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

MELANCOMAS. MELANIPPIDES. 1013
ahnd hencef6rth remained in Messenia (Apollod. i. and NICO'MACHUS' (NLcKdjaXos), a Rhodian,
9. ~ 12; Paus. iv. 36. ~ 2; Schol. ad Theocrit. were the two men whom ACHAEUS, the rebellious
iii. 43). His dominion over Argos is said to have general of Antiochus the Great, employed to carry
been acquired in the following manner. In the on his negotiations with Ptolemy IV. (Philopator),
reign of Anaxagoras, king of Argos, the women of as well as all his other transactions with foreign
the kingdom were seized with madness, and powers. It was chiefly through recommendatory
roamed about the country in a frantic state. Me- letters from Melancomas and Nicomachus that
lampus cured them of it, on condition that he Bolis,:of whose treachery they had no suspicion, was
and his brother Bias should receive an equal share enabled to gain, to a great extent, the confidence
with Anaxago'ras in the kingdom of Argos (Paus. of Achaeus, and so to betray him to'Antiochus, in
ii.. 18. ~ 4; Diod. iv. 68). Others, however, give B. c. 214. (Polyb. viii. 17, 18, 20, 21.) [E. E.]
the following account. The daughters of Proetus, ME'LANEUS (MeAavev's), a son of Apollo, and
Iphinoe, Lysippe and Iphianassa, were seized with king of the Dryopes. He was the father of Eurytus
madness, either because they opposed the worship and a famous archer. According to a Messenian
of Dionysus (Diod. 1. c.; Apollod'. i. 9. ~ 12), or legend Melaneus came, to Perieres who assigned
because they boasted of equalling Hera in beauty, to him a town as his habitation which he called
or because they had stolen the gold from the statue Oechalia, after his wife's name. (Paus. iv. 2. ~ 2;
of'the goddess (Serv. ad Virg. Eel. vi. 48). Me- Anton. Lib. 4.)
lampus promised to cure the women, if the king Two other mythical personages of this name
would give him one-third of his territory and one occur in Ovid (Met. xii. 306) and in the Odyssey
of his daughters in marriage. Proetus refused the (xxiv. 103). [L. S.]
proposal: but when the madness continued, and MELANIPPE (MeAevl7rirnl). 1. A daughter
also seized the other Argive women, messengers of'Cheiron, is also called Euippe. Being with
came to Melampus to request his aid; but he now child by Aeolus, she fled to mount Pelion; but
demanded two-thirds of the kingdom, one for him- Cheiron made search after her; and in order that
self, and the.other for his brother. The demand her condition might not become known, she prayed
was complied with, and with a band of youths, he to be metamorphosed into a mare. Artemis granted
pursued the women as far as Sicyon, with Bacchic the prayer, and in the form of a horse she was
shouts. Iphinoe died during the pursuit, but the placed among the stars. (Eratosth. Catast. 18;
surviving women were cured by purifications in a Aristoph. Tlhesm. 512; Hygin. Fab. 86.) Another
well, Anigrus, or in a temple of Artemis near Lusi, account describes her metamorphosis as a punishor in the town of Sicyon itself; and Melampus ment for having despised Artemis or divulged the
and Bias married the two daughters of Proetus. counsels of the gods. (IIygin. Poet. Astr. ii. 18.)
(Apollod. ii. 2. ~ 2; Strab. viii. p. 346; Ov. Met. 2. The wife of Hippotes and the mother of
xv. 322; Pans. ii. 7. ~ 8, viii. 18, in fin.; Herod. Aeolus. (Diod. iv. 67.)
ix. 34; Schol. ad Pind. r~em. ix. 30.) 3. A daughter of Aeolus, or, according to others,
Another mythical personage of the same name of Hippotes or Desmontes. (Schol. ad Hom. Od.
occurs in Virgil (Aen. x. 320). [L. S.] x. 2; Hygin. Fab. 186.)
MELAMPUS (MeAdn7rovls), the author of two 4. A queen of the Amazons, whom Heracles, in
little Greek works still extant, one entitled IIEpl his fight with the Amazons, restored to freedom in
HaAFcAv Mav'rtK', Divinatio ex Palpitatione, the consequence of a present she gave him. (Diod. iv.
other iEp1'EAaumc iToO cpa-aror, De Naevis Oleaceis 16; Schol. ad Pind. Nem. iii. 64; Apollon. Rhod. ii.
in Corpore. He lived probably in the third cen- 966.) For two other mythical personages of this
turv B. C., as the former of these works is addressed name, see BoExoTvs and MELEAGER. [L. S.]
to "king Ptolemy," who is supposed by Fabricius MELANI'PPIDES (MeAavsr7riarlbs), of Melos,
(Biblioth. Gr. vol. i. p. 99, ed. vet.) to have been one of the most celebrated lyric poets in the dePtolemy Philadelphus. Both the works (as might partment of the dithyramb. Suidas (s. v.) distinbe anticipated from the titles) are full of super- guishes two poets of this name, of whom the elder
stitions and absurdities. They were first published was the son of Criton, and flourished about O1. 65
in Greek by Camillus Peruscus, in his edition of (B. c. 520), and wrote numerous books of dithyAelian's Varia tistoria, &c., Rom. 1545, 4to. rambs, and epic poems, and epigrams, and elegies,
They were translated into Latin by Nicolaus Pe- and very many other things; he was the grandtreius, and published together with Meletius, De father, on the mother's side, of the younger MelaNratura Hominis, Venet. 1552, 4to. They have nippides, whose father's name was also Criton. No
also been translated into French and German. The other ancient writer recognises this distinction,
last and best edition is that by J. G. F. Franz, in which, therefore, probably arises out of some conhis "C Scriptores Physiognomiae Veteres," Alten- fusion in the memory of Suidas. At all events, it
burg, 1780, 8vo. (Fabric. Bibl. Gr. vol. i. p. 99, is better to place under one head all that we know
ed. vet.; Choulant, Handb. d. Biicherkunde ir die of Melanippides.'
A eltere Medicin, p. 415.) [W. A. G.] The date of Melanippides can only' be fixed:MELAMPUS, an architect, of little note, who within rather uncertain limits.' le may be said,
Wrote Praecepta Symmetriarum. (Vitruv. vii. Praef. somewhat indefiniitely,'to have flourished about the
~ 14.). [P. S.] middle of the''5th-century s.c. He was'younger
MELANAEGIS (Me~aravys), i. e. armed or than Lasus of- Her/iibne (Plat. Ms/s. p. 1141, c.),
clad with a black aegis, occurred as a surname of and than Diagdras: of'Melosbs (Suid; s. v. Aa'yupas).
Dionysus at Eleutherae (Suid. s.v.'EAvO6epos; He was conteimpoiary' with the comic poet PherePaus. i. 38. ~ 8), and at Athens (Suid. s. v.'Ara- crates (Plat. Ii1. c-.:>:Hee- lived.for sine time at'ro6vpc; Conon, Narrat. 39; Pans. ii. 35. ~ 1; the court ~f Perdicias, of Macedonia, and there
comp. MELANTHUS), and of the Erinnys. (Aeschyl. died' (Siid, s. a.' v He must therefore have died
Sept. 700.) [L. S.] beforen.4i2''-.'
MELA/NCOMAS (MeAayico'/as), an Ephesian, His hiigh reputation asa poetis intimated by
3T 3