Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 3.djvu/984

Rh 972 TACONIDES. opportunity for displaying it : a Roman historian could never forget that a Roman was an orator. The condensed style of Tacitus sometimes makes him obscure, but it is a kind of obscurity that is dispelled by careful reading. Yet a man must read carefully and often in order to understand him ; and we cannot suppose that Tacitus was ever a popular writer. His real admirers will perhaps always be few : his readers fewer still. Montaigne read the history of Tacitus from the beginning to the end, and he has given an opinion of Tacitus in his peculiar way ; and his opinion is worth more than that of most people. (Montaigne's Essays^ iii. ch. o Of the art of discoursing.) Montaigne justly commends Tacitus for not omitting to state rumours, reports, opinions ; for that which is generally believed at any time is an historical fact, though it may be fact in no other sense. The first edition of Tacitus, which is very rare, was printed at Venice, 1470, by Vindelin de Spira: it contains only the last six books of the Annals, the Histories, the Germany, and the Dialogue on Ora- tory. The edition of P. Beroaldns contains all the works of Tacitus. That of Beatus Rhenanu^^, Basil, 1533, folio, was printed by Froben. Subse- quent editions are very numerous ; and for a list of them, such works as Main's Repertorium and Schweigger's Handbuch der ClassiscJien Bioyraphie, may be consulted. The edition of Ernesti by Oberlin, Leipzig, 1801, 8vo.,i3 useful, for it contains the notes and excursus of Justus Lipsius. The edition of G. Brotier, Paris, 1771, 4 vols. 4to., has been much praised, and much bought ; but it is a poor edition. There is an edition by I. Bekker, Leipzig, 1831, 2 vols. 8vo. ; and by Orelli, Zurich, 1846 and 1848, 2 vols. 8vo. The Lemcon Ta- citeum of Botticher, Berlin, 1830, 8vo., is not complete enough, nor exact enough, though it is of some use. The labours of Ruperti on Tacitus are of little value. Tlie modern commentators are in all respects inferior to Lipsius, who did every thing that could be done at the time. Measured by his means, he is infinitely above all other com- mentators on Tacitus. There are many editions of the several parts of Tacitus, particularly the Gennania, the Affricola, and the Dialogue. The edition of G. L. Walch, Berlin, 1827, 8vo., contains the text and a German translation of the Agricola, with notes. J. Grimm published the text of the Germany^ and all other passages relating to Germany, selected from the other parts of Tacitus, Gottingen, 1835, 8vo. The best and most complete edition of the Dialogue is by J.C. Orelli, ZUrich, 1830, 8vo. There are translations of Tacitus, or parts of Tacitus, in almost every European language. The Italian translation of Davanzati is considered to have great merit ; and perhaps the Italian language, in able hands, is one of the best adapted for a trans- lation of Tacitus. The French translations have little merit. D'Alembert translated various pas- sages from Tacitus. There are English versions by Greenway, 1598, of the Annals and the Ger- many^ and by Henry Savile, 1598, of the Histories and the Agricola; also versions by Gordon and by Murphy. Gordon's is a harsh version, but, on the whole, faithful. That of Murphy is ex- cessively diffuse ; perhaps it is only a dilution of Gordon. [G. L.] TACO'NIDES or SACO'NIDES, a vase- painter, whose name appears on a vase found at TALEIDES. Vulci, and published by Gerhard, who gives tlie name in the tirst of the above forms'. {Rapport. Vol. ctnt. p. 1 80.) Raoul-Rochette, however, states that he has been informed by Gerhard himself thut the true reading of the name is ^AKONIAE^, (R. Rochette, Leitre a AT. Schorn, p. 60, 2d ed.) ^ [P. S.] TA'DIUS. 1. Appears to have held some pro- perty, which was said to belong to a girl who was m legitima tutela. Atticus thought that Tadius had a title to it by usucapion, at which Cicero ex- pressed his surprise, as there could be no usucapion in case of a ward. (Cic, ad Alt. i. 5, 8.) 2. Q Tadius, a relation of Verres, bore witness against him when he was impeached by Cicero. (Cic. Verr. i. 49, iv. 13.) 3. P. Tadius, a Roman citizen, carried on the business of a negotiator or money-lender at Athens, and was subsequently a legatus of Verres in Sicily. Notwithstanding the latter connection, he is spoken of by Cicero as a man of honour. (Cic. Verr. i. 39, ii. 20, V. 25). TAE'NARUS (Tafvopos), a son of Elatus and Erimede, from whom the promontory and town of Taenarum, in Laconia, were believed to have their name. (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. i. 102 ; comp. Pans. iii. 14. § 2 ; Steph. Byz. s. v.) [L. S.] TAGES, a mysterious Etruscan being, who is described as a boy with the wisdom of an old man. Once when an Etruscan ploughman, of the name of Tarchdn, was drawing a deep furrow in the neigh- bourhood of Tarquinii, there suddenly rose out of the ground Tages, the son of a genius Jovialis, and grandson of Jupiter. When Tages addressed Tar- chon, the latter shrieked with fear, whereupon other Etruscans hastened to him, and in a short time all the people of Etruria were assembled around him. Tages now instructed them in the art of the haruspices, and died immediately after. The Etrus- cans, who had listened attentively to his instruc- tions, afterwards wrote down all he had said, and thus arose the books of Tages, which, according to some, were twelve in number. (Cic. de Div. ii. 23 ; Ov. Met. xv. 588 ; Festus, s. v. Tages ; Isidor. Orig. viii. 9; Serv.ad ^e«.vi.808.) [L.S.] TALA'SSIUS orTALASSIS. [Thalassius.] TALAUS (TaAaos), a son of Bias and Pero, and king of Argos. He was married to Lysimaclie (Eurynome, Hygin. Fab. 70, or Lysianassa, Paus.ii. 6. § 3), and was father of Adrastus, Parthenopaeu:^, Prouax, Mecisteus, Aristomachus, and Eriphvle. (Apollod. i. 9. § 13 ; Pind. Nem. ix. 14.) Hygi- nus (l. c.) mentions two other daughters of his. He also occurs among the Argonauts (Apollon. Rhod, i. 118), and his tomb was shown at Argos. (Paus. ii. 21. § 2.) Being a great grandson of Cretheus, Antimachus in a fragment preserved in Pausanias (viii. 25. § 5) calls him Cretheiades. His own sons, Adrastus and Mecisteus, are sometimes called Talaionides, as in Horn. II. ii. 566 ; Pind. 01. vi. 24. [L. S.J TALEIDES, a maker of painted vases, an interesting work by whom has been found in a tomb at Agrigentiim, representing the destruction of the Minotaur, in the stiff archaic style. It is now in the collection of Mr. Hope, and is one of the vases engraved by Moses. (Lanzi, dei Vast antichi dipinti, pi. iii. p. 147 ; Millin, Peint. de Vas, vol. ii. pi. Ixi.) Another specimen of his work- manship has been more recently discovered at Vulci, namely, a small cup, bearing the inscription