Acrītas, a promontory of Messenia, in Peloponnesus. Pliny, bk. 4, ch. 5.—Mela, bk. 2, ch. 3.
Acroāthon, or Acrothoos, a town on the top of mount Athos, whose inhabitants lived to an uncommon old age. Mela, bk. 2, ch. 2.—Pliny, bk. 8, ch. 10.
Acroceraunium, a promontory of Epirus, with mountains called Acroceraunia, which project between the Ionian and Adriatic seas. The word comes from ἀκρος, high, and κεραυνος, thunder; because, on account of their great height, they were often struck with thunder. Lucretius, bk. 6, li. 420.—Pliny, bk. 4, ch. 1.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 3, li. 506.—Strabo, bk. 6.—Horace, bk. 1, ode 3, li. 20.
Acrocorinthus, a lofty mountain on the isthmus of Corinth, taken by Aratus, B.C. 243. There is a temple of Venus on the top, and Corinth is built at the bottom. Strabo, bk. 8.—Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 4.—Plutarch, Aratus.—Statius, Thebiad, bk. 7, li. 106.
Acron, a king of Cenina, killed by Romulus in single combat, after the rape of the Sabines. His spoils were dedicated to Jupiter Feretrius. Plutarch, Romulus.——A physician of Agrigentum, B.C. 430, educated at Athens with Empedocles. He wrote physical treatises in the Doric dialect, and cured the Athenians of a plague by lighting a fire near the houses of the infected. Pliny, bk. 29, ch. 1.—Plutarch, De Iside et Osiride.——One of the friends of Æneas, killed by Mezentius. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 10, li. 719.
Acropātos, one of Alexander’s officers, who obtained part of Media after the king’s death. Justin, bk. 13, ch. 4.
Acropŏlis, the citadel of Athens, built on a rock, and accessible only on one side. Minerva had a temple at the bottom. Pausanias, Atticus.
Acrotătus, son of Cleomenes king of Sparta, died before his father, leaving a son called Areus. Pausanias, bk. 1, ch. 13; bk. 3, ch. 6.——A son of Areus, who was greatly loved by Chelidonis wife of Cleonymus. This amour displeased her husband, who called Pyrrhus the Epirot to avenge his wrongs. When Sparta was besieged by Pyrrhus, Acrotatus was seen bravely fighting in the middle of the enemy, and commended by the multitude, who congratulated Chelidonis on being mistress to such a warlike lover. Plutarch, Pyrrhus.
Acrothoos. See: [Acroathon].
Acta, or Acte, a country of Attica. This word signifies shore, and is applied to Attica, as being near the sea. It is derived by some writers from Actæus, a king, from whom the Athenians have been called Actæi. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 1, li. 312.—Virgil, Eclogues, poem 2, li. 23.