His productions appear
UP have been extremely popular in the time of Hor-
ace, though, as would seem from the language of the
fatter, not very deserving of it.
UP have been extremely popular in the time of Hor-
ace, though, as would seem from the language of the
fatter, not very deserving of it.
Charles - 1867 - Classical Dictionary
(Lyelts Geology, vol.
4, p.
308, Ijmd.
ed. ) If Geology can furnish us with such facts as
these, it may surely be pardonable in us to linger
with something of fond belief around the legend of
Atlantis; a legend that could hardly be the mere off-
spring of a poetic imagination, but must have had some
foundation in truth. Nor will it appear surprising if
some of the learned, in the ardour of theorizing, have
actually constructed maps of the position of this isl-
and. Among the number of these we may mention
De Lisle and Durcau de la Malle, but more particu-
larly Bory de St. Vincent, in his Essai sur les Isles
Fort, et Vantique Atlantide (Paris, an xi. , 4to). Carli
also, in the second volume of his work, already refer-
red to, gives maps representing what he terms flats and
shallows (seches et bos fonds) between America and
Africa, in the vicinity of the equator, and also in the
neighbourhood of the Cape de Verd Islands. (Com-
pare his remarks on this subject, vol. 2, p. 225, seqq. )
--It has been thought by some, but very erroneously,
that the account given in Diodorus Siculus may have
reference to some island, now submerged, of the lost
Atlantic group. This writer speaks of an island sit-
uate at a distance in the Atlantic Ocean, and remark-
able for its beauty, to which the Carthaginians had re-
solved to transfer the seat of their republic in case of
any irreparable disaster at home. Aristotle had already,
before Diodorus, made mention of a similar island, the
charms of which had attracted many of the Carthagin-
ians to it, until the senate at home forbade any person
from going to it under pain of death. (Arist. de Mtrab. ,
c. 85, ed. Beckman. ) The reference here, however, is
probably to one of the Canaries. --Before quitting this
subject, it may not be amiss to give the description of
Atlantis, as handed down to us by the ancient writers.
Though a mcro picture of the imagination, it will
nevertheless serve to show the opinion entertained on
this subject by the poetic minds of antiquity. Ac-
cording to this account, the isle of Atlantis was one
of the finest and most productive countries in the uni-
verse. It produced abundance of wine, grain, and the
most exquisite fruits. Here were seen wide-spread
forests, extensive pasture-grounds, mines of various
metals, hot and mineral springs; in a word, whatever
could contribute to the necessities or comforts of life.
Here commerce flourished under a most excellent sys-
tem of government. The island, divided into ten
kingdoms, was governed by as many kings, all de-
scendants of Neptune, and who lived in perfect har-
mony with each other, though severally independent.
Atlantis had numerous and splendid cities, together
with a large number of rich and populous villages. Its
harbours beheld the produce of almost every country
wafted to them; and they were strengthened with for-
tifications, and supplied with arsenals containing every-
thing calculated for the construction and equipment of
navies. Neptune was not only the progenitor and le-
gislator, but also the principal divinity of the people
of Atlantis. He had a temple in this island, a stadium
in length, and ornamented with gold, silver, orichal-
chum, and ivory. Among various statues with which
it was adorned, was seen that of the god himself, which
Was of gold, and so high that it touched the ceiling.
He was represented as standing in a chariot, and hold-
ing the reins of his winged steed. Such were some
of the bright visions of former days respecting the lost
island of Atlantis. {Plato, Crttias, p. 114, seqq. --
? ? ed. Bip. , vol. 10, p. 51, seqq. )
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? ATLAS.
desert of Sahara . - the Lesser Atlas extends from Ma-
roeco towards the northeast to the northern coast.
The great height of Mount Atlas is proved by the
perpetual snows which cover its summits in the cast
part of Marocco, under the latitude of 32? . Accord-
ing to Humboldt's principles, these summits must be
12. 000 feet above the level of the sea. Leo Afri-
nnui, who travelled here in the month of October,
narrowly escaped being buried in an avalanche of
snow. In the state of Algiers, the snow disappears on
the tops of Jurjura. and of Felizia in the month of
May, and covers them again before the end of Sep-
tember. The Wanashiszo, situated in 30? 55', and
forming an intermediate chain between the maritime
one and that of the interior, is covered with a mantle
of snow nearly the -whole of tho year. The fertility
of the region of Atlas is celebrated by Strabo. and
Pliny. The latter (16, 18) extols its figs, olives,
corn, and valuable woods. (Id. , 17, 12. --Id. . 18, 7.
--Id. . 13, 15. ) He observes, that the wines had a
certain sharpness, which was corrected by adding to
them a little plaster (. Id. , 14, 0), and says that the
vineyards had a northern and western exposure. (Id. ,
17,3. ) Strabo informs us (369) that the vine-trunks
were sometimes so thick that two men could scarce-
ly clasp them round, and that the clusters were a cu-
bit in length. A horrible government and a total ab-
sence of civilization have not succeeded in annihila-
ting these bounties of nature. Barbary and Marocco
still export large quantities of grain. The olive-tree
is superior here to that of Provence; and the Moors,
notwithstanding the hostility to Bacchus, which marks
their religion, cultivate seven varieties of the vine.
The soil of the plains in many places resembles that
of the rest of Africa, being light and sandy, and con-
taining numerous rocks; but the valleys of Mount
Atlas, and those of the rivulets which descend frsjm it
to the Mediterranean, arc covered with a compact, fer-
tile, and well-watered soil. Extensive forests cover
the sides of the fertile mountains in the northern parts
of these countries. All the valleys that have a mod-
crate elevation form in April and May so many little
Elysiums. The shade, the coolness, the bright ver-
dure, the diversity of the flowers, and the mixture of
agreeable odours, combine to charm the senses of the
botanist, who, amid such scenes, might forget his na-
tive country, were he not shocked and alarmed by the
barbarity of the inhabitants. --A question has arisen
in modem times, whether the chain of mountains here
described was really the Atlas of the ancients! This
is denied by Ideler, who maintains that the Atlas of
Homer and Hesiod is the Peak of Teneriffe. The At-
las of the Greek and Roman geographers he allows,
on the other hand, to be the modern Mount Atlas.
His arguments are given by Humboldt (Tableaux de
la Nature, vol. 1, p. 144, teqq. ), but are more in-
genious than satisfactory. The Atlas of Herodotus
might be a promontory of the southern chain, rising
from the plains of the desert, such as Mount Saluban,
in Biledulgerid, appears to be. It agrees with the dis-
'tances assigned by this historian. It is, besides, possi-
ble, that all the contradictions mentioned by Ideler may
owe their origin to that optical illusion by which a
chain of mountains, seen in pro61e, has the appear-
ance of a narrow peak. "When at sea," says Hum-
boldt, " I have often mistaken long chains for isolated
mountains. " This explanation might be still farther
simplified, if it were admitted that the name of Atlas
? ? belonged originally to a promontory remarkable for
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? ATR
ATR
with the wife of Pclops, who bore the same name.
(Stat. , Theb. , 1, 106. --Ovid, Met. , 12, 209. )--II. An
ancient city of Thessaly. ' (Vid. Atraccs. ) -- III. A
river of ^Etolia, running through the country of the
Locri Ozolffi, and falling into the Sinus Corinthiacus,
to the west of Naupactus. (Plin. , 4, 2. )
Atrebatks, a people of Belgic Gaul, southeast of
the Morini. They were a powerful community, and
promised 15,000 men as their quota for the Nervian
war against Julius Cassar. (B. G. ,%, 4. ) After their
reduction by the Roman commander, Commius, one
of their own nation, and friendly to Cesar, was placed
over them as king. Their capital was Nemctacum,
afterward Atrcbates, and now Arras, or, as the Flem-
ings call it, Atrecht. Strabo writes the name of this
people 'Arpeoarof, and Ptolemy 'ArpeCdrioi. (Plin. ,
4, n. --Ptoi, 2, 9. )
Atrebatii, a people of Britain, situate on both
banks of the Tamesis or Thames, and occupying the
larger part of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, a part
of Middlesex, and the southern part of Berkshire.
Their chief city was Caleva, now Silcheslcr. (Man-
ner! , Gcogr. , vol. 2, pt. 2, p. 193. )
Atreus, son of Pelops and Hippodamia, and king
of Mycenee. Having, with his brother Thyestes, killed
out of jealousy his half-brother Chrysippus, they were
both banished by their father, who at the same time
pronounced a curse on them, that they and their pos-
terity should perish by means of one another. They
retired to Midca, whence, on the death of Pelops,
Atreus came with an army and took possession of his
father's throne. (Hellanicus, ap. Schol. ad II. , 2,105. )
Thyestes, it is said, afterward seduced Aerope, the
wife of Atreus, who, for this offence, drove him from
his kingdom; and Thyestes, out of revenge, sent At-
reus's son Plisthenes, whom he had brought up as his
own, to murder his father. Atreus, taking the youth
to be the son of Thyestes, put him to death, and the
curse of Pelops began thus to be accomplished. (Hy-
gin. , Fab. , 86. ) Others, however, make Plisthenes to
nave died a natural death, and on friendly terms with his
father, and Atreus to have married his widow Aerope.
(Vid. Aerope. )--Another legend thus accounts for the
enmity between the brothers. Mercury, in order to
avenge his son Myrtilus, whom Pelops had murdered,
put a gold-fleeced lamb into the flocks of Atreus, be-
tween whom and Thyestes, according to this version of
the story, the kingdom was disputed. Atreus, in order
to prove that the kingdom by right was his, said he
would produce a gold-fleeced lamb. Thyestes, how-
ever, having corrupted Atrcus's wife Aerope, had got
the lamb; and, when Atreus could not exhibit it
as he promised, the people, thinking he had deceived
them, deprived him of his kingdom. Some time after,
however, Atreus returned, and said that, to prove his
right, he would let them see the sun and Pleiades mo-
ving from west to east. This miracle Jove performed
in his favour, and he thus obtained the kingdom, and
drove Thyestes into exile. (Schol. ad Eurip. , Orest. ,
802, 995. --Compare the somewhat different account
of Eudocia, Villois. , Anecd. Grac, vol. 1, p. 77. ) --
Another legend continues the tale in a more horrible
and tragic form. Atreus, it is said, invited his brother
to return, promising to bury all enmity in oblivion.
Thyestes accepted the proffered reconciliation; a feast
was made to celebrate it; but the revengeful Atreus
killed the two sons of Thyestes, and served the flesh
? ? up to their father; and, while Thyestes was eating, he
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? ATT
Atrcpatcs, a satrap of this province, who, after the
deal of Alexander, rendered himself independent,
and took the title of king, which his successors en-
joyed for many ages. It was a cold, barren, and in-
hospitable country, and on that account allotted by
Shalraanezar for the residence of many captive Is-
raelites, after the conquest of their kingdom. It is
BOW called Adtrbifian, from the Persian term Ader,
ngnifying. /ire; according to the tradition that Zcrdust
ot Zoroaster lighted a Pyre, or temple of fire, in a
city named Urmiah, of this his native country. Its
metropolis waa Gaza, now Tebris, or, as it is more
commonly pronounced, Tauru. (Strab. ,960. --Plin. ,
6,13. )
ATEOPOS, one of the Parcaa, daughter of Nox and
Erebus. According to the derivation of her name
(a pnt. , and TJJCJTU, "to turn" or "change"), she is
inexorable and inflexible, and her duty among the
three sisters is to cut the thread of life without any
regard to sex, age, or condition. (Vid. Parcee. )
Am. Titus Quintius, a Roman comic writer, who
died A. U. C. 633, B. C. 121.
His productions appear
UP have been extremely popular in the time of Hor-
ace, though, as would seem from the language of the
fatter, not very deserving of it. (/for. , Ep. , 2, 1, 79. )
He received the surname of Atta from a lameness
in his feet, which gave him the appearance of a per-
son walking on tiptoe. Thus Festus remarks: "At-
ta tppeUtmlur, qui, proptcr vilium cmrum aut ped-
SM, fUuUit insistunt et attingunt magit terram ijuam
fmtulfiU. " It is to this personal deformity that Hor-
ace (/. c. ) pleasantly alludes, when he supposes the
plays of Atta to limp over the stage like their lame
author. Bothc's assertion that Atta also composed
tragedies, is contradicted by Schmid. (Ad Hor. , I. c.
--Compare Crinit. , Poet. Lot. , c. 23. --Bahr, Gesch.
Rom. Lit. , vol. 1, p. Ill, acqq. )
AiTu. f: i, I. a city of Pamphylia, southwest of
Perga, built by King Attains II. The site of this
city is called Palaiu Attaint, while the modern city
of Att&lia, or, as it is commonly called, Satalia, an-
swers to the ancient Olbia. (Cramer'* Asia Minor,
vol. 2, p. 275. ) -- II. A city of Lydia, on the river
Hennas, and northeast of Sardis. Its earlier name
was Agroira or Alloira. (Stcph. Byz. , >>. r. ) The
ecclesiastical notices have recorded some of its bish-
ops. The site is occupied by a village called Adala. .
(JfeppeT* TratcU, vol. 2, p. 335. -- Cramer's Asia
Minor, vol. 1, p. 435. )
ATTALICDS. Vid. Attalus II.
Arrlucs, I. king of Pergamus, succeeded Eume-
nes 1. This prince wax first proclaimed king of
Pergaonu after afsignal victory obtained by him over
the GaUo-Grsci, or Galata? , and, for his talents and
the soundncsi of his policy, deserves a distinguished
place among the sovereigns of antiquity. He formed,
at an early period, an alliance with the Romans, whom
he vigorously assisted in their two wars against Philip
of Macedon In conjunction with the Athenians, he
invaded Macedonia, and recalled Philip from his en-
terprise undertaken against Athens; on which account
the Athenians gave his name to one of their tribes.
Hi<< wealth was so great as to become proverbial.
(/for. , Od. , 1, 12. ) He had married Apollonias, a
lady of Cyzicus. of obscure birth, but great merit and
virtue: by her he had four sons, Eunienes, Attalus,
Philetsnu, and Athenaeus. He died at an advanced
age, after a prosperous reign of 43 or 44 years, and
? ? was succeeded by Eumenes. (Polyb. , 18, 24. --Lit. ,
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? ATTICA.
the centre of the civilized world of antiquity, so was
Attica the centre of Greece; and as the climate and
temperature of Hellas was considered to be more fa-
vourable than that of any other country of Europe or
Asia, for the healthy and vigorous development of the
physical and intellectual faculties of man, so did ev-
ery Hellenic province yield in these respects to the
superior claims of the Athenian territory. Again: it
was not merely aided by these natural advantages,
which arose from its form, its position, and its cli-
mate, the very defects also under which this country
laboured, the very difficulties with which it was com-
pelled to struggle, supplied to Attica the inducements,
and afforded it the means, for availing itself in the
most effectual manner of those benefits and privileges
with which nature had so liberally endowed it. One
of these apparent deficiencies was the barrenness of
itb soil. The geological formation of Attica is prim-
itive limestone: on its northern frontier a long ridge
of mountains, consisting of such a stratification,
stretches from cast to west: a range of similar char-
acter bounds it on the west, and in the interior of the
country it is intersected with hills from north to south,
which belong to the same class. Thus it will appear
that the geographical dimensions of Attica, limited as
they are, must be reduced by us within a still narrow-
er range, when we consider it as far as it is available
for the purposes of cultivation. In this respect, its
superficial extent cannot be rated at more than one
half the value which has been assigned to the whole
country. The mountains of which we have spoken
are either bare or rugged, or thinly clad with scanty
vegetation and low shrubs. The mountain pine is
found on the slopes of Laurium; the steeps of Parnes
and Pentelicus are sprinkled over with the dwarf oak,
the lentisk, the arbutus, and the bay. But the hills
of this country can boast few timber trees; they serve
to afford pasture to numerous flocks of sheep and
goats, which browse upon their meagre herbage and
climb among their steep rocks, and to furnish fuel to
the inhabitants of the pL-ilh. While such is the char-
acter of the mountainous districts of the province, its
plains and lowlands cannot lay a much better claim to
the merit of fertility. In many parts of them, as in
the city of Athens itself, the calcareous rock projects
above the surface, or is scarcely concealed beneath a
light covering of soil: in no instance do they pos-
sess any considerable deposite of alluvial earth. The
plains of this country are irrigated by few streams,
which are rather to be called torrents than rivers, and
on none of them can it depend for a perennial supply
of water. There is no lake within its limits. It is
unnecessary to suggest the reason where such was
the nature of the soil, that the olive was the most
common, and also the most valuable, production of
Attica. Such, then, were some of the physical defects
of the land. But these disadvantages were abundant-
ly compensated by the beneficial effects which they
produced. The sterility of Attica drove its inhabi-
tants from their own country. It carried them abroad.
It filled them with a spirit of activity, which loved to
grapple with danger and difficulty: it told them, that,
if they would maintain themselves in the dignity
which became them, they must regard the resources
of their own land as nothing, and those of other coun-
tries as their own. It arose also from the barrenness
of her soil, that Attica had been always exempt from
the revolutions which in early times agitated the oth-
? ? er countries of Greece; and hence Attica, secure in
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? ATTICUS.
most fashionable accomplishment, became his princi-
pal study; and he prosecuted it under the first masters
of the ;tiri' with such success as to acquire great repu-
tation as an orator. After travelling abroad, he settled
at Athens, and gave public lectures on eloquence, which
were attended by sophists and rhetoricians, whose ad-
miration of hia talents was, perhaps, not altogether dis-
interested, as his hospitality and munificence were lav-
ishly extended to his followers. The fame of Herodci
reached from Athens to Rome, and he was invited by
the Emperor Antoninus Pius to become rhetorical tu-
tor to Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, the adopted
sons and destined successors of Antoninus. This pro-
motion led to his being created consul A. D. 143. He
was also made prefect of the free cities of Asia Minor!
and president of the Panhellenic and Panathenaean
games, at which he was crowned. He testified his
sense of this honour by building a marble stadium, or
course for running matches, one of the grandest works
ever executed by a private individual. He also erect-
ed a new theatre at Athens, and repaired and embel-
lished the Odeon of Pericles. These and other splen-
did monuments of his wealth and liberality have per-
petuated his name, while his literary productions have
perished. The latter part of the life of Herodes was
embittered by the ingratitude of his fellow-citizens,
who preferred accusations against him in his public ca-
pacity; but these were quashed by the friendship of
his pupil Marcus Aurelius, then emperor. Ho passed
his latter days at Marathon, his birthplace, where he
died about A. D. 185, aged seventy-five. His remains
were interred at Athens with public honours. (Gor-
ton's Biogr. Diet. , vol. 1, p. 134. )
ArrlLjt (in German, Etsel), the son of Mundzuck,
or, as he is less correctly called. Mandras, a Hun of
royal descent, who succeeded his uncle Rugilas (A. D.
433), and shared the supreme authority with his broth-
er Bleda. These two leaders of the barbarians, who
had settled in Scythia and Hungary, threatened the
Eastern empire, and twice compelled the weak Theo-
dosius II. to purchase an inglorious peace. Their
power was feared by all the nations of Europe InJ
Asia. The Huns themselves esteemed Attila their
bravest warrior and most skilful general. Their re-
gard for his person soon amounted to superstitious rev-
erence. He gave out that he had found the sword of
their tutelar god, the Scythian Mars, the possession of
which was supposed to convey a title to the whole
earth; and, proud of this weapon, which added dignity
to his power, he designed to extend his rule over the
world. He caused his brother Blcda to be murdered
(A. D. 444), and, when he announced that it was done
by the command of God, this murder was celebrated
like a victory. Being now sole master of a warlike
people, his unbounded ambition made him the terror
of all nations; and he became, as he called himself,
the Scourge of God for the chastisement of the human
race. In a short time he extended his dominion over
all the people of Germany and Scythia, and the East-
ern and Western emperors paid him tribute. The
Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Gcpidae, and a part of the
Franks, united under his banners. Some historians
assure us that his army amounted to 700,000 men. --
His portrait, as given by Jornandes, was that of a mod-
em Calinuc, with a large head, swarthy complexion,
fiat nose, small sunken eyes, and a short, square body.
His looks were fierce, his gait proud, and his deport-
ment stern and haughty; yet he was merciful to a
? ? suppliant foe. and ruled his own people with justice
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? ATT
ATY
The Emperor Theodosius collected an army to oppose
his progress; but in three bloody battles fortune de-
clared herself for the barbarians, and Constantinople
was indebted to the strength of its walls, and to the
ignorance of the enemy in the art of besieging, for its
preservation. Thrace, Macedonia, and Greece all
submitted to the savage invader, Who destroyed sev-
enty flourishing cities. Theodosius was at the mercy
of the victor, and was compelled to purchase a peace.
A scheme was laid in the court of Theodosius to as-
sassinate him under the cover of a solemn embassy,
which intention he discovered; and, without violating
the laws of hospitality in the persons of the ambassa-
dors, wisely preferred a heavy ransom for the principal
htrent in the plot, and a new treaty at the expense of
fresh payments. On the accession of Marcian, Attila
demanded tribute, which was refused; and, although
much exasperated, he resolved first to turn his arms
against the Western Emperor Valentinian, whose li-
centious sister Honoria, in revenge for being banished
for an intrigue with her chamberlain, sent an offer of
herself to Attila. The Hun, perceiving the pretence
this proposal supplied, preceded his irruptions into
Gaul by demanding Honoria in marriage, with a share
of the imperial patrimony. Being of course refused,
he affected to be satisfied, and pretended he was only
about to enter Gaul to make war upon Theodoric, king
of the Ostrogoths. He accordingly crossed the Rhine,
A. D. 450, with a prodigious host, and marked his way
through Gaul with pillage and desolation, until com-
pletely defeated by Theodoric and the famous Aetius,
in the bloody battle of Chalons. He was, however,
allowed to retreat, and, having recruited his forces, he
passed the Alps the next year and invaded Italy, spread-
ing his ravages over all Lombardy. This visitation
was the origin of the famous republic of Venice, which
was founded by the fugitives who fled at the terror of
bis name. Valentinian, unable to avert the storm, re-
paired from Ravenna to Rome, whence he sent the
prelate Leo with a solemn deputation, to avert the
wrath of Attila, who consented to quit'Italy on receiv-
ing*a vast sum as the dowry of Honoria, and an annual
tribute. He did not much longer survive these transac-
tions; and his death was singular, he being found dead,
in consequence of suffocation from a broken blood-
vessel, on the night of his marriage with a beautiful
young virgin named Ildegund. This event took place
in 453. The news of his death spread sorrow and terror
in the army. His body was enclosed in three coffins:
the first was of gold, the second of silver, and the
third of iron. The captives who had made the grave
were strangled, in order that the place of interment
might be kept concealed from his foes. (Mcnzel,
Gcseh. der Daitschcn, p. 93, seqq. -- Gorton's Biogr.
Diet. , vol. 1, p. 135. -- Encyclop. Americ, vol. 1, p.
457, seqq. )
Attilius, I. one of the first three military tribunes
with consular power, chosen by the people, B. C. 444,
in place of the regular consuls. (Lib. , 4, 7. )--II. Reg-
ulus. (Vid. Regulus). -- III. Calatinus, consul B. C.
258, in which year he took the city of Mylistratus,
in Sicily. Chosen consul again B. C. 256, he cap-
tured Panormus and many other cities. In B. C. 249
he was appointed dictator. --IV.
ed. ) If Geology can furnish us with such facts as
these, it may surely be pardonable in us to linger
with something of fond belief around the legend of
Atlantis; a legend that could hardly be the mere off-
spring of a poetic imagination, but must have had some
foundation in truth. Nor will it appear surprising if
some of the learned, in the ardour of theorizing, have
actually constructed maps of the position of this isl-
and. Among the number of these we may mention
De Lisle and Durcau de la Malle, but more particu-
larly Bory de St. Vincent, in his Essai sur les Isles
Fort, et Vantique Atlantide (Paris, an xi. , 4to). Carli
also, in the second volume of his work, already refer-
red to, gives maps representing what he terms flats and
shallows (seches et bos fonds) between America and
Africa, in the vicinity of the equator, and also in the
neighbourhood of the Cape de Verd Islands. (Com-
pare his remarks on this subject, vol. 2, p. 225, seqq. )
--It has been thought by some, but very erroneously,
that the account given in Diodorus Siculus may have
reference to some island, now submerged, of the lost
Atlantic group. This writer speaks of an island sit-
uate at a distance in the Atlantic Ocean, and remark-
able for its beauty, to which the Carthaginians had re-
solved to transfer the seat of their republic in case of
any irreparable disaster at home. Aristotle had already,
before Diodorus, made mention of a similar island, the
charms of which had attracted many of the Carthagin-
ians to it, until the senate at home forbade any person
from going to it under pain of death. (Arist. de Mtrab. ,
c. 85, ed. Beckman. ) The reference here, however, is
probably to one of the Canaries. --Before quitting this
subject, it may not be amiss to give the description of
Atlantis, as handed down to us by the ancient writers.
Though a mcro picture of the imagination, it will
nevertheless serve to show the opinion entertained on
this subject by the poetic minds of antiquity. Ac-
cording to this account, the isle of Atlantis was one
of the finest and most productive countries in the uni-
verse. It produced abundance of wine, grain, and the
most exquisite fruits. Here were seen wide-spread
forests, extensive pasture-grounds, mines of various
metals, hot and mineral springs; in a word, whatever
could contribute to the necessities or comforts of life.
Here commerce flourished under a most excellent sys-
tem of government. The island, divided into ten
kingdoms, was governed by as many kings, all de-
scendants of Neptune, and who lived in perfect har-
mony with each other, though severally independent.
Atlantis had numerous and splendid cities, together
with a large number of rich and populous villages. Its
harbours beheld the produce of almost every country
wafted to them; and they were strengthened with for-
tifications, and supplied with arsenals containing every-
thing calculated for the construction and equipment of
navies. Neptune was not only the progenitor and le-
gislator, but also the principal divinity of the people
of Atlantis. He had a temple in this island, a stadium
in length, and ornamented with gold, silver, orichal-
chum, and ivory. Among various statues with which
it was adorned, was seen that of the god himself, which
Was of gold, and so high that it touched the ceiling.
He was represented as standing in a chariot, and hold-
ing the reins of his winged steed. Such were some
of the bright visions of former days respecting the lost
island of Atlantis. {Plato, Crttias, p. 114, seqq. --
? ? ed. Bip. , vol. 10, p. 51, seqq. )
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? ATLAS.
desert of Sahara . - the Lesser Atlas extends from Ma-
roeco towards the northeast to the northern coast.
The great height of Mount Atlas is proved by the
perpetual snows which cover its summits in the cast
part of Marocco, under the latitude of 32? . Accord-
ing to Humboldt's principles, these summits must be
12. 000 feet above the level of the sea. Leo Afri-
nnui, who travelled here in the month of October,
narrowly escaped being buried in an avalanche of
snow. In the state of Algiers, the snow disappears on
the tops of Jurjura. and of Felizia in the month of
May, and covers them again before the end of Sep-
tember. The Wanashiszo, situated in 30? 55', and
forming an intermediate chain between the maritime
one and that of the interior, is covered with a mantle
of snow nearly the -whole of tho year. The fertility
of the region of Atlas is celebrated by Strabo. and
Pliny. The latter (16, 18) extols its figs, olives,
corn, and valuable woods. (Id. , 17, 12. --Id. . 18, 7.
--Id. . 13, 15. ) He observes, that the wines had a
certain sharpness, which was corrected by adding to
them a little plaster (. Id. , 14, 0), and says that the
vineyards had a northern and western exposure. (Id. ,
17,3. ) Strabo informs us (369) that the vine-trunks
were sometimes so thick that two men could scarce-
ly clasp them round, and that the clusters were a cu-
bit in length. A horrible government and a total ab-
sence of civilization have not succeeded in annihila-
ting these bounties of nature. Barbary and Marocco
still export large quantities of grain. The olive-tree
is superior here to that of Provence; and the Moors,
notwithstanding the hostility to Bacchus, which marks
their religion, cultivate seven varieties of the vine.
The soil of the plains in many places resembles that
of the rest of Africa, being light and sandy, and con-
taining numerous rocks; but the valleys of Mount
Atlas, and those of the rivulets which descend frsjm it
to the Mediterranean, arc covered with a compact, fer-
tile, and well-watered soil. Extensive forests cover
the sides of the fertile mountains in the northern parts
of these countries. All the valleys that have a mod-
crate elevation form in April and May so many little
Elysiums. The shade, the coolness, the bright ver-
dure, the diversity of the flowers, and the mixture of
agreeable odours, combine to charm the senses of the
botanist, who, amid such scenes, might forget his na-
tive country, were he not shocked and alarmed by the
barbarity of the inhabitants. --A question has arisen
in modem times, whether the chain of mountains here
described was really the Atlas of the ancients! This
is denied by Ideler, who maintains that the Atlas of
Homer and Hesiod is the Peak of Teneriffe. The At-
las of the Greek and Roman geographers he allows,
on the other hand, to be the modern Mount Atlas.
His arguments are given by Humboldt (Tableaux de
la Nature, vol. 1, p. 144, teqq. ), but are more in-
genious than satisfactory. The Atlas of Herodotus
might be a promontory of the southern chain, rising
from the plains of the desert, such as Mount Saluban,
in Biledulgerid, appears to be. It agrees with the dis-
'tances assigned by this historian. It is, besides, possi-
ble, that all the contradictions mentioned by Ideler may
owe their origin to that optical illusion by which a
chain of mountains, seen in pro61e, has the appear-
ance of a narrow peak. "When at sea," says Hum-
boldt, " I have often mistaken long chains for isolated
mountains. " This explanation might be still farther
simplified, if it were admitted that the name of Atlas
? ? belonged originally to a promontory remarkable for
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? ATR
ATR
with the wife of Pclops, who bore the same name.
(Stat. , Theb. , 1, 106. --Ovid, Met. , 12, 209. )--II. An
ancient city of Thessaly. ' (Vid. Atraccs. ) -- III. A
river of ^Etolia, running through the country of the
Locri Ozolffi, and falling into the Sinus Corinthiacus,
to the west of Naupactus. (Plin. , 4, 2. )
Atrebatks, a people of Belgic Gaul, southeast of
the Morini. They were a powerful community, and
promised 15,000 men as their quota for the Nervian
war against Julius Cassar. (B. G. ,%, 4. ) After their
reduction by the Roman commander, Commius, one
of their own nation, and friendly to Cesar, was placed
over them as king. Their capital was Nemctacum,
afterward Atrcbates, and now Arras, or, as the Flem-
ings call it, Atrecht. Strabo writes the name of this
people 'Arpeoarof, and Ptolemy 'ArpeCdrioi. (Plin. ,
4, n. --Ptoi, 2, 9. )
Atrebatii, a people of Britain, situate on both
banks of the Tamesis or Thames, and occupying the
larger part of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, a part
of Middlesex, and the southern part of Berkshire.
Their chief city was Caleva, now Silcheslcr. (Man-
ner! , Gcogr. , vol. 2, pt. 2, p. 193. )
Atreus, son of Pelops and Hippodamia, and king
of Mycenee. Having, with his brother Thyestes, killed
out of jealousy his half-brother Chrysippus, they were
both banished by their father, who at the same time
pronounced a curse on them, that they and their pos-
terity should perish by means of one another. They
retired to Midca, whence, on the death of Pelops,
Atreus came with an army and took possession of his
father's throne. (Hellanicus, ap. Schol. ad II. , 2,105. )
Thyestes, it is said, afterward seduced Aerope, the
wife of Atreus, who, for this offence, drove him from
his kingdom; and Thyestes, out of revenge, sent At-
reus's son Plisthenes, whom he had brought up as his
own, to murder his father. Atreus, taking the youth
to be the son of Thyestes, put him to death, and the
curse of Pelops began thus to be accomplished. (Hy-
gin. , Fab. , 86. ) Others, however, make Plisthenes to
nave died a natural death, and on friendly terms with his
father, and Atreus to have married his widow Aerope.
(Vid. Aerope. )--Another legend thus accounts for the
enmity between the brothers. Mercury, in order to
avenge his son Myrtilus, whom Pelops had murdered,
put a gold-fleeced lamb into the flocks of Atreus, be-
tween whom and Thyestes, according to this version of
the story, the kingdom was disputed. Atreus, in order
to prove that the kingdom by right was his, said he
would produce a gold-fleeced lamb. Thyestes, how-
ever, having corrupted Atrcus's wife Aerope, had got
the lamb; and, when Atreus could not exhibit it
as he promised, the people, thinking he had deceived
them, deprived him of his kingdom. Some time after,
however, Atreus returned, and said that, to prove his
right, he would let them see the sun and Pleiades mo-
ving from west to east. This miracle Jove performed
in his favour, and he thus obtained the kingdom, and
drove Thyestes into exile. (Schol. ad Eurip. , Orest. ,
802, 995. --Compare the somewhat different account
of Eudocia, Villois. , Anecd. Grac, vol. 1, p. 77. ) --
Another legend continues the tale in a more horrible
and tragic form. Atreus, it is said, invited his brother
to return, promising to bury all enmity in oblivion.
Thyestes accepted the proffered reconciliation; a feast
was made to celebrate it; but the revengeful Atreus
killed the two sons of Thyestes, and served the flesh
? ? up to their father; and, while Thyestes was eating, he
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? ATT
Atrcpatcs, a satrap of this province, who, after the
deal of Alexander, rendered himself independent,
and took the title of king, which his successors en-
joyed for many ages. It was a cold, barren, and in-
hospitable country, and on that account allotted by
Shalraanezar for the residence of many captive Is-
raelites, after the conquest of their kingdom. It is
BOW called Adtrbifian, from the Persian term Ader,
ngnifying. /ire; according to the tradition that Zcrdust
ot Zoroaster lighted a Pyre, or temple of fire, in a
city named Urmiah, of this his native country. Its
metropolis waa Gaza, now Tebris, or, as it is more
commonly pronounced, Tauru. (Strab. ,960. --Plin. ,
6,13. )
ATEOPOS, one of the Parcaa, daughter of Nox and
Erebus. According to the derivation of her name
(a pnt. , and TJJCJTU, "to turn" or "change"), she is
inexorable and inflexible, and her duty among the
three sisters is to cut the thread of life without any
regard to sex, age, or condition. (Vid. Parcee. )
Am. Titus Quintius, a Roman comic writer, who
died A. U. C. 633, B. C. 121.
His productions appear
UP have been extremely popular in the time of Hor-
ace, though, as would seem from the language of the
fatter, not very deserving of it. (/for. , Ep. , 2, 1, 79. )
He received the surname of Atta from a lameness
in his feet, which gave him the appearance of a per-
son walking on tiptoe. Thus Festus remarks: "At-
ta tppeUtmlur, qui, proptcr vilium cmrum aut ped-
SM, fUuUit insistunt et attingunt magit terram ijuam
fmtulfiU. " It is to this personal deformity that Hor-
ace (/. c. ) pleasantly alludes, when he supposes the
plays of Atta to limp over the stage like their lame
author. Bothc's assertion that Atta also composed
tragedies, is contradicted by Schmid. (Ad Hor. , I. c.
--Compare Crinit. , Poet. Lot. , c. 23. --Bahr, Gesch.
Rom. Lit. , vol. 1, p. Ill, acqq. )
AiTu. f: i, I. a city of Pamphylia, southwest of
Perga, built by King Attains II. The site of this
city is called Palaiu Attaint, while the modern city
of Att&lia, or, as it is commonly called, Satalia, an-
swers to the ancient Olbia. (Cramer'* Asia Minor,
vol. 2, p. 275. ) -- II. A city of Lydia, on the river
Hennas, and northeast of Sardis. Its earlier name
was Agroira or Alloira. (Stcph. Byz. , >>. r. ) The
ecclesiastical notices have recorded some of its bish-
ops. The site is occupied by a village called Adala. .
(JfeppeT* TratcU, vol. 2, p. 335. -- Cramer's Asia
Minor, vol. 1, p. 435. )
ATTALICDS. Vid. Attalus II.
Arrlucs, I. king of Pergamus, succeeded Eume-
nes 1. This prince wax first proclaimed king of
Pergaonu after afsignal victory obtained by him over
the GaUo-Grsci, or Galata? , and, for his talents and
the soundncsi of his policy, deserves a distinguished
place among the sovereigns of antiquity. He formed,
at an early period, an alliance with the Romans, whom
he vigorously assisted in their two wars against Philip
of Macedon In conjunction with the Athenians, he
invaded Macedonia, and recalled Philip from his en-
terprise undertaken against Athens; on which account
the Athenians gave his name to one of their tribes.
Hi<< wealth was so great as to become proverbial.
(/for. , Od. , 1, 12. ) He had married Apollonias, a
lady of Cyzicus. of obscure birth, but great merit and
virtue: by her he had four sons, Eunienes, Attalus,
Philetsnu, and Athenaeus. He died at an advanced
age, after a prosperous reign of 43 or 44 years, and
? ? was succeeded by Eumenes. (Polyb. , 18, 24. --Lit. ,
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? ATTICA.
the centre of the civilized world of antiquity, so was
Attica the centre of Greece; and as the climate and
temperature of Hellas was considered to be more fa-
vourable than that of any other country of Europe or
Asia, for the healthy and vigorous development of the
physical and intellectual faculties of man, so did ev-
ery Hellenic province yield in these respects to the
superior claims of the Athenian territory. Again: it
was not merely aided by these natural advantages,
which arose from its form, its position, and its cli-
mate, the very defects also under which this country
laboured, the very difficulties with which it was com-
pelled to struggle, supplied to Attica the inducements,
and afforded it the means, for availing itself in the
most effectual manner of those benefits and privileges
with which nature had so liberally endowed it. One
of these apparent deficiencies was the barrenness of
itb soil. The geological formation of Attica is prim-
itive limestone: on its northern frontier a long ridge
of mountains, consisting of such a stratification,
stretches from cast to west: a range of similar char-
acter bounds it on the west, and in the interior of the
country it is intersected with hills from north to south,
which belong to the same class. Thus it will appear
that the geographical dimensions of Attica, limited as
they are, must be reduced by us within a still narrow-
er range, when we consider it as far as it is available
for the purposes of cultivation. In this respect, its
superficial extent cannot be rated at more than one
half the value which has been assigned to the whole
country. The mountains of which we have spoken
are either bare or rugged, or thinly clad with scanty
vegetation and low shrubs. The mountain pine is
found on the slopes of Laurium; the steeps of Parnes
and Pentelicus are sprinkled over with the dwarf oak,
the lentisk, the arbutus, and the bay. But the hills
of this country can boast few timber trees; they serve
to afford pasture to numerous flocks of sheep and
goats, which browse upon their meagre herbage and
climb among their steep rocks, and to furnish fuel to
the inhabitants of the pL-ilh. While such is the char-
acter of the mountainous districts of the province, its
plains and lowlands cannot lay a much better claim to
the merit of fertility. In many parts of them, as in
the city of Athens itself, the calcareous rock projects
above the surface, or is scarcely concealed beneath a
light covering of soil: in no instance do they pos-
sess any considerable deposite of alluvial earth. The
plains of this country are irrigated by few streams,
which are rather to be called torrents than rivers, and
on none of them can it depend for a perennial supply
of water. There is no lake within its limits. It is
unnecessary to suggest the reason where such was
the nature of the soil, that the olive was the most
common, and also the most valuable, production of
Attica. Such, then, were some of the physical defects
of the land. But these disadvantages were abundant-
ly compensated by the beneficial effects which they
produced. The sterility of Attica drove its inhabi-
tants from their own country. It carried them abroad.
It filled them with a spirit of activity, which loved to
grapple with danger and difficulty: it told them, that,
if they would maintain themselves in the dignity
which became them, they must regard the resources
of their own land as nothing, and those of other coun-
tries as their own. It arose also from the barrenness
of her soil, that Attica had been always exempt from
the revolutions which in early times agitated the oth-
? ? er countries of Greece; and hence Attica, secure in
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? ATTICUS.
most fashionable accomplishment, became his princi-
pal study; and he prosecuted it under the first masters
of the ;tiri' with such success as to acquire great repu-
tation as an orator. After travelling abroad, he settled
at Athens, and gave public lectures on eloquence, which
were attended by sophists and rhetoricians, whose ad-
miration of hia talents was, perhaps, not altogether dis-
interested, as his hospitality and munificence were lav-
ishly extended to his followers. The fame of Herodci
reached from Athens to Rome, and he was invited by
the Emperor Antoninus Pius to become rhetorical tu-
tor to Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, the adopted
sons and destined successors of Antoninus. This pro-
motion led to his being created consul A. D. 143. He
was also made prefect of the free cities of Asia Minor!
and president of the Panhellenic and Panathenaean
games, at which he was crowned. He testified his
sense of this honour by building a marble stadium, or
course for running matches, one of the grandest works
ever executed by a private individual. He also erect-
ed a new theatre at Athens, and repaired and embel-
lished the Odeon of Pericles. These and other splen-
did monuments of his wealth and liberality have per-
petuated his name, while his literary productions have
perished. The latter part of the life of Herodes was
embittered by the ingratitude of his fellow-citizens,
who preferred accusations against him in his public ca-
pacity; but these were quashed by the friendship of
his pupil Marcus Aurelius, then emperor. Ho passed
his latter days at Marathon, his birthplace, where he
died about A. D. 185, aged seventy-five. His remains
were interred at Athens with public honours. (Gor-
ton's Biogr. Diet. , vol. 1, p. 134. )
ArrlLjt (in German, Etsel), the son of Mundzuck,
or, as he is less correctly called. Mandras, a Hun of
royal descent, who succeeded his uncle Rugilas (A. D.
433), and shared the supreme authority with his broth-
er Bleda. These two leaders of the barbarians, who
had settled in Scythia and Hungary, threatened the
Eastern empire, and twice compelled the weak Theo-
dosius II. to purchase an inglorious peace. Their
power was feared by all the nations of Europe InJ
Asia. The Huns themselves esteemed Attila their
bravest warrior and most skilful general. Their re-
gard for his person soon amounted to superstitious rev-
erence. He gave out that he had found the sword of
their tutelar god, the Scythian Mars, the possession of
which was supposed to convey a title to the whole
earth; and, proud of this weapon, which added dignity
to his power, he designed to extend his rule over the
world. He caused his brother Blcda to be murdered
(A. D. 444), and, when he announced that it was done
by the command of God, this murder was celebrated
like a victory. Being now sole master of a warlike
people, his unbounded ambition made him the terror
of all nations; and he became, as he called himself,
the Scourge of God for the chastisement of the human
race. In a short time he extended his dominion over
all the people of Germany and Scythia, and the East-
ern and Western emperors paid him tribute. The
Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Gcpidae, and a part of the
Franks, united under his banners. Some historians
assure us that his army amounted to 700,000 men. --
His portrait, as given by Jornandes, was that of a mod-
em Calinuc, with a large head, swarthy complexion,
fiat nose, small sunken eyes, and a short, square body.
His looks were fierce, his gait proud, and his deport-
ment stern and haughty; yet he was merciful to a
? ? suppliant foe. and ruled his own people with justice
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? ATT
ATY
The Emperor Theodosius collected an army to oppose
his progress; but in three bloody battles fortune de-
clared herself for the barbarians, and Constantinople
was indebted to the strength of its walls, and to the
ignorance of the enemy in the art of besieging, for its
preservation. Thrace, Macedonia, and Greece all
submitted to the savage invader, Who destroyed sev-
enty flourishing cities. Theodosius was at the mercy
of the victor, and was compelled to purchase a peace.
A scheme was laid in the court of Theodosius to as-
sassinate him under the cover of a solemn embassy,
which intention he discovered; and, without violating
the laws of hospitality in the persons of the ambassa-
dors, wisely preferred a heavy ransom for the principal
htrent in the plot, and a new treaty at the expense of
fresh payments. On the accession of Marcian, Attila
demanded tribute, which was refused; and, although
much exasperated, he resolved first to turn his arms
against the Western Emperor Valentinian, whose li-
centious sister Honoria, in revenge for being banished
for an intrigue with her chamberlain, sent an offer of
herself to Attila. The Hun, perceiving the pretence
this proposal supplied, preceded his irruptions into
Gaul by demanding Honoria in marriage, with a share
of the imperial patrimony. Being of course refused,
he affected to be satisfied, and pretended he was only
about to enter Gaul to make war upon Theodoric, king
of the Ostrogoths. He accordingly crossed the Rhine,
A. D. 450, with a prodigious host, and marked his way
through Gaul with pillage and desolation, until com-
pletely defeated by Theodoric and the famous Aetius,
in the bloody battle of Chalons. He was, however,
allowed to retreat, and, having recruited his forces, he
passed the Alps the next year and invaded Italy, spread-
ing his ravages over all Lombardy. This visitation
was the origin of the famous republic of Venice, which
was founded by the fugitives who fled at the terror of
bis name. Valentinian, unable to avert the storm, re-
paired from Ravenna to Rome, whence he sent the
prelate Leo with a solemn deputation, to avert the
wrath of Attila, who consented to quit'Italy on receiv-
ing*a vast sum as the dowry of Honoria, and an annual
tribute. He did not much longer survive these transac-
tions; and his death was singular, he being found dead,
in consequence of suffocation from a broken blood-
vessel, on the night of his marriage with a beautiful
young virgin named Ildegund. This event took place
in 453. The news of his death spread sorrow and terror
in the army. His body was enclosed in three coffins:
the first was of gold, the second of silver, and the
third of iron. The captives who had made the grave
were strangled, in order that the place of interment
might be kept concealed from his foes. (Mcnzel,
Gcseh. der Daitschcn, p. 93, seqq. -- Gorton's Biogr.
Diet. , vol. 1, p. 135. -- Encyclop. Americ, vol. 1, p.
457, seqq. )
Attilius, I. one of the first three military tribunes
with consular power, chosen by the people, B. C. 444,
in place of the regular consuls. (Lib. , 4, 7. )--II. Reg-
ulus. (Vid. Regulus). -- III. Calatinus, consul B. C.
258, in which year he took the city of Mylistratus,
in Sicily. Chosen consul again B. C. 256, he cap-
tured Panormus and many other cities. In B. C. 249
he was appointed dictator. --IV.
