Agathias, a Greek historian of Æolia.——A poet and historian in the age of Justinian, of whose reign he published the history in five books. Several of his epigrams are found in the Anthologia. His history is a sequel of that of Procopius. The best edition is that of Paris, folio, 1660.
Agătho, a Samian historian, who wrote an account of Scythia.——A tragic poet, who flourished 406 B.C. The name of some of his tragedies are preserved, such as Telephus, Thyestes, &c.——A comic poet who lived in the same age. Plutarch, Parallela minora.——A son of Priam. Homer, Iliad, bk. 24.——A governor of Babylon. Curtius, bk. 5, ch. 1.——A Pythagorean philosopher. Ælian, Varia Historia, bk. 13, ch. 4.——A learned and melodious musician, who first introduced songs in tragedy. Aristotle, Poetics.——A youth of Athens, loved by Plato. Diogenes Laërtius, bk. 3, ch. 32.
Agathŏclēa, a beautiful courtesan of Egypt. One of the Ptolemies destroyed his wife Eurydice to marry her. She, with her brother, long governed the kingdom, and attempted to murder the king’s son. Plutarch, Cleomenes.—Justin, bk. 30, ch. 1.
Agathŏcles, a lascivious and ignoble youth, son of a potter, who, by entering in the Sicilian army, arrived to the greatest honours, and made himself master of Syracuse. He reduced all Sicily under his power, but being defeated at Himera by the Carthaginians, he carried the war into Africa, where, for four years, he extended his conquests over his enemies. He afterwards passed into Italy, and made himself master of Crotona. He died in his 72nd year, B.C. 289, after a reign of 28 years of mingled prosperity and adversity. Plutarch, Apophthegmata Laconica.—Justin, bks. 22 & 23.—Polybius, bk. 15.—Diodorus, bk. 18, &c.——A son of Lysimachus, taken prisoner by the Getæ. He was ransomed, and married Lysandra daughter of Ptolemy Lagus. His father, in his old age, married Arsinoe the sister of Lysandra. After her husband’s death, Arsinoe, fearful for her children, attempted to murder Agathocles. Some say that she fell in love with him, and killed him because he slighted her. When Agathocles was dead, 283 B.C., Lysandra fled to Seleucus. Strabo, bk. 13.—Plutarch, Pyrrhus & Demetrius.—Pausanias, bk. 1, chs. 9 & 10.——A Grecian historian of Babylon, who wrote an account of Cyzicus. Cicero, de Divinatione, bk. 1, ch. 24.——A Chian who wrote on husbandry. Varro.——A Samian writer.——A physician.——An Athenian archon.
Agăthon. See: [Agatho].
Agathonȳmus, wrote a history of Persia. Plutarch, de Fluviis.
Agathosthĕnes, a poet, &c.
Agathyllus, an elegiac poet of Arcadia. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, bk. 1.
Agathynum, a town of Sicily.
Agathyrsi, an effeminate nation of Scythia, who had their wives in common. They received their name from Agathyrsus son of Hercules. Herodotus, bk. 4, ch. 10.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 4, li. 146.