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

METHODIUS. METION. 1067
Syria), during the reign of Decius (A. D. 249-251) p. 96, sc. ed. Geneva; Fabric, Bibl. Graec. vol. vii.
and Valerianus. The addition of the latter name p. 260, &c. This Methodius stands in the index
seems to be spurious, since Valerian did not reign to Fabricius as Methodius Patarensis, which is
with, but after Decius. However the original correct;but the passage where the reader finds
text of Suidas may be, he was wrong with regard most information on him (vol. vii. p. 260, &c.) is
to the time assigned by him to the death of Me- omitted. (Hankius, Script. Byzzant.) [W. P.]
thodius; for there seems to be no doubt that this METHON (M Owv), *a'kinsman of Orpheus,
divine was a contemporary of Porphyry, and from whom the Thracian town of Methone was
perhaps outlived him; and if he therefore died believed to have derived its name. (Plut. Quaest.
during one of the later persecutions of the Chris- Graec. 11.) [L. S.]
tians, as is asserted, it might have been in 303, as METHYMNA (MivuPca)), a daughter of Macar'
Cave thinks, or in 311, according to Fabricius. and wife of Lesbus, from whom the town of, MeMethodius was a man of great learning and exem- thymna, in Lesbos, derived its name. (Diod. v.
plary piety, who enjoyed the general esteem of his 81; Steph. Byz, s. v.) [L. S.]
contemporaries. He wrote several works, the prin- METHYMNAEUS (M,8ovlwatos), a surname
cipal of which are: 1. flepl'Avacr'do'Ews, De of Dionysus, derived, according to some, from
Resurrectione, against Origen, which was divided Methymna, rich in vines. (Hesych. s. v.;; Virg.
into two or perhaps three parts. Fragments of it Georg. ii. 20.) Others derived it from p'vO (sweet
are given by Epiphanius in his Panariumr; in or wine), as Plutarch (Sympos. iii. 2) and AthePhotius, Bibliotheca; a few are contained in the naeus (viii. p. 363). [L. S.]
works of Damascenus; 2, nIpl irC'yEsVsCr, METIADU'SA (MT71trdovT ), a daughter of
De Creatis, in Photius.; 3. IEpl Ah'ESovltov Kae Eupalamus, and wife of king Cecrops, by whom
7rJOev ai KcaKc, De Libro Arbitrio. Leo Allatius she became the mother of Pandion. (Apollod. iii.
had the complete text with a Latin version, but 15. ~ 5; Pans. i. 5. ~ 3.) [L. S.]
the work, as contained in the edition of Methodius METI'LIA GENS, an Alban house, which, on
by Comb6fis, is not quite complete. 4. fIIplI T the destruction of Alba Longa, migrated to Rome.
dyyeAeyotzpr4rov,rapOevlsats Kal diyeasa, De An- (Dionys. iii. 29.) Since the Metilii were immegelica Viryinitate et Castitate, written in the form diately admitted into the Roman senate, they must
of a dialogue. Leo Allatius published this work, at the time of their migration have been of patriGr. et Lat., in his Diatriba de Mliethodiis, at Rome, cian rank. In history, however, they occur only
1656, 8vo. and dedicated it to Pope Alexander as plebeians. Pliny (H. N. xxxv. 17) mentions a
VII. At the same time Petrus Possinus obtained le Metilia de Fullonibus in B.C. 220. [W. B. D.]
the Greek text of this work from Lucas Holsten, METI'LIUS. 1. SP. METILIUS, tribune of
at Rome; and having prepared a copy for the the plebs in B.c. 416. He brought forward a
press, sent it, together with a Latin version, to rogation for fresh assignments of the public land to
Paris, where it was published in the following the commons, but was foiled in his attempt by his
year, 1657, fol. Possinus, strangely enough, dedi- colleagues in the tribunate. (Liv. iv. 48.)
cated his edition to the same pope, not knowing 2. M. METMLIUS, tribune of the plebs in B. c.
that Leo Allatius was doing, or had just done, the 401, when he impeached two of the consular
same thing; nor was Allatius at all aware of Pos- tribunes of the preceding year, and resisted
sinus being engaged in the same work at the same the levying of the war-tax (tributum) because the
ti.me as he was. It is also contained in Combefis, patricians usurped the rents of the demesne-land.
Auctuar. Biblioth. Patr. Paris, 1672. Photius, (Liv. v. 11, 12.)
quoted below, says that the work had been adul- 3. M. METILIUS, tribune of the plebs in B. c.
terated, and contained especially several passages 217, brought forward a rogation to deprive Q.
tending to Arianism, of which no trace is to'be Fabius Maximus, then dictator, of the sole control
found in the later editions, so that his MS. was of the legions, and to admit the master of the
decidedly different from those perused by Allatius horse, Q. Minucius Thermus, to an equal share of
and Possinus. 5. Oratio de Simeone et Anna, seun the command. Metilius was legatus, in B. C. 212,
In Festum Occursus et Purificationis B. Mariae, from the senate to the consuls, after some reverses,
ed. Petrus Plantinus, Antwerp, 1598. This work in the seventh year of the second Punic war. (Liv.
is said to be the production of a later Methodinus, xxii. 25, xxv. 22.)
but Allatius vindicates the authorship of Methodius 4. T. METILIUS CROTO, legatus, in B. c. 215,
Patarensis. 6. AJyos 7repl MaprTpCow, Serrno de from the praetor Appius Claudius Pulcher to the
Martyribus. 7. Eks Tar Ba'a, In Ramos Palmarunm, legions in Sicily. (Liv. xxiii. 31.) [W. B. D.]
an oration, of which Photius has extracts. The ME'TIOCHE. [MENIPPE.] A second person
authorship of Methodius is doubtful. 8. Libri of the name was a Trojan woman, who was painted
adversus Pobrphyrium, of which there are fragments by Polygnotus in the Lesche at Delphi. (Paus. x.
in Damascenus. 9. De Pythonissa contra Ori- 26. ~ 1.) [L. S.]
yenem, lost. 10. Commnentarii in Cantica Cantico- ME'TIOCHUS (MnTtoXoS), an Athenian orator,
rum, fragments. 11. Zei'ws, lost, &c. This a contemporary and friend of Pericles, for whom
Methodius is said to have written a works De he often spoke in the assembly at Athens. (Plut.
Revelatione, which, however', is more justly attri- Praecept. Pol. 15; Bekker, Anecdot. p. 309;:
buted to a later Methodius. [No. 3.] The SchUmann, De Sortit. Jud. p. 40, &c.) [L.S.]
principal works of Methodius, viz., De Libro Ar- ME'TION (Mrliwsv), a son of Erechtheus and
bitrio, De Resurrectione, De Angelica Virginitate et Praxithea, and husband of Alcippe. His sons,
Castitate, two homilies, and the extracts given by the Metionidae, expelled their cousin Pandion from
Photius were published by Combbfis, Graece et his kingdom of Athens, but were themselves afterLatine, cum' notis, Paris, 1644, fol., together with wards expelled by the sons of Pandion (Apollod.
the works of Amphilochus and Andreas Cretensis. iii. 15. ~~ 1, 5, 6, 8; Panus. i. 5. ~ 3). Diodorius
(Phot, Cod. 234, 235, 236, 237; Cave, Hist. Lit, (iv. 76) calls Daedalus one of the sons of Metien,