Leucyanias, a river of Peloponnesus, flowing into the Alpheus. Pausanias, bk. 6, ch. 21.
Levinus. See: [Lævinus].
Leutychĭdes, a Lacedæmonian, made king of Sparta on the expulsion of Demaratus. Herodotus, bk. 6, ch. 65, &c. See: [Leotychides].
Lexovii, a people of Gaul, at the mouth of the Seine, conquered with great slaughter by a lieutenant of Julius Cæsar. Cæsar, Gallic War.
Libānius, a celebrated sophist of Antioch in the age of the emperor Julian. He was educated at Athens, and opened a school at Antioch, which produced some of the best and most learned of the literary characters of the age. Libanius was naturally vain and arrogant, and he contemptuously refused the offers of the emperor Julian, who wished to purchase his friendship and intimacy by raising him to offices of the highest splendour and affluence in the empire. When Julian had imprisoned the senators of Antioch for their impertinence, Libanius undertook the defence of his fellow-citizens, and paid a visit to the emperor, in which he astonished him by the boldness and independence of his expressions, and the firmness and resolution of his mind. Some of his orations, and above 1600 of his letters, are extant; they discover much affectation and obscurity of style, and we cannot perhaps much regret the loss of writings which afforded nothing but a display of pedantry, and quotations from Homer. Julian submitted his writings to the judgment of Libanius with the greatest confidence, and the sophist freely rejected or approved, and showed that he was more attached to the person than the fortune and greatness of his prince. The time of his death is unknown. The best edition of Libanius seems to be that of Paris, folio, 1606, with a second volume published by Morell, 1627. His epistles have been edited by Wolf, folio, 1738.
Libănus, a high mountain of Syria, famous for its cedars. Strabo, bk. 6.
Libentīna, a surname of Venus, who had a temple at Rome, where the young women used to dedicate the toys and childish amusements of their youth, when arrived at nubile years. Varro, de Lingua Latina, bk. 5, ch. 6.
Līber, a surname of Bacchus, which signifies free. He received this name from his delivering some cities of Bœotia from slavery, or, according to others, because wine, of which he was the patron, delivered mankind from their cares, and made them speak with freedom and unconcern. The word is often used for wine itself. Seneca, de Tranquilitate Animi.
Libĕra, a goddess, the same as Proserpine. Cicero, Against Verres, bk. 4, ch. 48.——A name given to Ariadne by Bacchus, or Liber, when he had married her. Ovid, Fasti, bk. 3, li. 513.
Libĕrālia, festivals yearly celebrated in honour of Bacchus, the 17th of March. Slaves were then permitted to speak with freedom, and everything bore the appearance of independence. They were much the same as the Dionysia of the Greeks. Varro.