Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/1058

Rh 1044 MENSOR. present article with tlie Menon introduced in the dialogue of Plato, which bears his name. (Xen. Anab. i. 1. $ 10, 2. §§ 6, 20—25,4. §§ 13—17, 5. §§ 11-17, 7. § 1, 8. § 4, ii. 1. § 5, 2. § 1, 5. §§ 28, 31, 38, 6. §§ 21—29 ; Diod. xiv. 19, 27; Ctes. Fers. ap. Phot. Bibl. p. 132; VMt. Artaoc. 18 ; Diog. Laert. ii. 50 ; Suid. s. v. MeVwi/; Athen. xi. pp. 505, a, b, 506, b ; Thirlwall's Greece^ vol. iv. pp.324, 325 ; Gedik. ad Plat. Mm. p. 70.) 4. A citizen of Pharsalus in Thessaly, and a man of great influence and reputation, took a pro- minent part in the Lamian war, and commanded the Thessalian cavalry in the battle with the Macedonians, in which Leonnatus was slain. Plutarch tells us that his services were highly valued by the confederates, and that he held a place in their estimation second only to Leosthenes. At the battle of Cranon (b.c. 322), he and Anti- philus, the Athenian, were defeated by Antipater and Ciaterus, though the Thessalian horse under bis command maintained in the action its superiority over that of the enemy ; and they felt themselves compelled to open a negotiation with the conquerors, which led to the dissolution of the Greek con- federacy. But when Antipater was obliged to cross over to Asia against Perdiccas, the Aetolians renewed the war, and were zealously seconded in Thessaly by Menon, through whose influence it probably was that most of the Thessalian towns were induced to take part in the insurrection. Soon after, however, he was defeated by Poly- sperchon in a pitched battle, in which he himself was slain, B. c. 321. His daughter Phthia he gave in marriage to Aeacides, king of Epeirus, by whom she became the mother of Pyrrhus. (Diod. xviii. 15, 17, 38 ; Plut. Pyrrh. 1, Phoc. 24, 25 ; Droy- sen, Gesch. der Nachf. Alex. pp. 71, 87, 127# 155.) [E. E.J MENON, artist. [See above, No. 2.] MENOPHANTUS (^wh'^vTos), the sculptor of a beautiful statue of Aphrodite, which was found on the Caelian mount at Rome, and after- wards came into the possession of prmce Chigi. It was first described by Winckelmann {Gesch. d. Kunst, b. V. c. 2. % note), and it is figured in the Museo Capitolino (vol. iv. p. 392), and in Miiller's Denkm'dler d. alien Kunst (vol. ii, pi. xxv. No. 275). The attitude is nearly the same as that of the Venus de Medici, but the left-hand holds a fold of a piece of drapery, which falls down upon what is apparently a box, on the end of which is the inscription AHO THC EN TPO^^AAI A*POAITHC MHNO*ANTOC EnOIEI. The execution is extremely good, and the eyes, fore- head, and hair are particularly admired. We know nothing further of the original statue, from which the copy of Menophantus was made, nor of Meno- phantus himself. [P. S.] MENS, i. e. mind, a personification of mind, worshipped by the Romans. She had a sanctuary on the Capitol, which had been built, according to some, about the time of the battle of lake Trasi- menus, b. c. 217, and according to others a century later. The object of her worship was, that the citizens might always be guided by a right and just spirit (Ov. Fast. vi. 241 ; Liv. xxii. 9, 10, xxiii. 31 ; Cic. De Nat. Deor. ii. 22, Be Leg. ii. 11 ; Plut. De Fort. Rom. 5 ; August. De Civ. DeU iv. 21 ; Lactant. i. 20). A festival in honour of Mens w^s celebrated on the 8th of June. [L. S.] MENSOR, L. FARSULEIUS,a name known MENTOR, only from coins and some inscriptions quoted by Ursinus. The interpretation of the figures on the reverse of these coins, of which a specimen is given below, is very uncertain. It has been con- jectured that they have reference to the lex Julia, by which the civitas was given to the allies, and that the latter are symbolically represented stepping into the chariot of the Roman people. This hypo- thesis is supposed to be favoured by the head on the obverse, which is believed to be that of Libertas, as the pileus is behind it. (Eckhel, vol. V. p. 212.) COIN OF L. FARSULEIUS MENSOR. MENTES (Me'j/TTjs). 1. The leader of the Cicones in the Trojan war, whose appearance Apollo assumed when he went to encourage Hector. (Hom. II. xvii. 73.) 2. A son of Anchialus, king of the Taphians north of Ithaca. He was connected by ties of hospitality with the house of Odysseus. When Athena visited Telemachus, she assumed the per- sonal appearance of Mentes. (Hom. Od. i. 105, 181, &c. ; Strab. x. p. 456.) [L. S.] MENTO, C. JU'LIUS. 1. Was consul in B.a 431. He was superseded in the command of the Volscian war, which, from dissension with his col- league, he conducted unsuccessfully, by the dictator A. Postumius Tubertus. Mento was left in charge of the citv, where he dedicated a temple to Apollo. (Liv. iv. 26, 27, 29.) '2. A rhetorician, cited by Seneca. (Contr. 2, 5, 7, 8, 1 4, 20, 24, 25, 26,27, 28, 29, 32.) [ W. B. D.] MENTOR {m.hrwp). 1. A son of Eurys- theus, fell, like his father and brothers, in a battle against the Heracleids and Athenians. (Diod. iv. 57; Apollod. ii. 8. § 1.) 2. A son of Heracles by Asopis. (Apollod. ii. 7. § 8.) 3. A sen of Alcimus and a friend of Odysseus, who, on quitting Ithaca, entrusted to him the care of his house. (Hom. Od. ii. 226, &c,, xxii. 235.) Athena assumed his appearance when she con- ducted Telemachus to Pylos. {Od. ii. 269, 402, iii. 13, &c., iv. 654.) On Odysseus' return, Mentor assisted him in the contest with the suitors, and brought about a reconciliation between him and the people (xxii. 206, xxiv. 445, &c.). i 4. The father of Imbrius, and son of Imbrus, at fl Pedaeus, was an ally of the Trojans. (Hom. //. H xiii. 171.) [L.S.] ■" MENTOR {Mivrwp), a Greek of Rhodes, the brother of Memnon [Memnon]. With his brother Memnon he rendered active assistance to Arta- bazus. When the latter found himself compelled to take refuge at the court of Philip, Mentor entered the service of Nectanabis, king of Egypt. He was appointed to the command of his Greek forces, and afterwards led a force of 4000 Greeks to the assistance of Tennes, king of Sidon, in his revolt against Dareius Ochus. Tennes treache- rously betrayed the Sidonians [Tennes], and at his command Mentor, who had been left in charge of the city, directed his troops to open the gates to I