Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 1.djvu/21

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ABROCOMAS.ABSYRTUS.
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on his death appointed his son as his successor. (Arrian, Anab. v. 8. 20. 29 ; Curt. viii. 12. 13. 14. ix. 1. x. 1.)


ABI'STAMENES was appointed governor of Cappadocia by Alexander the Great. (Curt. iii. 4.) He is called Sabictas by Arrian. (Anab. ii. 4.) Gronovius conjectures that instead of Abistamene Cappadociae praeposito, we ought to read Abicta magnae Cappadociae, &c.


ABITIA'NUS (Ἀβιτζιανός), the author of a Greek treatise De Urinis inserted in the second volume of Ideler's Physici et Medici Graeci Minores, Berol. 8vo. 1842, with the title Περὶ Οὔρων Πραγματεία Ἀρίστη τοῦ Σοφωτάτον παρὰ μεν Ἰνδοῖς Ἄλλη Ἔμπνι τοῦ Σινᾶ ῎ητοι Ἄλλη υἱοῦ τοῦ Σινᾶ, παρὰ δὲ Ἰταλοῖς Ἀβιτζιανοῦ. He is the same person as the celebrated Arabic physician Avicenna, whose real name was Abú 'Alí Ibn Síná, a. h. 370 or 375—428 (a. d. 980 or 985—1037), and from whose great work Ketáb al-Kánún fi't-Tebb, Liber Canonis Medicinae, this treatise is probably translated. [W. A. G.]


ABLA'BIUS (Ἀβλάβιος). 1. A physician on whose death there is an epigram by Theosebia in the Greek Anthology (vii. 559), in which he is considered as inferior only to Hippocrates and Galen. With respect to his date, it is only known that he must have lived after Galen, that is, some time later than the second century after Christ. [W. A. G.]


2. The illustrious (Ἰλλούστριος), the author of an epigram in the Greek Anthology (ix. 762) "on the quoit of Asclepiades." Nothing more is known of him, unless he be the same person as Ablabius, the Novatian bishop of Nicaea, who was a disciple of the rhetorician Troilus, and himself eminent in the same profession, and who lived under Honorius and Theodosius II., at the end of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth centuries after Christ. (Socrates, Hist. Ecc. vii. 12.) [P. S.]


ABLA'VIUS. 1. Prefect of the city, the minister and favourite of Constantine the Great, was murdered after the death of the latter. (Zosimus, ii. 40.) He was consul a. d. 331. There is an epigram extant attributed to him, in which the reigns of Nero and Constantine are compared. (Anth. Lat. n. 261, ed. Meyer.)


2. A Roman historian, whose age is unknovn, wrote a history of the Goths, which is sometimes quoted by Jornandes as his authority. (De Reb. Getic. iv. 14. 23.)


ABRADA'TAS (Ἀβραδάτας), a king of Susa and an ally of the Assyrians against Cyrus. His wife Pantheia was taken on the conquest of the Assyrian camp, while he was absent on a mission to the Bactrians. In consequence of the honorable treatment which his wife received from Cyrus, he joined the latter with his forces. He fell in battle, while fighting against the Egyptians. Inconsolable at her loss, Pantheia put an end to her own life, and her example was followed by her three eunuchs. Cyrus had a high mound raised in their honour: on a pillar on the top were inscribed the names of Abradatas and Pantheia in the Syriac characters; and three columns below bore the inscription σκηπτούχων, in honour of the eunuchs. (Xen. Cyr. v. 1. § 3, vi. 1. § 31, &c. 4. § 2, &c. vii. 3. § 2, &c.; Lucian. Imag. 20.)


ABRETTE'NUS (Ἀβρεττηνός), a surname of Zeus in Mysia. (Strab. xii. p. 574.) [L. S.]


ABRO'COMAS (Ἀβροκόμας), one of the satraps of Artaxerxes Mnemon, was sent with an army of 300,000 men to oppose Cyrus on his march into upper Asia. On the arrival of Cyrus at Tarsus, Abrocomas was said to be on the Euphrates; and at Issus four hundred heavy-armed Greeks, who had deserted Abrocomas, joined Cyrus. Abrocomas did not defend the Syrian passes, as was expected, but marched to join the king. He burnt some boats to prevent Cyrus from crossing the Euphrates, but did not arrive in time for the battle of Cunaxa. (Xen. Anab. i. 3. § 20, 4. § 3, 5, 18, 7. § 12; Harpocrat. and Suidus, s. v.)


ABRO'COMES (Ἀβροκόμης) and his brother Hyperanthes (Ὑπεράνθης), the sons of Darius by Phratagune, the daughter of Artanes, were slain at Thermopylae while fighting over the body of Leonidas. (Herod. vii. 224.)


ABRON or HABRON (Ἄβρων or Ἅβρων). 1 Son of the Attic orator Lycurgus. (Plut. Vit dec. Orat. p. 843.)


2. The son of Callias, of the deme of Bate in Attica, wrote on the festivals and sacrifices of the Greeks. (Steph. Byz. s. v. Βατή.) He also wrote a work περὶ παρωνύμων, which is frequently referred to by Stephanus Byz. (s.v. Ἀγάθη, Ἄργος, &c.) and other writers.


3. A grammarian, a Phrygian or Rhodian, a pupil of Tryphion, and originally a slave, taught at Rome under the first Caesars. (Suidas, s. v. Ἄβρων.)


4. A rich person at Argos, from whom the proverb Ἄβρωνος Βίος, which was applied to extravagant persons, is said to have been derived. (Suidas, s. v.


ABRO'NIUS SILO, a Latin Poet, who lived in the latter part of the Augustan age, was a pupil of Porcius Latro. His son was also a poet, but degraded himself by writing plays for pantomimes. (Senec. Suas. ii. p. 21. Bip.)


ABRO'NYCHUS (Ἀβρώνυχος), the son of Lysicles, an Athenian, was stationed at Thermopylae with a vessel to communicate between Leonidas and the fleet at Artomisium. He was subsequently sent as ambassador to Sparta with Themistocles and Aristeides respecting the fortifications of Athens after the Persian war. (Herod. viii. 21 ; Thuc. i. 91.)


ABRO'TAἈβρώτη), the daughter of Onchestus, the Boeotian, and the wife of Nisus, king of Megaris. On her death Nisus commanded all the Megarian women to wear a garment of the same kind as Abrota had worn, which was called aphabroma (ἀφἀβρωμα), and was still in use in the time of Plutarch. (Quaest. Graec. p. 295,a.)


ABRO'TONUM (Ἀβρύτονον), a Thracian harlot, who according to some accounts was the mother of Themistocles. There is an epigram preserved recording this fact. (Plut. Them. 1; Athen. xiii. p. 576, c.; Aelian, V. H. xii. 43.) Plutarch also refers to her in his Ἐρωτικὸς (p. 753d.); and Lucian speaks of a harlot of the same name (Dial. Meretr. 1).


ABRU'POLIS, an ally of the Romans, who attacked the dominions of Perseus, and laid them waste as far as Amphipolis, but was afterwards driven out of his kingdom by Perseus. (Liv. xlii. 13. 30. 41.)


ABSEUS. [Gigantes.]


ABSIMARUS. [Tiberius Absimarus.]


ABSYRTUS or APSYRTUS (Ἄψυρτος), a son of Aeetes, king of Colchis, and brother of Medeia. His mother is stated differently: Hygi-