A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

ACIS. ACONTIUS. 13
the tribune P. Porcius Laeca from entering the 750, &c.) a son of Faunus and Symaethis. lHe
city in an ovation, which the senate had granted was beloved by the nymph Galatea, and Polyphehim. (Liv. xxviii. 38, xxix. 1-3, 13, xxxii. 7.) mus the Cyclop, jealous of him, crushed him under
2. L. MANLIUS ACIDINUS FULVIANUS, origin- a huge rock. His blood gushing forth from under
ally belonged to the Fulvia gens, but was adopted the rock was changed by the nymph into the
into the Manlia gens, probably by the above-men- river Acis or Acinius at the foot of mount Aetna.
tioned Acidinus. (Vell. Pat. ii. 8.) He was This story does not occur any where else, and is
praetor B. c. 188, and had the province of Hispania perhaps no more than a happy fiction suggested by
Citerior allotted to him, where he remained till the manner in which the little river springs forth
B. c. 186. In the latter year he defeated the from under a rock. [L. S.]
Celtiberi, and had it not been for the arrival of his ACME'NES ('AWc!r^vs), a surname of vertain
successor would have reduced the whole people to nymphs worshipped at Elis, where a sacred enclosubjection. He applied for a triumph in conse- sure contained their altar, together with those of
quence, but obtained only an ovation. (Liv.xxxviii. other gods. (Paus. v. 15. ~ 4.) [L. S.]
35, xxxix. 21, 29.) In B. c. 183 he was one of ACMO'NIDES, one of the three Cyclopes (Ov.
the ambassadors sent into Gallia Transalpina, and Fast. iv. 288), is the same as Pyracmon in Virgil
was also appointed one of the triumvirs for found- (Aen. viii. 425), and as Arges in most other acing the Latin colony of Aquileia, which was how- counts of the Cyclopes. [L. S.]
ever not founded till B. c. 181. (Liv. xxxix. 54, ACOETES ('AcoirTn), according to Ovid (Met.
55, xl. 34.) He was consul B. c. 179, (Liv. xl. iii. 582, &c.) the son of a poor fisherman in
43,) with his own brother, Q. Fulvius Flaccus, Maeonia, who served as pilot in a ship. After
which is the only instance of two brothers hold- landing at the island of Naxos, some of the sailors
ing the consulship at the same time. (Fast. brought with them on board a beautiful sleeping
Capitol.; Vell. Pat. ii. 8.) At the election of boy, whom they had found in the island and whom
Acidinus, M. Scipio declared him to be virunm they wished to take with them; but Acoetes, who
bonumn, egregiumqzce civem. (Cic. de Or. ii. 64.) recognised in the boy the god Bacchus, dissuaded
3. L. MANLIUS (AciDINUs), who was quaestor them from it, but in vain. When the ship had
in B. c. 168 (Liv. xlv. 13), is probably one of the reached the open sea, the boy awoke, and desired
two Manlii Acidini, who are mentioned two years to be carried back to Naxos. The sailors promised
before as illustrious youths, and of whom one was to do so, but did not keep their word. Hereupon
the son of M. Manlius, the other of L. Manlius. the god showed himself to them in his own majesty:
(Liv. xlii. 49.) The latter is probably the same vines began to twine round the vessel, tigers apas the quaestor, and the son of No. 2. peared, and the sailors, seized with madness, jump4. AcIDINUS, a young man who was going to ed into the sea and perished. Acoetes alone was
pursue his studies at Athens at the same time as saved and conveyed back to Naxos, where he was
young Cicero, B. c. 45. (Cic. ad Alt. xii. 32.) He initiated in the Bacchic mysteries and became a
is perhaps the same Acidinus who sent intelligence priest of the god. Hyginus (Fab. 134), whose
to Cicero respecting the death of Marcellus. (Cic. story on the whole agrees with that of Ovid, and
ad Fam. iv. 12.) all the other writers who mention this adventure
ACI'LIA GENS. The family-names of this of Bacchus, call the crew of the ship Tyrrhenian
gens are AVIOLA, BALBUS, and GLABRIO, of which pirates, and derive the name of the Tyrrhenian sea
the last two were undoubtedly plebeian, as mem- from them. (Comp. Hom. Hymnn. in Bacch.: Apolbers of these families were frequently tribunes of lod. iii. 5. ~ 3; Seneca, Oed. 449.)
the plebs, ACOMINATUS. [NICETAS.]
ACILIA'NUS, MINU'CIUS, a friend of Pliny ACONTES or ACONTIUS ('Amci'VTrs or
the younger, was born at Brixia (Brescia), and 'Ac rOTios), a son of Lycaon, from whom the town
was the son of Minucius Macrinus, who was en- of Acontium in Arcadia derived its name. (Apolrolled by Vespasian among those of praetorian lod. iii. 8. ~ 1; Steph. Byz. s. v.'AeCi'nov.) [L. S.]
rank. Acilianus was successively quaestor, tri- ACO'NTIUS ('Aco'vm-os), a beautiful youth of
bune, and praetor, and at his death left Pliny part the island of Ceos. On one occasion he came to
of his property. (Plin. Ep. i. 14, ii. 16.) Delos to celebrate the annual festival of Diana,
ACINDY'NUS, GREGO'RIUS (rpjydpios and fell in love with Cydippe, the daughter of a
'AmcivSvsos), a Greek Monk, A. D. 1341, distin- noble Athenian. When he saw her sitting in the
guished in the controversy with the Hesychast or temple attending to the sacrifice she was offering,
Quietist Monks of Mount Athos. He supported he threw before her an apple upon which he had
and succeeded Barlaam in his opposition to their written the words "I swear by the sanctuary of
notion that the light which appeared on the Mount Diana to marry Acontius." The nurse took up
of the Transfiguration was uncreated. The em- the apple and handed it to Cydippe, who read
peror, John Cantacuzenus, took part (A. D. 1347) aloud what was written upon it, and then threw
with Palamas, the leader of the Quietists, and ob- the apple away. But the goddess had heard her
tained the condemnation of Acindynus by several vow, as Acontius had wished. After the festival
councils at Constantineple, at one especially in was over, he went home, distracted by his love,
A. D. 1351. Remains of Acindynus are, De but he waited for the result of what had happened
Essentia et Operatione DEI adversus imperitiam and took no further steps. After some time, when
Gregorii Palamae, 8e. in " Variorum Pontificum Cydippe's father was about to give her in marriage
ad Petrum Gnapheum Eutychianum Epistol." p. 77, to another man, she was taken ill just before the
Gretser. 4to. Ingolst. 1616, and Carmen Iambi- nuptial solemnities were to begin, and this accident
cum de IHaeresibus Palamae, " Graeciae Ortho- was repeated three times. Acontius, informed of
doxae Scriptores," by Leo. Allatius, p. 755, vol. i. the occurrence, hastened to Athens, and the Del4to. Rom. 1652. [A. J. C.] phic oracle, which was consulted by the maidens
ACIS (Amcis), according to Ovid (Met. xiii. I father, declared that Diana by the repeated illness