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

MENYLLUS. MERCATOR. 1045
Dareius. Mentor with his troops wvas taken* into to quit Rome Within five days. (Polyb. xxxi. 18,
the Persian service. WVhen Daireius Ochus marched xxxii. 1.) During his stay at Rome on the former
upon Egypt, one division of his Greek forces was occasion, MIenyllus took anl active part, in conjuncplaced under the command of Mentor and the tion with the historian Polybius, in effecting the
eunuch Bagoas. When this division came before escape of Demetrius, the young king of Syria, who
Bubastus, Mentor contrived that a report should Was detained at Rome as a hostage. (Id. xxxi. 20
reach the garrison, which consisted partly of -22.) [DEM aTRaus.] [E. H. B.]
Greeks, that all who surrendered would be par- MENYTES or INDEX. [HERACLES.]
doned. The Greek commanders on both sides MEPHITIS, a Roman divinity who had a
were eager to be the first to make and to receive grove and temple in the Esquiliae, on a spot which
the submission; and Mentor contrived that Bagoas it was thought fatal to enter. (Plin. H. N. ii. 93.
in entering the city should be taken prisoner by s. 95; Varro, De L. L. v. 49.) Who this Methe Greeks. Having then himself received the phitis was is very:obscure, though it is probable
surrender of the city, and procured the release of that she. was invoked against the influence of the
Bagoas, he secured the favour of Dareius and the mephitic exhalations of the earth in the grove of
gratitude of Bagoas, and was rewarded with a Albunea. She Wiras perhaps one of the Italian
satrapy including all the western coast of Asia sibyls. Servius (ad Aen. vii. 84) mentions that
Minor. His influence with Dareius also enabled Mephitis as a male divinity was connected with
him to procure the pardon of his brother Memnon Leucothea in the same manner as Adonis with
and of Artabazus. While engaged in the govern- Aphrodite, and that others identified her with
ment of his satrapy he treacherously secured the Juno. (Comp. Tac. Ann. iii. 33.) [L. S.]
person of Hermeias, tyrant of Atarneus, the friend MERCA'TOR, ISIODO'RUS, also called Isiof Aristotle [H.RaMEIAS; ARlSTOTELES], and hay- dorus Peccator, a Spanish bishop, about A. D. 830,
ing forged letters in his name, obtained possession of respecting whom see Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. x.
his fortresses. He sent Hermeias to Dareius, who p. 497, vol. xii. p. 159.
put him to death. He died in possession of his MERCA/TOR, MA/RIUS, distinguished among
satrapy, and was succeeded by his brother Memnon. ecclesiastical Writers as a most zealous antagonist of
His wife's name was Barsinle. His three daughters the Pelagians and the Nestorians, appears to have
fell into the hands of Parmenion at Damascus. commenced his literary career during the pontificate
One of them was subsequently married to Near- of Zosimus, A. D. 218, at Rome, where he drew
chus. (Diod. xvi. 42, &c. 49-52; Arrian, vii. 4. up a discourse against the opinions of Coelestius,
~ 9; Curt. iii. 13. ~ 14.) [C. P. M.] which he transmitted to Africa and received in
MENTOR, the most celebrated silver-chaser reply an epistle from St. Augustin, still extant (Ep.
among the Greeks, must have flourished before B. c. cxciii. ed. Bened.). Having repaired to Constan356, for Pliny states that his choicest works perished'tinople about ten years afterwards, for the purpose
in the conflagration of the temple of Artemis at of counteracting the designs of the banished JuEphesus (H. N. xxxv. 12. s. 55). Others of them lianus [JULIANUS ECLANENSIS], he presented his
were burnt in the Capitol, and none were extant in Coonmonitorisun to Theodosius. He then became
Pliny's time (1. c.; comp. vii. 38. s. 39). His deeply involved in the controversy regarding the
works were vases and cups, the latter chiefly of the Incarnation, and in this found active occupation for
kind called'/Sericiea (see Ernesti, Clav. Cie., and the remainder of his life, which must have extended
Orelli, Onole. Tullian. s. v.). The statement of beyond the middle of the fifth century, since we
Pliny respecting the utter loss of his works must find mention made in his writings of the Eutychians,
be understood of the large vases, and not of the whose name does not appear among the catalogue
smaller cups, many of which existed, and were of heretics, until after the council of Chalcedon,
most highly prized (Cic. Verr. iv. 18; Martial, held in 451. Mercator seems undoubtedly to
iii. 41, iv. 39, viii. 50, ix. 59, xiv. 91; Propert. have been a layman, but we are absolutely ignorant
i. 14. 2; Juv. viii. 104). Some of them were, of every circumstance connected with his origin and
however, certainly spurious. (Plin. H. N. xxxiii. personal history. Hence, in the absence of all as11. s. 53.) Lucian (Lexiph. p. 332, ed. Wetstein) certained facts, an ample field is thrown open for
uses the phrase AeYTsopoupyij lro'rpta to describe that unprofitable species of labour which seeks to
elaborately-wrought silver cups. [P.S.] create substance out of shadow;. and here the
MENYLLUS (MEvhAAos). 1. A Macedonian, exertions of Garnier and Gabriel Gerberon are
who was appointed by Antipater to command the especially conspicuous, but it would be a mere
garrison which he established at Munychia after waste of time and space to recount their visions.
the Lamian war, B. C. 322. He is said by Plu- The works of Mercator refer exclusively to the
tarch to have been a just and good man, and Pelagian and Nestorian heresies, and consist for
to have sought as far as possible to prevent the the most part, in so far as the latter is concerned,
garrison from molesting the Athenians. He was of passages extracted and translated from the chief
on friendly terms with Phocion, upon whom he in Greek authorities upon both sides, and arranged in
vain sought to force valuable presents. On the such a manner as to enable the orthodox to conldeath of Antipater, i. c. 319, he was replaced by prehend the doctrines advanced by their opponents,
Nicanor. (Diod. xviii. 18; Plat. P7soc. 28-31.) and the arguments by which they were confuted.
2. Of Alabanda, was sent ambassador to Rome, 1. Comlnmonitorium super iomine Coelestii, comin B. C. 162, by Ptolemy VI. Philometor, to plead posed originally in Greek, presented in 429 to the
his cause against his younger brother Physcon. emperor Theodosius, and translated into Latin
The'senate, however, espoused the cause of the some years afterwards. The object of this piece
latter, and the next year Menyllus was sent again was to procure the expulsion of Julianus and Coeto endeavour to excuse Ptolemv for his non-corn- lestius from Constantinople, by giving a history of
pliance with the orders of the senate. But they the rise and progress of their errors, and by exrefused to listen to him, and ordered the embassy posing the fatal tendency of their doctrines, We
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