Alcăthous, a son of Pelops, who, being suspected of murdering his brother Chrysippus, came to Megara, where he killed a lion which had destroyed the king’s son. He succeeded to the kingdom of Megara, and in commemoration of his services, festivals, called Alcathoia, were instituted at Megara. Pausanias, bk. 1, ch. 41, &c.——A Trojan, who married Hippodamia daughter of Anchises. He was killed in the Trojan war by Idomeneus. Homer, Iliad, bk. 12, li. 93.——A son of Parthaon, killed by Tydeus. Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 7, &c.——A friend of Æneas, killed in the Rutulian war. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 10, li. 747.
Alce, one of Actæon’s dogs. Ovid.——A town of Spain which surrendered to Gracchus, now Alcazar, a little above Toledo. Livy, bk. 40, ch. 47.
Alcēnor, an Argive, who, along with Chromius, survived the battle between 300 of his countrymen and 300 Lacedæmonians. Herodotus, bk. 1, ch. 82.
Alceste, or Alcestis, daughter of Pelias and Anaxibia, married Admetus. She, with her sisters, put to death her father, that he might be restored to youth and vigour by Medea, who, however, refused to perform her promise. Upon this the sisters fled to Admetus, who married Alceste. They were soon pursued by an army headed by their brother Acastus; and Admetus, being taken prisoner, was redeemed from death by the generous offer of his wife, who was sacrificed in his stead to appease the shades of her father. Some say that Alceste, with an unusual display of conjugal affection, laid down her life for her husband, when she had been told by an oracle that he could never recover from a disease, except some one of his friends died in his stead. According to some authors, Hercules brought her back from hell. She had many suitors while she lived with her father. See: [Admetus]. Juvenal, satire 6, li. 651.—Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 9.—Pausanias, bk. 5, ch. 17.—Hyginus, fable 251.—Euripides, Alcestis.
Alcĕtas, a king of the Molossi, descended from Pyrrhus the son of Achilles. Pausanias, bk. 1, ch. 11.——A general of Alexander’s army, brother to Perdiccas.——The eighth king of Macedonia, who reigned 29 years.——An historian, who wrote an account of everything that had been dedicated in the temple of Delphi. Athenæus.——A son of Arybas king of Epirus. Pausanias, bk. 1, ch. 11.
Alchĭdas, a Rhodian, who became enamoured of a naked Cupid of Praxiteles. Pliny, bk. 36, ch. 5.
Alchimăchus, a celebrated painter. Pliny, bk. 35, ch. 11.
Alcibiădes, an Athenian general famous for his enterprising spirit, versatile genius, and natural foibles. He was disciple to Socrates, whose lessons and example checked for a while his vicious propensities. In the Peloponnesian war he encouraged the Athenians to make an expedition against Syracuse. He was chosen general in that war, and in his absence his enemies accused him of impiety, and confiscated his goods. Upon this he fled, and stirred up the Spartans to make war against Athens, and when this did not succeed he retired to Tissaphernes, the Persian general. Being recalled by the Athenians, he obliged the Lacedæmonians to sue for peace; made several conquests in Asia, and was received in triumph at Athens. His popularity was of short duration; the failure of an expedition against Cyme exposed him again to the resentment of the people, and he fled to Pharnabazus, whom he almost induced to make war upon Lacedæmon. This was told to Lysander the Spartan general, who prevailed upon Pharnabazus to murder Alcibiades. Two servants were sent for that purpose, and they set on fire the cottage where he was, and killed him with darts as he attempted to make his escape. He died in the 46th year of his age, 404 B.C., after a life of perpetual difficulties. If the fickleness of his countrymen had known how to retain among them the talents of a man who distinguished himself, and was admired wherever he went, they might have risen to greater splendour, and to the sovereignty of Greece. His character has been cleared from the aspersions of malevolence, by the writings of Thucydides, Timæus, and Theopompus; and he is known to us as a hero, who, to the principles of the debauchee, added the intelligence and sagacity of the statesman, the cool intrepidity of the general, and the humanity of the philosopher. Plutarch & Cornelius Nepos, Alcibiades.—Thucydides, bks. 5, 6, & 7.—Xenophon, Hellenica, bk. 1, &c.—Diodorus, bk. 12.
Alcidămas, of Cos, was father to Ctesilla, who was changed into a dove. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 7, fable 12.——A celebrated wrestler. Statius, Thebiad, bk. 10, li. 500.——A philosopher and orator, who wrote a treatise on death. He was pupil to Gorgias, and flourished B.C. 424. Quintilian, bk. 3, ch. 1.
Alcidamēa, was mother of Bunus by Mercury.