Epantelii, a people of Italy.
Epaphrodītus, a freedman punished with death for assisting Nero to destroy himself. Suetonius, Nero.——A freedman of Augustus, sent as a spy to Cleopatra. Plutarch.——A name assumed by Sylla.
Epăphus, a son of Jupiter and Io, who founded a city in Egypt, which he called Memphis, in honour of his wife, who was the daughter of the Nile. He had a daughter called Libya, who became mother of Ægyptus and Danaus by Neptune. He was worshipped as a god at Memphis. Herodotus, bk. 2, ch. 153.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 1, li. 699, &c.
Epasnactus, a Gaul in alliance with Rome, &c. Cæsar, Gallic War, bk. 8, ch. 44.
Epebŏlus, a soothsayer of Messenia, who prevented Aristodemus from obtaining the sovereignty. Pausanias, bk. 4, ch. 9, &c.
Epēi and Elēi, a people of Peloponnesus. Pliny, bk. 4, ch. 5.
Epetium, now Viscio, a town of Illyricum.
Epēus, a son of Endymion, brother to Pæon, who reigned in a part of Peloponnesus. His subjects were called from him Epei. Pausanias, bk. 5, ch. 1.——A son of Panopeus, who was the fabricator of the famous wooden horse, which proved the ruin of Troy. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 2, li. 264.—Justin, bk. 20, ch. 2.—Pausanias, bk. 10, ch. 26.
Ephĕsus, a city of Ionia, built, as Justin mentions, by the Amazons; or by Androchus son of Codrus, according to Strabo; or by Ephesus, a son of the river Cayster. It is famous for a temple of Diana, which was reckoned one of the seven wonders of the world. This temple was 425 feet long and 200 feet broad. The roof was supported by 127 columns, 60 feet high, which had been placed there by so many kings. Of these columns, 36 were carved in the most beautiful manner, one of which was the work of the famous Scopas. This celebrated building was not totally completed till 220 years after its foundation. Ctesiphon was the chief architect. There was above the entrance a huge stone, which, according to Pliny, had been placed there by Diana herself. The riches which were in the temple were immense, and the goddess who presided over it was worshipped with the most awful solemnity. This celebrated temple was burnt on the night that Alexander was born [See: [Erostratus]], and soon after it rose from its ruins with more splendour and magnificence. Alexander offered to rebuild it at his own expense, if the Ephesians would place upon it an inscription which denoted the name of the benefactor. This generous offer was refused by the Ephesians, who observed, in the language of adulation, that it was improper that one deity should raise temples to the other. Lysimachus ordered the town of Ephesus to be called Arsinoe, in honour of his wife; but after his death the new appellation was lost, and the town was again known by its ancient name. Though modern authors are not agreed about the ancient ruins of this once famed city, some have given the barbarous name of Ajasalouc to what they conjecture to be the remains of Ephesus. The words literæ Ephesiæ are applied to letters containing magical powers. Pliny, bk. 36, ch. 14.—Strabo, bks. 12 & 14.—Mela, bk. 1, ch. 17.—Pausanias, bk. 7, ch. 2.—Plutarch, Alexander.—Justin, bk. 2, ch. 4.—Callimachus, Hymn to Artemis.—Ptolemy, bk. 5.—Cicero, de Natura Deorum, bk. 2.
Ephĕtæ, a number of magistrates at Athens, first instituted by Demophoon the son of Theseus. They were reduced to the number of 51 by Draco, who, according to some, first established them. They were superior to the Areopagites, and their privileges were great and numerous. Solon, however, lessened their power, and entrusted them only with the trial of manslaughter and conspiracy against the life of a citizen. They were all more than 50 years old, and it was required that their manners should be pure and innocent, and their behaviour austere and full of gravity.