Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/1050

1036 Pyth. iv. 10 ; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 886 ; Schol. ''Hom. Il.'' v. 640.)

 2. Of Alabanda, a celebrated rhetorician, who lived shortly before the time of Cicero. He and his brother Hierocles taught rhetoric at Rhodes, where the orator M. Antonius heard them, about 94. They both belonged to the Asiatic or florid school of eloquence, which was distinguished more for pomp and elegance of diction, than for precision of thought. But the two brothers enjoyed extraordinary reputation, for Cicero says that they were imitated by all Asia. (Cic. Brut. 95, Orat. 69, de Orat. ii. 23 ; Strab. xiv. p. 661.)

 MENE'CRATES (Μενεκράτης), a freedman of Sextus Pompeius, was sent out by him as commander of a large squadron of ships, in 38, to act against Calvisius Sabinus (Octavian's admiral) and, the renegade. The fleets came to an engagement off Cumae, and Menecrates had the advantage over the enemy in manoeuvring ; but burning with hatred against Menas, he attacked and grappled with the ship in which he sailed, and though disabled by a severe wound, continued to encourage his men until he saw that the enemy was on the point of capturing his vessel. He then threw himself overboard and perished. (Dion Cass. xlviii. 46 ; Appian, B. C. v. 81, 82.)

 MENE'CRATES (Μενεκράτης). 1. A comic poet, mentioned only by Suidas, who says δράματα αὐτοῦ Μανέκτωρ ἢ Ἑρμιονεύς, where the plural δράματα suggests the alteration of ἢ to καί Μανέκτωρ, is obviously an abbreviation of Μάνης Ἕκτωρ, a title which seems to belong to the Middle Comedy. (Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. ii. p. 469 ; Meineke, Hist. Crit. Com. Graec. p. 493.)

 2. Of Smyrna, the author of two epigrams in the Greek Anthology (Brunck, Anal. vol. i. p. 476 ; Jacobs, Anth. Graec. vol. i. p. 227), is not improbably the same as Menecrates of Ephesus, a poet mentioned by Varro, de Re Rustica, i. I. (See Jacobs, Anth. Graec. vol. xiii. pp. 916, 917.)

 MENE'CRATES, a sculptor, of whom we only know, what shows him, however, to have been a very eminent artist, that he was the teacher of Apollonius and Tauriscus, the sculptors of the celebrated group of the Farnese Bull. (Plin. H. N. xxxvi. 5. s. 4. § 10.)

 MENE'CRATES (Μενεκράτης), a Syracusan physician at the court of Philip, king of Macedon, 359 — 336. He seems to have been a successful practitioner, but to have made himself ridiculous by calling himself "Jupiter," and assuming divine honours. (Suid. s. v. Μενεκράτης.) He once wrote a letter to Philip, beginning Μενεκράτης Ζεὺς Φιλίππῳ Χαίρειν, to which the king wrote back an answer in these words, Φίλιππος Μενεκράτει ὑγιαίνειν. * (Athen. vii. p. 289 ; Aelian. Var. Hist. xii. 51.) He was invited one day by Philip to a magnificent entertainment, where the other guests were sumptuously fed, while he himself bad nothing but incense and libations, as not being subject to the human infirmity of hunger. He was at first pleased with his reception, but afterwards, perceiving the joke, and finding that no more substantial food was offered him, he left the party in disgust. (Athen, Aelian, l. c.) -- * According to Plutarch, it was Agesilaus from whom he got this answer to his letter. (Vita Ages. c. 21, vol. vi. p. 29, ed. Tauchn. ; Apophthegm. Reg. et Imper. vol. ii. p. 52, Apophthegm. Lacon. vol. ii. p. 109.)

 2. ' (Κουίρεινα † ) ', a physician mentioned in a Greek inscription (Gruter, Inscript. p. 581. § 9), is no doubt the same person who is frequently quoted by Galen. He lived in the former part of the first century after Christ, and was physician to some of the emperors, probably to Tiberius and Claudius. He enjoyed a great reputation, and composed more than 150 medical works, of which only a few fragments remain. He was the inventor of the well-known plaister called diachylon (i. e. διὰ χυλῶν), and his directions for preparing it were put into verse by Damocrates. (Galen, de Compos. Medicom. sec. Gen. vii. 9, 10, vol. xiii. pp. 995, &c.) In consequence of his having observed how easily the signs and contractions used in medical formulae were mistaken by careless transcribers, he wrote the quantities, &c. in his prescriptions at full length ; but Galen tells us (l. c.) that his carefulness did not much benefit posterity, as his works were afterwards written with the usual contractions. The Menecrates Zeophletensis (or native of Zeophleta ?) quoted by Caelius Aurelianus (De Morb. Chron. i. 4, p. 323) may be the same person as the preceding. - † That is, belonging to the Tribus Quirina.

<section end="Menecrates (physician) 2."/> <section begin="Menedaeus"/>MENEDAEUS or MENE'DATUS (Μενεδαῖος, Μενέδατος), a Spartan, was one of the three leaders of the Peloponnesian force which was sent to aid the Aetolians in the reduction of Naupactus, in 426. The place, however, was saved by Demosthenes, with the help of the Acarnanians. In the same year Menedaeus was engaged in the expedition against Amphilochian Argos ; and after the death of his two colleagues, Eurylochus and Macarius, at the battle of Olpae, he concluded with Demosthenes and the Acarnanian generals a secret agreement, by which the Peloponnesians were permitted to withdraw in safety, leaving their allies, the Ambraciots, to their fate. (Thuc. iii. 100—102, 105—111.)

<section end="Menedaeus"/> <section begin="Menedemus, historical 1."/>MENEDE'MUS, historical. 1. One of the generals of Alexander the Great, who was sent against Spitamenes, but was surprised and slain, together with 2000 foot-soldiers and 300 horse. (Arrian, iv. 3. § 15 ; Curt. vii. 7, 9.)

<section end="Menedemus, historical 1."/> <section begin="Menedemus, historical 2."/>2. A native of Alabanda, the leader of part of the forces of Antiochus in Coelesyria. (Polyb. v. 69, 79, 82.)

<section end="Menedemus, historical 2."/> <section begin="Menedemus, historical 3."/>3. Chief of that part of Macedonia which bore the name of Libera. He took part with Caesar in the civil war 48. (Caes. B. C. iii. 34.) He is probably the same with the Menedemus mentioned by Cicero with considerable aversion as a friend of Caesar (Philipp. xiii. 16, ad Att. xv. 2, 4.)

<section end="Menedemus, historical 3."/> <section begin="Menedemus (Μενέδημος), historical 1."/>MENEDE'MUS (Μενέδημος), historical. 1. A citizen of high rank at Crotona, who was appointed one of the generals to carry on the war against the exiles that had been driven from the city on occasion of the war with Syracuse in 317. Together with Paron, his colleague in the command, he totally defeated the exiles and their auxiliaries, and put them all to the sword. (Diod. xix. 10.) It appears that he subsequently raised himself to the supreme power in his native city ; and in that <section end="Menedemus (Μενέδημος), historical 1."/>