Asōpis, the daughter of the Asopus.——A daughter of Thespius mother of Mentor. Apollodorus, bk. 2, ch. 7.
Asōpus, a river of Thessaly, falling into the bay of Malta at the north of Thermopylæ. Strabo, bk. 8.——A river of Bœotia, rising near Platæa, and flowing into the Euripus, after it has separated the country of the Thebans and Platæans. Pausanias, bk. 9, ch. 4.——A river of Asia, flowing into the Lycus, near Laodicea.——A river of Peloponnesus, passing by Sicyon.——Another of Macedonia, flowing near Heraclea. Strabo, &c.——A river of Phœnicia.——A son of Neptune, who gave his name to a river of Peloponnesus. Three of his daughters are particularly celebrated, Ægina, Salamis, and Ismene. Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 9; bk. 3, ch. 12.—Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 12.
Aspa, a town of Parthia, now Ispahan, the capital of the Persian empire.
Aspamithres, a favourite eunuch of Xerxes, who conspired with Artabanus to destroy the king and the royal family, &c. Ctesias.
Asparagium, a town near Dyrrhachium. Cæsar, Civil War, bk. 3, ch. 30.
Aspăsia, a daughter of Hermotimus of Phocæa, famous for her personal charms and elegance. She was priestess of the sun, mistress to Cyrus, and afterwards to his brother Artaxerxes, from whom she passed to Darius. She was called Milto, vermilion, on account of the beauty of her complexion. Ælian, Varia Historia, bk. 12, ch. 1.—Plutarch, Artaxerxes.——Another woman, daughter of Axiochus, born at Miletus. She came to Athens, where she taught eloquence, and Socrates was proud to be among her scholars. She so captivated Pericles, by her mental and personal accomplishments, that he became her pupil, and at last took her for his mistress and wife. He was so fond of her, that he made war against Samos at her instigation. The behaviour of Pericles towards Aspasia greatly corrupted the morals of the Athenians, and introduced dissipation and lasciviousness into the state. She, however, possessed the merit of a superior excellence in mind as well as person, and her instructions helped to form the greatest and most eloquent orators of Greece. Some have confounded the mistress of Pericles with Aspasia the daughter of Hermotimus. Plutarch, Pericles.—Quintilian, bk. 11.——The wife of Xenophon was also called Aspasia, if we follow the improper interpretation given by some to Cicero, de Inventione, bk. 1, ch. 31.
Aspasius, a peripatetic philosopher in the second century, whose commentaries on different subjects were highly valued.——A sophist, who wrote a panegyric on Adrian.
Aspastes, a satrap of Carmania, suspected of infidelity to his trust while Alexander was in the east. Curtius, bk. 9, ch. 20.
Aspathīnes, one of the seven noblemen of Persia who conspired against the usurper Smerdis. Herodotus, bk. 5, ch. 70, &c.——A son of Prexaspes. Herodotus, bk. 7.
Aspendus, a town of Pamphylia, at the mouth of the river Eurymedon. Cicero, Against Verres, bk. 1, ch. 20. The inhabitants sacrificed swine to Venus.