Brill’s New Pauly

Get access Subject: Classical Studies
Edited by: Hubert Cancik and Helmuth Schneider (Antiquity) and Manfred Landfester (Classical Tradition).
English translation edited by Christine F. Salazar (Antiquity) and Francis G. Gentry (Classical Tradition)

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Brill´s New Pauly is the English edition of the authoritative Der Neue Pauly, published by Verlag J.B. Metzler since 1996. The encyclopaedic coverage and high academic standard of the work, the interdisciplinary and contemporary approach and clear and accessible presentation have made the New Pauly the unrivalled modern reference work for the ancient world. The section on Antiquity of Brill´s New Pauly are devoted to Greco-Roman antiquity and cover more than two thousand years of history, ranging from the second millennium BC to early medieval Europe. Special emphasis is given to the interaction between Greco-Roman culture on the one hand, and Semitic, Celtic, Germanic, and Slavonic culture, and ancient Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on the other hand. The section on the Classical Tradition is uniquely concerned with the long and influential aftermath of antiquity and the process of continuous reinterpretation and revaluation of the ancient heritage, including the history of classical scholarship. Brill´s New Pauly presents the current state of traditional and new areas of research and brings together specialist knowledge from leading scholars from all over the world. Many entries are elucidated with maps and illustrations and the English edition will include updated bibliographic references.

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Dibon

(134 words)

Author(s): Liwak, Rüdiger (Berlin)
[German version] The village of Dhiban, 4 km north of the Arnon, has retained the name of the nearby Dibon of antiquity, one claimed by two of the Israelite tribes: Gad (Num. 32,34) and Ruben (Josh. 13,17). A stele, the Moabite Stone, with an inscription of Mesha king of Moab (TUAT 1, 646-650; cf. 2 Kg. 3,4), was found here in 1868, confirming it as Moabite from the 9th cent. BC (Num. 21,30; Isa. 15,2; Jer. 48,18; 22). Apart from some remains of the Early Bronze Age, excavations revealed an Iron …

Dicaea

(131 words)

Author(s): Zahrnt, Michael (Kiel)
[German version] This item can be found on the following maps: Athenian League (Second) (Δίκαια; Díkaia). This colony of  Eretria was probably founded in the middle of the 6th cent. BC with the help of Peisistratus; it lay east of Aineia in the interior, probably near Trilofo. As late as the early years of the Peloponnesian War it was a member of the  Delian League. It was able to keep its autonomy into the first half of the 4th cent., becoming Macedonian no later than 349/8. Its later history is unknown. Zahrnt, Michael (Kiel) Bibliography F. Papazoglou, Les villes de Macédoine à l'époqu…

Dicaearchus

(911 words)

Author(s): Sharples, Robert (London)
(Δικαίαρχος; Dikaíarchos) from Messene (in Sicily [1. 43]), student of  Aristotle. [German version] A. Life D. (born c. 375 BC?) spent a part of his life in the Peloponnese (Cic. Att. 6,2,3; fragments and testimonials in [1]; list of writings in [2]). As with other early Peripatetics, the breadth of D.'s interests is remarkable; Varro (Rust. 1,2,6) and Pliny (HN 2,162) describe him as ‘highly learned’, Cicero (Att. 6,2,3) as ‘very well instructed’ (ἱστορικώτατος). Sharples, Robert (London) [German version] B. Works A work on the history of culture entitled ‘The life of Gre…

Dicaeogenes

(123 words)

Author(s): Schmitz, Winfried (Bielefeld) | Pressler, Frank (Heidelberg)
(Δικαιογένης; Dikaiogénēs). [German version] [1] Athenian, trierarch of the Paralos, feel in 412/11 BC Athenian from a wealthy and respected family (Davies, 145-149 pl. II). When trierarch of the state trireme Paralos he fell at Cnidus in 412/11 BC. An action was brought in 389 concerning the testamentary disposal of his wealth (Isaeus, Or. 5). Traill, PAA 324245. Schmitz, Winfried (Bielefeld) [German version] [2] of Athens Tragedian and dithyrambic poet (?), tragedian and dithyrambic poet. In the 4th cent. BC victor at the rural Dionysia in the deme of Acharnae i…

Dice (game)

(530 words)

Author(s): Hurschmann, Rolf (Hamburg)
[German version] (κυβεία/ kybeía; Lat. alea). Allegedly invented by the Lydians (Hdt. 1,94,3),  Palamedes [1] before Troy (Paus. 2,20,3; 10,31,1) or the Egyptian god Thot (Pl. Phdr. 274c-d). Dice are occasionally mentioned in mythology (Hdt. 2,122,1), e.g., Eros plays with Ganymede (Apoll. Rhod. 3,114-126), Hercules with a temple guard (Plut. Romulus 5,1 f.) and Patroclus with Clysonymus (Hom. Il. 23,87 f.). Either four-sided knuckle bones ( astragalos [2], Lat. also talus) that had inscribed on them the values one and six as well as three and four, or six-sided dice (κύβοι/ kýboi;…

Dichalkon

(112 words)

Author(s): Mlasowsky, Alexander (Hannover)
[German version] (δίχαλκον; díchalkon). A Greek measure of weight and bronze coin worth twice as much as a chalkous. It corresponded to 1/4 (Athens), 1/6 (Delphi, Epidaurus) or 1/8 (Priene) of an obolos [1]. Variants of the mark of the value were e.g. B X (stamp of Antiochus IV, Seleucea on the Tigris at about 9.6 g) [2. 271f.] or ΔΙΧΑΛΚ(on) (stamp of Apollonia Pontica at 2.1 g) [3].  Chalkous;  Obolos Mlasowsky, Alexander (Hannover) Bibliography 1 M. N. Tod, Epigraphical Notes on Greek Coinage, in: NC 6.6, 1946, 47-62 2 E. T. Newell, The coinage of the Eastern Seleucid mints fr…

Dicta

(2,215 words)

Author(s): Bartels, Jens (Bonn) | Bartels, Klaus (Bonn RWG)
Bartels, Jens (Bonn) [German version] A. Generic Concept (CT) Long before Büchmann there existed a body of familiar 'famous quotations' from the ancient languages. Vast numbers of such quotations from lost works fill our collections of fragments: Solon's “γηράσκω δ' αiεi πολλὰ διδασκόμενος”, "I grow old and ever go on learning" may stand as one example for hundreds of others. Macrobius in the Saturnalia 5,16,7, gives a series of quotations from Virgil "which are used proverbially by all" (“vice proverbio…

Dicta Catonis

(378 words)

Author(s): Schmidt, Peter L. (Constance)
[German version] Versified handbook of popular ethics from the 3rd cent. (cf. Carm. epigr. 1988, 51; [1. LXXIII]); widely known by the end of the 4th cent. at the latest. The text, of which the Dutch philologist M. Boas made a lifelong study [1. LXXXff.], exists in version Y (or V) with 306 vv. and in a more extensive version F, with 331 vv. but altered by interpolations and recasting, aside from the Barberini recension [1. XXXVIff.]. The title of Y runs Marci Catonis ad filium libri, where F (Codex Verona cap. 163) has Dicta M. Catonis ad filium suum [1. LXVff.; 2. 30ff.], since Erasmus …

Dictamnus

(212 words)

Author(s): Hünemörder, Christian (Hamburg)
[German version] An uncommon subshrub growing in Crete, properly called Dittany in English (δίκταμνος; díktamnos or δίκταμνον; díktamnon in Aristot. Hist. an. 8(9),6,612a 3-5 and Mir. ausc. 4,830b 20-22, Theophr. Hist. pl. 9,16,1, Dioscorides 3,32 [1. 41f.] = 3,34 [2. 284ff.] and dictamnus in Verg. Aen. 12,412 and Pliny HN 25,92). It is considered to be not our native Rutacea the aromatic Burning Bush, Dictamnus albus L., the diptam or diptamnus of the Middle Ages, whose leaves have a lemon-like fragrance when rubbed, but rather the Mediterranean labiate Amaracus (Amarakos) dict…

Dictation

(4 words)

see  Copy

Dictator

(405 words)

Author(s): Gizewski, Christian (Berlin)
[German version] (from dictare, ‘to dictate’, ‘to have recorded in writing’, ‘to arrange’; other etymologies in Cic. Rep. 1,63: quia dicitur). The holder of an exceptional, emergency, comprehensive ─ yet temporary ─ appointment under the Roman Republic. An empowered civil servant, i.e. a consul or if necessary even a praetor, could name a dictator ( dictatorem dicere), theoretically on his own initiative, but in practice after consultation with the Senate and other officials. The dictator would then hold an   imperium limited to six months, free from coll…

Dictatorship

(5,325 words)

Author(s): Münkler, Herfried (Berlin RWG) | Llanque, Marcus (Berlin RWG)
Münkler, Herfried (Berlin RWG) Llanque, Marcus (Berlin RWG) [German version] A. Introduction (CT) The reception of dictatorship as an ancient political model was focused almost entirely on the Roman example. Well into the 20th cent., it was seen as a laudable republican institution, or at least as one worth considering. Dictatorship and democracy were not at all seen as conceptual opposites; on the contrary, under certain circumstances, dictatorship was seen as the enabling condition for democracy. Tyranny o…

Dicte

(106 words)

Author(s): Sonnabend, Holger (Stuttgart)
[German version] (Δίκτη; Díktē). Mountain in Crete, not identifiable with certainty. In particular Str. 10,4,12 indicates that in antiquity, D. was not in the Lassithi Hills as today, but rather designated the Modi ridge (539 m) on the eastern tip of Crete and that this was the birthplace of Zeus (cf. Dion. Hal. Ant. Rom. 2,61; Diod. Sic. 5,70,6; Ath. 9,375f.). At the Minoan town of Palaikastro there was a sanctuary of Zeus Diktaios. Sonnabend, Holger (Stuttgart) Bibliography P. Faure, Nouvelles recherches de spéléologie et de topographie crétoises, in: BCH 84, 1960, 189-220 E. Meyer,…

Dictinius

(187 words)

Author(s): Bloch, René (Berne)
[German version] Bishop of Astorga (Asturica); son of Symphosius, who was likewise bishop there. The most eminent Priscillianist writer after  Priscillianus himself; he declared his disaffection with the doctrine at the first Council of Toletanum (Toledo) in AD 400 and repudiated his own writings, whereupon he was again acknowledged. Later Innocent I defended him (Epist. 3,1ff. = PL 20,485ff.) against rigourist bishops in Baetica and Africa, protesting against the indulgence shown him by the Synod…

Dictio dotis

(219 words)

Author(s): Schiemann, Gottfried (Tübingen)
[German version] Under Roman law a unilateral promise to provide a dowry (  Dos ). Proculus (Dig. 50,16,125) gives the form of words used to make the promise: dotis filiae meae tibi erunt aurei centum (‘as dowry for my daughter you will have 100 gold pieces’). The words were said by the father or another male ancestor of the bride, or by herself, or by someone in her debt designated by her (such as a previous husband forced to return the dowry he himself had once received, following an actio rei uxoriae, a divorce). Despite its one-sided declaration the dictio dotis was considered a settlement…

Dictum

(4 words)

see  Gnome

Dictynna

(322 words)

Author(s): Auffarth, Christoph (Tübingen)
[German version] (Δίκτυννα; Díktynna). Goddess of fishing, and of the hunt, in Crete. Samians established her sanctuary in about 519 BC on the steep slope of the Tityrus (Rhodopou) peninsula of western Crete [1; 2], according to Hdt. 3,59. Her cult became widespread (Plut. Mor. 984a) as did that of the equivalent figure of Britomartis (Callim. H. 3, 189-205), aside from western Crete, at Aegina and Aphaea (Paus. 2, 30,3), in Gythium, Sparta and Laconia, Athens, Phocis, Massalia and Commagene [3; 4]…

Dictys

(316 words)

Author(s): Bloch, René (Berne)
(Δίκτυς; Díktys). [German version] [1] Son of Magnes and a Naiad Son of Magnes and a Naiad, brother or half-brother to  Polydectes (Apollod. 1,88), the king of the island of Seriphos. Other sources stress his descent from Poseidon direct or in the fourth degree (Tzetz. Lycoph. 838; Pherecydes FGrH 3 F 10f.). As a fisherman (D. = ‘netsman’) he lodges  Danae and her infant son  Perseus, who are swept onto the shore at Seriphos in a box. The story has been frequently staged [1]. In Aeschylus' satyr-play Diktyulkoi (TrGF 3 F 46-47) satyrs help D. and another fisherman to land the heav…

Dictys Cretensis

(147 words)

Author(s): Dingel, Joachim (Hamburg)
[German version] ‘Dictys of Crete’ is the fictitious author of an alleged, laboriously corroborated authentic eyewitness account of the Trojan War ( Ephemerìs toû Troikoû polémou). It not only includes a prelude that omits the judgement of Paris, but also relates the fate of the returning heroes. Only a few fragments remain of a possibly 2nd-cent. AD (?) Greek original, though we have a rendering in Latin by one L. Septimius some two cents. later. His 6 vols. are made to resemble the Commentaries of  Caesar, with echoes of the style of Sallust. The work is strongly anti-Trojan…

Didache

(448 words)

Author(s): Rist, Josef (Würzburg)
[German version] (διδαχή; didachḗ, ‘teaching’ sc. ‘of the Twelve Apostles’). The earliest Church regulations, usually attributed to the  Apostolic Fathers. Highly prized in antiquity, frequently used in other works, the Didache has been known since 1873. The most important textual witness to this influential document of early Christian communality is the 11th-cent. Codex Hierosolymitanus 54. Greek and Coptic fragments, Ethiopic and Georgian translations, as well as considerable indirect transmission, including the Apostolic …
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