Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 1.djvu/1092

1074 DREPANIUS. of particular individuals which is not to be obtained elsewhere, and from the style we can draw some conclusions with regard to the state of the language and the tone of literary taste at the commencement of the fourth century ; but, considered as a whole, antiquity has bequeathed to us nothing more worthless. Latinus Pacatus Drepamus was a native of Aquitania, as we learn from himself and from Si- donius, the friend of Ausonius, who inscribes to him several pieces in very complimentary dedica- tions, and the coiTespondent of Symniachus, by wliom he is addressed in three epistles still extant. He was sent from his native province to congratu- late Theodosius on the victory achieved over Maximus, and delivered the panegj-ric which stands last in the collection described above, at Rome, in the presence of the emperor, probably in the autumn of a. n. 391. If we add to these par- ticulars the facts, that he was elevated to the rank of proconsul, enjoyed great celebrity as a poet, and wag descended from a father who bore the same name with himself, the sources from which our in- formation is derived are exhausted. The oration, while it partiikes of the vices which disfigure the otiier members of the family to which it belongs, is . less extravagant in its hyperboles than many of its companions, and although the language is a sort of hybrid progeny, formed by the union of j)oetry and prose, there is a cerUiin splendour of diction, a flowing copiousness of ex- pression, and even a vigour of thought, which remind us at times of the florid graces of the Asiatic school. How far the merits of Dre|)aniu8 as a bard may have justified the decision of the critic who pronounces him second t«) Virgil only (Auson. fraef. Epiijramm. Idyll, vii.), it is impos- sible for us to determine, as not a fragment of his efforts in this department has been preserved. He must not be confounded with F/orus Drepanius, a writer of hymns. The Editio Princeps of the Panepyrici Veteres is in quarto, in Roman characters, without place, date, or printer's name, but is believed to have apf)eared at Milan about 1482, and includes, in addition to the twelve orations usually associated together, the life of Agricola by Tacitus, and frag- ments of Petronius Arbiter, with a preface by Franc. Puteolanus, addressed to Jac. Antiquarius. Another very ancient impression in 4to., without place, date, or printer's name, containing the twelve orations alone, probably belongs to Venice, about 1499. The most useful editions are those of Scfiwurzius, 4to., Ven. 1728; of Jae(^rus, which presents a new recension of the text, with a v;du- able commentary, and comprehends the poem of Corippus, 2 tom. 8vo., Noremberg. 1 779 ; and of Amtzenius^ which excludes Drepanius, with very copious notes and apparatus criticus, 2 tom. 4to., Traj. ad Rhen. 1790—97. The edition published at Paris, r2mo., 1643, with notes by many com- mentators, bears the title "XIV Panegyrici Veteres," in consequence of the addition of Pane- gyrics by Ausonius and Ennodius. In illustration we have T. G. Walch, Dissertatio de Fatie.(jyricis t'elerinn, 4to., Jenae, 1721 ; T. G. Moerlin, de Paneifyricis veieniin prot;ramina, 4to., Noremb. 1738; and Heyne, Ceiisura XII Pane- Ijyricorum veleruin, in his Opiiscula Acudemica, vol. vi. p. 80. (^idon. ApoUin. Epist, N-iii. 12; comp Paneijyr. DROMICHAETES. cc. 2 and 24 ; Auson. Praef. Epigramm.^ Lud. &pt. Sap., Tedmopaegn., Gramaticomasi., Idyll. u. Symmach. Epist. viii". 12, ix. 58, 69.) [W. R.] DRI'MACUS (AptVoKos), a fabulous leader of revolted slaves in Chios. The Chians are said to have been the first who purchased slaves, for which they were punished by the gods, for many of the slaves thus obtained escaped to the moun- tains of the island, and from thence made destruc- tive inroads into the possessions of their former masters. After a long and useless warfare, the Chians concluded a treaty with Drimacus, the brave and successful leader of the slaves, who put an end to the ravages. Drimacus now received among his band only those slaves who had run away through the bad treatment they had experienced. But afterwaids the Chians offered a prize for his head. The noble slave-leader, on hearing this, said to one of his men, " I am old and weary of life ; but you, whom I love above all men, are young, and may yet be happy. Therefore take my head, carry it into the town and receive the prize for it." This was done accordingly ; but. after the death of Drimacus, the disturbances among the slaves became worae than ever; and the Chians then, seeing of what service he had been to them, built him a heroum. which they called the heroum of the rjpeas euMfv^s. The slaves sjicrificed to him a portion of their booty ; and whenever the slaves meditated any outrage, Drimacus appeared to their masters in a dream to caution them. (Athen. vi. p. 265.) [L. S.j Dili MO (Api.uw), the name of two mythicjil personages. (Hygin. Fob. Prae£ p. 2 ; Eustatli. ad Horn. p. 776.) [L. S.] DROME US (Apofitvs). 1. Of Mautineii^ a victor in the Olympian games, who gained the prize in the pancratium in 01. 75. (Paus. vi. 6. §2, 11. §2.) 2. Of Stymphalus, twice won the prize at Olym- pia in the dolichos, but it is not known in what years. He also gained two prizes at the Pythian, three at the Isthmian, and five at the Nemean games. He is said to have first introduced the custom of feeding the athletes with meat. There was a statue of his at Olympia, which was the work of Pythagoras. (Paus. vi. 7. § 3 ; Plin. //. A^. xxxiv. 8, )9.) [L. S] DROMICHAETES {ApofitxalTvs). 1 . A king of the Getae, contemporary with Lysimachus, king of Thrace, and known to us only by his victoiy over that monarch. He first defeated and took prisoner Agathocles, the son of Lysimachus, but sent him back to his father without ransom, hoping thus to gain the favour of Lysimachus. The latter, however, thereupon invaded the territories of Dro- michaetes in person, with a large army ; but soon became involved in great difficulties, and was ulti- mately taken prisoner with his whole force. Dro- michaetes treated his captive in the most generous manner, and after entertaining him in regal style, set him at liberty again on condition of Lysimachus giving him his daughter in marriage and restoring the conquests he had made from the GeUie to the north of the Danube. (Diod. Exc. Peiresc. xxi. p. 559, ed. Wess., Ejcc. Vatic, xxi. p. 49, ed. Dind. ; Strab. vii. pp. 302, 305 ; Pint. Devietr. 39, 52 ; Polyaen. vii. 25 ; Memnon, c. 5, ed. Orell. ) Pau- sanias, indeed, gives a different account of the transaction, according to which Lysimachus him- self escaped, but his son Agathocles having fallen