Amphrȳsus, a river of Thessaly, near which Apollo, when banished from heaven, fed the flocks of king Admetus. From this circumstance the god has been called Amphryssius, and his priestess Amphryssia. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 1, li. 580.—Lucan, bk. 6, li. 367.—Virgil, Georgics, bk. 3, li. 2; Æneid, bk. 6, li. 398.——A river of Phrygia, whose waters rendered women liable to barrenness. Pliny, bk. 32, ch. 2.
Ampia Labiena lex, was enacted by Titus Ampius and [♦]Titus Labienus, tribunes of the people, A.U.C. 693. It gave Pompey the Great the privilege of appearing in triumphal robes and with a golden crown at the Circensian games, and with a prætexta and golden crown at theatrical plays.
[♦] ‘A.’ replaced with ‘Titus’
Ampracia. See: [Ambracia].
Ampysĭdes, a patronymic of Mopsus son of Ampyx. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 8, li. 316.
Ampyx, a son of Pelias. Pausanias, bk. 7, ch. 18.——A man mentioned by Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 5, li. 184.——The father of Mopsus. Orpheus, Argonauts.—Pausanias, bk. 5, ch. 17.
Amsactus, a lake in the country of the Hirpini, at the east of Capua, whose waters are so sulphureous that they infect and destroy whatever animals come near the place. It was through this place that Virgil made the fury Alecto descend into hell, after her visit to the upper regions. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 7, li. 565.—Cicero, de Divinatione, bk. 1, ch. 36.
Amūlius, king of Alba, was son of Procas and youngest brother to Numitor. The crown belonged to Numitor by right of birth; but Amulius dispossessed him of it, and even put to death his son Lausus, and consecrated his daughter Rhea Sylvia to the service of Vesta, to prevent her ever becoming a mother. Yet, in spite of all these precautions, Rhea became pregnant by the god Mars, and brought forth twins, Romulus and Remus. Amulius, who was informed of this, ordered the mother to be buried alive for violating the laws of Vesta, which enjoined perpetual chastity, and the two children to be thrown into the river. They were providentially saved by some shepherds, or, as others say, by a she-wolf; and when they had attained the years of manhood, they put to death the usurper, Amulius, and restored the crown to their grandfather. Ovid, Fasti, bk. 3, li. 67.—Livy, bk. 1, chs. 3 & 4.—Plutarch, Romulus.—Florus, bk. 1, ch. 1.—Dionysius of Halicarnassus.——A celebrated painter. Pliny, bk. 35, ch. 10.
Amy̆ci Portus, a place in Pontus, famous for the death of Amycus king of the Bebryces. His tomb was covered with laurels, whose boughs, as is reported, when carried on board a ship, caused uncommon dissensions among the sailors. Pliny, bk. 5, ch. 32.—Arrian.
Amy̆cla, a daughter of Niobe, who, with her sister Melibœa, was spared by Diana, when her mother boasted herself greater than Diana. Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 22.——Homer says that all the daughters perished. Iliad, bk. 24. See: [Niobe].——The nurse of Alcibiades.