate in the
in epitome"), addressed to his pupil Philon. His time of Agathias. Niebuhr (Vita Agath. in ed.
age cannot be fixed with much certainty, but he | Bonn. p. xv. ) believes, that he died during the
is supposed to have lived about the beginning of reign of Tiberius Thrax, a short time before the
the third century after Christ. He lived after death of this emperor and the accession of Mauri-
Ptolemy, whom he often quotes, and before the tius in 582, at the age of only 44 or 45 years.
foundation of Constantinople on the site of Byzan- Agathias, who was a Christian (Epir. 3, 5, and
tium in A. D. 328, as he mentions only the old especially 4), enjoyed during his life the esteem of
city Byzantium. (ii. 14. ) Wendelin has attempt- several great and distinguished men of his time,
ed to shew that he wrote in the beginning of the such as Theodorus the decurio, Paulus Silentiarius,
third century, from the statement he gives of the Eutychianus the younger, and Macedonius the ex-
distance of the tropic from the equator; but Dod- consul. He shewed them bis gratitude by dedicnt-
well, who thinks he lived nearer the time of ing to them several of his literary productions, and
Ptolemy, contends that the calculation cannot be be paid particular homage to Paulus Silentiarius,
depended on. From his speaking of Albion ev the son of Cyrus Florus, who was descended from
OTPATÓTeda loputau, it has been thought that he an old and illustrious family. (Hist. v. 9. )
wrote not very long after the erection of the wall Agathias is the author of the following works:
of Severus. This is probably true, but the language 1. A apviaxá, a collection of small love poems
is scarcely definite enough to establish the point. divided into nine books; the poems are written in
His work consists chiefly of extracts from hexametres. Nothing is extant of this collection,
Ptolemy and other earlier writers. From a com- which the author calls a juvenile essay. (Agath.
parison with Pliny, it appears that Artemidorus, Prooemium, p. 6, ed. Bonn. ; p. 4, Par. ; p. 6, Ven. )
of whose work a sort of compendium is contained 2. Kúkios, an anthology containing poems of
in the first book, was one of his main authorities. early writers and of several of his contemporaries,
He gives a short account of the various forms chiefly of such as were his protectors, among whom
assigned to the earth by earlier writers, treats of were Paulus Silentiarius and Macedonius. This
the divisions of the earth, seas, and islands, the collection was divided into seven books, but nothing
winds, and the length and shortness of the days, of it is extant except the introduction, which was
and then lays down the most important distances written by Agathias himself. However, 108 epi-
on the inhabited part of the earth, reckoned in grams, which were in circulation either before he
stadia. The surname Agathemerus frequently collected his Kúkdos, or which he composed at a
occurs in inscriptions. (Dodwell in Hudson's Geo Later period, have come down to us. The last
graph. Scriptores Gr. Minores; Ukert, Geogr. der seven and several others of these epigrams are ge
Griechen u. Römer, pt. i. div. I. p. 236. ) (C. P. M. ) nerally attributed to other writers, such as Paulus
AGATHE’MERUS, CLAUDIUS (Rtavolos Silentiarius, &c. The epigrams are contained in
'Agatńuepos), an ancient Greek physician, who the Anthologia Graeca (iv. p. 3, ed. Jacobs), and
lived in the first century after Christ. He was in the editions of the historical work of Agathias.
born at Lacedaemon, and was a pupil of the philo Joseph Scaliger, Janus Douza, and Bonaventura
sopher Cornutus, in whose house he became ac- Vulcanius, have translated the greater part of
quainted with the poet Persius about A. D. 50. them into Latin. The epigrams were written and
(Psendo-Sueton. vita Persü. ) In the old editions published after the Aadviaká.
of Suetonius he is called Agaternus, a mistake 3. Αγαθίου Σχολαστικού Μυριναίου Ιστορίων Ε.
which was first corrected by Reinesius (Syntagma“ Agathiae Scholastici Myrinensis Historiarum
Inscript. Antiq. p. 610), from the epitaph upon Libri V. " This is his principai work. It con-
him and his wife, Myrtale, which is preserved tains the history from 553—558 h. D. , a short
in the Marmora Oxoniensia and the Greek An- penod, but remarkable for the important events
thology, vol. iii. p. 381. § 224, ed. Tauchn. with which it is filled up. The first book contains
The apparent anomaly of a Roman praenomen the conquest of Italy by Narses over the Goths,
being given to a Greek, may be accounted for and the first contests between the Greeks and the
by the fact which we learn from Suetonius Franks; the second book contains the continua-
(Tiber. 6), that the Spartans were the hereditary tion of these contests, the description of the great
clients of the Claudia Gens. (C. G. Kühn, Ad earthquake of 554, and the beginning of the war
ditam. ad Elench. Medic. Vet. a J. A. Fabricio, in between the Greeks and the Persiaus ; the third
“Biblioth. Graeca" exhibit. ) (W. A. G. ] and the fourth books contain the continuation of
AGATHIAS ('Agadías), the son of Mamno- this war until the first peace in 536; the fifth
nius, a rhetorician, was born, as it seems, in 536 book relates the second great earthquake of 557,
or 537 A. D. (Hist. ii. 16, and Vita Agathiae in ed. the rebuilding of St. Sophia by Justinian, the
Bonn. p. xiv. ), at Myrina, a town at the mouth of plague, the exploits of Belisarius over the Huns
the river Pythicus in Aeolia (Agathiae Prooemium, and other barbarians in 558, and it finishes
p. 9, ed. Bonn. ; p. 5, Par. ; p. 7, Ven. ), and reabruptly with the 25th chapter.
ceived his education in Alexandria, where he Agathias, after having related that he had
studied literature. In 554 he went to Constanti- abandoned his poetical occupation for more serious
nople (Hist. ii. 16), where his father then most studies (Proocmium, ed. Bonn. pp. 6, 7; Par. p. 4;
probably resided, and studied for several years the Ven. p. 6), tells us that several distinguished men
Roman law. (Epigr. 4. ) He afterward exercised l bad suggested to him the idea of writing the history
1
## p. 63 (#83) ##############################################
AGATHOCLES.
63
:
AGATHINUS.
of his time, and he adds, that he had undertaken | known, but they were probably nearly the same
the tank especially on the advice of Eutychianus. as those of the Eclectici. (Dict. of Ant. s. r.
(16. ) However, he calls Eutychianus the ornar ECLECTICI. ) (See J. C. Osterhausen, Histor. Sectac
inent of the family of the Flori, a family to which Pneumatic. Med. Altorf. 1791, 8vo. ; C. G. Kühn,
Futychianus did not belong at all. It is therefore Additum. ad Elench. Medic. Vet. a 5. A. Fabricio
probable that, instead of Eutychianus, we must in “ Biblioth. Graeca" exhibit. ) [W. A. G.
]
read Paulus Silentiarius : Niebuhr is of this opi- AGATHOCLE'A ('Agadókmeia), a mistress of
nion. (Ib. not. 19. ) Agathias is not a great histo- the profligate Ptolemy Philopator, King of Egypt,
rian; he wants historical and geographical know- and sister of his no less profligate minister
ledge, principally with regard to Italy, though he Agathocles. She and her brother, who both exer-
knows the East better. He seldom penetrates into cised the most unbounded influence over the king,
the real causes of those great events which forin were introduced to him by their ambitious and
the subjects of his book : his history is the work avaricious mother, Oenanthe. After Ptolemy had
of a man of business, who adorns his style with put to death his wife and sister Eurydice, Aga-
poetical reminiscences. But he is honest and im- thoclea became his favourite. On the death of
partial, and in all those things which he is able to Ptolemy (B. C. 205), Agathoclea and her friends
understand he shews himself a man of good sense. kept the event secret, that they might have an
His style is often bombastic; he praises himself ; opportunity of plundering the royal treasury.
in his Greek the Ionic dialect prevails, but it is the They also formed a conspiracy for setting Aga-
Ionic of his time, degenerated from its classical thocles on the throne. He managed for some
purity into a sort of mixture of all the other Greek time, in conjunction with Sosibius, to act as
dialects Nothwithstanding these deficiences the guardian to the young king Ptolemy Epiphanes.
work of Agathias is of high value, because it con- At last the Egyptians and the Macedonians of
tains a great number of important facts concerning Alexandria, exasperated at his outrages, rose
one of the most eventful periods of Roman history. against him, and Tlepolemus placed himself at
Editions: 'Ayablou ExoQOTIXOÛ Tepl rîs Baco their head. They surrounded the palace in the
delas 'lovotiviavoll, Touo. E. , ed. Bonaventura night, and forced their way in. Agathocles and
Vulcanius, with a Latin translation, Lugduni, 1594. his sister implored in the most abject manner that
The Parisian edition, which is contained in the their lives might be spared, but in vain. The
“ Corpus Script. Byzant. ” was published in 1660; former was killed by his friends, that he might not
it contains many errors and conjectural innova- be exposed to a more cruel fate. Agathoclea with
tions, which have been reprinted and augmented her sisters, and Oenanthe, who had taken refuge
by the editors of the Venetian edition. Another in a temple, were dragged forth, and in a state of
edition was published at Basel (in 1576? ). A nakedness exposed to the fury of the multitude,
Latin translation by Christophorus Persona was who literally tore them limb from limb. All their
separately published at Rome, 1516, fol. , and relations and those who had had any share in the
afterwards at Augsburg, 1519, 410. ; at Basel, 1531, murder of Eurydice were likewise put to death.
fol. , and at Leyden, 1594, 8vo. The best edition (Polyb. v. 63, xiv. 11, xv. 25—34 ; Justin, xxx.
is that of Niebuhr, Bonn. 1828, 8vo. , which forms 1, 2; Athen. vi. p. 251, xiii. p. 576; Plut. Cleorn.
the third volume of the “ Corpus Scriptorum 33. ) There was another Agathoclea, the daughter
Historiae Byzantinae. " It contains the Latin of a man named Aristomenes, who was by birth
translation and the notes of Bonaventura Vulcanius. an Acarnanian, and rose to great power in Egypt.
The Epigrams form an appendix of this edition of (Polyb. I. c. )
(C. P. M. ]
Niebuhr, who has carefully corrected the errors, AGATHOCLES (Ayalokañs), a Sicilian of
and removed the innovations of the Parisian such remarkable ability and energy, that he raised
edition.
(W. P. ) himself from the station of a potter to that of tyrant
AGATHI'NUS ('Agádivos), an eminent an- of Syracuse and king of Sicily. He flourished in
cient Greek physician, the founder of a new the latter part of the fourth and the beginning of
medical sect, to which he gave the name of Epi- the third century, B. C, 80 that the period of his
synthetic. (Dict. of Ant. s. 0. EPISYNTHETICI. ) dominion is contemporary with that of the second
He was born at Sparta and must have lived in the and third Samnite wars, during which time his
first century after Christ, as be was the pupil of power must have been to Rome a canse of painful
Athenaeus, and the tutor of Archigenes (Galen. I interest ; yet so entire is the loss of all Roman
Definit. Med. c. 14. vol. xix. p. 353; Suidas, s. v. history of that epoch, that he is not once mentioned
'Apxoyens ; Eudoc. Violur. ap. Villoison, Anecd. in the 9th and 10th books of Livy, though we
Gr. vol. i. p. 65. ) He is said to have been once know that he had Samnites and Etruscans in his
seized with an attack of delirium, brought on by service, that assistance was asked from him by the
want of sleep, from which he was delivered by his Tarentines (Strab. vi. p. 280), and that he actually
pupil Archigenes, who ordered his head to be landed in Italy. (See Arnold's Rome, c. XXXV. )
fomented with a great quantity of warm oil. The events of his life are detailed by Diodorus and
(Aëtius, tetr. i. serm. iii. 172, p. 156. ) He is Justin. Of these the first has taken his account
frequently quoted by Galen, wbo mentions him from Timaeus of Tauromenium, a historian whom
among the Pneumatici. (De Dignosc. Puls. i. 3, Agathocles banished from Sicily, and whose love
rol viii. p. 787. ) None of his writings are now for censuring others was so great, that he was nick-
extant, but a few fragments are contained in named Epitimaeus (fault-finder). (Athen. vi. p. 272. )
Matthaei's Collection, entitled XXI Veterum et His natural propensity was not likely to be soft.
Clarorum Medicorum Graecorum Varia Opusculan ened when he was describing the author of his
Mosquae, 1808, 4to. See also Palladius, Com- exile ; and Diodorus himself does not besitate to
ment. in Hippocr. “ De Morl. Popul. lib. vi. ” ap. accuse him of having calumniated Agathocles very
Dietz, Scholia in Hippocr. et Galen. vol. ii. p. 56. xrossly. (Fragm. lib. xxi. ) Polybius too charges
The particular opinions of his sect are not exactly him with wilfully perverting the truth (xi. 15), 60
## p. 64 (#84) ##############################################
64
AGATHOCLES.
AGATHOCLES.
that the account which he has left must be received this desertion, the soldiers murdered his sons, and
with much suspicion. Marvellous stories are re- then made peace with Carthage. New troubles
lated of the early years of Agathocles. Born at awaited him in Sicily, where Deinocrates, a Syra-
Thermae, a town of Sicily subject to Carthage, he cusin exile, was at the head of a large army against
is said to have been exposed when an infant, by him. But he made a treaty with the Carthaginians,
his father, Carcinus of Rhegium, in consequence of defeated the exiles, received Deinocrates into fa-
a succession of troublesoine dreams, portending vour, and then had no difficulty in reducing the
that he would be a source of much evil to Sicily. revolted cities of Sicily, of which island he had
llis mother, however, secretly preserved his life, some time before assumed the title of king. He
and at seven ars old he was restored to his fa- afterwards crossed the Ionian sea, and defended
ther, who had long repented of his conduct to the Corcyra against Cassander. (Diod. xxi. Fragm. )
child. By him he was taken to Syracuse and He plundered the Lipari isles, and also carried his
brought up as a potter. In his youth he led a arms into Italy, in order to attack the Bruttii.
life of extravagance and debauchery, but was re But his designs were interrupted by severe ill-
markable for strength and personal beauty, qualities ness accompanied by great anxiety of mind, in
which recommended him to Damas, a noble Syra- consequence of family distresses. His grandson
cusan, under whose auspices he was made first a Arcbagathus murdered his son Agathocles, for the
soldier, then a chiliarch, and afterwards a military sake of succeeding to the crown, and the old king
tribune. On the death of Damas, he married his feared that the rest of his family would share his
rich widow, and so became one of the wealthiest fate. Accordingly, he resolved to send his wife
citizens in Syracuse. His ambitious schemes then Texena and her two children to Egyph, her native
developed themselves, and he was driven into country; they wept at the thoughts of his dying
exile. “ After several changes of fortune, he col. thus uncared for and alone, and he at seeing them
lected an army which overawed both the Syracusans depart as exiles from the dominion which he had
and Carthaginians, and was restored under an oath won for them. They left him, and his death fol-
that he would not interfere with the democracy, lowed almost immediately. For this touching nar-
which oath he kept by murdering 4000 and banish. rative, Timaeus and Diodorus after him substituted
ing 6000 citizens. He was immediately declared a monstrous and incredible story of his being poi-
sovereign of Syracuse, under the title of Autocrator. soned by Maeno, an associate of Archagathus
Bui Hamilcar, the Carthaginian general in Sicily, The poison, we are told, was concealed in the quill
kept the field successfully against him, after the with which he cleaned his teeth, and reduced him
whole of Sicily, which was not under the dominion to so frightful a condition, that he was placed on
of Carthage, had submitted to him. In the battle the funeral pile and burnt while yet living, being
of Himera, the army of Agathocles was defeated unable to give any signs that he was not dead.
with great slaughter, and immediately after, Syra- There is no doubt that Agathocles was a man
cuse itself was closely besieged. At this juncture, who did not hesitate to plunge into any excesses
he formed the bold design of averting the ruin of cruelty and treachery to further his own pur-
which threatened him, by carrying the war into poses. He persuaded Ophellas, king of Cyrene,
Africa. To obtain money for this purpose, he of- to enter into an alliance with him against Cartbage,
fered to let those who dreaded the miseries of a and then murdered him at a banques, and seized
protracted siege depart from Syracuse, and then the command of his army. He invited the princi-
sent a body of armed men to plunder and murder pal Syracusans to a festival, plied them with wine,
those who accepted his offer. He kept his design mixed freely with them, discovered their secret
a profound secret, eluded the Carthaginian fleet, feelings, and killed 500 who seemed opposed to his
which was blockading the harbour, and though views. So that while we reject the fictions of
closely pursued by them for six days and nighis, Timaeus, we can as little understand the statement
landed his men in safety on the shores of Africa of Polybius, that though be used bloody means to
Advancing then into the midst of his army, arrayed acquire his power, he afterwards became most mild
in a splendid robe, and with a crown on his head, and gentle. To his great abilities we have the
he announced that he had vowed, as a thank-offer- testimony of Scipio Africanus, who when asked
ing for his escape, to sacrifice his ships to Demeter what men were in his opinion at once the boldest
and the Kora, goddesses of Sicily. Thereupon, he warriors and wisest statesmen, replied, Agathocles
burnt them all, and so left his soldiers no hope of and Dionysius. (Polyb. xv. 35. ) He appears also
safety except in conquest.
to bave possessed remarkable powers of wit and
His successes were most brilliant and rapid. of repartee, to have been a most agreeable companion,
the two Suffetes of Carthage, the one, Bomilcar, and to have lived in Syracuse in a security gene-
aimed at the tyranny, and opposed the invaders rally unknown to the Greek tyrants, unattended
with little vigour; while the other, Hanno, fell in in public by guards, and trusting entirely either to
battle. He constantly defeated the troops of Car- the popularity or terror of his name.
thage, and had almost encamped under its walls, As to the chronology of his life, his landing in
when the detection and crucifixion of Bomilcar in- Africa was in the archonship of Hieromnemon at
fused new life into the war. Agathocles too was | Athens, and accompanied by an eclipse of the sun,
summoned from Africa by the affairs of Sicily, i. e. Aug. 15, B. c. 310. (Clinton, Fast. Hell. )
where the Agrigentines had suddenly invited their He quitted it at the end of B. c. 307, died B. C. 289,
fellow-countrymen to shake off his yoke, and left after a reign of 28 years, aged 72 according to
his army under his son Arcbagathus, who was un Diodorus, though Lucian (Macrob. 10), gives his
able to prevent a mutiny. Agathocles returned, age 95. Wesseling and Clinton prefer the state-
but was defeated ; and, fearing a new outbreak on ment of Diodorus. The Italian mercenaries whom
the part of his troops, fled from his camp with Agathocles left, were the Mamertini who after his
Archagathus, who, however, lost his way and was death seized Messana, and occasioned the first
taken. Agathocles escaped; but in revenge for Punic war.
(G. E.
