Athenodōrus, a philosopher of Tarsus, intimate with Augustus. The emperor often profited by his lessons, and was advised by him always to repeat the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet before he gave way to the impulse of anger. Athenodorus died in his 82nd year, much lamented by his countrymen. Suetonius.——A poet who wrote comedy, tragedy, and elegy, in the age of Alexander. Plutarch, Alexander.——A stoic philosopher of Cana, near Tarsus, in the age of Augustus. He was intimate with Strabo. Strabo, bk. 14.——A philosopher, disciple to Zeno, and keeper of the royal library at Pergamus.——A marble sculptor.——A man assassinated at Bactra for making himself absolute.
Atheos, a surname of Diagoras and Theodorus, because they denied the existence of a deity. Cicero, de Natura Deorum, bk. 1, ch. 1.
Athĕsis, now Adige, a river of Cisalpine Gaul, near the Po, falling into the Adriatic sea. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 9, li. 680.
Athos, a mountain of Macedonia, 150 miles in circumference, projecting into the Ægean sea like a promontory. It is so high that it overshadows the island of Lemnos, though at the distance of 87 miles; or, according to modern calculation, only 8 leagues. When Xerxes invaded Greece, he made a trench of a mile and a half in length at the foot of the mountain, into which he brought the sea water, and conveyed his fleet over it, so that two ships could pass one another, thus desirous either to avoid the danger of sailing round the promontory, or to show his vanity and the extent of his power. A sculptor, called Dinocrates, offered Alexander to cut mount Athos, and to make with it a statue of the king holding a town in his left hand, and in the right a spacious basin to receive all the waters which flowed from it. Alexander greatly admired the plan, but objected to the place; and he observed, that the neighbouring country was not sufficiently fruitful to produce corn and provisions for the inhabitants which were to dwell in the city, in the hand of the statue. Athos is now called Monte Santo, famous for monasteries, said to contain some ancient and valuable manuscripts. Herodotus, bk. 6, ch. 44; bk. 7, ch. 21, &c.—Lucan, bk. 2, li. 672.—Ælian, de Natura Animalium, bk. 13, ch. 20, &c.—Pliny, bk. 4, ch. 10.—Aeschines, Against Ctesiphon.
Athrulla, a town of Arabia. Strabo.
Athymbra, a city of Caria, afterwards called Nyssa. Strabo, bk. 14.
Atia, a city of Campania.——A law enacted A.U.C. 690 by Titus Atius Labienus, the tribune of the people. It abolished the Cornelian law, and put in full force the Lex Domitia, by transferring the right of electing priests from the college of priests to the people.——The mother of Augustus. See: [Accia].
Atilia lex, gave the pretor and a majority of the tribunes power of appointing guardians to those minors who were not previously provided for by their parents. It was enacted about A.U.C. 560.——Another, A.U.C. 443, which gave the people power of electing 20 tribunes of the soldiers in four legions. Livy, bk. 9, ch. 30.
Atilius, a freedman, who exhibited combats of gladiators at Fidenæ. The amphitheatre, which contained the spectators, fell during the exhibition, and about 50,000 persons were killed or mutilated. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 4, ch. 62.
Atilla, the mother of the poet Lucan. She was accused of conspiracy by her son, who expected to clear himself of the charge. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 15, ch. 56.