Psaphis, a town on the confines of Attica and Bœotia. There was there an oracle of Amphiaraus.
Psapho, a Libyan who taught a number of birds which he kept to say, “Psapho is a god,” and afterwards gave them their liberty. The birds did not forget the words which they had been taught, and the Africans paid divine honours to Psapho. Ælian.
Psecas, one of Diana’s attendant nymphs. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 3.
Psophis, a town of Arcadia near the river Erymanthus, whose name it originally bore, and afterwards that of Phegia. Statius, Thebaid, bk. 4, li. 296.—Pausanias, bk. 8, ch. 24.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 5, li. 607.——A river and town of Elis.——A daughter of Eryx.——A town of Acarnania.——Another of Libya.
Psyche, a nymph whom Cupid married and carried into a place of bliss, where he long enjoyed her company. Venus put her to death because she had robbed the world of her son; but Jupiter, at the request of Cupid, granted immortality to Psyche. The word signifies the soul, and this personification of Psyche first mentioned by Apuleius is posterior to the Augustan age, though still it is connected with ancient mythology. Psyche is generally represented with the wings of a butterfly, to intimate the lightness of the soul, of which the butterfly is the symbol, and on that account, among the ancients, when a man had just expired, a butterfly appeared fluttering above, as if rising from the mouth of the deceased.
Psychrus, a river of Thrace. When sheep drank of its waters they were said always to bring forth black lambs. Aristotle.
Psylli, a people of Libya near the Syrtes, very expert in curing the venomous bite of serpents, which had no fatal effect upon them. Strabo, bk. 17.—Dio Cassius, bk. 51, ch. 14.—Lucan, bk. 9, lis. 894, 937.—Herodotus, bk. 4, ch. 173.—Pausanias, bk. 9, ch. 28.
Pteleum, a town of Thessaly on the borders of Bœotia. Lucan, bk. 6, li. 852.—Livy, bk. 35, ch. 43.
Pterelaus, a son of Taphius, presented with immortality from Neptune, provided he kept on his head a yellow lock. His daughter cut it off and he died. He reigned at Taphos in Argos, &c. Apollodorus, bk. 2, ch. 4.
Pteria, a well-fortified town of Cappadocia. It was in the neighbourhood, according to some, that Crœsus was defeated by Cyrus. Herodotus, bk. 1, ch. 76.