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 122 DION CASSIUS COCCEIANUS of these mares was one of the twelve labors of I If routes. The hero slew Diomedes, whose body he gave to the mares, which became tame after eating their master's flesh. DION CASSIl'S OCCEIANUS, a historian of Rome, born in Nicrea, Bithynia, about A. D. 155, went to Rome about 180, where he was made senator. He was afterward appointed to many offices of trust by different emperors, and was twice consul. Having become odious to the praetorian guards, because, it is said, of his severe discipline, he obtained permission from the emperor Alexander Severus, in 229, to retire to his native city, where he spent the remainder of his days. His great work was a history of Rome written in Greek, divided into 80 books, and containing an account of the rise and prog- ress of the state from the landing of ^neas in Italy until A. D. 229, giving only a slight sketch of events down to the time of Julius Caesar, but dwelling with minuteness on the history of later times, and especially on that of the author's own age. Of this work, which is written with clearness, diligence, and gene- ral accuracy, but in a faulty style, 19 books (from the 36th to the 54th) remain entire. Fragments of the first 35 have been collected, and there are abridgments of the last 26, as well as of the entire work. One of the best editions is that of Sturz (9 vols. 8vo, Leipsic, 1824-'43). An English translation of Xiphilin's abridgment was published in London in 1704. DION CHRYSOSTOMCS (the golden-mouthed), a Greek rhetorician, born in Prusa, Bithynia, about the middle of the 1st century, died in Rome about 117. In the practice of his art at Rome he incurred the hostility of the emperor Domitian, and in consequence of a decree of the senate he was obliged to flee from Italy. In the habit of a beggar, with Plato's " Phsedon " and Demosthenes's " Oration on the Embassy " in his pocket, he wandered through Thrace and the countries bordering on the lower Danube, and on receiving intelligence of the death of Domi- tian (96) used his influence and his oratorical powers with the army stationed on that fron- tier in favor of Nerva. It is probable that he returned to Rome on the accession of this em- peror, from whom as well as from his successor Trajan he received tokens of marked kindness. He was an essayist rather than an orator, and his writings are distinguished for elegance of style. Of his orations 80 are extant. There is a very good critical edition of them by Reiske (2 vols. 8vo, Leipsic, 1784). DION OF SYRACUSE, a disciple of Plato, cele- brated for having overthrown the power of Dionysius the Younger, tyrant of Syracuse, born in that city toward the close of the 5th century B. C., killed in 354 or 353. Under Dionysius the Elder, to whom he was doubly related by marriage, he enjoyed the favor of the court, and amassed great wealth; but when the younger Dionysius succeeded to the throne (367), Dion, whose austere manners were a con- stant rebuke of the royal debaucheries, fell into disfavor, and at last was banished from Sicily. He found refuge and a friendly reception in Greece, where he lived for a while in afflu- ence, his income being allowed to reach him. Soon, however, this was cut off, and to com- plete his disgrace his wife Arete was << im- pelled to marry another man. Dion now re- solved to avenge himself and his country at the same time. Having assembled about 800 troops, he sailed from Zacynthus (357), landed in Sicily, and easily obtained possession of Syra- cuse in the absence of Dionysius. The troops of the tyrant still held the citadel on the neighboring island of Ortygia, whence they made a sally soon after the arrival of Dion, and were repulsed only after a fierce combat, during which Dion himself displayed great courage. iHe was at first received by the citizens with enthusiasm, and on his entry into the city he proclaimed liberty to Syra- cuse. But, irritated by his harsh manners, suspecting his designs, and incited by the demagogue Heraclides, the people afterward expelled him and his troops. The Syracusans soon had reasoa to repent of their conduct, for the soldiers of Dionysius, aware of their dissensions, made a sally, regained part of the city, set fire to the houses, and began a fearful massacre. The banished philosopher was en- treated to return, and, marching immediately, after a hard contest he obtained full control of Syracuse. He caused Heraclides to be put tc death. This act greatly injured his popularity, already damaged by his repellent and auste manners; a conspiracy was formed agaii him, and he was assassinated. DIONJEA (D. muscipula, Ellis), Venus's fly- trap, an insectivorous plant inhabiting the sa- vannas around Wilmington, N. C., and only found in that district. Audubon's affirmation that he had seen it in Florida of enormous size is not confirmed. It belongs to the same natural order as the droseras, or sundews, the common species of which capture flies as ef- fectually as dionsea, but by a different contri- vance. It was discovered by the elder Bartram, sent to Collinson, and well described by Ellis in a short treatise addressed to Limueus. The brief account given by the latter, which was generally copied till recently, was wrong in stating that the trap opens after an insect it has caught becomes quiet; it does not open until all the soft parts of the insect are ex- tracted. To aid in this, a glairy liquid is se- creted from innumerable glands which stud the face of the trap, which after maceration of the captive is reabsorbed. The plan and action of the trap may be gathered from the cut and a few words of description, partly con- densed from the account of Dr. M. A. Curtis ("Journal of the Boston Society of Natural History," 1834). The trap, at the apex of the leaf, is fringed with stout bristles on each margin ; it is aptly compared to two upper eyelids joined at their bases. On each side are three more delicate bristles, so directed that