Pythonissa, a name given to the priestess of Apollo’s temple at Delphi. She is more generally called Pythia. See: [Pythia]. The word Pythonissa was commonly applied to women who attempted to explain futurity.
Pytna, a part of mount Ida.
Pyttalus, a celebrated athlete, son of Lampis of Elis, who obtained a prize at the Olympic games. Pausanias, bk. 9, ch. 16.
Q
Quaderna, a town of Italy.
Quadi, an ancient nation of Germany, near the country of the Marcomanni, on the borders of the Danube, in modern Moravia. They rendered themselves celebrated by their opposition to the Romans, by whom they were often defeated, though not totally subdued. Tacitus, Germania, chs. 42 & 43; Annals, bk. 2, ch. 63.
Quadrātus, a surname given to Mercury, because some of his statues were square. The number 4, according to Plutarch, was sacred to Mercury, because he was born on the 4th day of the month. Plutarch, Convivium Septem Sapientium, ch. 9.——A governor of Syria in the age of Nero.
Quadrĭfrons, or Quadrĭceps, a surname of Janus, because he was represented with four heads. He had a temple on the Tarpeian rock, raised by Lucius Catulus.
Quæstōres, two officers at Rome, first created A.U.C. 269. They received their name a quærendo, because they collected the revenues of the state, and had the total management of the public treasury. The questorship was the first office which could be had in the state. It was requisite that the candidates should be 24 or 25 years of age, or, according to some, 27. In the year 332, A.U.C., two more were added to the others, to attend the consuls, to take care of the pay of the armies abroad, and sell the plunder and booty which had been acquired by conquest. These were called Peregrini, whilst the others, whose employment was in the city, received the name of Urbani. When the Romans were masters of all Italy, four more were created, A.U.C. 439, to attend the proconsuls and propretors in their provinces, and to collect all the taxes and customs which each particular district owed to the republic. They were called Provinciales. Sylla the dictator created 20 questors, and Julius Cæsar 40, to fill up the vacant seats in the senate; from whence it is evident that the questors ranked as senators in the senate. The questors were always appointed by the senate at Rome, and if any person was appointed to the questorship without their permission, he was only called proquestor. The quæstores urbani were apparently of more consequence than the rest, the treasury was entrusted to their care, they kept an account of all the receipts and disbursements, and the Roman eagles or ensigns were always in their possession when the armies were not on an expedition. They required every general before he triumphed to tell them, upon his oath, that he had given a just account of the number of the slain on both sides, and that he had been saluted imperator by the soldiers, a title which every commander generally received from his army after he had obtained a victory, and which was afterwards confirmed and approved by the senate. The city questors had also the care of the ambassadors; they lodged and received them, and some time after, when Augustus was declared emperor, they kept the decrees of the senate, which had been before entrusted with the ediles and the tribunes. This gave rise to two new offices of trust and honour, one of which was quæstor palatii, and the other quæstor principis, or augusti, sometimes called candidatus principis. The tent of the questor in the camp was called quæstorium. It stood near that of the general. Varro, de Lingua Latina, bk. 4.—Livy, bk. 4, ch. 43.—Dio Cassius, bk. 43.