Galinthiadia, a festival at Thebes, in honour of Galinthias, a daughter of Prœtus. It was celebrated before the festival of Hercules, by whose orders it was first instituted.
Galli, a nation of Europe, naturally fierce, and inclined to war. They were very superstitious, and in their sacrifices they often immolated human victims. In some places they had large statues made with twigs, which they filled with men, and reduced to ashes. They believed themselves descended from Pluto; and from that circumstance they always reckoned their time not by the days, as other nations, but by the nights. Their obsequies were splendid, and not only the most precious things, but even slaves and oxen, were burnt on the funeral pile. Children, among them, never appeared in the presence of their fathers, before they were able to bear arms in the defence of their country. Cæsar, Gallic War.—Strabo, bk. 4.—Tacitus. See: [Gallia].——The priests of Cybele, who received that name from the river Gallus, in Phrygia, where they celebrated the festivals. They mutilated themselves, before they were admitted to the priesthood, in imitation of Atys the favourite of Cybele. See: [Atys]. The chief among them was called Archigallus, who in his dress resembled a woman, and carried suspended to his neck a large collar, with two representations of the head of Atys. See: [Corybantes], [Dactyli], &c. Diodorus, bk. 4.—Ovid, Fasti, bk. 4, li. 36.—Lucan, bk. 1, li. 466.—Lucian, de Deâ Syriâ.
Gallia, a large country of Europe, called Galatia by the Greeks. The inhabitants were called Galli, Celtiberi, and Celtoscythæ, by themselves Celtæ, by the Greeks Galatæ. Ancient Gaul was divided into four different parts by the Romans, called Gallia Belgica, Narbonensis, Aquitania, and Celtica. Gallia Belgia was the largest province, bounded by Germany, Gallia Narbonensis, and the German ocean; and contained the modern country of Alsace, Lorraine, Picardy with part of the Low Countries, and of Champagne, and of the isle of France. Gallia Narbonensis, which contained the provinces now called Languedoc, Provence, Dauphinè, Savoy, was bounded by the Alps and Pyrenean mountains, by Aquitania, Belgium, and the Mediterranean. Aquitania Gallia, now called the provinces of Poitou, Santonge, Guienne, Berry, Perigord, Quercy, Limosin, Gascony, Auvergne, &c., was situate between the Garumna, the Pyrenean mountains, and the ocean. Gallia Celtica, or Lugdunensis, was bounded by Belgium, Gallia Narbonensis, the Alps, and the ocean. It contained the country at present known by the name of Lyonnais, Touraine, Franche Comté, Senenois, Switzerland, and part of Normandy. Besides these great divisions, there is often mention made of Gallia Cisalpina, or Citerior; Transalpina, or Ulterior, which refers to that part of Italy which was conquered by some of the Gauls who crossed the Alps. By Gallia Cisalpina, the Romans understood that part of Gaul which lies in Italy; and by Transalpina, that which lies beyond the Alps, in regard only to the inhabitants of Rome. Gallia Cispadana, and Transpadana, is applied to a part of Italy, conquered by some of the Gauls, and then it means the country on this side of the Po, or beyond the Po, with respect to Rome. By Gallia Togata, the Romans understood Cisalpine Gaul, where the Roman gowns, togæ, were usually worn, as the inhabitants had been admitted to the rank of citizenship at Rome. Gallia Narbonensis was called Braccata, on account of the peculiar covering of the inhabitants for their thighs. The epithet of Comata is applied to Gallia Celtica, because the people suffered their hair to grow to an uncommon length. The inhabitants were great warriors; and their valour overcame the Roman armies, took the city of Rome, and invaded Greece, in different ages. They spread themselves over the greatest part of the world. They were very superstitious in their religious ceremonies, and revered the sacerdotal order as if they had been gods. See: [Druidæ]. They long maintained a bloody war against the Romans; and Cæsar resided 10 years in their country before he could totally subdue them. Cæsar, Gallic War.—Pausanias, bk. 7, ch. 6.—Strabo, bk. 5, &c.
Gallicānus mons, a mountain of Campania.
Gallĭcus ager, was applied to the country between Picenum and Ariminum, whence the Galli Senones were banished, and which was divided among the Roman citizens. Livy, bk. 23, ch. 14; bk. 39, ch. 44.—Cicero, Against Catiline, bk. 2.—Cæsar, Civil War, bk. 1, ch. 29.——Sinus, a part of the Mediterranean on the coast of Gaul, now called the gulf of Lyons.
Galliēnus Publius Lucinius, a son of the emperor Valerian. He reigned conjointly with his father for seven years, and ascended the throne as sole emperor, A.D. 260. In his youth he showed his activity and military character, in an expedition against the Germans and Sarmatæ; but when he came to the purple, he delivered himself up to pleasure and indolence. His time was spent in the greatest debauchery; and he indulged himself in the grossest and most lascivious manner, and his palace displayed a scene, at once of effeminacy and shame, voluptuousness and immorality. He often appeared with his hair powdered with golden dust; and enjoyed tranquillity at home, while his provinces abroad were torn by civil quarrels and seditions. He heard of the loss of a rich province, and of the execution of a malefactor, with the same indifference; and when he was apprised that Egypt had revolted, he only observed, that he could live without the produce of Egypt. He was of a disposition naturally inclined to raillery and the ridicule of others. When his wife had been deceived by a jeweller, Gallienus ordered the malefactor to be placed in the circus, in expectation of being exposed to the ferocity of a lion. While the wretch trembled at the expectation of instant death, the executioner, by order of the emperor, let loose a capon upon him. An uncommon laugh was raised upon this, and the emperor observed, that he who had deceived others should expect to be deceived himself. In the midst of these ridiculous diversions, Gallienus was alarmed by the revolt of two of his officers, who had assumed the imperial purple. This intelligence roused him from his lethargy; he marched against his antagonists, and put all the rebels to the sword, without showing the least favour either to rank, sex, or age. These cruelties irritated the people and the army; emperors were elected, and no less than 30 tyrants aspired to the imperial purple. Gallienus resolved boldly to oppose his adversaries; but in the midst of his preparations he was assassinated at Milan by some of his officers, in the 50th year of his age, A.D. 268.
Gallinaria sylva, a wood near Cumæ in Italy, famous as being the retreat of robbers. Juvenal, satire 3, li. 307.
Gallipŏlis, a fortified town of the Salentines, on the Ionian sea.
Gallogræcia, a country of Asia Minor, near Bithynia and Cappadocia. It was inhabited by a colony of Gauls, who assumed the name of Gallogræci, because a number of Greeks had accompanied them in their emigration. Strabo, bk. 2.
Caius Gallōnius, a Roman knight appointed over Gades, &c.