Thearius, a surname of Apollo at Trœzene. Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 51.
Theatetes, a Greek epigrammatist.
Theba, or Thebe, a town of Cilicia. See: [Thebæ].
Thebæ (arum), a celebrated city, the capital of Bœotia, situate on the banks of the river Ismenus. The manner of its foundation is not precisely known. Cadmus is supposed to have first begun to found it by building the citadel Cadmea. It was afterwards finished by Amphion and Zethus; but, according to Varro, it owed its origin to Ogyges. The government of Thebes was monarchical, and many of the sovereigns are celebrated for their misfortunes, such as Laius, Œdipus, Polynices, Eteocles, &c. The war which Thebes supported against the Argives, is famous as well as that of the Epigoni. The Thebans were looked upon as an indolent and sluggish nation, and the words of Theban pig, became proverbial to express a man remarkable for stupidity and inattention. This, however, was not literally true; under Epaminondas, the Thebans, though before dependent, became masters of Greece, and everything was done according to their will and pleasure. When Alexander invaded Greece, he ordered Thebes to be totally demolished, because it had revolted against him, except the house where the poet Pindar had been born and educated. In this dreadful period 6000 of its inhabitants were slain, and 30,000 sold for slaves. Thebes was afterwards repaired by Cassander the son of Antipater, but it never rose to its original consequence, and Strabo, in his age, mentions it merely as an inconsiderable village. The monarchical government was abolished there at the death of Xanthus, about 1190 years before Christ, and Thebes became a republic. It received its name from Thebe the daughter of Asopus, to whom the founder Amphion was nearly related. Apollodorus, bk. 2, ch. 4, &c.—Mela, bk. 2, ch. 3.—Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 6; bk. 9, ch. 5.—Strabo, bk. 9.—Plutarch, Pelopidas, Pelopidas, & Alexander.—Cornelius Nepos, Pelopidas, Epaminondas, &c.—Horace, Art of Poetry, li. 394.—Ovid, Metamorphoses.——A town at the south of Troas, built by Hercules, and also called Placia and Hypoplacia. It fell into the hands of the Cilicians, who occupied it during the Trojan war. Curtius, bk. 3, ch. 4.—Livy, bk. 37, ch. 19.—Strabo, bk. 11.——An ancient celebrated city of Thebais in Egypt, called also Hecatompylos, on account of its 100 gates, and Diospolis, as being sacred to Jupiter. In the time of its splendour, it extended above 23 miles, and upon any emergency could send into the field, by each of its 100 gates, 20,000 fighting men and 200 chariots. Thebes was ruined by Cambyses king of Persia, and few traces of it were seen in the age of Juvenal. Pliny, bk. 5, ch. 9.—Juvenal, satire bk. 15, li. 16.—Tacitus, Annals, bk. 2.—Herodotus, bks. 2 & 3.—Diodorus, bk. 2.—Homer, Iliad, bk. 9, li. 381.—Strabo, bk. 17.—Mela, bk. 1, ch. 9.——A town of Africa, built by Bacchus.——Another in Thessaly. Livy, bk. 28, ch. 7.——Another in Phthiotis.
Thebais, a country in the southern parts of Egypt, of which Thebes was the capital.——There have been some poems which have borne the name of Thebais, but of these the only one extant is the Thebais of Statius. It gives an account of the war of the Thebans against the Argives, in consequence of the dissension of Eteocles with his brother Polynices. The poet was 12 years in composing it.——A river of Lydia.——A name given to a native of Thebes.
Thebe, a daughter of the Asopus, who married Zethus. Apollodorus, bk. 3, ch. 5.—Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 5.——The wife of Alexander tyrant of Pheræ. She was persuaded by Pelopidas to murder her husband.
Theia, a goddess. See: [Thea].
Theias, a son of Belus, who had an incestuous intercourse with his daughter Smyrna.
Thelephassa, the second wife of Agenor, called also Telaphassa.
Thelpūsa, a nymph of Arcadia. See: [♦][Telphusa].