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

994 DERCYNUS. DEUCALION.
2. A Spartan, who was sent as ambassador to DERDAS (AEp8as), a Macedonian chieftain,
Pyrrhus when he invaded Sparta in B. c. 272 for who joined with Philip, brother of Perdiccas II.,
the purpose of placing Cleonymus on the throne, in rebellion against him. Athens entered into
[CHELIDONIS; CLEONYMUS.] Plutarch records alliance with them, a step, it would seem, of
an apophthegm of Dercyllidas on this occasion doubtfll policy, leading to the hostility of Perdiccas,
with respect to the invader: " If he is a god, we and the revolt, under his advice, of Potidaea, and
fear him not, for we are guilty of no wrong; if a the foundation of Olynthus. The Athenian generals
man, we are as good as he." (Plut. Apophth. Lac. who arrived soon after those events acted for a
vol. ii. p. 128, ed. Tauchn.; Plut. Pýrrh. 26, where while against Perdiccas with them. (Thuc. i. 57
the saying is ascribed to one Mandricidas.) [E.E.] -59.) Derdas himself probably died about this
DERCY'LLIDAS (AEprcvhAXAas), the author time, as we hear of his brothers in his place
of a voluminous work on Plato's philosophy, and (c. 59), one of whom Pausanias probably was,
of a commentary also on the " Timaeus," neither (c. 61.) [A. H. C.]
of which has come down to us. (Fabric. Bibl. DERDAS (AEp6as), a prince of Elymia or EliGraec. iii. pp. 95, 152, 170, ed. Harles, and the meia, and probably of the same family as the couauthorities there referred to,) [E. E.] sin of Perdiccas II. mentioned above. As he had
DERCYLUS or DERCYLLUS (AepicvAos, reason, from the example of Amyntas II. [see
AEpKvAehos), an Athenian, was one of that em- p. 154, b.], to fear the growing power of Olynthus,
bassy of ten, in which Aeschines and Demosthenes he zealously and effectually aided the Spartans in
were included, and which was sent to Philip to their war with that state, from B. c. 382 to 379.
treat on the subject of peace in B. c. 347. In B. c. (Xen. Hell. v. 2, 3; Diod. xv. 19-23.) We learn
346, the same ambassadors appear to have been from Theopompus (ap. Atlien. x. p. 436, d.), that
again deputed to ratify the treaty. (See the he was taken prisoner by the Olynthians, but it
Argument prefixed to Dem. de Fals. Leg. p. 336; does not appear on what occasion; nor is it certain
Aesch. de Fals. Leg. p. 41; Thirwall's Greece, whether he is the same Derdas to whom Aristotle
vol. v. p. 356; comp. the decree ap.Dem. de Cor. alludes. (Polit. v. 10, ed. Bekk.) Derdas, whose
p. 235; Classical MuZiseum, vol. i. p. 145.) Der- sister Phila was one of the wives of Philip, was
cylus was also one of the envoys in the third probably a different person, though of the same
embassy (Jirl rods 'Auc-rv'ovas), which was ap- family. (Ath. xiii. p. 557, c.) [E. E.]
pointed to convey to Philip, then marching upon DERRHIA'TIS (AEsPdnTs), a surname of ArPhocis, the complimentary and cordial decree of temis, which she derived from the town of DerPhilocrates, and to attend the Amphictyonic coun- rhion on the road from Sparta to Arcadia. (Paus.
cil that was about to be convened on the affairs of iii. 20. ~ 7.) [L. S.]
Phocis. When, however, the ambassadors had DESIDE'RIUS, brother of Magnentius, by
reached Chalcis in Euboea, they heard of the de- whom he was created Caesar and soon after put to
struction of the Phocian towns by Philip, and of death, when the tyrant, finding that his position
his having taken part entirely with the Thebans, was hopeless, in a transport of rage, massacred all
and Dercylus returned to Athens with the alarm- his relations and friends, and then, to avoid falling
ing news; but the embassy was still desired to into the power of his rival, perished by his own
proceed. (Aesch. de Fals. Leg. pp. 40, 46, c. Ctes. p. hands. According to Zonaras, however, Deside65; Dem. de Cor. p. 237, de Fals. Leg. pp. 360, rius was not actually killed, but only grievously
379.) It is perhaps the same Dercylus whom Plutarch wounded, and upon his recovery surrendered to
mentions as " general of the country" (T70O rl 7T0 Constantius. No genuine medals of this prince
XdpaIs o'pa'r1-yov, in B. c. 318). When Nicanor, are extant. (Zonar. xiii. 9; Julian, Orat. frag.;
having been called on to withdraw the Macedonian Chron. Alexand. p. 680, ed. 1615; Eckhel, vol.
garrison from Munychia, consented to attend a viii. p. 124.) [W. R.]
meeting of the council in the Peiraeeus, Dercylus DESILA'US (Aeco aos), a statuary, whose
formed a design to seize him, but he became aware Doryphorus and wounded Amazon are mentioned
of it in time to escape. Dercylus is also said to by Pliny (xxxiv. 8. s. 19. ~ 15). There is no reason
have warned Phocion in vain of Nicanor's inten- to believe, with Meyer and Miller, that the name
tion of making himself master of the Peiraeeus. is a corruption of Ctesilaiis; but, on the contrary,
(Plut. Phoc. 32; Nep. Phoc. 2; Droysen, Gesch. the wounded Amazon in the Vatican, which they
der Naclf Alex. p. 223.) [E.E.] take for a copy of the work of Ctesilaiis, is probaDERCYLUS or DERCYLLUS (Aepicdos, bly copied from the Amazon of Desilaiis. (Ross,
ApchAAhos), a very ancient Greek writer, men- Kunsiblatt, for 1840, No. 12.) [CRESILAs.] [P. S.]
tioned several times in connexion with Agias, the DESPOENA (Aeorrowa), the ruling goddess or
latter being a different person probably from the the mistress, occurs as a surname of several diviniauthor of the Ndo-rot, with whom Meineke identi- ties, such as Aphrodite (Theocrit. xv. 100), Defies him. We find the following works of Der- meter (Aristoph. Thesm. 286), and Persephone.
cylus referred to: 1. 'ApyoXucd. 2. 'IraKa'd. (Paus. viii. 37. ~ 6; comp. PERSEPHONE.) [L.S.]
3. AiloXuicd. 4. KTlsreIs. 5. 2a'rvpucd, appa- DEUCA'LION (AevcaAwv). 1. A son of Prorently on the fables relating to the Satyrs. 6. IHep metheus and Clymene. He was king in Phthia,
dopwv. 7. Iiept AlOwv. The exact period at which and married to Pyrrha. When Zeus, after the
he flourished is uncertain. (Plut. Par. Min. 17, 38, treatment he had received from Lycaon, had rede Fluv. 8, 10, 19, 22; Athen. iii. p. 86, f.; Clem. solved to destroy the degenerate race of men who
Alex. Strom. i. p. 139, ed. Sylb.; Schol. ad Eur. inhabited the earth, Deucalion, on the advice of
Troad. 14; Meineke, Ilist. Crit. Com. Graec. p. his father, built a ship, and carried into it stores
417.) [E. E.] of provisions; and when Zeus sent a flood all over
DE'RCYNUS (AEp'cvvos), a son of Poseidon Hellas, which destroyed all its inhabitants, Deucaand brother of Albion. (Apollod. ii. 5. ~ 10.) lion and Pyrrha alone were, saved. After their
Pomponius Mela (ii. 5) calls him Bergion. [L. S.] ship had been floating about for nine days, it land