of Alexander ; nor was it until many years after Leonnatus, in whom she had hoped to raise up a
that event that the marriage of Philip with Cleo- rival to Antipater, had fallen in the Lamian war
patra, the niece of Attalus (B.
that event that the marriage of Philip with Cleo- rival to Antipater, had fallen in the Lamian war
patra, the niece of Attalus (B.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - c
472, was a descendant of the
native land. His brother Ariarathes adopted his ancient and noble family of the Anicians. Down
elder son of the same name. He left also a younger to 455 he lived in Rome, but left it after its sack
son, named Aryses or Arysis. (Diod. Ed. 3; Phot by Genseric and the accession of Avitus, and went
Bibl. 244. )
to Constantinople. In 464, he was made consul;
2. One of the two supposititious sons whom and in the same year, or some time previously,
Antiochis at first imposed upon her husband, married Placidia, the daughter of the emperor Va-
Ariarathes IV. , king of Cappadocia. On the lentinian III. , the same princess who had been a
birth, however, of a real son, named Mithridates captive of Genseric. It appears that Olybrius
(afterwards Ariarathes V. ), Olophernes, that he stood on very intimate terms with that king of the
might not set up pretensions to the throne, was Vandals, who was active in helping him to the im-
sent away into Ionia, where he does not appear to perial crown of Italy. In 472, during the troubles
have improved his morals. When Ariarathes V. occasioned by the dissensions between the Western
refused to marry the sister of Demetrius Soter, the emperor Anthemius and the powerful patrician
latter supported the claims of Olophernes to the Ricimer, Olybrius was sent to Italy by Zeno
crown of Cappadocia. Olophernes, however, en under the pretext of assisting Anthemius; but his
tered into a conspiracy with the people of Antioch real motive was to seize the supreme power, a scheme
to dethrone Demetrius, who, having discovered the in which he was openly assisted by Genseric, and
design, threw him into chains, but spared his life secretly by the emperor Zeno, who, it appears,
that he might still keep Ariarathes in alarm with stood in fear of Olybrius on account of his con-
his pretensions. In B. c. 157, when Ariarathes nections with the king of the Vandals. Instead,
had been deposed, and had fled to Rome, Olo- therefore, of promoting the interest of Anthemius,
phernes sent thither two unscrupulous ambassadors he entered into negotiations with Ricimer, and ere
(Timotheus and Diogenes) to join the emissaries long he was proclaimed emperor by a strong fac
of Demetrius in opposing his (so called) brother. tion, with the connivance of Ricimer, to whom
According to Appian the Romans decided that the the imperial power was of more value than the
two claimants should share the throne between imperial title. Anthemius, however, was still in
them. We are told, however, that Olophernes did Rome, and enjoyed popularity. When Ricimer
not hold the kingdom long, and that his reign was came to attack him, Anthemius, supported by
signalized by a departure from the more simple Gothic auxiliaries under Gelimer, made a stont
customs of his ancestors, and by the introduction resistance, till at last the besieger gained the city
of systematic debauchery, like that of the Ionians. in consequence of his victory at the bridge of
To supply his lavish extravagance, he oppressed Hadrian. Rome was once more plundered, and
and pillaged his subjects, putting many to death, Anthemius was murdered by order of Ricimer
and confiscating their property. Four hundred (11th July, 472). Olybrius was now recognised as
talents he deposited with the citizens of Priene, emperor without any opposition, and could exercise
2 a resource in case of a reverse of fortune, and his power free from any control, since immediately
c3
1. A Trojan, charioteer
- by Agamemnon. (Hom. L
Cocus and Laonome, grandson
randson of Opus, was a king
married to Eriopis, by whom
f Ajax, who is hence called
Dileus was also the father of
Tom. II. ii. 527, 725, xiii.
1. 117. ) He is also mea-
mauts. (Apollod. v. 10. 88;
Orph. Argon. 191. ) [L. S. ]
áöns), the painter of a
use of the Five Hundred,
thens, representing Calip-
the army which repulsed
Brennus, at Thermopylae,
4. s. 5. ) [P. S. ]
thical personage, who is
st Greek lyric poet, and
hymns in hexameter
ected with the worship
elegend, he was made
con with Apollo is also
of the
Delphian poetess
as a Hyperborean, and
racles ; but the more
native of Lycia. In
the extreme part of
intimates the distant
of Apollo, to which,
en properly belongs.
Jeker (Europa und
ply, the Aute-player.
h went under his
Chose to
8
Here, to
e last was in cele
llo and Artemis
5, i. 13. § 3, . 7.
Jim. Hymn. in Del
## p. 22 (#38) ##############################################
22
OLYMPIAS.
OLYMPIAS.
after this catastrophe, Ricimer was attacked by a that deed in the open manner asserted by some
violent distem per which carried him off a few weeks writers. (Plut. Alex. 2, 9, 10; Justin. ir. 5, 7
afterwards. The only act of Olybrius during his xi. 11; Athen. xiii. p. 557, c. )
short reign, which is recorded in history, is the After the death of Philip she returned to Mace-
raising of Gundobaldus, the nephew of Ricimer, donia, where she enjoyed the highest consideration
to the patrician dignity. Olybrius died a natural and influence through the affection and filial rever-
death, as it appears, on the 23d of October 472, еnce of Alexander ; of which she soon after took
after a short and peaceful reign of three months an unworthy advantage by availing herself of the
and thirteen days. He left a daughter, Juliana absence of the young king to put to death her rival
Anicia, by his wife Placidia. His successor was Cleopatra, together with her infant daughter ; an
Glycerius. (Marcellinus Comes, Cassiodorus, Vic- act of cruelty which excited the veheinent indigna-
tor, Chronica ; Chron. Alexandr. , Chron. Paschale; tion of Alexander. (Plut. Alex. 10; Justin. ix. 7;
Ennudius, Vita Epiph. p. 380; Evagrius, ii. 16; Paus. viii. 7. $7). It is indeed, a remarkable trait
Procop. Vand. i. 57' ; Zonar. vol. i. p. 40; Mal- in the character of the latter that while he was
chus, p. 95; Priscus in Excerpt. Legat. p. 74 ; throughout his life conspicuous for his warm at-
Theophan. p. 102, in the Paris edit. ; Jornandes, tachment to his mother, he did not allow himself
De Reb. Goth. p. 128, ed. Lindenbrog. ) (W. P. ) to be blinded to her faults: during his campaigns
OLY MNIUS ('OXúuvios), a physician of in Asia he maintained a constant correspondence
Alexandria, whose date is unknown, the author of with her, and lost no opportunity of showing her
a work on Critical Days, to be found in MS. in the respect and attention ; but her frequent complaints
king's library at Paris. (See Cramer's Anecd. and representations against his personal friends,
Graeca Paris, vol. i. p. 394. ) (W. A. G. ) especially Hephaestion, remained unheeded, and
OLYMPIACUS, physician. (OLYMPICUS. ] he strictly forbade her to interfere in political
OLYM'PIAS ('OAutriás). 1. Wife of Philip II. , affairs, or encroach upon the province of Antipater
king of Macedonia, and mother of Alexander the in the government of Macedonia In this respech,
Great She was the daughter of Neoptolemus I. , however, his injunctions were ineffectual: Olym-
king of Epeirus, through whom she traced her pias and Antipater were continually engaged in
descent to Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles. (Justin. the bitterest feuds, and their letters to Alexander
vii. 6. 8 10 ; Plut. Alex. 2 ; Diod. xix. 51 ; Paus. i. in Asia were uniformly filled with complaints and
11. § 1; Theopomp. fr. 232, ed. Didot. ) Her recriminations against each other. Whether the
temper, naturally vehement and passionate, led her representations of Olympias concerning the ambi-
to engage with wild enthusiasm in all the mystic tious character and dangerous designs of the regent
rites and orgies of the Orphic and Bacchanalian had really produced any effect upon the mind of
worship ; and we are told that it was on one of the king, or that he deemed it best to put an end
these occasions that Philip first met her at Samo- to these bickerings and jealousies by the separation
thrace, and became enamoured of her. (Plut. hc. ; of the parties, it is certain that Craterus had been
Himerius ap. Phot. p. 367, a. ) But it was not appointed to succeed Antipater in the regency of
till some time after the accession of the latter to Macedonia, while the latter was to conduct an
the throne of Macedonia, B. c. 359, that their nup- army of fresh levies to Babylon, when the death of
tials took place. (Justin. l. c. ) The marvellous Alexander himself (B. C. 323) caused an entire
stories circulated at a subsequent period of the cir- change of arrangements. (Arr. Anab. vii. 12 ;
cumstances connected with the birth of Alexander, Plut. Alex. 39, 68; Diod. xvi. 32, 114, 118
B. C. 356, and which gave rise to, or rather were Justin. xii. 14. ) By that event Antipater was
invented in support of, the idea that the latter was placed in the undisputed control of affairs in
the son of Ammon and not of Philip, are too well Macedonia and Greece, and Olympias deemed it
known to require further notice. (Plut. Alex. 2, 3; prudent to withdraw herself beyond the sphere of
Paus. iv. 14. 87; Justin. xi. 11, xii. 16; Lucian. his power : she accordingly took refuge in Epeirus,
Alex. 7 ; Art. Anab. iv. 10. § 3).
where she urged her cousin Aeacides to join the
Plutarch and Justin absurdly ascribe to these league of the Greeks against Antipater. (Paus. i.
suspicions the estrangement that subsequently arose 11. $ 3. ) But the Epeirots refused to follow
between Philip and Olympias, for which the nu- their king, and the victory of Antipater and
merous amours of the former, and the passionate Craterus over their confederates for a time
and jealous character of the latter are amply suffi- crushed the hopes of Olympias. Her restless
cient to account It is certain that the birth of ambition and her bitter hatred to the Macedonian
their second child Cleopatra was subsequent to that regent soon prompted her to fresh schemes.
of Alexander ; nor was it until many years after Leonnatus, in whom she had hoped to raise up a
that event that the marriage of Philip with Cleo- rival to Antipater, had fallen in the Lamian war
patra, the niece of Attalus (B. C. 337), led to an (LEONNATUS), and she now turned her views
open rupture between him and Olympias. The towards Perdiccas, to whom she offered the hand
latter took refuge at the court of her brother Alex- of her daughter Cleopatra, in order to withdraw
ander, king of Epeirus, whom she stimulated to him from his projected union with Nicaea, the
engage in war with Macedonia, at the same time daughter of Antipater. (Arrian, ap. Phot. p. 70, a. )
that she continued to foment the intrigues of her Perdiccas, however, did not judge it prudent as
son and his partisans at the court of Philip. She yet to break off the proposed alliance, though
appears to have been the prime mover of the scheme he secretly determined to marry Cleopatra : but his
for the marriage of Alexander with the daughter of death in Egypt the following year (B C. 321),
Pixodarus, which gave especial offence to Philip ; put an end to all hopes from that quarter.
and it was even generally believed that she lent Olympias, in consequence, continued to live, as it
her countenance and support to the assassination of were, in exile in Epeirus until the death of her
the king by Pausanias, B. c. 336. It is, however, old enemy Antipater (B. C. 319) presented a new
hardly credible that she evinced her approbation of opening to her ambition. Her very name, as the
## p. 23 (#39) ##############################################
OLYMPIAS.
23
OLYMPIODORUS.
mother of Alexander, still carried much weight maid to have denied the rites of sepulture to her
with the Macedonians, and her alliance was now remains. (Diod. xix. 35, 36, 49-51 ; Justin.
eagerly courted by the new regent Polysperchon, xiv. 6 ; Paus. ix. 7. $2; Polyaen. iv. 11. §3;
who stood in need of her support against Cas- Aelian. H. N. xii. 6 ; Euseb. Arm. p. 155. ) of
sander ; and he sent her an honourable embassy, her character it is unnecessary to speak, after the
imploring her to return to Macedonia, and under- events above related : she was certainly not with-
take the charge of the young prince Alexander, out something of the grandeur and loftiness of
the son of Roxana She, however, followed the spirit which distinguished her son, but her un-
advice of Eumenes, that she should remain in governable passions led her to acts of sanguinary
Epeirus until the fortune of the war was decided, cruelty that must for ever disgrace her name. Her
and contented herself with interposing the weight life was made the subject of a separate biography
of her name and authority in favour of Poly- by Amyntianus, a writer in the reign of M. Aure-
sperchon in Greece, and of Eumenes in Asia. lius. (Phot. Bibl. p. 97, a. )
(Diod. xviii. 49, 57, 58, 62, 65. ) For a time, 2. Daughter of Pyrrhus I. king of Epeirus, and
indeed, fortune appeared to be unfavourable : the wife of her own brother Alexander II. ` After his
disasters of Polysperchon in Greece, and the death she assumed the regency of the king om on
alliance concluded by Eurydice with Cassander, behalf of her two sons, Pyrrhus and Ptolemy ; and
gave a decided preponderance to the opposite in order to strengthen herself against the Aetolians
party. But in B. C. 317, Olympias determined to gave her daughter Phthia in marriage to Demetrius
take a more vigorous part in the contest, and took | 11. king of Macedonia By this alliance she se-
the field in person, together with Polysperchon, at cured herself in the possession of the sovereignty,
the head of an army furnished by the king of which she continued to administer till her sons
Epeirus. Eurydice met them with equal daring; were grown up to manhood, when she resigned it
but when the mother of Alexander appeared on into the hands of Pyrrhus. But the deaths of
the field, surrounded by a train in bacchanalian that prince and his brother Ptolemy followed in
style, the Macedonians at once declared in her quick succession, and Olympias herself died of
favour, and Eurydice, abandoned by her own grief for her double loss. (Justin. xxviii. 3. ) Such
troops, fled to Amphipolis, where she soon after is Justin's statement : according to another account
fell into the hands of her implacable rival, and Olympias had poisoned a Leucadian damsel named
was put to death, together with her unfortunate Tigris, to whom her son Pyrrhus was attached,
husband, the puppet king Arrhidaeus (EURYDICE). and was herself poisoned by him in revenge.
Not content with this unnecessary act of cruelty, (Athen. xiii. p. 589, f; Helladius, ap. Phot. p.
Olympias followed up her vengeance by the execu- 530, a. )
tion of Nicanor, the brother of Cassander, as well 3. Daughter of Polycletus of Larissa, was the
as of an hundred of his leading partisans among wife of Demetrius, sumamed the Handsome, by
the Macedonian nobles, and even wreaked her whom she became the mother of Antigonus Doson,
fury upon the lifeless remains of his brother Iollas. afterwards king of Macedonia. (Euseb. Arm. p.
(Diod. xix. ll; Justin, xiv. 5; Athen. xiii. p. 560,f. ; | 161. )
[E. H. B. )
Paus. i. 11. 84; Plut. Alex. 77 ; Ael. V. H. xiii. 35. ) OLY'MPIAS, a female painter, of whom Pliny
But her sanguinary triumph was of short duration : knew nothing more than that she instructed Auto-
her cruelties alienated the minds of the Macedo- bulus. (H. N. xxxv. 11. s. 40. $ 43. ) [P. S. )
nians, and Cassander, who was at that time in the OLY'MPICUS (OXUutikós), sometimes called
Peloponnese, hastened to raise the siege of Tegea, Olympiacus, but probably incorrectly, a physician of
in which he was engaged, and turn-his arms against Miletus, who belonged to the sect of the Metho-
Macedonia. Olympias on his approach threw her-dici, though he did not embrace all their doctrines.
self (together with Roxana and the young Alex- (Galen, Introd. c. 4, vol. xiv. p. 684. ) He was the
ander) into Pydna, where she trusted to be able to tutor of Apollonius of Cyprus (Galen, De Meh.
hold out until Polysperchon or Aeacides should Med. i. 7, vol. x. p. 54), and therefore lived in the
come to her relief; but Cassander succeeded in first century after Christ. Galen does not appear
cutting off all succours from without, and kept the to have thought very highly of him, as he calls him
city closely blockaded both by sea and land“ a frivolous (ampuôns) person” (Ibid. p. 53), and
throughout the winter. At length in the spring of criticizes severely his definition of the words úgreia
316, after suffering the utmost extremities of fa- and ráðos. (Ibid. pp. 54, &c. 67, &c. ) (W. A. G. ]
mine, Olympias was compelled by the increasing OLYMPION ('Olvutiw), an ambassador sent
discontent of the garrison to surrender to Cassan- by Gentius, the Wlyrian king, to Perseus, in B. . C.
der, stipulating only that her life should be spared. 168. (Polyb. xxix. 2, 3; Liv. xliv. 23. ) (Gen.
But notwithstanding this promise, the conqueror TIUS ; Perseus. )
caused her to be arraigned before the assembly of OLYMPIODO'RUS ('Olvutióbwpos), his
the Macedonians for her late executions, and con- torical. 1. An Athenian, the son of Lampon.
demned to death without being allowed a hearing. He commanded a body of 300 picked Athenian
Olympias in vain protested against the sentence, troops at the battle of Plataeae. When the
and demanded to be heard in her own defence. Megarians were being hard pressed by the Persian
Cassander feared the effect which her personal ap cavalry before the general engagement, this body
pearance might produce, and despatched a body of of Athenians undertook to relieve them, a service
soldiers to put her to death. Even these men, from which all the other Greeks shrank. (Herod.
awed by her daring and majestic carriage, hesi- ir 21 ; Plut. Aristid. p. 327, a. ).
tated to fulfil their orders, but the friends of the 2. An Athenian, against whom a law-suit was
Macedonians whom she had so lately put to death, brought by his brother-in-law, Callistratus, re-
rushed in and despatched her with many wounds. specting an inheritance left by a man named Conon.
She met her fate with a fortitude and dignity Demosthenes wrote the speech kata 'OXvunio-
worthy of the mother of Alexander. Cassander is supov for Callistratus on this occasion. The par-
а
## p. 24 (#40) ##############################################
24
OLYMPIODORUS.
OLYMPIODORUS.
storm.
ticulars of the dispute are detailed in the speech, (HIEROCLES), the groundwork or idea of which he
to which the reader is referred.
professes to have derived from him. Photius states
3. An Athenian general and statesman of con- that Olympiodorus was a TOINTHS, that is, an alchy.
siderable ability. When Cassander made his mist. It has been supposed that this statement
attempt upon Athens in B. C. 298, Olympiodorus has arisen from a confusion between this and some
sailed to Aetolia, and induced the Aetolians to other man of the same name. But Photius dis-
Bend assistance to Athens ; and Cassander was tinctly makes the statement on the authority of
compelled to withdraw his forces. Shortly after Olympiodorus himself (w's attós anos). It appears,
wards, when Elatea, which had been conquered by from what Photius has preserved of his writings,
Cassander, revolted from him, it was mainly that he was a heathen.
through Olympiodorus that it was enabled to hold The abridgment by Photius has been several
out against his troops. Subsequently, in B. c. 288, times published: by Phil. Labbeus, in his Eclogae
when Demetrius was stripped of his kingdom by Histor. de Rebus Byzant. ; by Sylburg, in his Col-
Lysimachus and Pyrrhus, a small number of the lectio Scriptorum Hist
. Rom. Minorum ; by Andreas
Athenians, with Olympiodorus at their head, Schottus, in his Eclogae Historicorum de Rebus
resolved to rid the city of the Macedonian garrison Byzantinis ; and, in conjunction with Dexippus,
which Demetrius had posted in Athens in the Eunapius, and other historical fragments, by Nie-
fortress of the Museum after his conquest of the buhr, Bonn, 1829. (Fabric. Bild. Graec. vol. x.
city, and which still remained faithful to him. pp. 632, 703. )
The Athenians readily joined Olympiodorus and 4. A peripatetic philosopher, who taught at
his confederates, and the Museum was carried by Alexandria, where Proclus was one of his pupils
Peiraeus and Munychia were also re- and speedily attracted the attention of Olympiodorus,
covered, and Olympiodorus, at the head of a small who was so much attached to him that he wished to
body of troops which he raised at Eleusis, put to betroth his daughter to him.
native land. His brother Ariarathes adopted his ancient and noble family of the Anicians. Down
elder son of the same name. He left also a younger to 455 he lived in Rome, but left it after its sack
son, named Aryses or Arysis. (Diod. Ed. 3; Phot by Genseric and the accession of Avitus, and went
Bibl. 244. )
to Constantinople. In 464, he was made consul;
2. One of the two supposititious sons whom and in the same year, or some time previously,
Antiochis at first imposed upon her husband, married Placidia, the daughter of the emperor Va-
Ariarathes IV. , king of Cappadocia. On the lentinian III. , the same princess who had been a
birth, however, of a real son, named Mithridates captive of Genseric. It appears that Olybrius
(afterwards Ariarathes V. ), Olophernes, that he stood on very intimate terms with that king of the
might not set up pretensions to the throne, was Vandals, who was active in helping him to the im-
sent away into Ionia, where he does not appear to perial crown of Italy. In 472, during the troubles
have improved his morals. When Ariarathes V. occasioned by the dissensions between the Western
refused to marry the sister of Demetrius Soter, the emperor Anthemius and the powerful patrician
latter supported the claims of Olophernes to the Ricimer, Olybrius was sent to Italy by Zeno
crown of Cappadocia. Olophernes, however, en under the pretext of assisting Anthemius; but his
tered into a conspiracy with the people of Antioch real motive was to seize the supreme power, a scheme
to dethrone Demetrius, who, having discovered the in which he was openly assisted by Genseric, and
design, threw him into chains, but spared his life secretly by the emperor Zeno, who, it appears,
that he might still keep Ariarathes in alarm with stood in fear of Olybrius on account of his con-
his pretensions. In B. c. 157, when Ariarathes nections with the king of the Vandals. Instead,
had been deposed, and had fled to Rome, Olo- therefore, of promoting the interest of Anthemius,
phernes sent thither two unscrupulous ambassadors he entered into negotiations with Ricimer, and ere
(Timotheus and Diogenes) to join the emissaries long he was proclaimed emperor by a strong fac
of Demetrius in opposing his (so called) brother. tion, with the connivance of Ricimer, to whom
According to Appian the Romans decided that the the imperial power was of more value than the
two claimants should share the throne between imperial title. Anthemius, however, was still in
them. We are told, however, that Olophernes did Rome, and enjoyed popularity. When Ricimer
not hold the kingdom long, and that his reign was came to attack him, Anthemius, supported by
signalized by a departure from the more simple Gothic auxiliaries under Gelimer, made a stont
customs of his ancestors, and by the introduction resistance, till at last the besieger gained the city
of systematic debauchery, like that of the Ionians. in consequence of his victory at the bridge of
To supply his lavish extravagance, he oppressed Hadrian. Rome was once more plundered, and
and pillaged his subjects, putting many to death, Anthemius was murdered by order of Ricimer
and confiscating their property. Four hundred (11th July, 472). Olybrius was now recognised as
talents he deposited with the citizens of Priene, emperor without any opposition, and could exercise
2 a resource in case of a reverse of fortune, and his power free from any control, since immediately
c3
1. A Trojan, charioteer
- by Agamemnon. (Hom. L
Cocus and Laonome, grandson
randson of Opus, was a king
married to Eriopis, by whom
f Ajax, who is hence called
Dileus was also the father of
Tom. II. ii. 527, 725, xiii.
1. 117. ) He is also mea-
mauts. (Apollod. v. 10. 88;
Orph. Argon. 191. ) [L. S. ]
áöns), the painter of a
use of the Five Hundred,
thens, representing Calip-
the army which repulsed
Brennus, at Thermopylae,
4. s. 5. ) [P. S. ]
thical personage, who is
st Greek lyric poet, and
hymns in hexameter
ected with the worship
elegend, he was made
con with Apollo is also
of the
Delphian poetess
as a Hyperborean, and
racles ; but the more
native of Lycia. In
the extreme part of
intimates the distant
of Apollo, to which,
en properly belongs.
Jeker (Europa und
ply, the Aute-player.
h went under his
Chose to
8
Here, to
e last was in cele
llo and Artemis
5, i. 13. § 3, . 7.
Jim. Hymn. in Del
## p. 22 (#38) ##############################################
22
OLYMPIAS.
OLYMPIAS.
after this catastrophe, Ricimer was attacked by a that deed in the open manner asserted by some
violent distem per which carried him off a few weeks writers. (Plut. Alex. 2, 9, 10; Justin. ir. 5, 7
afterwards. The only act of Olybrius during his xi. 11; Athen. xiii. p. 557, c. )
short reign, which is recorded in history, is the After the death of Philip she returned to Mace-
raising of Gundobaldus, the nephew of Ricimer, donia, where she enjoyed the highest consideration
to the patrician dignity. Olybrius died a natural and influence through the affection and filial rever-
death, as it appears, on the 23d of October 472, еnce of Alexander ; of which she soon after took
after a short and peaceful reign of three months an unworthy advantage by availing herself of the
and thirteen days. He left a daughter, Juliana absence of the young king to put to death her rival
Anicia, by his wife Placidia. His successor was Cleopatra, together with her infant daughter ; an
Glycerius. (Marcellinus Comes, Cassiodorus, Vic- act of cruelty which excited the veheinent indigna-
tor, Chronica ; Chron. Alexandr. , Chron. Paschale; tion of Alexander. (Plut. Alex. 10; Justin. ix. 7;
Ennudius, Vita Epiph. p. 380; Evagrius, ii. 16; Paus. viii. 7. $7). It is indeed, a remarkable trait
Procop. Vand. i. 57' ; Zonar. vol. i. p. 40; Mal- in the character of the latter that while he was
chus, p. 95; Priscus in Excerpt. Legat. p. 74 ; throughout his life conspicuous for his warm at-
Theophan. p. 102, in the Paris edit. ; Jornandes, tachment to his mother, he did not allow himself
De Reb. Goth. p. 128, ed. Lindenbrog. ) (W. P. ) to be blinded to her faults: during his campaigns
OLY MNIUS ('OXúuvios), a physician of in Asia he maintained a constant correspondence
Alexandria, whose date is unknown, the author of with her, and lost no opportunity of showing her
a work on Critical Days, to be found in MS. in the respect and attention ; but her frequent complaints
king's library at Paris. (See Cramer's Anecd. and representations against his personal friends,
Graeca Paris, vol. i. p. 394. ) (W. A. G. ) especially Hephaestion, remained unheeded, and
OLYMPIACUS, physician. (OLYMPICUS. ] he strictly forbade her to interfere in political
OLYM'PIAS ('OAutriás). 1. Wife of Philip II. , affairs, or encroach upon the province of Antipater
king of Macedonia, and mother of Alexander the in the government of Macedonia In this respech,
Great She was the daughter of Neoptolemus I. , however, his injunctions were ineffectual: Olym-
king of Epeirus, through whom she traced her pias and Antipater were continually engaged in
descent to Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles. (Justin. the bitterest feuds, and their letters to Alexander
vii. 6. 8 10 ; Plut. Alex. 2 ; Diod. xix. 51 ; Paus. i. in Asia were uniformly filled with complaints and
11. § 1; Theopomp. fr. 232, ed. Didot. ) Her recriminations against each other. Whether the
temper, naturally vehement and passionate, led her representations of Olympias concerning the ambi-
to engage with wild enthusiasm in all the mystic tious character and dangerous designs of the regent
rites and orgies of the Orphic and Bacchanalian had really produced any effect upon the mind of
worship ; and we are told that it was on one of the king, or that he deemed it best to put an end
these occasions that Philip first met her at Samo- to these bickerings and jealousies by the separation
thrace, and became enamoured of her. (Plut. hc. ; of the parties, it is certain that Craterus had been
Himerius ap. Phot. p. 367, a. ) But it was not appointed to succeed Antipater in the regency of
till some time after the accession of the latter to Macedonia, while the latter was to conduct an
the throne of Macedonia, B. c. 359, that their nup- army of fresh levies to Babylon, when the death of
tials took place. (Justin. l. c. ) The marvellous Alexander himself (B. C. 323) caused an entire
stories circulated at a subsequent period of the cir- change of arrangements. (Arr. Anab. vii. 12 ;
cumstances connected with the birth of Alexander, Plut. Alex. 39, 68; Diod. xvi. 32, 114, 118
B. C. 356, and which gave rise to, or rather were Justin. xii. 14. ) By that event Antipater was
invented in support of, the idea that the latter was placed in the undisputed control of affairs in
the son of Ammon and not of Philip, are too well Macedonia and Greece, and Olympias deemed it
known to require further notice. (Plut. Alex. 2, 3; prudent to withdraw herself beyond the sphere of
Paus. iv. 14. 87; Justin. xi. 11, xii. 16; Lucian. his power : she accordingly took refuge in Epeirus,
Alex. 7 ; Art. Anab. iv. 10. § 3).
where she urged her cousin Aeacides to join the
Plutarch and Justin absurdly ascribe to these league of the Greeks against Antipater. (Paus. i.
suspicions the estrangement that subsequently arose 11. $ 3. ) But the Epeirots refused to follow
between Philip and Olympias, for which the nu- their king, and the victory of Antipater and
merous amours of the former, and the passionate Craterus over their confederates for a time
and jealous character of the latter are amply suffi- crushed the hopes of Olympias. Her restless
cient to account It is certain that the birth of ambition and her bitter hatred to the Macedonian
their second child Cleopatra was subsequent to that regent soon prompted her to fresh schemes.
of Alexander ; nor was it until many years after Leonnatus, in whom she had hoped to raise up a
that event that the marriage of Philip with Cleo- rival to Antipater, had fallen in the Lamian war
patra, the niece of Attalus (B. C. 337), led to an (LEONNATUS), and she now turned her views
open rupture between him and Olympias. The towards Perdiccas, to whom she offered the hand
latter took refuge at the court of her brother Alex- of her daughter Cleopatra, in order to withdraw
ander, king of Epeirus, whom she stimulated to him from his projected union with Nicaea, the
engage in war with Macedonia, at the same time daughter of Antipater. (Arrian, ap. Phot. p. 70, a. )
that she continued to foment the intrigues of her Perdiccas, however, did not judge it prudent as
son and his partisans at the court of Philip. She yet to break off the proposed alliance, though
appears to have been the prime mover of the scheme he secretly determined to marry Cleopatra : but his
for the marriage of Alexander with the daughter of death in Egypt the following year (B C. 321),
Pixodarus, which gave especial offence to Philip ; put an end to all hopes from that quarter.
and it was even generally believed that she lent Olympias, in consequence, continued to live, as it
her countenance and support to the assassination of were, in exile in Epeirus until the death of her
the king by Pausanias, B. c. 336. It is, however, old enemy Antipater (B. C. 319) presented a new
hardly credible that she evinced her approbation of opening to her ambition. Her very name, as the
## p. 23 (#39) ##############################################
OLYMPIAS.
23
OLYMPIODORUS.
mother of Alexander, still carried much weight maid to have denied the rites of sepulture to her
with the Macedonians, and her alliance was now remains. (Diod. xix. 35, 36, 49-51 ; Justin.
eagerly courted by the new regent Polysperchon, xiv. 6 ; Paus. ix. 7. $2; Polyaen. iv. 11. §3;
who stood in need of her support against Cas- Aelian. H. N. xii. 6 ; Euseb. Arm. p. 155. ) of
sander ; and he sent her an honourable embassy, her character it is unnecessary to speak, after the
imploring her to return to Macedonia, and under- events above related : she was certainly not with-
take the charge of the young prince Alexander, out something of the grandeur and loftiness of
the son of Roxana She, however, followed the spirit which distinguished her son, but her un-
advice of Eumenes, that she should remain in governable passions led her to acts of sanguinary
Epeirus until the fortune of the war was decided, cruelty that must for ever disgrace her name. Her
and contented herself with interposing the weight life was made the subject of a separate biography
of her name and authority in favour of Poly- by Amyntianus, a writer in the reign of M. Aure-
sperchon in Greece, and of Eumenes in Asia. lius. (Phot. Bibl. p. 97, a. )
(Diod. xviii. 49, 57, 58, 62, 65. ) For a time, 2. Daughter of Pyrrhus I. king of Epeirus, and
indeed, fortune appeared to be unfavourable : the wife of her own brother Alexander II. ` After his
disasters of Polysperchon in Greece, and the death she assumed the regency of the king om on
alliance concluded by Eurydice with Cassander, behalf of her two sons, Pyrrhus and Ptolemy ; and
gave a decided preponderance to the opposite in order to strengthen herself against the Aetolians
party. But in B. C. 317, Olympias determined to gave her daughter Phthia in marriage to Demetrius
take a more vigorous part in the contest, and took | 11. king of Macedonia By this alliance she se-
the field in person, together with Polysperchon, at cured herself in the possession of the sovereignty,
the head of an army furnished by the king of which she continued to administer till her sons
Epeirus. Eurydice met them with equal daring; were grown up to manhood, when she resigned it
but when the mother of Alexander appeared on into the hands of Pyrrhus. But the deaths of
the field, surrounded by a train in bacchanalian that prince and his brother Ptolemy followed in
style, the Macedonians at once declared in her quick succession, and Olympias herself died of
favour, and Eurydice, abandoned by her own grief for her double loss. (Justin. xxviii. 3. ) Such
troops, fled to Amphipolis, where she soon after is Justin's statement : according to another account
fell into the hands of her implacable rival, and Olympias had poisoned a Leucadian damsel named
was put to death, together with her unfortunate Tigris, to whom her son Pyrrhus was attached,
husband, the puppet king Arrhidaeus (EURYDICE). and was herself poisoned by him in revenge.
Not content with this unnecessary act of cruelty, (Athen. xiii. p. 589, f; Helladius, ap. Phot. p.
Olympias followed up her vengeance by the execu- 530, a. )
tion of Nicanor, the brother of Cassander, as well 3. Daughter of Polycletus of Larissa, was the
as of an hundred of his leading partisans among wife of Demetrius, sumamed the Handsome, by
the Macedonian nobles, and even wreaked her whom she became the mother of Antigonus Doson,
fury upon the lifeless remains of his brother Iollas. afterwards king of Macedonia. (Euseb. Arm. p.
(Diod. xix. ll; Justin, xiv. 5; Athen. xiii. p. 560,f. ; | 161. )
[E. H. B. )
Paus. i. 11. 84; Plut. Alex. 77 ; Ael. V. H. xiii. 35. ) OLY'MPIAS, a female painter, of whom Pliny
But her sanguinary triumph was of short duration : knew nothing more than that she instructed Auto-
her cruelties alienated the minds of the Macedo- bulus. (H. N. xxxv. 11. s. 40. $ 43. ) [P. S. )
nians, and Cassander, who was at that time in the OLY'MPICUS (OXUutikós), sometimes called
Peloponnese, hastened to raise the siege of Tegea, Olympiacus, but probably incorrectly, a physician of
in which he was engaged, and turn-his arms against Miletus, who belonged to the sect of the Metho-
Macedonia. Olympias on his approach threw her-dici, though he did not embrace all their doctrines.
self (together with Roxana and the young Alex- (Galen, Introd. c. 4, vol. xiv. p. 684. ) He was the
ander) into Pydna, where she trusted to be able to tutor of Apollonius of Cyprus (Galen, De Meh.
hold out until Polysperchon or Aeacides should Med. i. 7, vol. x. p. 54), and therefore lived in the
come to her relief; but Cassander succeeded in first century after Christ. Galen does not appear
cutting off all succours from without, and kept the to have thought very highly of him, as he calls him
city closely blockaded both by sea and land“ a frivolous (ampuôns) person” (Ibid. p. 53), and
throughout the winter. At length in the spring of criticizes severely his definition of the words úgreia
316, after suffering the utmost extremities of fa- and ráðos. (Ibid. pp. 54, &c. 67, &c. ) (W. A. G. ]
mine, Olympias was compelled by the increasing OLYMPION ('Olvutiw), an ambassador sent
discontent of the garrison to surrender to Cassan- by Gentius, the Wlyrian king, to Perseus, in B. . C.
der, stipulating only that her life should be spared. 168. (Polyb. xxix. 2, 3; Liv. xliv. 23. ) (Gen.
But notwithstanding this promise, the conqueror TIUS ; Perseus. )
caused her to be arraigned before the assembly of OLYMPIODO'RUS ('Olvutióbwpos), his
the Macedonians for her late executions, and con- torical. 1. An Athenian, the son of Lampon.
demned to death without being allowed a hearing. He commanded a body of 300 picked Athenian
Olympias in vain protested against the sentence, troops at the battle of Plataeae. When the
and demanded to be heard in her own defence. Megarians were being hard pressed by the Persian
Cassander feared the effect which her personal ap cavalry before the general engagement, this body
pearance might produce, and despatched a body of of Athenians undertook to relieve them, a service
soldiers to put her to death. Even these men, from which all the other Greeks shrank. (Herod.
awed by her daring and majestic carriage, hesi- ir 21 ; Plut. Aristid. p. 327, a. ).
tated to fulfil their orders, but the friends of the 2. An Athenian, against whom a law-suit was
Macedonians whom she had so lately put to death, brought by his brother-in-law, Callistratus, re-
rushed in and despatched her with many wounds. specting an inheritance left by a man named Conon.
She met her fate with a fortitude and dignity Demosthenes wrote the speech kata 'OXvunio-
worthy of the mother of Alexander. Cassander is supov for Callistratus on this occasion. The par-
а
## p. 24 (#40) ##############################################
24
OLYMPIODORUS.
OLYMPIODORUS.
storm.
ticulars of the dispute are detailed in the speech, (HIEROCLES), the groundwork or idea of which he
to which the reader is referred.
professes to have derived from him. Photius states
3. An Athenian general and statesman of con- that Olympiodorus was a TOINTHS, that is, an alchy.
siderable ability. When Cassander made his mist. It has been supposed that this statement
attempt upon Athens in B. C. 298, Olympiodorus has arisen from a confusion between this and some
sailed to Aetolia, and induced the Aetolians to other man of the same name. But Photius dis-
Bend assistance to Athens ; and Cassander was tinctly makes the statement on the authority of
compelled to withdraw his forces. Shortly after Olympiodorus himself (w's attós anos). It appears,
wards, when Elatea, which had been conquered by from what Photius has preserved of his writings,
Cassander, revolted from him, it was mainly that he was a heathen.
through Olympiodorus that it was enabled to hold The abridgment by Photius has been several
out against his troops. Subsequently, in B. c. 288, times published: by Phil. Labbeus, in his Eclogae
when Demetrius was stripped of his kingdom by Histor. de Rebus Byzant. ; by Sylburg, in his Col-
Lysimachus and Pyrrhus, a small number of the lectio Scriptorum Hist
. Rom. Minorum ; by Andreas
Athenians, with Olympiodorus at their head, Schottus, in his Eclogae Historicorum de Rebus
resolved to rid the city of the Macedonian garrison Byzantinis ; and, in conjunction with Dexippus,
which Demetrius had posted in Athens in the Eunapius, and other historical fragments, by Nie-
fortress of the Museum after his conquest of the buhr, Bonn, 1829. (Fabric. Bild. Graec. vol. x.
city, and which still remained faithful to him. pp. 632, 703. )
The Athenians readily joined Olympiodorus and 4. A peripatetic philosopher, who taught at
his confederates, and the Museum was carried by Alexandria, where Proclus was one of his pupils
Peiraeus and Munychia were also re- and speedily attracted the attention of Olympiodorus,
covered, and Olympiodorus, at the head of a small who was so much attached to him that he wished to
body of troops which he raised at Eleusis, put to betroth his daughter to him.
