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[1] of Syracuse C. 287-232 BC [German version] A. Life A. was born in 287 BC in Syracuse, son of the astronomer Phidias. He was friends with King Hieron II, and later with his son Gelon. A. probably spent some time in Alexandria; he later sent on his writings to the mathematicians (Conon, Dositheus, Eratosthenes) who were working there. In Syracuse, A. studied problems of mathematical and physical theory, but also their practical applications; the machines and physical apparatus which he built (e.g. the s…

[German version] Epigram poet in the early 1st cent. AD (cf. Anth. Pal. 7,391 on the death of Germanicus in AD 19), born perhaps in Smyrna (according to the lemma of Anth. Pal. 11,72; the poem's authorship is, however, not certain). At least nine poems by B. are extant from the ‘Garland’ of Philippus (with the addition of several incerta, cf. Anth. Pal. 9,30 as well), all of which rather mediocre, most of them either epideictic (9,236 is a panegyrical poem about imperial Rome, ‘the home of the entire universe’) or funeral epigrams (7,372 = GVI 1580 is possibly an actual inscription). Degani, Enz…

(Ἐπίγονος; Epígonos). [German version] [1] Sculptor in Pergamum Sculptor in Pergamum, who participated in building the victory monuments for the Attalids according to Pliny. Signatures are preserved on the following bases for Attalus I (241-197 BC): the so-called ‘Small Battle Bathron’ of the strategos Epigenes [2]; round base of the so-called ‘Great Anathema’ ( c. 228 BC; the attribution of the ‘Ludovisi Gaul’ remains in dispute); the so-called ‘Great Bathron’ ( c. 223 BC) with the ‘Dying Trumpeter’, which is documented in writing and was recognized in a copy on t…

(Ἆγις; Âgis). [German version] [1] I, eponymous hero of the  Agiads A. I, eponymous hero of the  Agiads, son of Eurysthenes and father of Echestratus, according to another version father of the legendary lawgiver Lycurgus (Hdt. 7,204; Paus. 3,2,1). The institution of the perioikia and of the  Helots by him (Ephorus, FGrH 70 F 117) is historical fiction. Welwei, Karl-Wilhelm (Bochum) [German version] [2] II, Spartan king (427-400 BC) A. II, Eurypontid, Spartan king 427/26-400 BC, son of Archidamus [1] II and stepbrother of Agesilaus [2] II, in 426 and 425 led troo…

(Βόηθος; Bóēthos). I. Political figures [German version] [1] Ptolemaean civil servant, 136/5 BC Son of Nicostratus from Caria; in the service of the Ptolemies well before 149 BC, he occupied various administrative positions before becoming epistrategos of Thebes. Founded two cities in Lower Nubia. Ameling, Walter (Jena) Bibliography K. Vandorpe, Der früheste Beleg eines Strategen der Thebais als Epistrategen, in: ZPE 73, 1988, 47-50. II. Philosophers and writers [German version] [2] Of Sidon Stoic Philosopher, 2nd cent. BC Stoic philosopher of the 2nd cent. BC; he wrote…

[German version] Epigrammatic poet from the time of Justinian (Anth. Plan. 39 and 314 celebrate the merits of Flavius Longinus, ὕπαρχος in Byzantium in the years 537-539 and 542), writer of seven mannered poems, which probably derive from the ‘Cycle’ of Agathias and which are to a great extent virtuoso descriptions of works of art (the locus amoenus Anth. Pal. 9,667 may relate to the park near Justinian's Ἡραῖον, cf. Paulus Silentiarius, Anth. Pal 9,663 f. and Agathias, Anth. Pal. 9,665). Degani, Enzo (Bologna) Bibliography Av. und A. Cameron, The Cycle of Agathias, in: JHS 86, 1…

[German version] Epigrammatic poet from Rhodes, from whom two colourless epitymbia (Anth. Pal. 7,189; 473) have come down to us, which in all probability derive from the ‘Garland’ of Meleager. In connection with  Anyte (in this way the improbable Ἀνύτης of Planudes is explained), the first poem refers to a cricket. There is no proof that this unknown poet is the A. who is mentioned in the anonymous arithmetical epigram 14,2,6. Degani, Enzo (Bologna) Bibliography GA I 1,42; 2, 107-109.

(Ἀλκαῖος; Alkaîos). The suggestive mythological name ( alkḗ, ‘strength’) is connected with Hercules. [German version] [1] Grandfather of Hercules Grandfather of Hercules, son of Perseus and Andromeda, husband of Astydameia, the daughter of Pelops, father of Amphitryon and Anaxo (Hes. Sc. 26; Schol. Eur. Hec. 886). Also the form of the name Alceus appears to be attested, which is more compatible with the patronymic Alcides. Graf, Fritz (Columbus, OH) [German version] [2] Original name of Hercules Original name of Hercules, altered at the command of the Delphic Oracle (Di…

[German version] [1] A. I, AD 491-518 Byzantine emperor A. I, AD 491-518 Byzantine emperor, born c. 431 in Dyrrachion, decurio of the Silentiarii under emperor Zeno the Isaurian, after whose death the widowed empress Ariadne pushed through A.'s selection and took him as her spouse. Ariadne also banned Longinus, the brother of Zeno; he had been regarded as the successor to Zeno. A revolt of the Isaurians which broke out as a consequence of this, was finally put down by A. only in 498. There was a revolt of the people of Constantinople in 512 caused by the preference of the empero…

[German version] Author of an epitymbion to Hector, who was for Troy ‘a stronger bulwark than the wall erected by the gods’ and at whose death ‘Meonides’ himself felt he had to close the Iliad (Anth. Pal. 7,138). There is no writer or grammarian known by this name but the theme and style of the epigram are suggestive of the ‘Garland’ of Philippus: the obscure epithet ‘Meonides’ was favoured by writers of epigrams in the 1st cent. and it can be no coincidence that the extremely rare adjective θειόδομος -- to describe the Trojan wall -- is elsewhere to be found only in Alpheius, Anth. Pal. 9,104,4. Deg…

[German version] (or C. Longus). Author of two mediocre epigrams: the dedication, written after a Leonidian model (Anth. Pal. 6.300), of a few modest gifts by a farmer to Aphrodite (6.191) and the description of a painting (Anth. Plan. 117). Nothing is known about the poet, who may have been a contemporary of Gaetulicus (1st half of 1st cent. AD). Degani, Enzo (Bologna) Bibliography FGE 67-70.

(Ἀβλάβιος; Ablábios). [German version] [1] Flavius A., 4th cent. AD Flavius A. was one of the most influential officials under  Constantinus the Great. He came from Crete (Lib. Or. 42,23); the child of poor non-Christians (Eun. Vit. Soph. 6,3,1-7); later converted to Christianity (Athan. Epist. Fest. 5). In AD 324/326 he was vicarius of Asia (CIL III 352), 329-337 praef. praet. Orientis, 331 cos. ord. It is said to have been on his instigation that the pagan philosopher  Sopater was executed by Constantine (Eun. Vit. Soph. 6,2,12; 3,7,13; Zos. 2,40,3). He was possibly still in office as pra…

[German version] I. Greek Epigrammatic poet Epigrammatic poet; although it is not possible to be certain, because the name is fairly common, A. is usually equated with the Macedonian C. Antistius Vetus, who in AD 11 was sent into exile because of treason (Tac. Ann. 3,38), or with the praetor A. Sosianus, who suffered the same destiny in AD 62 (Reason: factitatis in Neronem carminibus probrosiis... Tac. Ann. 14,48; 16,14; 21; cf. Hist. 4,44). His four epigrams, which derive from the ‘Garland’ of Philippus are balanced, elegant variations of traditional motives…