Belus, one of the most ancient kings of Babylon, about 1800 years before the age of Semiramis, was made a god after death, and worshipped with much ceremony by the Assyrians and Babylonians. He was supposed to be the son of the Osiris of the Egyptians. The temple of Belus was the most ancient and most magnificent in the world. It was originally the tower of Babel, which was converted into a temple. It had lofty towers, and it was enriched by all the succeeding monarchs till the age of Xerxes, who, after his unfortunate expedition against Greece, plundered and demolished it. Among the riches it contained, were many statues of massive gold, one of which was 40 feet high. In the highest of the towers was a magnificent bed, where the priests daily conducted a woman, who, as they said, was honoured with the company of the god. Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, bk. 10.—Herodotus, bk. 1, ch. 181, &c.—Strabo, bk. 16.—Arrian, bk. 7.—Diodorus, bk. 1, &c.——A king of Egypt, son of Epaphus and Libya, and father of Agenor.——Another, son of Phœnix the son of Agenor, who reigned in Phœnicia.——A river of Syria, where the making of glass was first invented. Pliny, bk. 5, ch. 19.
Benācus, a lake of Italy, now Lago di Garda, from which the Mincius flows into the Po. Virgil, Georgics, bk. 2, li. 160; Æneid, bk. 10, li. 205.
Bendidium, a temple of Diana Bendis. Livy, bk. 38, ch. 41.
Bendis, a name of Diana among the Thracians and their northern neighbours. Strabo, bk. 9. Her festivals, called Bendidia, were introduced from Thrace into Athens.
Beneventum, a town of the Hirpini, built by Diomedes, 28 miles from Capua. Its original name was Maleventum, changed into the more auspicious word of Beneventum, when the Romans had a colony there. It abounds in remains of ancient sculpture above any other town in Italy. Pliny, bk. 3, ch. 11.
Benthesicyme, a daughter of Neptune the nurse of Eumolpus. Apollodorus, bk. 3, ch. 15.
Bepolitānus, a youth whose life was saved by the delay of the executioner, who wished not to stain the youth’s fine clothes with blood. Plutarch, Mulierum virtutes.
Berbicæ, a nation who destroyed their relations when arrived at a certain age. Ælian, Varia Historia, bk. 4, ch. 1.
Beræa, a town of Syria, 90 miles from the sea, and 100 from the Euphrates, now called Aleppo.
Berecynthia, a surname of Cybele, from mount Berecynthus in Phrygia, where she was particularly worshipped. She has been celebrated in a poem by Catullus. Diodorus, bk. 5.—Statius, Thebiad, bk. 4, li. 782.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 9, li. 82.