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

LI00 MEIDIAS. MELA.
MEGISTO (MeyLrTcv), is in some writers giving freedom and independence to the citizens."
another form for Callisto, the mother of Arcas, who He then entered Scepsis and proclaimed liberty
is also called Thernisto. (Steph. Byz. s. v.'ApsKa's; amidst the joy of the inhabitants. Meidias, acEustath. ad Hornm. p. 300; Hygin. Poet. Astr. companying, him thence on his march to Gergis,
ii. 1.) [L. S.] begged leave to retain the town, and received for
MEGI'STONUS or MEGISTO'NOUS (Me- answer, that he should have his due. Having taken
y/LTOvovs), a Spartan of rank and influence, whom possession of the place, Dercyllidas deprived MeiCratesicleia, the mother of Cleomenes III., took dias of his guards, and seized the treasures of
for her second husband, with the view, as it would Mania as his by right of conquest over Pharnaseem, of securing him to her son's party; and we bazus, leaving to Meidias nothing beyond his prifind him accordingly entering readily into the plans vate property. The murderer, alarmed with good
of Cleomenes for the reformation of the state. In reason for his safety, asked where he was to live?
B. C. 226 he was taken prisoner by Aratus in a " Even where it is most just you should," - was
battle near Orchomenus in Arcadia; but he must the answer, - " in Scepsis, your native city, and
have been soon released, for he appears again not in your father's house," - words which could have
long after at Sparta, co-operating with Cleomenes conveyed to him no other meaning than, " Even
in the measures which he proposed after the where you will be exposed unprotected to the
murder of the Ephori, and setting an example to indignation and vengeance of your countryhis countrymen by the voluntary surrender of his men." (Xen. Hell. iii. 1. ~~ 14-28; Polyaen. ii.
property. In B. C. 223, when Cleomenes took 6.) [MIDIns.] IE. E.]
Argos, Megistonous induced him to adopt no steps MEILA'NION (MeLAavcwP), a son of Amphidaagainst those citizens who were suspected of an mas, and husband of Atalante, by whom he became
attachment to the Achaean party, beyond the re- the father of Parthenopaeus. (Apollod. iii. 9. ~ 2;
quisition of twenty hostages. In the same year comp. ATALANTE.) [L. S.]
Cleomenes, having taken possession of Corinth, and MEILI'CHIUS (MelXiXLos), i. e. the god that
besieged the citadel, sent Megistonous and Tripy- can be propitiated, or the gracious, is used as a
lus, or Tritymallus, to Aratus, then at Sicyon, with surname of several divinities. 1. Of Zeus, as the
an offer of terms, which, however, were rejected. protector of those who honoured him with propiNot long after this, the Achaean party in Argos tiatory sacrifices. At Athens cakes were offered
excited an insurrection against the Spartan gar- to him every year at the festival of the Diasia.
rison; and Megistonous, being sent by Cleomenes (Thucyd. i. 126; Xenoph. Anab. vii. 7. ~ 4.) Altars
with 2000 men to quell the revolt, was slain in were erected to Zeus Meilichins on the Cephissus
battle soon after he had thrown himself into the (Pans. i. 37. ~ 3),at Sicyon (ii.9. ~ 6), and at Argos
city. (Plut. Cleom. 6, 7, 11, 19, 21, Arat. 38,41, (ii. 20. ~ 1; Plut. De cohib. Ir. 9). 2. Of Dionysus
44; comp. Polyb. ii. 47, 52, 53; Droysen, flellen- in the island of Naxos. (Athen. iii. p. 78.) 3. Of
ismnus, vol. ii. b. ii. ch. 4.) [E. E.] Tyche or Fortune. (Orph. Hymn. 71. 2.) The pluMEHERDA'TES, the grandson of Phraates IV., ral 9eo6 eLALiXLOL is also applied to certain divinities
king of Parthia, lived at Rome as a hostage, but whom mortals used to propitiate with sacrifices at
was sent by the emperor Claudius, about A. D. 50, night, that they might avert all evil, as e. g. at
into- Parthia at the request of the inhabitants, who Myonia in the country of the Ozolian Locrians.
were disgusted at the cruelty of their reigning (Paus. x. 38. ~4; comp. Orph. E. 30.) [L. S.]
sovereign Gotarzes. Cassius Longinus, the governor MELA, or MELLA, M. ANNAEUS, was the
of Syria, received orders to support Meherdates in youngest son of M. Annaeus Seneca, the rhetorician,
his attempt to gain the crown;but Meherdates and Helvia [HELVIA], and brother of L. Seneca
was defeated in battle, and taken prisoner by Go- and Gallio [GALLIO] (et docti Senecae ter numetarzes, who spared his life but cut off his ears. randa domus. Mart. Ep. iv. 40). He was born
(Tac. Ann. xi. 10, xii. 10-14.) The name Me- at Corduba, and, although raised to senatorian
herdates is merely another form of Mithridates. rank, he always preferred the name and station
MEIDIAS: (MeiStas), a native of Scepsis, and of an eques. (Sen. Consol. ad Helv. xvi., Conson-in-law of Mania, satrapess of the- Midland trov. ii. Prooem,.; comp. Tac. Ann. xvi. 17.) Mela
Aeolis, whom he strangled, and added to the crime studied rhetoric with success; but, leaving to his
the murder of her son, a boy about sixteen years brothers the dangerous honours in Nero's reign of
old. He then seized the towns of Scepsis and the state and the forum, he adhered to a life of
Gergis, where the greater part of Mania's treasures privacy. His first occupation was that of steward
was deposited. The other cities, however, of the to his father's estates in Spain; and through his
satrapy refused to acknowledge him as their ruler, brother L. Seneca's influence with Nero, he afterand, when he sent presents to Pharnabazus with a wards held the office of procurator or agent to the
request to be invested with the government which imperial demesnes. Mela married Acilia, daughter
his mother-in-law had held, he received a threat- of Acilius Lucanus of Corduba, a provincial lawyer
ening: answer and an assurance that the satrap of some note. By Acilia he had at least one son,
would rather die than leave Mania unrevenged. the celebrated Lucan, A. D. 40. [LUCANUS.] After
At this crisis Dercyllidas, the Spartan general, ar- Lucan's death, A. D. 65, Mela laid claim to his
rived in Asia (B.C. 399), and, having proclaimed property; and the suit arising from this claim
freedom to all the Aeolian towns and received proved ultimately his own destruction. Fabius
several of them into alliance, advanced against Romanus, who opposed him, had been his son's
Scepsis, where Meidias was. The latter, equally intimate friend, and was thought to have inserted
afraid of Pharnabazus and of the Scepsians, sent to among the papers of the deceased forged letters
Dercyllidas to propose a conference on receiving involving Mela in at least a knowledge of Piso's
hostages for his safety. These he obtained; but, conspiracy, A. D. 65. (Tac. Ann. xv. 48, &c.) Mela
-when he asked on what terms he might hope for was rich, Nero was needy and rapacious, and the
alliance, the Spartan answered," on condition of former anticipated a certain sentence by suicide,