Maximus marched out of Rome with troops to oppose quence, sufficiently appears from these elegant producMaximinus, who had laid siege to Aquileia. The lat- tions; but they are of little merit on the score of ideas. ter, however, experienced a brave resistance from the They are, for the most part, written upon Platonic pringarrison and people of that city, which excited still more ciples, but sometimes lean towards scepticism. The his natural cruelty, and the soldiers, becoming weary of following may serve as a specimen of the topics dishim, mutinied and killed both him and his son, A.D. cussed by this writer. Of God, according to Plato's 238. Maximinus, the father, then 65 years old, was idea.-If we must return Injury for Injury.—How we a ferocious soldier and nothing else, and wonderful may distinguish a Friend from a Flatterer.—That an tales are related of his voracity, and the quantity of Active is better than a Contemplative Life. (The confood and drink which he swallowed daily. His son is trary position is maintained in another discourse.)— said to have been a handsome bot arrogant youth. That the Farmer is more useful to a State than the Sol(Jul. Capitol., Vit. Maxim. — Encycl. Us. Knowl., dier.—Whether the Liberal Arts contribute to Virtue. vol. 15, p. 23.)-II. DAIA or DAZA, an Illyrian peas--Of the End of Philosophy. That there is no greater ant, served in the Roman armies, and was raised by Good than a good Man.-Of the Demon of Socrates. Galerius, who was his relative, to the rank of military-Of the beneficial Effects of adverse Fortune.— tribune, and lastly to the dignity of Cæsar, A.D. 303, Whether the Maladies of the Body or the Mind be at the time of the abdication of Dioclesian and Max-more severe.-The best edition of Maximus Tyrius is imian, when he had for his share the government of that of Davis, Lond., 1740, 4to, enriched with some Syria and Egypt. After the death of Galerius, A.D. excellent observations by Markland. It had been pre311, Maximinus and Licinius divided his dominions ceded by a smaller edition in 8vo, Cantab., 1703, also between them, and Maximinus obtained the whole of by Davis. The larger edition was reprinted at Leipthe Asiatic provinces. Both he and Licinius behaved sic in 1774, in 2 vols. 8vo, under the editorial care of ungratefully towards the family of Galerius, their Reiske. (Schöll, Hist. Lit. Gr., vol. 4, p. 286, seqq.) common benefactor. Valeria, the daughter of Diocle---IV. A native of Ephesus, and philosopher of the sian and widow of Galerius, having escaped from Li- New-Platonic school. According to Eunapius (p. 86, cinius into the dominions of Maximinus, the latter of seqq.), he was, through the recommendation of his fered to marry her, and, on her refusal, banished her, master Ædesius, appointed by Constantius preceptor with her mother, to the deserts of Syria. He perse- to Julian. According to the Christian historians, howcuted the Christians, and made war against the Ar- ever, he introduced himself to Julian, during his Asimenians. A new war having broken out between Li-atic expedition, at Nicomedia. By accommodating his cinius and Maximinus, the latter advanced as far as predictions to the wishes and hopes of the emperor, Adrianopolis, but was defeated, fled into Asia, and and by other parasitical arts, he gained entire possesdied of poison at Tarsus, A.D. 313. (Encycl. Us. sion of his confidence. The courtiers, as usual, folKnowl., vol. 15, p. 24.) lowed the example of their master, and Maximus was MAXIMUS, I. MAGNUS, a native of Spain, who pro- daily loaded with new honours. He accompanied Juclaimed himself emperor A.D. 383. The unpopular- lian in his expedition into Persia, and there, by the asity of Gratian favoured his usurpation, and he was ac-sistance of divination and flattery, persuaded him that knowledged by the troops. Gratian marched against he would rival Alexander in the glory of conquest. him, but he was defeated, and soon after assassinated. The event, however, proved as unfortunate to the phiMaximus refused the honours of burial to the re-losopher as to the hero; for, Julian being slain by a mains of Gratian; and, when he had made himself wound received in battle, after the short reign of Jomaster of Britain, Gaul, and Spain, he sent ambassa-vian Maximus fell under the displeasure of the emperdors into the East, and demanded of the Emperor The-ors Valentinian and Valens, and, for the imaginary odosius to acknowledge him as his associate on the crime of magic, underwent a long course of confinethrone. Theodosius endeavoured to amuse and de- ment and suffering, which was not the less truly perselay him, but Maximus resolved to enforce his claim by cution because they were inflicted upon a pagan. At arms, and, crossing the Alps, made himself master of last Maximus was sent into his native country, and there Italy. Theodosius, however, marched against and be- fell a sacrifice to the cruelty of the proconsul Festus. sieged him in Aquileia, where he was betrayed by his (Ammian. Marcell., 29, 1.-Socr., Hist. Eccles., 3, own soldiers, and put to death, A.D. 383-II. Pe- 1.-Enfield's History of Philosophy, vol. 2, p. 70, tronius, a Roman senator, twice consul, and of pa- seqq.)-V. An ecclesiastical writer, at first chief sectrician origin. He caused the Emperor Valentinian retary to the Emperor Heraclius, and afterward abbot III. to be assassinated, and ascended the throne, but of a monastery at Chrysopolis, near Constantinople. was stoned to death, and his body thrown into the Ti- The Greek church has numbered him among the conber by his own soldiers, A.D. 455, after a reign of fessors, from his having resisted all the attempts that only 77 days. (Procop., Bell. Vand.-Sidon., Apoll., were made to draw him over to the Monothelites, for 1, 23.)-III. Tyrius, a native of Tyre, distinguished which he was banished to Colchis, where he died A.D. for his eloquence, and who obtained some degree of 662. Among other works, we have from him a spe celebrity also as a philosopher of the New-Platonic cies of Anthology, divided into 71 chapters, and entischool. According to Suidas, he lived under Com- tled κεφάλαια Θεολογικά, ἤτοι ἐκλογαὶ ἐκ διαφόρων modus; but, according to Eusebius and Syncellus, un- Bibhív Tv TE кat ημàç Kai Tūν dipalev. It differs der Antoninus Pius. The accounts of these chronol- from the Anthology of Stobæus in containing selecogers may be reconciled by supposing that Maximus tions also from the scriptures and from ecclesiastical flourished under Antoninus, and reached the time of writers. The works of Maximus were edited by ComCommodus. Joseph Scaliger believed that Maximus befis, Paris, 1675, 2 vols. fol.-VI. An ecclesiastical was one of the instructors of Marcus Aurelius; and writer, a bishop of Turin (Augusta Taurinorum), who that emperor, in fact, mentions a Maximus among his died subsequently to 465 A.D. He was one of the preceptors; but this individual was Claudius Maximus, most eloquent speakers of the Western Church. Many as we learn from a passage in Capitolinus. (Vit. An- of his homilies remain. ton., Phil., c. 3.) Although he was frequently at Rome, Maximus Tyrius probably spent the greater part of his time in Greece. We have from him, under the title of Discourses (or Dissertations), Aóyot (or Alanéseis), forty-one treatises or essays on various subjects of a philosophical, moral, and literary nature. That he possessed the most captivating powers of elo- | Suet., Ner., c. 31.)

MAZACA. Vid. Cæsarea ad Argæum.

MAZACE, a people of Sarmatia, in the vicinity of the Palus Mæotis. (Plin., 6, 7.)

MAZICES, a people of Mauritania Cæsariensis, also called, by some writers, Mazyes, and Machmes (Steph. Byz., s. v. —Ammian. Marcell., 29, 25.

MEATE, a people in the north of Britain, near the and resolved to put her children (seven of each sex) to Vallum Severi. They are the same with the Maatæ. death. The children fled to the temple of Juno, but MEDEA, daughter of Eetes, king of Colchis, and were pursued and slain at the altar. The anger of famed for her skill in sorcery and enchantment. heaven was manifested by a plague, and, by the advice When Jason came to Colchis in quest of the golden of an oracle, the expiatory rite just mentioned was infleece, she aided him in obtaining it, and then fled stituted. (Parmeniscus, ap. Schol. ad Eurip., Med., with him in the Argo to Greece. (Vid. Argonauta.) 9, 275.-Pausan., 2, 3, 7.) It was even said that Here she displayed her magic skill in the case of the Corinthians, by a bribe of five talents, induced Eson, whom she restored from the decrepitude of Euripides to lay the guilt of the murder of her children age to the bloom of early youth. In order to effect on Medea herself. (Schol., l. c.) There was also a this change, she is said by the poets to have drawn off tradition that Medea resided at Corinth, and that she all the blood from his veins, and then to have filled caused a famine to cease by sacrificing to Ceres and them with the juices of certain herbs. This sudden the Lemnian nymphs, and that Jupiter made love to renovation of the parent of Jason so wrought upon the her, but she would not hearken to his suit, fearing the daughters of Pelias, that they entreated Medea to per- anger of Juno, who therefore rewarded her by making form the same act for their aged father. The Colchian her children immortal; a thing she had vainly attemptprincess eagerly availed herself of this opportunity to ed to do herself, by hiding them in the temple of the avenge the wrongs which Pelias had done to Jason, and, goddess, whose priestess she probably was in this in order to pique still more the curiosity of his daugh- myth. (Schol. ad Pind., Ol., 13, 74.—Pausan., 2, 3, ters, she is said to have cut to pieces an old ram, and 11.) It is also remarkable, that the only place besides then, boiling the parts in a caldron, to have caused a Corinth in which there were legends of Medea was young lamb to come forth from it. The daughters of Corcyra, an island which had been colonized by the Pelias thereupon slew their father, and boiled his flesh Corinthians. Eetes himself was, according to Euin a caldron; but Medea refused to perform the requi- melus (ap. Schol. ad Pind., l. c.), the son of Helius site ceremonics; and, in order to avoid the punishment and Antiope, and born at Ephyra or Corinth, which she had a right to expect for this cruel deed, fled with his sire gave to him; but he committed it to the Jason to Corinth.-According to another account, how- charge of Bunus, and went to Colchis. It would ever, Medea did not restore Eson to youth, he having thus appear, that the whole myth of Æetes and Medea been driven by Pelias, before the return of Jason, to is derived from the worship of the Sun and Juno at the act of self-destruction. (Vid. Eson.)-After re- Corinth. (Keightley's Mythology, p. 310, seqq.) siding for some time at Corinth, Medea found herself MEDIA, a country of Upper Asia, the boundaries of deserted by Jason, who espoused the daughter of which are difficult to determine, as they differed at vaCreon, the Corinthian king. Taking, thereupon, sum-rious times. In the time of Strabo, it was divided mary vengeance on her rival, and having destroyed her into Great Media and Atropatene. Great Media, two sons whom she had by Jason (vid. Jason), Medea which is a high table-land, is said by all ancient writers mounted a chariot drawn by winged serpents and fled to have had a good climate and a fertile soil; an acto Athens, where she had by King geus a son named count which is fully confirmed by modern travellers. Medus. Being detected, however, in an attempt to It was separated on the west and southwest from the destroy Theseus (vid. Theseus), she fled from Athens low country, watered by the Tigris and Euphrates, by with her son. Medus conquered several barbarous a range of mountains known to the ancients under the tribes, and also, say the poets, the country which he name of Zagros and Parachoatras. Xenophon, hownamed Media after himself; and he finally fell in bat- ever, appears to include in Media all the country betle with the Indians. Medea, returning unknown to tween the Tigris and Mount Zagrus. (Anab., 2, 4, Colchis, found that her father Eetes had been robbed of 27.) On the east it was bounded by a desert and the his throne by her brother Perses. She restored him, and Caspian Mountains (the modern Elburz range), and deprived the usurper of life.-Neither Jason nor Medea on the north and northwest by the Cadusii, Atropatene, can be well regarded as a real historical personage. and the Matieni, thus answering, for the most part, to (Compare remarks at the close of the article Jason.) the modern Irak Ajemi. Atropatene, on the other Whether the former, whose name is nearly identical hand, which corresponds to the modern Azerbijan, exwith Iasion, Iasios, Iasos, is merely a personification tended as far north as the Araxes (now Aras). It was of the Ionian race ('lúoves), or, in reference to a myth much less fertile than Great Media, and does not apto be noticed in the sequel, signifies the healing, ato-pear to have been included in the Media of Herodotus. ning god or hero, may be doubted. Medea, however, seems to be plainly only another form of Juno, and to have been separated from her in a way of which many instances occur in ancient legends. She is the counselling (undos) goddess; and in the history of Jason we find Juno always acting in this capacity towards him, who, as Homer says, "was very dear to her" (Od., 12, 72); an obscure hint, perhaps, of the love of Jason and Medea. Medea, also, always acts a friendly part; and it seems highly probable that the atrocities related of her are pure fictions of the Attic dramatists. (Müller, Orchom., p. 68.) The bringing of Jason and Medea to Corinth seems also to indicate a connexion between the latter and Juno, who was worshipped there under the title of Acræa, and the graves of the children of Medea were in the temple of this goddess. It was an annual custom at Corinth, that seven youths and as many maidens, children of the most distinguished citizens, clad in black, with their hair shorn, should go to this temple, and, singing mournful hymns, offer sacrifices to appease the deity. The cause assigned for this rite was as follows. Medea reigned at Corinth; but the people, disdaining to be governed by an enchantress, conspired against her,

It derived its name from Atropates, who successfully opposed the Macedonians, and established an independent monarchy, which continued till the time of Strabo, notwithstanding its proximity to the Armenian and Parthian dominions. The principal town of Great Media was Aghatana or Ecbatana, the summer residence of the Persian kings. (Vid. Ecbatana.) In Great Media also was the Nisan plain, celebrated for its breed of horses, which were considered in ancient times the best in Asia. Arrian informs us, that there were 50,000 horses reared in this plain in the time of Alexander, and that there were formerly as many as 150,000. (Herod., 3, 106.-Id., 7, 40.-Arrian, Exp. Al., 7, 13.-Strabo, 525.-Ammian. Marcell., 23, 6.) The mountainous country in the southwestern part of Great Media was inhabited by several warlike tribes, who maintained their independence against the Persian monarchy. Strabo mentious four tribes in particular; the Mardi, bordering on the northwest of Persis; the Uxii and Elymai, east of Susiana; and the Cossæi, south of Great Media. The King of Persia was obliged to pass through the country of the latter whenever he visited Ecbatana, and could only obtain a free passage by the payment of a considerable sum of

pare Tacit., Hist., 1, 70.-Suet., Aug., c. 20.-Plin., Ep., 4, 13.) But its splendour seems to have been greatest in the time of Ausonius, who flourished towards the end of the fourth century, and who assigns it the rank of the sixth city in the Roman empire. Procopius, who wrote a century and a half later, speaks of Mediolanum as one of the first cities of the west, and as inferior only to Rome in population and extent. (Rer. Got., 2, 8.) In it was also established the gold and silver coinage of the north of Italy. At a later period, the frequent inroads of the barbarians of the north compelled the emperors to select, as a place of arms, some city nearer the scene of action than Rome was. The choice fell on Mediolanum. Here, too, Maximian resigned the imperial diadem (Eutrop, 9,

of a bishopric. Although subsequently plundered by Attila (Jornandes, c. 42), it soon revived, and under Odoacer became the imperial residence. In its vicinity was fought the battle which put Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths, in possession of Italy, and Mediolanum under this prince became second only to Rome. (Procop., Rer. Got., 2, 8.) It met with its downfall, however, when, having sided with Belisarius, and having been besieged by the Goths and Burgundians, it was taken by the latter, and 300,000 of the inhabitants, according to Procopius, were put to the sword (2, 21). It never, after this severe blow, regained its former eminence, although in the middle ages it became a flourishing and opulent place of trade. (Mannert, Geogr., vol. 9, pt. 1, p. 167, seqq.-Cramer's Anc. Italy, vol. 1, p. 51.)-II. A town of the Gugerni in Germania Inferior, corresponding, as is thought by Cluver and Cellarius, to the present village of Moyland.-III. A city in Masia Superior. (Cod. Theod., 1. 8, de jur. fisc.)-IV. A town of the Ordovices in Britain, near the present town of Ellesmeere.

money. The Cossæi were defeated by Alexander, | sidered a most flourishing city. (Strabo, 213.-Combut they never appear to have been completely subdued by the Macedonians. According to Herodotus (1, 101), the Medes were originally divided into six tribes, the Buse, Paretaceni, Struchates, Arizanti, Budii, and Magi. They were originally called Arii (Herod., 7, 62); which word appears to contain the same root as Ar-tæi, the ancient name of the Persians. (Herod., 7, 61.) It is not improbable that this name was originally applied to most of the Indo-Germanic nations. Tacitus speaks of the Arii as one of the most powerful of the German tribes (Germ., 43); and India proper is called in the most ancient Sanscrit works, Arrya-varta, "holy land." The same name was retained in the province of Ariana, and is still employed in the East as the proper name of Persia, namely, Iran. (Vid. Aria.)-Media originally formed part of the As-27), and the famous St. Ambrose established the see syrian empire, but its history as an independent kingdom is given so differently by Herodotus and Ctesias, as to render it probable that the narrative of Ctesias must refer to a different dynasty in Eastern Asia. Ctesias makes the Median monarchy last 282 years; and, as Media was conquered by Cyrus about B.C. 560, it follows that the Median monarchy would commence, according to his account, about B.C. 842. Herodotus, on the contrary, assigns to the Median monarchy a period of 128 years, which, including the 28 years during which the Scythians had possession of the country, would place the commencement of the Median monarchy B.C. 716. The founder of this monarchy was Arbaces, according to Ctesias, who reckons eight kings from him to Astyages. According to the account of Herodotus, however, there were four kings of Media: 1. Dejoces, who reigned B.C. 716-657. -2. Phraortes, B.C. 657-635, greatly extended the Median empire, subdued the Persians and many other nations, but fell in an expedition against the Assyrians of Ninus (Nineveh).-3. Cyaxares, B.C. 635-595, completely organized the military force of the empire, and MEDIOMATRICI, a people of Gallia Belgica on the extended its boundaries as far west as the Halys. In Mosella or Moselle. The Treviri were their neighan expedition against Nineveh, he was defeated by the bours on the north. Their chief town was DivoduScythians, who had made an irruption into Southern rum, afterward Mediomatrici, now Metz. They were a Asia, and was deprived of his kingdom for 28 years. powerful nation previous to their reduction by the RoAfter the expulsion of the Scythians, he took Nineveh, mans, and their territory corresponded to what is now and subdued the Assyrian empire, with the exception le pays Messin. (Cæs., B. G., 4, 10.—Plin., 4, 17. of the Babylonian district (Babvλwving μoipns).—4.-Tacit., Ann., 1, 63.—Id., Hist., 4, 70.) Astyages, B.C. 595-560, who was dethroned by his grandson Cyrus, and Media reduced to a Persian province. The history of the rise of the Persian monarchy is related differently by Xenophon, who also makes a fifth Median king, Cyaxares II., succeed Astyages. The Medes revolted during the reign of Darius II., the father of the younger Cyrus, about B.C. 408, but were again subdued. (Herod., 1, 130.Xen., Hist. Gr., 1, 2, 19.) They do not appear, after this time, to have made any farther attempt at recovering their independence. On the downfall of the Persian empire they formed a part of the kingdom of the Seleucida, and were subsequently subject to the Parthians. (Encycl. Us. Knowl., vol. 15, p. 54.)

MEDIOLANUM, I. a city of Cisalpine Gaul, among the Insubres, now Milan. According to Livy (5, 34), it was founded by the Insubres, and called by them Mediolanum, from a place of the same name among the Edui in Gaul. (Compare Pliny, 3, 17.-Ptol., p. 63.) This city is named for the first time in history by Polybius (2, 34), in his account of the Gallic wars. The capture of it by Cn. Scipio and Marcellus was followed by the submission of the Insubres themselves. (Oros., 4, 13.-Plut., Vit. Marcell.) It was situate on a small river, now the Olona, in a beautiful plain between the Ticinus or Tesino, and the Addua or Adda. In the vicinity of this city, to the west, D'Anville and others locate the Raudii Campi, where Marius defeated the Cimbri; but Mannert places them near Verona. In Strabo's time, Mediolanum was con

MEDITERRANEUM MARE (or Midland Sea), the Mediterranean, a sea between the Straits of Gibraltar to the west and the Dardanelles and Syria to the east. It was anciently called "The Sea," or "The Great Sea," by the Jews. The Greeks, on the other hand, do not seem to have had any general name for it. Herodotus calls it "this sea" (1, 185); and Strabo, "the sea within the columns," that is, within the Straits of Gibraltar (Strab., 491). Mela calls the whole sea "mare nostrum," "our sea," and observes that different parts had their several names. Pliny appears to have no general appellation for it. The term Mediterranean is not applied to this sea by any classical Latin writer, but, instead of Mediterraneum, they use internum, or else, with Mela, call it nostrum. We will return to this subject at the close of the article.-The Mediterranean is comprised between the parallels of 30° 15′ and 45° 50', and the meridians of 5° 30′ W. and 36° 10' E. The distance from Gibraltar to the farthest shore of Syria is 2000 miles, and the narrowest part from Sicily to Africa is 79 miles across. Including the islands, it occupies an area of 734,000 square miles. On the shores of this sea have been transacted the most important events in the history of mankind, and its character seems to mark it as the theatre best adapted to the complete and rapid civilization of the race. From the great diversity of soil and productions, under a varied and favourable climate, the colonists, from whatever points they first proceeded, would soon acquire those different habits under which their

several energies and capabilities would be developed. | placed Byzantium too far to the north, and not far The comparative shortness of the distances of the sev- enough to the east. From Alexandrea to the east eral places, rendering navigation easy and pleasant end of Crete he considered 3000 stadia, or 257 in small and imperfect vessels, would, by facilitating miles: it measures about 290. From Alexandrea to intercourse from an early period, tend to diffuse and Rhodes he made 3600 stadia, or 308 miles: it measpromote civilization; while commerce, by bringing ures 320.-Many of the latitudes given by Strabo are together men of different habits, manners, and lan- very near, that is, within 10'; those of Massilia and guages, and thus circulating practical information, Byzantium excepted, the former being 3° 43' too litwould supply the materials for the perfection of the tle, and the latter 2° 16' too much. The longitudes, arts and sciences.-The navigation of the Mediterra- which were all at that time referred to the Sacred nean must no doubt be of very early date. The story Promontory as the first meridian, and the extreme of Minos destroying pirates (Thucyd., 1, 4) takes for western point, as was believed, of the known world, granted the fact, that there must have been merchant are without exception too small; that of Carthage, the vessels carrying something worth plundering from the nearest to the truth, being 1° 9', and Alexandrea, the earliest recorded period. If, with Strabo, we allow most erroneous, 6° 40′ too small. (Encycl. Useful the accuracy of Homer's descriptions, it by no means Knowl., vol. 15, p. 59, seqq.)—The Mediterranean follows that the Greeks knew everything that could Sea afforded a very frequent topic of consideration have been known to every other nation at that time; to the ancient writers. Democritus, Diogenes, and and the stories told of the jealousy with which the others, maintained that its waters kept constantly dePhoenicians and Carthaginians guarded their discover-creasing, and would eventually all disappear. Arisies, prove at least that geographical knowledge was totle (Meteor., 2, 3) held to the opinion, that the not common property and with regard to these very Mediterranean had at one time covered a large part nations, the knowledge which the Greeks could have of Africa and Egypt, and had extended inland as had of them, among other barbarians, must have been far as the temple of Jupiter Ammon. This doctrine inferior to that which we possess in the minute ac- was maintained also by Xanthus the Lydian, Strabo, curacy of the Scriptures alone. The story of Utica and Eratosthenes. The ancients appear to have been having been established 130 years before Carthage, led to this conclusion by observing in various parts proves a regular communication between this place of Africa and Egypt manifest traces and indications and Syria, a distance of upward of 1200 miles; and of the sea. They found here shells, pebbles eviwe may conclude that occasional voyages of that en-dently rounded or worn smooth by the action of terprising people had already extended the bounds of water, incrustations of salt, and many salt lakes. knowledge far beyond these limits. If the precise Some of these appearances were particularly frequent time of the discovery of places, lying, as it were, in on the route through the desert to the temple of the thoroughfare of this sea, is so uncertain, the his- Ammon. (Herod., 2, 12. - Plut., de Is. et Os.tory of the places in the deep bays of the northern Strab., 809.—Mela, 1, 6. Solin., 26. Seidel., ad shores must be still more obscure we shall therefore Eratosth, fragm., p. 28.) The ancient writers maingive at once a slight sketch of the geography of this tained, that the temple and oracle of Ammon never sea from Strabo, who wrote in the first century of our could have become so famous if the only approach to era. The stadium adopted by Strabo was that of them had always been over vast and dangerous desEratosthenes, 700 stadia making 1° of latitude or lon-erts. They insisted that the Oases had all originally gitude on the equator, or 60 nautical miles; hence a stadium is 0.0857 of a nautical mile, the mile being about 6082 feet. The Mediterranean was divided into three basins the first comprised the sea between the Columns of Hercules and Sicily; the second, between Sicily and Rhodes; the third, between Rhodes and the shores of Syria. Strabo supposed that the parallel of latter, and Eratosthenes believed that Menelaus had sailitude of 36 passed through the Sacred Promontory (Cape St. Vincent) between the Pillars of Hercules, dividing this part of the Mediterranean in the middle of its breadth, which was believed by navigators to be 5000 stadia, or 428 nautical miles, from the Gulf of Lyons to the shores of Africa, but which measures only 330. The sea here, however, lies altogether to the north of this parallel; and hence, as the configuration of the European shores secms to have been tolerably good, the coast of Africa must have been proportionably distorted. This parallel was carried through the straits of Sicily, Rhodes, and the Gulf of Issus, now the Gulf of Scanderoon. In consequence of the above supposition, he placed Massilia (Marseille) to the southward instead of the northward of Byzantium. He supposed Sardinia and Corsica to lie northwest and southeast instead of north and south, and made the distance of Sardinia from the coast of Africa 2400 stadia, or 206 miles instead of 100, which is the true distance. From the Columns of Hercules to the Straits of Sicily he considers to be 12,000 stadia, or 1028 miles: it is only about 800. From Pachynum (Cape Passaro) to the western extremity of Crete he reckoned 4500 stadia, or 386 miles; it measures 400: and he supposed the length of Crete 2000 stadia, or 171 miles, the true length being 140. He supposed that a line drawn through Byzantium, the middle of the Propontis, the Hellespont, and along the capes of the coast of Asia Minor, would coincide with the meridian: this error

been islands in the earlier and more widely extended Mediterranean. In this remote period, according to them, there existed as yet no communication between the Pontus Euxinus and Mediterranean Sea (vid. Lectonia), nor between the latter and the Atlantic. The isthmus connecting Arabia with Egypt was under wa

ed over this narrow passage, which is now the Isthmus of Suez. When the waters of the Euxine forced a passage into the Mediterranean (vid. Cyanea), the great influx of water opened another outlet for itself through what were called by the ancients the Pillars of Hercules, Spain and Africa having been previously joined. In this tremendous convulsion the ancient land of Lectonia is thought to have been inundated, and to have sunk in the sea, leaving merely the islands of the Archipelago, its mountain-tops, to attest its former existence. According to Diodorus Siculus (5, 47), the inhabitants of Samothrace had a tradition that a great part of their island, as well as of Asia, was ravaged and laid under water by this inundation, and that, in fishing near their island, fragments of temples and other buildings were frequently rescued from the waves. (Compare Diod. Sic., 5, 82. Strab., 85.— Plat., de Leg., 3, p. 677, Opp., ed. Bip., vol. 8, p. 106.-Plin., 2, 80.-Philon., de Mund. non corrupt., p. 959. - Lyell's Principles of Geology, vol. 1, p. 25, seqq.)-Before bringing the present article to a close, it may not be amiss to enter more fully into one part of the subject, on which we merely touched at the commencement, the different appellations, namely, which have been given to this sea. Herodotus, as we have already remarked, calls it "this sea," rivde rhy váhagoav (4, 39.- Compare Aristot., Meteor., 2, 2.-Appian, Schweigh. ad Præf., c. 1.— -Wesseling. ad Diod. Sic., 4, 18). Polybius, ʼn kow dúhaooa (3

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MEDUACUS.

MEDUANA, a river of Gallia Belgica, flowing into the Ligeris or Loire. Now the Mayenne. (Lucan, 1, 438-Theod. Aurel., 4, carm. 6.)

39.-Compare Aristot., de Mundo, c. 3.—Gellius, N. | the choice of the nobles. It is added, that the archon A., 10, 7.) Diodorus Siculus, ʼn кað hμüç váhacoa at this period, though holding the office for life, was (4, 18.-Compare Polyb., 3, 37.-Strab., 83.—Ap- nevertheless deemed a responsible magistrate, which pian, Bell. Mithradat., c. 93. Maximus Tyrius, implies that those who elected had the power of de14, 2). Maximus Tyrius, devpo váhaσoa (41, 1).posing him; and, consequently, though the range of Strabo, vròs dúhacoa. (Compare Marc. Heracl, his functions may not have been narrower than that Peripl., p. 65.-Agathem., 2, 4.) Aristotle, evròs of the king's, he was more subject to control in the 'Hрakheίwv σтηhwv váhaσoa (Meteor., 2, 1.-Com- exercise of them. This indirect kind of sway, howpare Dion. Hal., 1, 3.-Plut., Vit. Pomp., c. 25). The ever, did not satisfy the more ambitious spirits; and Latin writers in general, as we have already said, give we find them steadily, though gradually, advancing toit the appellation of Nostrum Mare (Sallust., Jug., c. wards the accomplishment of their final object—a com17.-Mela, 1, 1, 5.-Liv., 26, 4.-Cas., B. G., 5, 1. plete and equal participation of the sovereignty. After Arien.. Or. Marit., v. 56.-Compare Duker, ad Flor., twelve perpetual archonships, ending with that of Alc3, 6, 9.- Cort. ad Sallust., B. Jug., c. 18). Pliny mæon, the duration of the office was limited to ten styles it Mare internum (3, procm., c. 5). Florus, years; and through the guilt or calamity of HippomaMare intestinum (4, 2). Later writers, not classical, nes, the fourth decennial archon, the house of Medon have Mare Mediterraneum. (Solin., c. 22.) Isidorus was deprived of its privilege, and the supreme magis. gives the following explanation of this name: "Quia tracy was thrown open to the whole body of the nobles. per mediam terram usque ad Orientem perfunditur, Eu- This change was speedily followed by one much more ropam et Africam Asiamque disterminans." (Orig., important: the archonship was reduced to a single 13, 13. Compare Priscian., Perieg., 52.) Orosius year; and, at the same time, its branches were seversays, Mare nostrum quod Magnum generaliter dici- ed, and were distributed among nine new magistrates. mus;" and Isidorus remarks, "quia cetera maria in (Vid. Archontes.-Thirlwall's History of Greece, vol. comparatione ejus minora sunt." (Oros., 1, 2.-Isid., 2, p. 16.-Compare Clinton, Fast. Hell., vol. 1, p. Orig., 13, 16.-Compare Hardouin, ad Plin, 9, 18. ix., seqq.) - Burmann, ad Val. Flacc., Arg., 1, 50.) According Vid. Medoacus. to Polybius (3, 42), that part of the Mediterranean which lay between the Pillars of Hercules and the Rhone was called Zapdóviov Téλayos, while Aristotle calls the part between the Pillars and Sardinia Zapdovikós (Meteor., 2, 1.-Id., de Mund., 3.-Eratosth., ap. Plin., 3, 10). Strabo gives the part between the Pillars and the Pyrenees the name of 'Ïbηρiкòv πέhayos (122.-Compare Agathem., 1, 3.-Dionys. Perieg., v. 69.-Niceph. Blem., ed. Spohn., p. 3). Pliny re-(Vid. Medea.) marks, "Hispanum mare, quatenus Hispanias alluit; ab aliis Ibericum aut Balearicum" (3, 2.-. - Id. ibid, 4,34.-Compare Solin., c. 23.-Ampel., c. 7.-Ptol., 2, 6). According to Zonaras (Annal., 8, p. 406), the sea to the east of the Pyrenees was called the Sea of the Bebrycians. (Compare Markland., ad Max. Tyr., 32, 3.-Ukert's Geogr., vol. 2, p. 247, seqq., in notis.) MEDITRINA, the goddess of healing, whose festival, called Meditrinalia, was celebrated at Rome and throughout Latium on the 5th day before the Ides of October. (Compare the Ancient Calendar given by Gruter, p. 133.) On this occasion new and old wine were poured out in libation, and tasted, "medicamenti causa. Compare the explanatory remarks of Festus: "Meditrinalia dicta hac de causa. Mos erat Latinis populis, quo die quis primum gustaret mustum, dicere ominis gratia, vetus novum vinum bibo: veteri novo morbo medeor.' A quibus verbis Meditrina dea nomen captum, ejusque sacra Meditrinalia dicta sunt." (Festus, s. v.-Consult Dacier, ad loc.) MEDOACI, a people of Venetia, in Cisalpine Gaul, noticed only by Strabo (216). From the affinity which their name bears to that of the Meduacus or Brenta, it seems reasonable to place them near the source of that river, and in the district of Bassano. (Cramer's Anc. Italy, vol. 1, p. 125.)

MEDOACUS OF MEDUACUS, I. Major, a river of Venetia, now the Brenta.-II. Minor, a river of Venetia, now the Bachiglione.-Both these rivers rise in the territory of the Euganei, and fall into the Adriatic below Venice. Patavium was situate between these two streams, but nearer the Medoacus Minor. (Plin., 3, 16.-Liv., 10, 2.)

MEDOBRIGA, a city of Lusitania, southwest of Norba Cæsarea; now Marvao, on the confines of Portugal. (Cæs., Bell. Afric., c. 48.)

MEDON, son of Codrus, the 17th and last king of Athens, was the first of the perpetual archons. He held the office for life, and transmitted it to his posterity; but still it would appear that, within the house of the Medontidæ, the succession was determined by

MEDUS, I. river of Persis, falling into the Rogomanes; now the Abi-Kuren. (Strabo, 729.)—By the Medum flumen in Horace (Od., 2, 9, 21) is meant the Euphrates.-II. A son of Ægeus and Medea, who was fabled to have given name to Media, in Upper Asia.

MEDUSA, one of the three Gorgons, daughter of Phorcys and Ceto, and the only one of the number that was not immortal. (Apollod., 2, 4, 2.) According to one legend, Medusa was remarkable for personal beauty, and captivated by her charms the monarch of the sea. Minerva, however, incensed at their having converted her sanctuary into a place of meeting, changed the beautiful locks of Medusa into serpents, and made her in other respects hideous to the view. Some accounts make this punishment to have befallen her because she presumed to vie in personal attractions with Minerva, and to consider her tresses as far superior to the locks of the former. (Serv., ad Virg., En., 6, 289.) Apollodorus, however, gives the Gorgons snaky tresses from their birth. (Vid. Gorgones.)-Medusa had, in common with her sisters, the power of converting every object into stone on which she fixed her eyes. Perseus slew her (vid. Perseus), and cut off her head; and the blood that flowed from it produced, say the poets, the serpents of Africa, since Perseus, on his return, winged his way over that country with the Gorgon's head. The conqueror gave the head to the goddess Minerva, who placed it in the centre of her ægis or shield. (Vid. Egis.)

MEGÆRA, one of the Furies. (Vid. Furiæ.)
MEGALESIA, games in honour of Cybele.
Ludi Megalenses.)

(Vid.

MEGALIA OF MEGARIS, a small island in the Bay of Naples, near Neapolis, on which the Castle del Oro now stands. (Plin., 3, 6.—Colum., R. R., 10 )

MEGALOPOLIS, the most recent of all the Arcadian cities, and also the most extensive, situate in the southern part of Arcadia, in a wide and fertile plain watered by the Helissus, which flowed from the central parts of Arcadia, and nearly divided the town into two equal parts. Pausanias informs us, that the Arcadians, having, by the advice of Epaminondas, resolved on laying the foundations of a city, which was to be the capital of their nation, deputed ten commissioners, selected from the principal states, to make the