Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 1.djvu/297

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ARGAEUS.
ARGEIUS.
279

Sicilian nymphs, and as the divinity who inspired pastoral poetry. The Syracusans represented on many of their coins the head of Arethusa surrounded by dolphins, (Rasche, Lex. Numism. i, 1, p. 107.) One of the Hesperides likewise bore the name of Arethusa. (Apollod. ii. 5. § 11.) [L. S.]


M. ARETHU'SIUS (Ἄρεθούσιος), the author of a confession of faith, promulgated in the third council of Sirmium, a. d. 359, and was subsequently a martyr under Julian. (Socrat. H. E. ii. 30, with Valesius' note ; Nazian. Orat. 48 ; Tillemont, vii. p. 726.)


ARE'TUS (Ἄρητος). Two mythical personages of this name are mentioned in Homer. (Il. xvii. 494, 517, and Od. iii. 413.) [L. S.]


A'REUS I. (Ἀρεύς), succeeded his grandfather, Cleomenes II., as king of Sparta, of the Eurysthenid family, b. c. 309, his father, Acrotatus, having died before him. He reigned 44 years. (Diod. xx. 29.)

In the year 280 b. c., a league of the Greek states was formed, at the instigation of Sparta, acting under the influence of its ally, Ptolemy Ceraunus, to free themselves from the dominion of Antigonus Gonatas. The first blow was struck by Areus, who, having obtained a decree of the Amphyctions against the Aetolians, because they had cultivated the sacred land of Cirrha, attacked Cirrha unexpectedly, and plundered and burnt the town. His proceedings were viewed by the Aetolian shepherds on the mountains, who formed themselves into a body of about 500 men, and attacked the scattered troops of Areus. These, ignorant of the number of their enemies, were struck with a panic and fled, leaving 9000 of their number dead. Thus the expedition turned out fruitless, and the attempts of Sparta to renew the war met with no encouragement from the other states, which suspected that the real design of Sparta was not to liberate Greece, but to obtain the supremacy for herself. (Justin, xxiv. 1: it is scarcely credible that the numbers can be right.)

When Sparta was attacked by Pyrrhus, in b. c. 272 [Acrotatus], Areus was absent on an expedition in Crete. He returned straight to Sparta, and formed an alliance with the Argives, the effect of which was, that Pyrrhus drew off his forces from Sparta to attack Argos. (Paus. iii. 6. § 2; Plut. Pyrrh. 26 - 29.) In the year 267, Areus united with Ptolemy Philadelphus in an unsuccessful attempt to save Athens from Antigonus Gonatas. (Paus. iii. 6. § 3; Justin, xxvi. 2.) He fell in a battle against the Macedonians at Corinth, in the next year but one, 265 b. c., and was succeeded by his son Acrotatus. (Plut. Agis, 3 ; Justin, xxvi., Prol.) He was the king of Sparta to whom the Jews sent the embassy mentioned in 1 Macc. xii. 20. [P. S.]


Areus II., a posthumous son of Acrotatus, was born as king probably in 264 a. d.[1], and died at the age of eight years. He was succeeded by his great uncle, Leonidas II. (Plut. Agis, 3; Paus. iii. 6. § 3.) [P. S.]


AREUSἈρεύς), a Spartan exile, who was restored to his country with Alcibiades, another exile [see p. 100, a.], about b. c. 184, by the Achaeans, but afterwards went as ambassador to Rome to accuse the Achaeans. (Polyb. xxiii. 11, 12, xxiv. 4; Liv. xxxix. 35; Paus. vii. 9. § 2.)


ARGAEUS (Ἀργαῖος), king of Macedonia was the son and successor of Perdiccas I., who according to Herodotus and Thucydides, was the founder of the dynasty. Thirty-four years are given as the length of his reign by Dexippus (ap. Syncell. p. 494, Dind.), but apparently without any authority. (Herod. viii. 139; Justin, vii. 2.)

There was a pretender to the Macedonian crown of this name, who, with the assistance of the Illyrians, expelled Amyntas II. from his dominions (b. c. 393), and kept possession of the throne for two years. Amyntas then, with the aid of the Thessalians, succeeded in expelling Argaeus and recovering at least a part of his dominions. It is probably the same Argaeus who in b. c. 359 again appears as a pretender to the throne. He had induced the Athenians to support his pretensions, but Philip, who had just succeeded to the regency of the kingdom, by his intrigues and promises induced them to remain inactive. Argaeus upon this collected a body of mercenaries, and being accompanied by some Macedonian exiles and some Athenian troops, who were permitted by their general, Manlias, to join him, he made an attempt upon Aegae, but was repulsed. On his retreat to Methone, he was intercepted by Philip, and defeated. What became of him we are not informed. (Diod. xiv. 92, xvi. 2, 3; Dem. c. Aristocr. p. 660; Thirlwall, vol. v. pp. 161, 173.) [C.P. M.]


A'RGALUS (Ἄργαλος), the eldest son of Amyclas, and his successor in the throne of Sparta. (Paus. iii. 1. § 3.)


ARGANTHO'NE (Ἀργανθώνη), a fair maiden in Mysia, who used to hunt alone in the forests. Rhesus, attracted by the fame of her beauty, came to her during the chase; he succeeded in winning her love, and married her. After he was slain at Troy by Diomedes, she died of grief. (Parthen. Erot. 36; Steph. Byz. s. v. Ἀργανθώνις.) [L. S.]


ARGANTHO'NIUS (Ἀργανθώνιος), king of Tartessus in Spain, in the sixth century b. c., received in the most friendly manner the Phocaeans who sailed to his city, and gave them money in order that they might fortify their city. He is said to have reigned 80 years. and to have lived 120. (Herod. i. 163; Strab. iii. p. 151; Lucian, Macrob. 10; Cic. de Senect. 19; Plin. H. N. vii. 48; Val. Max. viii. 13, ext. 4.)


ARGAS (Ἀργᾶς), who is described as νόμων πονηρῶν καὶ ἀργαλέων ποιητής. (Plut. Dem. 4 ; Athen. xiv. 638, c. d., comp. iv. p. 131, b.)


ARGEIA (Ἀργεία). 1. A surname of Hera derived from Argos, the principal seat of her worship. (Paus. iii. 13. § 6.)


2. Argeia also occurs as the name of several mythical personages, as—a. The wife of Inachus and mother of Io. (Hygin. Fab. 145 ; comp. Apollod. ii. 1. § 3.) b. The wife of Polybus and mother of Argus, the builder of the ship Argo. (Hygin. Fab. 14.) c. A daughter of Adrastus and Amphithea, and wife of Polyneices. (Apollod. i. 9. § 13, iii. 6. § 1 ; Hygin. Fab. 72.) d. A daughter of Autesion and wife of Aristodemus, the Heraclid, by whom she became the mother ot Eurysthenes and Procles. (Herod, vi. 52; Paus. iv. 3. § 3; Apollod. ii. 7. § 2.) [L. S.]


ARGEIPHONTES (Ἀργειφόντης), a surname of Hermes, by which he is designated as the murderer of Argus Panoptes. (Hom. Il. ii 103, and numerous other passages in the Greek and Latin poets.) [L. S.]


ARGEIUS (Ἀργεῖος), was one of the Elean deputies sent to Persia to co-operate with Pelopidas

  1. This is not correct, it must be b. c. 264.