Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/68

AGA Brazil, he submitted to the public that new classification of fishes to which he still adheres. He afterwards published his "Researches on Fossil Fishes," and his "Description of Echinodermes;" and in 1839 his "Natural History of the Freshwater Fishes of Europe." The production, however, which first raised him to European celebrity was his "Studies on Glaciers," in which he propounded a new geological theory that has commanded the attention of all subsequent writers on geology. Some years ago he settled in the United States of America, held for some time a chair in Harvard college, and subsequently was appointed professor of comparative anatomy in the university of Charleston. He has published in America, besides many occasional papers of great value, two interesting and instructive works—"A Tour on Lake Superior," and "Principles of Zoology;" and continues, with indefatigable application, to cultivate his favourite pursuits.—E. M.  AGATHANGELUS, an Armenian historian of the fourth century secretary to Tiridates, first Christian king of Armenia. There is a Greek translation of his highly esteemed "History of the Introduction of Christianity into Armenia," and "Life of Tiridates;" and the original Armenian, admired for its purity and elegance, was printed at Constantinople in 1709. Some critics think the Greek the original, but in all probability the work was written by its author in two languages.—E. M.  AGATHANGELUS, a mediæval monk, to whom are attributed a great number of popular prophecies relating to the expected restoration of the Eastern empire, which have long continued to exert an amazing influence on the minds of the Christian and even Ottoman population of Turkey and Greece. Every unlettered member of the Eastern church in those parts, and many of the educated whose faith in Daniel and the Apocalypse is more than lax, firmly believe in the infallibility of the prophecies of Agathangelus.—E. M.  AGATHARCHIDES, a Greek geographer and historian, a native of Cnidos, flourished in the second century. Of his voluminous and valuable works only fragments, and brief summaries by Photius, remain.  AGATHARCUS, a painter of Samos, who flourished about 450 ., celebrated for his application of perspective to theatrical decorations, and a learned treatise on the principles of his art. He resided at Athens, and it is said to have been Æschylus who induced him to turn his attention to scenic painting.  AGATHE,, a Christian young lady of great beauty and high rank, a native of Palermo, who died in prison in 251, after enduring the most appalling tortures inflicted by command of Quintianus, governor of Sicily, because, on the ground of his being an idolater, she persisted in rejecting his addresses. Her memory is held by the Sicilians in boundless reverence.  AGATHEMERUS, a Greek geographer, who flourished about the beginning of the third century, author of an "Outline of Geography," in which he mentions the wall erected in Britain in the reign of Septimius Severus.  AGATHIAS, one of the Byzantine historical writers. He was a native of Myrina, a town of Æolic Asia. After pursuing his studies in Alexandria, he returned in 554. to Constantinople, where he followed the profession of an advocate, but occupied himself mainly in historical investigations. He was born in 537 or 538. The date of his death is uncertain. Niëbuhr conjectures 582. His principal work is "Five Books of Histories," containing a narrative of the events that happened between the years 553 and 558. He also tried his hand at verse-making with considerable success.—J. D. <section end="68H" /> <section begin="68I" />AGATHINUS, a Greek physician of the first century, a native of Sparta, and disciple of that Athenæus who founded the sect of Pneumatists. Agathinus was the author of various medical treatises, of which fragments have been preserved in the works of later medical writers. <section end="68I" /> <section begin="68J" />AGATHIUS, a Neapolitan who taught Hebrew at Rome and at Paris, compiled a Hebrew grammar, and wrote commentaries on the Song of Solomon, and on some of the Psalms. Died in 1542. Another of the same name and country, in the seventeenth century, wrote several pieces in Italian, and was chaplain to the king of Naples. <section end="68J" /> <section begin="68K" />AGATHO, an Athenian dramatic poet, and disciple of Socrates and Prodicus, mentioned by Aristotle as fond of antithesis, and ridiculed by Aristophanes for his effeminacy. Only a few verses from his works have been preserved. <section end="68K" /> <section begin="68L" />AGATHO. Pope a native of Sicily. He gave his whole patrimony, which was large, to the poor; was ordained a presbyter in 678, elected pope in 679, obtained the condemnation of the Monothelites in a council of 190 bishops by him convoked at Rome, encouraged the emperor to convene the sixth general council for the same object, and obtained the abolition of the tax which was paid to the emperors on the elections of the popes. Died in 682.—E. M. <section end="68L" /> <section begin="68M" />AGATHOCLEA, a courtesan of Alexandria, celebrated for her beauty and accomplishments, her power over Ptolemy Philopator, king of Egypt, and the crimes she occasioned or perpetrated. She was massacred by the populace of Alexandria in 204. <section end="68M" /> <section begin="68N" />AGATHOCLES, a Greek historian, whose "History of Cyzicus," of which only a few fragments remain, is mentioned, with great respect, by Cicero, Pliny, and Athenæus. He flourished probably about 100. There were three other Greek writers of the same name, the titles of whose works have been preserved. <section end="68N" /> <section begin="68O" />AGATHOCLES, tyrant of Sicily, one of the most extraordinary men of antiquity. He was the son of a potter, who was a native of Rhegium, but a citizen of Syracuse, and at an early age he entered the military career. His majestic stature, elegant form, and handsome features, together with his activity, courage, and intelligence, soon attracted attention, and procured him the special patronage of Darnas the general, who raised him to the command of a battalion. On the death of his patron, he married his widow, and at once became one of the richest of the citizens, and a popular leader. The ascendancy of Sosistratus forced him to seek shelter, for a time, in southern Italy. Returning to Sicily, he succeeded, after various vicissitudes, in making himself sovereign of Syracuse, by affecting zeal for popular rights, massacring several thousands of the wealthier citizens, banishing a still greater number, and giving their property to his adherents. Determined to extend his sway over all Sicily, he attacked the Carthaginians, and gained a succession of victories, but was afterwards signally defeated by Amilcar at Himera. Besieged in Syracuse by the Carthaginians, he formed the daring but judicious project of passing over into Africa with part of his army, which he executed with skill and success. By repeated victories, and by combining the native princes against Carthage, he reduced her to the greatest straits; but his treacherous murder of the Grecian prince of Cyrene, and his absence in Sicily, whither various revolts compelled him to repair, ruined his cause in Africa. On returning to that continent, he found his allies alienated, and his troops in a state of mutiny. After vainly attempting to appease his army, he saved his life by immediate flight. The troops put two of his sons to death, and came to terms with the Carthaginians. To punish the revolted forces, he massacred multitudes of their relatives in Sicily. These atrocities excited against him a formidable insurrection, which compelled him to conclude a peace with the Carthaginians. He defeated the insurgents in a great battle, suppressed the insurrection, secured himself firmly in the sovereignty of Syracuse, and, in two or three years, reduced under his dominion the whole of Sicily, with the exception of the towns ceded to the Carthaginians. He died in 289 ., at the age of 72.—E. M. <section end="68O" /> <section begin="68P" />AGATHODÆMON, the reputed author of the maps found in the most ancient MSS. of the geography of Claudius Ptolemy; but we know nothing of his life. <section end="68P" /> <section begin="68Q" />AGAY,, Compte d', a French lawyer, was born at Besançon, 1722; died at Paris, 1805. He has left a treatise upon the utility of the arts and sciences, and another on the advantages of internal navigation. <section end="68Q" /> <section begin="68R" />AGAZZARI,, an Italian musician, was born at Sienna about 1578; died 1640. He was the pupil of Viadana of Rome, and has left some admirable church music. <section end="68R" /> <section begin="68Zcontin" />AGELADAS or AGELAS, a Greek sculptor, flourishing between 510 and 460. He was one of the first who attempted to disengage sculpture from the trammels and conventionalities of the hieratic or sacred style, and to bring about, by the study of nature, the more rational forms of popular or demotic art. Associated with Canachus and Aristocles, he executed a group of Muses described by Antipatros; and, besides this, he produced, unaided, several statues of conquerors in the Olympic games; one of Jupiter for the Messenians of Neupactus, and one of a young Hercules, of which a marble in the Lansdowne collection is supposed to be a copy. But what has above all immortalized the name of Ageladas, is the fact of his having been the master of the best three sculptors of the <section end="68Zcontin" />