Page:Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (Seyffert, 1901).pdf/16

4 statues is that at Paris (from the Villa Borghese), though many take it for an Ares.

(2) Tatĭus, a Greek mathematician of the 3rd century He wrote an introduction to the Phænomena of Arătus.

(3) Achillēs of Alexandria, about 450, probably a Christian; author of a Greek romance in eight books, the story of Cleitŏphōn of Tyre and Leucippē of Byzantium, two lovers who pass through a long train of adventures before they meet. As the whole story is put in the mouth of the hero, many scenes, being told at second-hand, lose in liveliness; and the flow of the narrative is checked by too many digressions, some interesting enough in themselves, by descriptions of places, natural phenomena, works of art, feelings and passions, in which the author exhibits his vast reading. The style has considerable elegance, though often marred by an affectation of neatness and brevity. The novel continued to be popular until the fall of Byzantium.

 Acontius (Gr. Akontĭŏs). See.

 Acrătisma (Gr. Akrātisma). See.

 Acrĭsĭus (Gr. Akrĭsĭŏs). King of Argos, great-grandson of Dănăüs, son of Abas, and brother of Prœtus. An oracle having declared that a son of his daughter Dănăē would take his life, he shuts her up in a brazen tower; but Zeus falls into her lap in the shape of a shower of gold, and she bears a son named Perseus. Then mother and child are put in a wooden box and thrown into the sea, but they drift to the island of Serīphus, and are kindly received. Perseus, having grown into a hero, sets out with his mother to seek Acrisius, who has fled from Argos for fear of the oracle coming true; he finds him at Larissa, in Thessaly, and kills him unawares with a discus.

 Acro (Hĕlĕnĭus) A Roman grammarian of the end of the 2nd century He wrote commentaries (now lost) on Terence, Horace, and perhaps Persius. The collection of scholia bearing his name dates from the 7th century.

 Acroliths. Statues whose uncovered extremities are made of stone, the covered parts of another material, such as wood.

 Acrŏpŏlis (Gr. Akrŏpŏlĭs). Properly = Upper Town. The Greek name for the citadel or stronghold of a town. The Acropolis of Athens was situated on a plateau of rock, about 200 feet in height, 1,000 in breadth from east to west, and 460 in length from north to south. It was originally called Cĕcrŏpĭa, after Cecrops, the ancestor of the Athenians, whose grave and shrine were shown on the spot. On the north side of the Acropolis was the Erechthēum, the common seat of worship of the ancient gods of Athens, Athēnē Pŏlĭǎs, Hephæstus, Poseidōn, and Erechtheus himself, who was said to have founded the sanctuary.

