Agathocles
too was | Athens, and accompanied by an eclipse of the sun,
summoned from Africa by the affairs of Sicily, i.
summoned from Africa by the affairs of Sicily, i.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - a
Osterhausen, Histor.
Sectac
inent of the family of the Flori, a family to which Pneumatic. Med. Altorf. 1791, 8vo. ; C. G. Kühn,
Futychianus did not belong at all. It is therefore Additum. ad Elench. Medic. Vet. a 5. A. Fabricio
probable that, instead of Eutychianus, we must in “ Biblioth. Graeca" exhibit. ) [W. A. G. ]
read Paulus Silentiarius : Niebuhr is of this opi- AGATHOCLE'A ('Agadókmeia), a mistress of
nion. (Ib. not. 19. ) Agathias is not a great histo- the profligate Ptolemy Philopator, King of Egypt,
rian; he wants historical and geographical know- and sister of his no less profligate minister
ledge, principally with regard to Italy, though he Agathocles. She and her brother, who both exer-
knows the East better. He seldom penetrates into cised the most unbounded influence over the king,
the real causes of those great events which forin were introduced to him by their ambitious and
the subjects of his book : his history is the work avaricious mother, Oenanthe. After Ptolemy had
of a man of business, who adorns his style with put to death his wife and sister Eurydice, Aga-
poetical reminiscences. But he is honest and im- thoclea became his favourite. On the death of
partial, and in all those things which he is able to Ptolemy (B. C. 205), Agathoclea and her friends
understand he shews himself a man of good sense. kept the event secret, that they might have an
His style is often bombastic; he praises himself ; opportunity of plundering the royal treasury.
in his Greek the Ionic dialect prevails, but it is the They also formed a conspiracy for setting Aga-
Ionic of his time, degenerated from its classical thocles on the throne. He managed for some
purity into a sort of mixture of all the other Greek time, in conjunction with Sosibius, to act as
dialects Nothwithstanding these deficiences the guardian to the young king Ptolemy Epiphanes.
work of Agathias is of high value, because it con- At last the Egyptians and the Macedonians of
tains a great number of important facts concerning Alexandria, exasperated at his outrages, rose
one of the most eventful periods of Roman history. against him, and Tlepolemus placed himself at
Editions: 'Ayablou ExoQOTIXOÛ Tepl rîs Baco their head. They surrounded the palace in the
delas 'lovotiviavoll, Touo. E. , ed. Bonaventura night, and forced their way in. Agathocles and
Vulcanius, with a Latin translation, Lugduni, 1594. his sister implored in the most abject manner that
The Parisian edition, which is contained in the their lives might be spared, but in vain. The
“ Corpus Script. Byzant. ” was published in 1660; former was killed by his friends, that he might not
it contains many errors and conjectural innova- be exposed to a more cruel fate. Agathoclea with
tions, which have been reprinted and augmented her sisters, and Oenanthe, who had taken refuge
by the editors of the Venetian edition. Another in a temple, were dragged forth, and in a state of
edition was published at Basel (in 1576? ). A nakedness exposed to the fury of the multitude,
Latin translation by Christophorus Persona was who literally tore them limb from limb. All their
separately published at Rome, 1516, fol. , and relations and those who had had any share in the
afterwards at Augsburg, 1519, 410. ; at Basel, 1531, murder of Eurydice were likewise put to death.
fol. , and at Leyden, 1594, 8vo. The best edition (Polyb. v. 63, xiv. 11, xv. 25—34 ; Justin, xxx.
is that of Niebuhr, Bonn. 1828, 8vo. , which forms 1, 2; Athen. vi. p. 251, xiii. p. 576; Plut. Cleorn.
the third volume of the “ Corpus Scriptorum 33. ) There was another Agathoclea, the daughter
Historiae Byzantinae. " It contains the Latin of a man named Aristomenes, who was by birth
translation and the notes of Bonaventura Vulcanius. an Acarnanian, and rose to great power in Egypt.
The Epigrams form an appendix of this edition of (Polyb. I. c. )
(C. P. M. ]
Niebuhr, who has carefully corrected the errors, AGATHOCLES (Ayalokañs), a Sicilian of
and removed the innovations of the Parisian such remarkable ability and energy, that he raised
edition.
(W. P. ) himself from the station of a potter to that of tyrant
AGATHI'NUS ('Agádivos), an eminent an- of Syracuse and king of Sicily. He flourished in
cient Greek physician, the founder of a new the latter part of the fourth and the beginning of
medical sect, to which he gave the name of Epi- the third century, B. C, 80 that the period of his
synthetic. (Dict. of Ant. s. 0. EPISYNTHETICI. ) dominion is contemporary with that of the second
He was born at Sparta and must have lived in the and third Samnite wars, during which time his
first century after Christ, as be was the pupil of power must have been to Rome a canse of painful
Athenaeus, and the tutor of Archigenes (Galen. I interest ; yet so entire is the loss of all Roman
Definit. Med. c. 14. vol. xix. p. 353; Suidas, s. v. history of that epoch, that he is not once mentioned
'Apxoyens ; Eudoc. Violur. ap. Villoison, Anecd. in the 9th and 10th books of Livy, though we
Gr. vol. i. p. 65. ) He is said to have been once know that he had Samnites and Etruscans in his
seized with an attack of delirium, brought on by service, that assistance was asked from him by the
want of sleep, from which he was delivered by his Tarentines (Strab. vi. p. 280), and that he actually
pupil Archigenes, who ordered his head to be landed in Italy. (See Arnold's Rome, c. XXXV. )
fomented with a great quantity of warm oil. The events of his life are detailed by Diodorus and
(Aëtius, tetr. i. serm. iii. 172, p. 156. ) He is Justin. Of these the first has taken his account
frequently quoted by Galen, wbo mentions him from Timaeus of Tauromenium, a historian whom
among the Pneumatici. (De Dignosc. Puls. i. 3, Agathocles banished from Sicily, and whose love
rol viii. p. 787. ) None of his writings are now for censuring others was so great, that he was nick-
extant, but a few fragments are contained in named Epitimaeus (fault-finder). (Athen. vi. p. 272. )
Matthaei's Collection, entitled XXI Veterum et His natural propensity was not likely to be soft.
Clarorum Medicorum Graecorum Varia Opusculan ened when he was describing the author of his
Mosquae, 1808, 4to. See also Palladius, Com- exile ; and Diodorus himself does not besitate to
ment. in Hippocr. “ De Morl. Popul. lib. vi. ” ap. accuse him of having calumniated Agathocles very
Dietz, Scholia in Hippocr. et Galen. vol. ii. p. 56. xrossly. (Fragm. lib. xxi. ) Polybius too charges
The particular opinions of his sect are not exactly him with wilfully perverting the truth (xi. 15), 60
## p. 64 (#84) ##############################################
64
AGATHOCLES.
AGATHOCLES.
that the account which he has left must be received this desertion, the soldiers murdered his sons, and
with much suspicion. Marvellous stories are re- then made peace with Carthage. New troubles
lated of the early years of Agathocles. Born at awaited him in Sicily, where Deinocrates, a Syra-
Thermae, a town of Sicily subject to Carthage, he cusin exile, was at the head of a large army against
is said to have been exposed when an infant, by him. But he made a treaty with the Carthaginians,
his father, Carcinus of Rhegium, in consequence of defeated the exiles, received Deinocrates into fa-
a succession of troublesoine dreams, portending vour, and then had no difficulty in reducing the
that he would be a source of much evil to Sicily. revolted cities of Sicily, of which island he had
llis mother, however, secretly preserved his life, some time before assumed the title of king. He
and at seven ars old he was restored to his fa- afterwards crossed the Ionian sea, and defended
ther, who had long repented of his conduct to the Corcyra against Cassander. (Diod. xxi. Fragm. )
child. By him he was taken to Syracuse and He plundered the Lipari isles, and also carried his
brought up as a potter. In his youth he led a arms into Italy, in order to attack the Bruttii.
life of extravagance and debauchery, but was re But his designs were interrupted by severe ill-
markable for strength and personal beauty, qualities ness accompanied by great anxiety of mind, in
which recommended him to Damas, a noble Syra- consequence of family distresses. His grandson
cusan, under whose auspices he was made first a Arcbagathus murdered his son Agathocles, for the
soldier, then a chiliarch, and afterwards a military sake of succeeding to the crown, and the old king
tribune. On the death of Damas, he married his feared that the rest of his family would share his
rich widow, and so became one of the wealthiest fate. Accordingly, he resolved to send his wife
citizens in Syracuse. His ambitious schemes then Texena and her two children to Egyph, her native
developed themselves, and he was driven into country; they wept at the thoughts of his dying
exile. “ After several changes of fortune, he col. thus uncared for and alone, and he at seeing them
lected an army which overawed both the Syracusans depart as exiles from the dominion which he had
and Carthaginians, and was restored under an oath won for them. They left him, and his death fol-
that he would not interfere with the democracy, lowed almost immediately. For this touching nar-
which oath he kept by murdering 4000 and banish. rative, Timaeus and Diodorus after him substituted
ing 6000 citizens. He was immediately declared a monstrous and incredible story of his being poi-
sovereign of Syracuse, under the title of Autocrator. soned by Maeno, an associate of Archagathus
Bui Hamilcar, the Carthaginian general in Sicily, The poison, we are told, was concealed in the quill
kept the field successfully against him, after the with which he cleaned his teeth, and reduced him
whole of Sicily, which was not under the dominion to so frightful a condition, that he was placed on
of Carthage, had submitted to him. In the battle the funeral pile and burnt while yet living, being
of Himera, the army of Agathocles was defeated unable to give any signs that he was not dead.
with great slaughter, and immediately after, Syra- There is no doubt that Agathocles was a man
cuse itself was closely besieged. At this juncture, who did not hesitate to plunge into any excesses
he formed the bold design of averting the ruin of cruelty and treachery to further his own pur-
which threatened him, by carrying the war into poses. He persuaded Ophellas, king of Cyrene,
Africa. To obtain money for this purpose, he of- to enter into an alliance with him against Cartbage,
fered to let those who dreaded the miseries of a and then murdered him at a banques, and seized
protracted siege depart from Syracuse, and then the command of his army. He invited the princi-
sent a body of armed men to plunder and murder pal Syracusans to a festival, plied them with wine,
those who accepted his offer. He kept his design mixed freely with them, discovered their secret
a profound secret, eluded the Carthaginian fleet, feelings, and killed 500 who seemed opposed to his
which was blockading the harbour, and though views. So that while we reject the fictions of
closely pursued by them for six days and nighis, Timaeus, we can as little understand the statement
landed his men in safety on the shores of Africa of Polybius, that though be used bloody means to
Advancing then into the midst of his army, arrayed acquire his power, he afterwards became most mild
in a splendid robe, and with a crown on his head, and gentle. To his great abilities we have the
he announced that he had vowed, as a thank-offer- testimony of Scipio Africanus, who when asked
ing for his escape, to sacrifice his ships to Demeter what men were in his opinion at once the boldest
and the Kora, goddesses of Sicily. Thereupon, he warriors and wisest statesmen, replied, Agathocles
burnt them all, and so left his soldiers no hope of and Dionysius. (Polyb. xv. 35. ) He appears also
safety except in conquest.
to bave possessed remarkable powers of wit and
His successes were most brilliant and rapid. of repartee, to have been a most agreeable companion,
the two Suffetes of Carthage, the one, Bomilcar, and to have lived in Syracuse in a security gene-
aimed at the tyranny, and opposed the invaders rally unknown to the Greek tyrants, unattended
with little vigour; while the other, Hanno, fell in in public by guards, and trusting entirely either to
battle. He constantly defeated the troops of Car- the popularity or terror of his name.
thage, and had almost encamped under its walls, As to the chronology of his life, his landing in
when the detection and crucifixion of Bomilcar in- Africa was in the archonship of Hieromnemon at
fused new life into the war.
Agathocles too was | Athens, and accompanied by an eclipse of the sun,
summoned from Africa by the affairs of Sicily, i. e. Aug. 15, B. c. 310. (Clinton, Fast. Hell. )
where the Agrigentines had suddenly invited their He quitted it at the end of B. c. 307, died B. C. 289,
fellow-countrymen to shake off his yoke, and left after a reign of 28 years, aged 72 according to
his army under his son Arcbagathus, who was un Diodorus, though Lucian (Macrob. 10), gives his
able to prevent a mutiny. Agathocles returned, age 95. Wesseling and Clinton prefer the state-
but was defeated ; and, fearing a new outbreak on ment of Diodorus. The Italian mercenaries whom
the part of his troops, fled from his camp with Agathocles left, were the Mamertini who after his
Archagathus, who, however, lost his way and was death seized Messana, and occasioned the first
taken. Agathocles escaped; but in revenge for Punic war.
(G. E. L. C. )
ܪ
## p. 65 (#85) ##############################################
AGATHOCLES.
65
AGATION.
AGATHOCLES ('Agabokañs). 1. The fa- AGATHODA EMON (Αγαθοδαίμων ο Αγαθος
ther of Lysimachus, was a Thessalian Penest, but Deds), the “Good God," a divinity in honour of
obtained the favour of Philip through flattery, and whom the Greeks drank a cup of unmixed wine at
was raised by him to high rank. (Theopompus, the end of every repast. A temple dedicated to
ap. Athen. vi. p. 259, f. , &c. ; Arrian, Anul. vihim was situated on the road from Megalopolis to
28. Ind. 18. )
Maenalus in Arcadia Pausanias (viii. 36. § 3)
2. The son of Lysimachus by an Odrysian conjectures that the name is a mere epithet of Zeus.
woman, whoin Polyaenus (vi. 12) calls Macris. (Comp. Lobeck, ad Phrynich. p. 603. ) [L. S. )
Agathocles was sent by his father against the AGATHODAEMON ('Agabobaluwv), a native
Getac, about B. C. 292, but was defeated and taken of Alexandria. All that is known of him is, that
prisoner. He was kindly treated by Dromichaetis, he was the designer of some maps to acconipany
the king of the Getae, and sent back to his father Ptolemy's Geography. Copies of these maps are
with presents; but Lysimachus, notwithstanding, found appended to several MSS. of Ptolemy. One
marched against the Getae, and was taken prisoner of these is at Vienna, another at Venice. At the
himself. He too was also released by Dromichae end of each of these MSS. is the following notice :
tis, who received in consequence the daughter of 'Εκ των Κλαυδίου Πτολεμαίου Γεωγραφικών βι-
Lysimachus in marriage. According to some au- Ελίων όκτω την οικουμένην πάσαν 'Αγαθοδαίμων
thors it was only Agathocles, and according to 'Ane{avdpeus METÚTWOL (Agath. of Alexandria
others only Lysimachus, who was taken prisoner. delineated the whole inhabited world according to
(Diod. Enc. xxi. p. 559, ed. Wess. ; Pans. i. 9. the eight books on Geography of Cl. Ptolemeaus).
$ 7 ; Strab. vii. pp. 302, 305 ; Plut. Demetr. c. 39, The Vienna MS. of Piolemy is one of the most
de ser. num. vind. p. 555, d. ) In B. C. 287, Aga- beautiful extant. The maps attached to it, 27 in
thocles was sent by his father against Demetrius number, comprising 1 general map, 10 maps of
Poliorcetes, who had marched into Asia to de Europe, 4 of Africa, and 12 of Asia, are coloured,
prire Lysimachus of Lydia and Caria. In this the water being green, the mountains red or dark
expedition he was successful; he defeated Lysi- yellow, and the land white. The climates, parral-
machus and drove him out of his father's pro- lels, and the hours of the longest day, are marked
vinces. (Plut. Demetr. c. 46. ) Agathocles was on the East margin of the maps, and the meridians
destined to be the successor of Lysimachus, and on the North and Sonth. We have no evidence
was popular among his subjects ; but his step as to when Agathodaemon lived, as the only notice
inother, Arsinoe, prejudiced the mind of his father preserved respecting him is that quoted above.
against him; and after an unsuccessful attempt to There was a grammarian of the same name, to
puison him, Lysimachus cast him into prison, whom some extant letters of Isidore of Pelusium
where he was murdered (B. C. 284) by Ptolemaeus are addressed. Some have thought him to be the
Ceraunus, who was a fugitive at the court of Lysi-Agathodaemon in question. Heeren, however,
machus. His widow Lysandra fled with his chil considers the delineator of the maps to have been
dren, and Alexander, his brother, to Seleucus in a contemporary of Ptolemy, who (viii. 1, 2) men-
Asia, who made war upon Lysimachus in conse- tions certain maps or tables (mivakes), which agree
quence. (Memnon, ap. Phot. Cod. 124, pp. 225, in number and arrangement with those of Aga-
226, ed. Bekker; Paus. i. 10; Justin, xvii
. 1. ) thodaemon in the MSS.
AGA'THOCLES ('Agaboraís), a Greek histo- Various errors having in the course of time crept
rian, who wrote the history of Cyzicus (mepl into the copies of the maps of Agathodaemon,
Kufixov). He is called by Athenaeus both a Nicolaus Donis, a Benedictine monk, who fou-
Babylonian (i. p. 30, a ix. p. 375, a) and a Cyzi- rished about A. d. 1470, restored and corrected
can. (xiv. p. 649, f. ) He may originally have them, substituting Latin for Greek names. His
come from Babylon, and have settled at Cyzicus. maps are appended to the Ebnerian MS. of
The first and third books are referred to by Athe Ptolemy. They are the same in number and
naeus. (ix. p. 375, f. , xii. p. 515, a) The time at nearly the same in order with those of Ayatho-
which Agathocles lived is unknown, and his work daemon. (Heeren, Commentatio de Fontibus Geo-
is now lost; but it seems to bave been extensively graph. Ptolemaei Tabularumque iis annexarum ;
read in antiquity, as it is referred to by Cicero (de Raidel, Commentatio critico-literaria de Cl. Ptolemaei
Dir. i. 24), Pliny (Hist. Nat. Elenchus of books Geographia ejusque codicibus, p. 7. ) [C. P. M. ]
iv. 5. vi), and other ancient writers. Agathocles A'GATHON ('Agáowv), the son of the Mace-
also spoke of the origin of Rome. (Festus, s. v. donian Philotas, and the brother of Parmenion
Romam; Solinus, Polyh. 1. ) The scholiast on and Asander, was given as a hostage to Antigonus
Apollonius (iv. 76]) cites Memoirs (unourhuara) | in B. C. 313, by his brother A sander, who was
by an Agathocles, who is usually supposed to bé satrap of Caria, but was taken back again lov
the same as the above-mentioned one. (Compare Asander in a few days. (Diod. xix. 75. ) Agathon
Schol. ad Hes. Theog. 485; Steph. Byz. s. v. Béobikos; had a son, named Asander, who is mentioned in a
Etymol. M. s. v. ALKTT. ).
Greek inscription. (Bockh, Corp. Inscr. 105. )
There are several other writers of the same A'GATHON ('Agáowv), an Athenian trgic
1. Agathocles of Atrax, who wrote a work poet, was born about B. C. 447, and sprung from a
on fishing (arievtika, Suidas, s. v. Kukinos). 2. Of rich and respectable family. He was consequently
Chios, who wrote a work on agriculture. (Varro contemporary with Socrates and Alcibiades and
and Colum. de Re Rust. i. 1 ; Plin. H. N. xxii. 44. ) the other distinguished characters of their age,
3. Of Miletus, who wrote a work on rivers.
inent of the family of the Flori, a family to which Pneumatic. Med. Altorf. 1791, 8vo. ; C. G. Kühn,
Futychianus did not belong at all. It is therefore Additum. ad Elench. Medic. Vet. a 5. A. Fabricio
probable that, instead of Eutychianus, we must in “ Biblioth. Graeca" exhibit. ) [W. A. G. ]
read Paulus Silentiarius : Niebuhr is of this opi- AGATHOCLE'A ('Agadókmeia), a mistress of
nion. (Ib. not. 19. ) Agathias is not a great histo- the profligate Ptolemy Philopator, King of Egypt,
rian; he wants historical and geographical know- and sister of his no less profligate minister
ledge, principally with regard to Italy, though he Agathocles. She and her brother, who both exer-
knows the East better. He seldom penetrates into cised the most unbounded influence over the king,
the real causes of those great events which forin were introduced to him by their ambitious and
the subjects of his book : his history is the work avaricious mother, Oenanthe. After Ptolemy had
of a man of business, who adorns his style with put to death his wife and sister Eurydice, Aga-
poetical reminiscences. But he is honest and im- thoclea became his favourite. On the death of
partial, and in all those things which he is able to Ptolemy (B. C. 205), Agathoclea and her friends
understand he shews himself a man of good sense. kept the event secret, that they might have an
His style is often bombastic; he praises himself ; opportunity of plundering the royal treasury.
in his Greek the Ionic dialect prevails, but it is the They also formed a conspiracy for setting Aga-
Ionic of his time, degenerated from its classical thocles on the throne. He managed for some
purity into a sort of mixture of all the other Greek time, in conjunction with Sosibius, to act as
dialects Nothwithstanding these deficiences the guardian to the young king Ptolemy Epiphanes.
work of Agathias is of high value, because it con- At last the Egyptians and the Macedonians of
tains a great number of important facts concerning Alexandria, exasperated at his outrages, rose
one of the most eventful periods of Roman history. against him, and Tlepolemus placed himself at
Editions: 'Ayablou ExoQOTIXOÛ Tepl rîs Baco their head. They surrounded the palace in the
delas 'lovotiviavoll, Touo. E. , ed. Bonaventura night, and forced their way in. Agathocles and
Vulcanius, with a Latin translation, Lugduni, 1594. his sister implored in the most abject manner that
The Parisian edition, which is contained in the their lives might be spared, but in vain. The
“ Corpus Script. Byzant. ” was published in 1660; former was killed by his friends, that he might not
it contains many errors and conjectural innova- be exposed to a more cruel fate. Agathoclea with
tions, which have been reprinted and augmented her sisters, and Oenanthe, who had taken refuge
by the editors of the Venetian edition. Another in a temple, were dragged forth, and in a state of
edition was published at Basel (in 1576? ). A nakedness exposed to the fury of the multitude,
Latin translation by Christophorus Persona was who literally tore them limb from limb. All their
separately published at Rome, 1516, fol. , and relations and those who had had any share in the
afterwards at Augsburg, 1519, 410. ; at Basel, 1531, murder of Eurydice were likewise put to death.
fol. , and at Leyden, 1594, 8vo. The best edition (Polyb. v. 63, xiv. 11, xv. 25—34 ; Justin, xxx.
is that of Niebuhr, Bonn. 1828, 8vo. , which forms 1, 2; Athen. vi. p. 251, xiii. p. 576; Plut. Cleorn.
the third volume of the “ Corpus Scriptorum 33. ) There was another Agathoclea, the daughter
Historiae Byzantinae. " It contains the Latin of a man named Aristomenes, who was by birth
translation and the notes of Bonaventura Vulcanius. an Acarnanian, and rose to great power in Egypt.
The Epigrams form an appendix of this edition of (Polyb. I. c. )
(C. P. M. ]
Niebuhr, who has carefully corrected the errors, AGATHOCLES (Ayalokañs), a Sicilian of
and removed the innovations of the Parisian such remarkable ability and energy, that he raised
edition.
(W. P. ) himself from the station of a potter to that of tyrant
AGATHI'NUS ('Agádivos), an eminent an- of Syracuse and king of Sicily. He flourished in
cient Greek physician, the founder of a new the latter part of the fourth and the beginning of
medical sect, to which he gave the name of Epi- the third century, B. C, 80 that the period of his
synthetic. (Dict. of Ant. s. 0. EPISYNTHETICI. ) dominion is contemporary with that of the second
He was born at Sparta and must have lived in the and third Samnite wars, during which time his
first century after Christ, as be was the pupil of power must have been to Rome a canse of painful
Athenaeus, and the tutor of Archigenes (Galen. I interest ; yet so entire is the loss of all Roman
Definit. Med. c. 14. vol. xix. p. 353; Suidas, s. v. history of that epoch, that he is not once mentioned
'Apxoyens ; Eudoc. Violur. ap. Villoison, Anecd. in the 9th and 10th books of Livy, though we
Gr. vol. i. p. 65. ) He is said to have been once know that he had Samnites and Etruscans in his
seized with an attack of delirium, brought on by service, that assistance was asked from him by the
want of sleep, from which he was delivered by his Tarentines (Strab. vi. p. 280), and that he actually
pupil Archigenes, who ordered his head to be landed in Italy. (See Arnold's Rome, c. XXXV. )
fomented with a great quantity of warm oil. The events of his life are detailed by Diodorus and
(Aëtius, tetr. i. serm. iii. 172, p. 156. ) He is Justin. Of these the first has taken his account
frequently quoted by Galen, wbo mentions him from Timaeus of Tauromenium, a historian whom
among the Pneumatici. (De Dignosc. Puls. i. 3, Agathocles banished from Sicily, and whose love
rol viii. p. 787. ) None of his writings are now for censuring others was so great, that he was nick-
extant, but a few fragments are contained in named Epitimaeus (fault-finder). (Athen. vi. p. 272. )
Matthaei's Collection, entitled XXI Veterum et His natural propensity was not likely to be soft.
Clarorum Medicorum Graecorum Varia Opusculan ened when he was describing the author of his
Mosquae, 1808, 4to. See also Palladius, Com- exile ; and Diodorus himself does not besitate to
ment. in Hippocr. “ De Morl. Popul. lib. vi. ” ap. accuse him of having calumniated Agathocles very
Dietz, Scholia in Hippocr. et Galen. vol. ii. p. 56. xrossly. (Fragm. lib. xxi. ) Polybius too charges
The particular opinions of his sect are not exactly him with wilfully perverting the truth (xi. 15), 60
## p. 64 (#84) ##############################################
64
AGATHOCLES.
AGATHOCLES.
that the account which he has left must be received this desertion, the soldiers murdered his sons, and
with much suspicion. Marvellous stories are re- then made peace with Carthage. New troubles
lated of the early years of Agathocles. Born at awaited him in Sicily, where Deinocrates, a Syra-
Thermae, a town of Sicily subject to Carthage, he cusin exile, was at the head of a large army against
is said to have been exposed when an infant, by him. But he made a treaty with the Carthaginians,
his father, Carcinus of Rhegium, in consequence of defeated the exiles, received Deinocrates into fa-
a succession of troublesoine dreams, portending vour, and then had no difficulty in reducing the
that he would be a source of much evil to Sicily. revolted cities of Sicily, of which island he had
llis mother, however, secretly preserved his life, some time before assumed the title of king. He
and at seven ars old he was restored to his fa- afterwards crossed the Ionian sea, and defended
ther, who had long repented of his conduct to the Corcyra against Cassander. (Diod. xxi. Fragm. )
child. By him he was taken to Syracuse and He plundered the Lipari isles, and also carried his
brought up as a potter. In his youth he led a arms into Italy, in order to attack the Bruttii.
life of extravagance and debauchery, but was re But his designs were interrupted by severe ill-
markable for strength and personal beauty, qualities ness accompanied by great anxiety of mind, in
which recommended him to Damas, a noble Syra- consequence of family distresses. His grandson
cusan, under whose auspices he was made first a Arcbagathus murdered his son Agathocles, for the
soldier, then a chiliarch, and afterwards a military sake of succeeding to the crown, and the old king
tribune. On the death of Damas, he married his feared that the rest of his family would share his
rich widow, and so became one of the wealthiest fate. Accordingly, he resolved to send his wife
citizens in Syracuse. His ambitious schemes then Texena and her two children to Egyph, her native
developed themselves, and he was driven into country; they wept at the thoughts of his dying
exile. “ After several changes of fortune, he col. thus uncared for and alone, and he at seeing them
lected an army which overawed both the Syracusans depart as exiles from the dominion which he had
and Carthaginians, and was restored under an oath won for them. They left him, and his death fol-
that he would not interfere with the democracy, lowed almost immediately. For this touching nar-
which oath he kept by murdering 4000 and banish. rative, Timaeus and Diodorus after him substituted
ing 6000 citizens. He was immediately declared a monstrous and incredible story of his being poi-
sovereign of Syracuse, under the title of Autocrator. soned by Maeno, an associate of Archagathus
Bui Hamilcar, the Carthaginian general in Sicily, The poison, we are told, was concealed in the quill
kept the field successfully against him, after the with which he cleaned his teeth, and reduced him
whole of Sicily, which was not under the dominion to so frightful a condition, that he was placed on
of Carthage, had submitted to him. In the battle the funeral pile and burnt while yet living, being
of Himera, the army of Agathocles was defeated unable to give any signs that he was not dead.
with great slaughter, and immediately after, Syra- There is no doubt that Agathocles was a man
cuse itself was closely besieged. At this juncture, who did not hesitate to plunge into any excesses
he formed the bold design of averting the ruin of cruelty and treachery to further his own pur-
which threatened him, by carrying the war into poses. He persuaded Ophellas, king of Cyrene,
Africa. To obtain money for this purpose, he of- to enter into an alliance with him against Cartbage,
fered to let those who dreaded the miseries of a and then murdered him at a banques, and seized
protracted siege depart from Syracuse, and then the command of his army. He invited the princi-
sent a body of armed men to plunder and murder pal Syracusans to a festival, plied them with wine,
those who accepted his offer. He kept his design mixed freely with them, discovered their secret
a profound secret, eluded the Carthaginian fleet, feelings, and killed 500 who seemed opposed to his
which was blockading the harbour, and though views. So that while we reject the fictions of
closely pursued by them for six days and nighis, Timaeus, we can as little understand the statement
landed his men in safety on the shores of Africa of Polybius, that though be used bloody means to
Advancing then into the midst of his army, arrayed acquire his power, he afterwards became most mild
in a splendid robe, and with a crown on his head, and gentle. To his great abilities we have the
he announced that he had vowed, as a thank-offer- testimony of Scipio Africanus, who when asked
ing for his escape, to sacrifice his ships to Demeter what men were in his opinion at once the boldest
and the Kora, goddesses of Sicily. Thereupon, he warriors and wisest statesmen, replied, Agathocles
burnt them all, and so left his soldiers no hope of and Dionysius. (Polyb. xv. 35. ) He appears also
safety except in conquest.
to bave possessed remarkable powers of wit and
His successes were most brilliant and rapid. of repartee, to have been a most agreeable companion,
the two Suffetes of Carthage, the one, Bomilcar, and to have lived in Syracuse in a security gene-
aimed at the tyranny, and opposed the invaders rally unknown to the Greek tyrants, unattended
with little vigour; while the other, Hanno, fell in in public by guards, and trusting entirely either to
battle. He constantly defeated the troops of Car- the popularity or terror of his name.
thage, and had almost encamped under its walls, As to the chronology of his life, his landing in
when the detection and crucifixion of Bomilcar in- Africa was in the archonship of Hieromnemon at
fused new life into the war.
Agathocles too was | Athens, and accompanied by an eclipse of the sun,
summoned from Africa by the affairs of Sicily, i. e. Aug. 15, B. c. 310. (Clinton, Fast. Hell. )
where the Agrigentines had suddenly invited their He quitted it at the end of B. c. 307, died B. C. 289,
fellow-countrymen to shake off his yoke, and left after a reign of 28 years, aged 72 according to
his army under his son Arcbagathus, who was un Diodorus, though Lucian (Macrob. 10), gives his
able to prevent a mutiny. Agathocles returned, age 95. Wesseling and Clinton prefer the state-
but was defeated ; and, fearing a new outbreak on ment of Diodorus. The Italian mercenaries whom
the part of his troops, fled from his camp with Agathocles left, were the Mamertini who after his
Archagathus, who, however, lost his way and was death seized Messana, and occasioned the first
taken. Agathocles escaped; but in revenge for Punic war.
(G. E. L. C. )
ܪ
## p. 65 (#85) ##############################################
AGATHOCLES.
65
AGATION.
AGATHOCLES ('Agabokañs). 1. The fa- AGATHODA EMON (Αγαθοδαίμων ο Αγαθος
ther of Lysimachus, was a Thessalian Penest, but Deds), the “Good God," a divinity in honour of
obtained the favour of Philip through flattery, and whom the Greeks drank a cup of unmixed wine at
was raised by him to high rank. (Theopompus, the end of every repast. A temple dedicated to
ap. Athen. vi. p. 259, f. , &c. ; Arrian, Anul. vihim was situated on the road from Megalopolis to
28. Ind. 18. )
Maenalus in Arcadia Pausanias (viii. 36. § 3)
2. The son of Lysimachus by an Odrysian conjectures that the name is a mere epithet of Zeus.
woman, whoin Polyaenus (vi. 12) calls Macris. (Comp. Lobeck, ad Phrynich. p. 603. ) [L. S. )
Agathocles was sent by his father against the AGATHODAEMON ('Agabobaluwv), a native
Getac, about B. C. 292, but was defeated and taken of Alexandria. All that is known of him is, that
prisoner. He was kindly treated by Dromichaetis, he was the designer of some maps to acconipany
the king of the Getae, and sent back to his father Ptolemy's Geography. Copies of these maps are
with presents; but Lysimachus, notwithstanding, found appended to several MSS. of Ptolemy. One
marched against the Getae, and was taken prisoner of these is at Vienna, another at Venice. At the
himself. He too was also released by Dromichae end of each of these MSS. is the following notice :
tis, who received in consequence the daughter of 'Εκ των Κλαυδίου Πτολεμαίου Γεωγραφικών βι-
Lysimachus in marriage. According to some au- Ελίων όκτω την οικουμένην πάσαν 'Αγαθοδαίμων
thors it was only Agathocles, and according to 'Ane{avdpeus METÚTWOL (Agath. of Alexandria
others only Lysimachus, who was taken prisoner. delineated the whole inhabited world according to
(Diod. Enc. xxi. p. 559, ed. Wess. ; Pans. i. 9. the eight books on Geography of Cl. Ptolemeaus).
$ 7 ; Strab. vii. pp. 302, 305 ; Plut. Demetr. c. 39, The Vienna MS. of Piolemy is one of the most
de ser. num. vind. p. 555, d. ) In B. C. 287, Aga- beautiful extant. The maps attached to it, 27 in
thocles was sent by his father against Demetrius number, comprising 1 general map, 10 maps of
Poliorcetes, who had marched into Asia to de Europe, 4 of Africa, and 12 of Asia, are coloured,
prire Lysimachus of Lydia and Caria. In this the water being green, the mountains red or dark
expedition he was successful; he defeated Lysi- yellow, and the land white. The climates, parral-
machus and drove him out of his father's pro- lels, and the hours of the longest day, are marked
vinces. (Plut. Demetr. c. 46. ) Agathocles was on the East margin of the maps, and the meridians
destined to be the successor of Lysimachus, and on the North and Sonth. We have no evidence
was popular among his subjects ; but his step as to when Agathodaemon lived, as the only notice
inother, Arsinoe, prejudiced the mind of his father preserved respecting him is that quoted above.
against him; and after an unsuccessful attempt to There was a grammarian of the same name, to
puison him, Lysimachus cast him into prison, whom some extant letters of Isidore of Pelusium
where he was murdered (B. C. 284) by Ptolemaeus are addressed. Some have thought him to be the
Ceraunus, who was a fugitive at the court of Lysi-Agathodaemon in question. Heeren, however,
machus. His widow Lysandra fled with his chil considers the delineator of the maps to have been
dren, and Alexander, his brother, to Seleucus in a contemporary of Ptolemy, who (viii. 1, 2) men-
Asia, who made war upon Lysimachus in conse- tions certain maps or tables (mivakes), which agree
quence. (Memnon, ap. Phot. Cod. 124, pp. 225, in number and arrangement with those of Aga-
226, ed. Bekker; Paus. i. 10; Justin, xvii
. 1. ) thodaemon in the MSS.
AGA'THOCLES ('Agaboraís), a Greek histo- Various errors having in the course of time crept
rian, who wrote the history of Cyzicus (mepl into the copies of the maps of Agathodaemon,
Kufixov). He is called by Athenaeus both a Nicolaus Donis, a Benedictine monk, who fou-
Babylonian (i. p. 30, a ix. p. 375, a) and a Cyzi- rished about A. d. 1470, restored and corrected
can. (xiv. p. 649, f. ) He may originally have them, substituting Latin for Greek names. His
come from Babylon, and have settled at Cyzicus. maps are appended to the Ebnerian MS. of
The first and third books are referred to by Athe Ptolemy. They are the same in number and
naeus. (ix. p. 375, f. , xii. p. 515, a) The time at nearly the same in order with those of Ayatho-
which Agathocles lived is unknown, and his work daemon. (Heeren, Commentatio de Fontibus Geo-
is now lost; but it seems to bave been extensively graph. Ptolemaei Tabularumque iis annexarum ;
read in antiquity, as it is referred to by Cicero (de Raidel, Commentatio critico-literaria de Cl. Ptolemaei
Dir. i. 24), Pliny (Hist. Nat. Elenchus of books Geographia ejusque codicibus, p. 7. ) [C. P. M. ]
iv. 5. vi), and other ancient writers. Agathocles A'GATHON ('Agáowv), the son of the Mace-
also spoke of the origin of Rome. (Festus, s. v. donian Philotas, and the brother of Parmenion
Romam; Solinus, Polyh. 1. ) The scholiast on and Asander, was given as a hostage to Antigonus
Apollonius (iv. 76]) cites Memoirs (unourhuara) | in B. C. 313, by his brother A sander, who was
by an Agathocles, who is usually supposed to bé satrap of Caria, but was taken back again lov
the same as the above-mentioned one. (Compare Asander in a few days. (Diod. xix. 75. ) Agathon
Schol. ad Hes. Theog. 485; Steph. Byz. s. v. Béobikos; had a son, named Asander, who is mentioned in a
Etymol. M. s. v. ALKTT. ).
Greek inscription. (Bockh, Corp. Inscr. 105. )
There are several other writers of the same A'GATHON ('Agáowv), an Athenian trgic
1. Agathocles of Atrax, who wrote a work poet, was born about B. C. 447, and sprung from a
on fishing (arievtika, Suidas, s. v. Kukinos). 2. Of rich and respectable family. He was consequently
Chios, who wrote a work on agriculture. (Varro contemporary with Socrates and Alcibiades and
and Colum. de Re Rust. i. 1 ; Plin. H. N. xxii. 44. ) the other distinguished characters of their age,
3. Of Miletus, who wrote a work on rivers.
