Leo, a native of Byzantium, who flourished 350 years before the christian era. His philosophical and political talents endeared him to his countrymen, and he was always sent upon every important occasion as ambassador to Athens, or to the court of Philip king of Macedonia. This monarch, well acquainted with the abilities of Leo, was sensible that his views and claims to Byzantium would never succeed while it was protected by the vigilance of such a patriotic citizen. To remove him he had recourse to artifice and perfidy. A letter was forged, in which Leo made solemn promises of betraying his country to the king of Macedonia for money. This was no sooner known than the people ran enraged to the house of Leo, and the philosopher, to avoid their fury, and without attempting his justification, strangled himself. He had written some treatises upon physic, and also the history of his country, and the wars of Philip in seven books, which have been lost. Plutarch.——A Corinthian at Syracuse, &c.——A king of Sparta.——A son of Eurycrates. Athenæus, bk. 12.—Philostratus.——An emperor of the east, surnamed the Thracian. He reigned 17 years, and died A.D. 474, being succeeded by Leo II. for 10 months, and afterwards by Zeno.
Leocorion, a monument and temple erected by the Athenians to Pasithea, Theope, and Eubele, daughters of Leos, who immolated themselves when an oracle had ordered that, to stop the raging pestilence, some of the blood of the citizens must be shed. Ælian, bk. 12, ch. 28.—Cicero, de Natura Deorum, bk. 3, ch. 19.
Leocrătes, an Athenian general, who flourished B.C. 460, &c. Diodorus, bk. 11.
Leodămas, a son of Eteocles, one of the seven Theban chiefs who defended the city against the Argives. He killed Ægialeus, and was himself killed by Alcmæon.——A son of Hector and Andromache. Dictys Cretensis.
Leodŏcus, one of the Argonauts. Flaccus.
Leogŏras, an Athenian debauchee, who maintained the courtesan Myrrhina.
Leon, a king of Sparta. Herodotus, bk. 7, ch. 204.——A town of Sicily, near Syracuse. Livy, bk. 24, ch. 25.
Leona, a courtesan, called also Læna. See: [Læna].
Leonătus, one of Alexander’s generals. His father’s name was Eunus. He distinguished himself in Alexander’s conquest of Asia, and once saved the king’s life in a dangerous battle. After the death of Alexander, at the general division of the provinces, he received for his portion that part of Phrygia which borders on the Hellespont. He was empowered by Perdiccas to assist Eumenes in making himself master of the province of Cappadocia, which had been allotted to him. Like the rest of the generals of Alexander, he was ambitious of power and dominion. He aspired to the sovereignty of Macedonia, and secretly communicated to Eumenes the different plans he meant to pursue to execute his designs. He passed from Asia into Europe to assist Antipater against the Athenians, and was killed in a battle which was fought soon after his arrival. Historians have mentioned, as an instance of the luxury of Leonatus, that he employed a number of camels to procure some earth from Egypt to wrestle upon, as, in his opinion, it seemed better calculated for that purpose. Plutarch, Alexander.—Curtius, bk. 3, ch. 12; bk. 6, ch. 8.—Justin, bk. 13, ch. 2.—Diodorus, bk. 18.—Cornelius Nepos, Eumenes.——A Macedonian with Pyrrhus in Italy against the Romans.
Leonĭdas, a celebrated king of Lacedæmon, of the family of the Eurysthenidæ, sent by his countrymen to oppose Xerxes king of Persia, who had invaded Greece with about five millions of souls. He was offered the kingdom of Greece by the enemy, if he would not oppose his views; but Leonidas heard the proposal with indignation, and observed, that he preferred death for his country, to an unjust though extensive dominion over it. Before the engagement Leonidas exhorted his soldiers, and told them all to dine heartily, as they were to sup in the realms of Pluto. The battle was fought at Thermopylæ, and the 300 Spartans who alone had refused to abandon the scene of action, withstood the enemy with such vigour, that they were obliged to retire wearied and conquered during three successive days, till Ephialtes, a Trachinian, had the perfidy to conduct a detachment of Persians by a secret path up the mountains, whence they suddenly fell upon the rear of the Spartans, and crushed them to pieces. Only one escaped of the 300; he returned home, where he was treated with insult and reproaches, for flying ingloriously from a battle in which his brave companions, with their royal leader, had perished. This celebrated battle, which happened 480 years before the christian era, taught the Greeks to despise the number of the Persians, and to rely upon their own strength, and intrepidity. Temples were raised to the fallen hero, and festivals, called Leonidea, yearly celebrated at Sparta, in which free-born youths contended. Leonidas, as he departed for the battle from Lacedæmon, gave no other injunction to his wife but, after his death, to marry a man of virtue and honour, to raise from her children deserving of the name and greatness of her first husband. Herodotus, bk. 7, ch. 120, &c.—Cornelius Nepos, Themistocles.—Justin, bk. 2.—Valerius Maximus, bk. 1, ch. 6.—Pausanias, bk. 3, ch. 4.—Plutarch, Lycurgus & Cleomenes.——A king of Sparta after Areus II., [♦]257 years before Christ. He was driven from his kingdom by Cleombrotus his son-in-law, and afterwards re-established.——A preceptor to Alexander the Great.——A friend of Parmenio, appointed commander, by Alexander, of the soldiers who lamented the death of Parmenio, and who formed a separate cohort. Curtius, bk. 7, ch. 2.——A learned man of Rhodes, greatly commended by Strabo, &c.