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

ALCMAEON.
in the latter half of the sixth century before Christ.
(Diog. Laiert. viii. 83.) Nothing more is known of the
events of his life. His most celebrated anatomicaldiscovery has been noticed in the Diet. of Ant. p.
756, a; but whether his knowledge in this branch
of science was derived from the dissection of animals or of human bodies, is a disputed question,
which it is difficult to decide. Chalcidius, on
whose authority the fact rests, merely says (Comment. in Plat. " Tim." p. 368, ed. Fabr.), " qui
primus exsectionem aggredi est ausus," and the
word exsectio would apply equally well to either
case. - He is -said also (Ding. Laert. 1. c.; Clemens Alexandr. S/romn. i. p. 308) to have been the
first person who wrote on natural philosophy
(<pv-tKov Ao'yov), and to have invented fables (faba/as, Isid. Orig. i. 39). He also wrote several
other medical and philosophical works, of which
nothing but the titles and a few fragments have
been preserved by Stobaeus (Eclog. Phys.), Plutarch (De Phys. Philos. Deer.), and Galen. (Histor.
Philosoph.) A further account of his philosophical
opinions may be found in Menage's Notes to Diogenes Laertius, viii. 83, p. 387; Le Clerc, Hist. de
la Mid.; Alfons. Ciacconius ap. Fabric. Biblioth.
Graec. vol. xiii. p. 48, ed. vet.; Sprengel, -ist. de
la Mid. vol. i. p. 239; C. G. Kiihn, De Philosoph.
ante Hippocr. Medicinae Cultor. Lips. 1781, 4to.,
reprinted in Ackermann's Opusc. ad Histor. Medic..Pertinentia, Norimb. 1797, 8vo., and in Kiihn's
Opusc. Acad. Med. et Philol. Lips. 1827-8, 2 vols.
8vo.; Isensee, Gesch. der Medicin. [W. A. G.]

ALCMAEONIDAE. 105
Although Alcmaeon is termed a pupil of Pythagoras, there is great reason to doubt whether he
was a Pythagorean at all; his name seems to have
crept into the lists of supposititious Pythagoreans
given us by later writers. (Brandis, Geschichte
der Philosophic, vol. i. p. 507.) Aristotle (Metaphys. A. 5) mentions him as nearly contemporary
with Pythagoras, but distinguishes between the
TroeiXela of opposites, under which the Pythagoreans included all things, and the double principle
of Alcmaeon, according to Aristotle, less extended,
although he does not explain the precise difference.- Other doctrines of Alcmaeon have been preserved to us. He said that the human soul was
immortal and partook of the divine nature, because
like the heavenly bodies it contained in itself a
principle of motion. (Arist. de Aninza, i. 2, p.
405; Cic. de Nat. Deor. i. 11.) The eclipse of
the moon, which was also eternal, he supposed to
arise from its shape, which he said was like a boat.
All his doctrines which have come down to us,
relate to physics or medicine; and seem to have
arisen partly out of the speculations of the Ionian
school, with which rather than the Pythagorean,
Aristotle appears to connect Alcmaeon, partly from
the traditionary lore of the earliest medical science.
(Brandis, vol. i. p. 508.) [B. J.]
ALCMAEO'NIDAE (AXcqawucu'lam), a noble
family at Athens, members of which fill a space in
Grecian history from 1100 to 400 B. c. The following is a genealogical table of the family.

1. Alcmaeon, founder of the family, 1100 B. c.
2. (Megacles), 6th perpetual archon.
3. (Alcmaeon), last perpetual archon. (B. c. 755-753.)
4. Megacles, archon in B. c. 612.
5. Alcmaeon, about 590 B. c. (See ALCMAEON.)
6. Megacles, the opponent=y=Agariste, daughter of Cleisthenes,
of Peisistratus. tyrant of Sicyon.
7. Cleisthenes, (the re- 8. Hippocrates. (Herod.vi.131; 9. Coesyra, mar.
former. See CLEIs- Schol. Pind. Pyth. vii. 17.) to Peisistratus.
THENES.)
10.Alcibiades. His pa- |
rentage is unknown, 11. Megacles, victor 12. Megacles. 13. Agariste.TXanthippus.,
but he was said to be in the Pythian (Herod. vi. (Herod. vi.
an Alcmaeonid on games. (Pind. 131.) 131; Plut.
the father's side.(De- Pyth. vii. 15.) Peric. 3.)
mosth. inMid. p. 561.)
14. Axiochus. 15. Cleinias -16. Deinomache=Hipponicus, 17. Euryptolemus. 18. Pericles, 19.Ariphron.
Plat..Eu- commanded (Plut. Ale. commanded (Plut. Cinm. 4.) (the great (Plut. Alc.
thyd. p. a trireme at 1.) at Tanagra states- 1; Plat.
265.) Artemisium B. c. 246. man. PE- Prolag. p.
B.c. 480;fell (Thuc.iii.91.) RICLEs.) 320.)
at Coroneia He is thought
B. c. 442. by some to
(Herod. viii. have been
17; Plut. himself an
Ale. 1.) Alcmaeonid.
HJPPONIC US.
m 6 c d e