Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 1.djvu/30

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12
ACHMET.
ACIDINUS.

lmasius, Leyden, 1640, 8vo. The best and most recent edition is by Fr. Jacobs, Leipzig, 1821, in 2 vols. 8vo. The first volume contains the prolegomena, the text and the Latin translation by Crucejus, and the second the commentary. There is an English translation of the work, by A. H. (Anthony Hodges), Oxford, 1638, 8vo. Suidas ascribes to this same Achilles Tatius, a work on the sphere (περὶ σφαίρας), a fragment of which professing to be an introduction to the Phaenomena of Aratus (Εἰσαγωγὴ εἰς τὰ Ἀράτου Φαινόμενα) is still extant. But as this work is referred to by Firmicus (Mathes. 4.10), who lived earlier than the time we have assigned to Achilles, the author of the work on the Sphere must have lived before the time of the writer of the romance. The work itself is of no particular value. It is printed in Petavius, Uranologia, Paris, 1630, and Amsterdam, 1703, fol. Suidas also mentions a work of Achilles Tatius on Etymology, and another entitled Miscellaneous Histories; as both are lost, it is impossible to determine which Achilles was their author. [L. S.]

ACHILLEUS assumed the title of emperor under Diocletian and reigned over Egypt for some time. He was at length taken by Diocletian after a siege of eight months in Alexandria, and put to death, A. D. 296. (Eutrop. 9.14, 15; Aurel. Vict. de Caes. 39.)

ACHI'LLIDES, a patronymic, formed from Achilles, and given to his son Pyrrhus. (Ov. Ep. 8.3.) [L. S.]


ACHI'ROE (Ἀχιρόη), or according to Apollodorus (2.1.4) Anchinoe, which is perhaps a mistake for Anchiroe, was a daughter of Nilus, and the wife of Belus, by whom she became the mother of Aegyptus and Danaus. According to the scholiast on Lycophron (583 and 1161), Ares begot by her a son, Sithon, and according to Hegesippus (apud Steph. Byz. s. v. Παλλήνη), also two daughters, Pallenaea and Rhoetea, from whom two towns derived their names. [L. S.]


ACHLYS (Ἀχλύς), according to some ancient cosmogonies, the eternal night, and the first created being which existed even before Chaos. According to Hesiod, she was the personification of misery and sadness, and as such she was represented on the shield of Heracles (Scut. Herc. 264, &c.): pale, emaciated, and weeping, with chattering teeth, swollen knees, long nails on her fingers, bloody cheeks, and her shoulders thickly covered with dust. [L. S.]


ACHMET, son of Seirim (Ἀχμὲτ υἱὸς Σειρείμ), the author of a work on the Interpretation of Dreams, Ὀνειροκριτικά, and is probably the same person as Abú Bekr Mohammed Ben Sírín, whose work on the same subject is still extant in Arabic in the Royal Library at Paris, (Catal. Cod. Manuscr, Biblioth. Reg. Paris. vol. i. p. 230, cod. MCCX.,) and who was born A. H. 33, (A. D. 653-4,) and died A. H. 110. (A. D. 728-9.) (See Nicoll and Pusey, Catal. Cod. Manuscr. Arab. Biblioth. Bodl. p. 516.) This conjecture will seem the more probable when it is recollected that the two names Ahmed or Achmet and Mohammed, however unlike each other they may appear in English, consist in Arabic of four letters each, and differ only in the first. There must, however, be some difference between Achmet's work, in the form in which we have it, and that of Ibn Sirin, as the writer of the former (or the translator) appears from internal evidence to have been certainly a Christian. (c. 2. 150, &c.) It exists only in Greek, or rather (if the above conjecture as to its author be correct) it has only been published in that language. It consists of three hundred and four chapters, and professes to be derived from what has been written on the same subject by the Indians, Persians, and Egyptians. It was translated out of Greek into Latin about the year 1160, by Leo Tuscus, of which work two specimens are to be found in Casp. Barthii Adversaria. (31.14, ed. Francof. 1624, foll.) It was first published at Frankfort, 1577, 8vo., in a Latin translation, made by Leunclavius, from a very imperfect Greek manuscript, with the title " Apomasaris Apotelesmata, sive de Significatis et Eventis Insomniorum, ex Indorum, Persarum, Aegyptiorumque Disciplina." The word Apomasares is a corruption of the name of the famous Albumasar, or Abú Ma'shar, and Leunclavius afterwards acknowledged his mistake in attributing the work to him. It was published in Greek and Latin by Rigaltius, and appended to his edition of the Oneirocritica of Artemidorus, Lutet. Paris. 1603, 4to., and some Greek various readings are inserted by Jac. De Rhoer in his Otium Daventriense, p. 338, &c. Daventr. 1762, 8vo. It has been translated into Italian, French, and German. [W. A. G.]


ACHO'LIUS held the office of Magister Admissionum in the reign of Valerian. (B. C. 253-260.) One of his works was entitled Acta, and contained an account of the history of Aurelian. It was in nine books at least. (Vopisc. Aurel. 12.) He also wrote the life of Alexander Severus. (Lamprid. Alex. Sev. 14. 48. 68.)


ACHOLOE. [HARPYIAE.]


ACICHO'RIUS (Ἀκιχώριος) was one of the leaders of the Gauls, who invaded Thrace and Macedonia in B. C. 280. He and Brennus commanded the division that marched into Paeonia. In the following year, B. C. 279, he accompanied Brennus in his invasion of Greece. (Paus. 10.19.4, 5, 22.5, 23.1, &c.) Some writers suppose that Brennus and Acichorius are the same persons, the former being only a title and the latter the real name. (Schmidt, " De fontibus veterum auctorum in enarrandis expeditionibus a Gallis in Macedoniam susceptis," Berol. 1834.) [L. S.]


ACIDA'LIA a surname of Venus (Verg. A. 1.720), which according to Servius was derived from the well Acidalius near Orchomenos, in which Venus used to bathe with the Graces; others connect the name with the Greek ἄκιδες, i. e. cares or troubles. [L. S.]


ACIDI'NUS, a family-name of the Manlia gens. Cicero speaks of the Acidini as among the first men of a former age. (De leg. agr. 2.24.)

1. L. MANLIUS ACIDINUS, praetor urbanus in B. C. 210, was sent by the senate into Sicily to bring back the consul Valerius to Rome to hold the elections. (Liv. 26.23, 27.4.) In B. C. 207 he was with the troops stationed at Narnia to oppose Hasdrubal, and was the first to send to Rome intelligence of the defeat of the latter. (Liv. 27.50.) In B. C. 206 he and L. Cornelius Lentulus had the province of Spain entrusted to them with proconsular power. In the following year he conquered the Ausetani and Hergetes, who had rebelled against the Romans in consequence of the absence of Scipio. He did not return to Rome till B. C. 199, but was prevented by