Ovid´ius, P. Na´so. A celebrated Roman poet born at Sulmo. He was sent at an early age to Rome, and afterwards went to Athens in the sixteenth year of his age, where his progress in the study of eloquence was great. His natural inclination, however, was towards poetry, and to this he devoted his chief attention. His lively genius and fertile imagination soon gained him admirers; the learned became his friends; Virgil, Propertius, Horace, and Tibullus, honored him with their correspondence, and Augustus patronized him with unbounded liberality. These favors, however, were transitory, and he was banished to a place on the Euxine Sea by order of the emperor. The true cause of his banishment is not known. His friends ardently entreated the emperor to permit him to return, but in vain, and he died in the seventh or eighth year of his banishment, in the fifty-ninth year of his age, A.D. 17. A great portion of his works remains. These consist of the “Metamorphoses,” “Fasti,” “Epistolæ,” etc. Whilst his works are occasionally disfigured by indelicacy, they are distinguished by great sweetness and elegance.
Pacto´lus. A celebrated river of Lydia. It was in this river that Midas washed himself when he turned into gold whatever he touched.
Pæ´an. A surname of Apollo, derived from the word pæan, a hymn which was sung in his honor for killing the serpent Python.
Palæ´mon or Pale´mon. A sea deity, son of Athamas and Ino. His original name was Melicerta. He assumed the name of Palæmon after being changed into a sea deity by Neptune.
Palame´des. A Grecian chief, son of Nauplius, king of Eubœa, and Clymene. He was sent by the Greek princes, who were going to the Trojan war, to bring Ulysses to the camp, who, to withdraw himself from the expedition, had pretended to be insane. Palamedes soon penetrated the deception, and Ulysses was obliged to join in the war, but an inveterate enmity arose between the two, and by an unworthy artifice Ulysses procured the death of Palamedes. Palamedes is accredited with the invention of dice, backgammon, and other games.
Palati´nus, Mons. A celebrated hill, the largest of the seven hills on which Rome was built.
Palinu´rus. A skillful pilot of the ship of Æneas. He fell into the sea whilst asleep, and was exposed to the waves for three days, and on reaching the shore was murdered by the inhabitants of the place where he landed.
Palla´dium. A celebrated statue of Pallas. It represented the goddess as holding a spear in her right hand, and in her left a distaff and spindle. It fell down from heaven near the tent of Ilus as he was building the citadel of Ilium, whilst, according to others, it fell in Phrygia; another account says Dardanus received it as a present from his mother Electra; other accounts are given of its origin. It is generally agreed, however, that on the preservation of the statue the fate of Troy depended. This was known to the Greeks during the Trojan war, and they contrived to obtain possession of it. But some authors say that the true Palladium was not carried away by the Greeks, but only a statue which had been placed near it, and which bore some resemblance to it.
Pal´las. A name of Minerva. She is said to have received the name because she killed a noted giant bearing that name.
Palmy´ra. The capital of Palmyrene, a country on the eastern boundaries of Syria, now called Tadmor. It is famous as being the seat of government of the celebrated Queen Zenobia.