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

1146 NEARCHUS. NEARCHUS.
us, to form any judgment of his merits. The confide to Nearchus the chief command of the fleet
various authors, however, that quote him seem, which he had caused to be constructed on the
with rare exceptions, to place great reliance on his Hydaspes. (Arr. Anab. iv. 7. ~ 4, 30. ~ ] 1, vi. 2.
accuracy and judgment. He is very largely referred ~ 6, Ind. 18.) During the descent of that river
to by Diogenes Laertius, and by Athenaeus, and and the Indus to the sea, his duties were comparaby several of the early Christian writers, as well tively easy, and he is only mentioned as commandas by others. Vossius (de Hist. Graec. cap. xv.) ing the fleet whenever the king himself was not
refers to several of them, but by far the most com- with it; but it is evident that he had given suffiplete list is that given by Clinton (F. H. vol. iii. cient proof of his skill and capacity, so that when
p. 509). He gives as the writings of Neanthes: Alexander, after having reached the mouth of the
1. Memoirs of king Attalus. 2. Helienica. 3. Indus, meditated the sending round his ships by
Lives of illustrious men. 4. Pythagorica. 5. Td sea from thence to the Persian gulf, he gladly acKaTd wro'xv JuvOlKad. 6. On Purification. 7. cepted the offer of Nearchus to undertake the
Annals. He probably also wrote an account of command of the fleet during this long and perilous
Cyzicum, as we may infer from a passage in navigation. When we consider the total ignorance
Strabo (p. 45). And Harles (Fabric. Bibl. Graec. of the Greeks at this time concerning the Indian
vol. ii. p. 311, vol. vi. p. 134) attributes to seas, and the imperfect character of their navigahim a work 7rEpl Katco-Alhas ripTOPLtKs, as well tion, it is impossible not to admire the noble conas many panegyrical orations. (Vossius, Clinton, fidence with which Nearchus ventured to promise
Harles, 11. cc.; Westernmann, Gesch. der Griecl/. that he would bring the ships in safety to the
Beredt. p. 86.) [W. M. G.] shores of Persia, "if the sea were navigable, and
NEARCHUS (NeapXos.) 1. Tyrant of Elea the thing feasible for mortal man." (Arr. Ind. 19.
or Velia in Magna Graecia, known only from an 20, Antub. vi. 5, 19; Curt. ix. 38; Diod. xvii.
anecdote of him in connection with the philosopher 104; Plut. Alex. 66.) Nor did his conduct
Zenon, whom he put to the torture for having con- throughout the expedition fall short of his promises;
spired against his life. [ZENON]. (Diod. x. Exc. and Arrian expressly attributes the safe result of
Vales. p. 557, Exc. Vat. p. 36; Val. Max. iii. 3. the enterprise on more than one occasion to the
ext. 3; Diog. Lai'rt. ix. 29.) prudence and judgment, as well as courage, of the
2. A friend and follower of Agathocles, who commander. (Ind. 32.)
was sent by him to Syracuse with the tidings of Nearchus was compelled to remain in the Indus
his successes in Africa. (Diod. xx. 16.) for some sime after Alexander had set out on his
3. A Tarentine, who adhered to the cause of return, waiting for the cessation of the etesian
the Romans throughout the second Punic war, not- winds, or south-western monsoon. Meanwhile, the
withstanding the defection of his countrymen. He Indians had gathered again, after the king's dewas on terms of friendly intimacy with Cato the parture, in considerable force, and began to annoy
Censor, who lived in his house after the recapture of him with their attacks, which caused him to hasten
Tarentum by Fabius Maximus (B. c. 209), and de- his departure, and he set out on the 21st of Seprived from him instruction in the tenets of the Pytha- tember B.c. 325, before the winds had become
gorean philosophy, of which Nearchus was afollower. altogether favourable. The consequence was, that
(Plut. Cat. AIaj. 2; Cic. de Sen. 12.) [E. H. B.] after sailing out of the Indus, and a short distance
NEARCHUS (NE'apXos), son of Androtimus, along the coast, he was compelled to remain twentyone of the most distinguished of the friends and four days in a harbour near the confines of the
officers of Alexander. He was a native of Crete, Indians and Oreitae, to which he gave the name of
bult settled at Amphipolis. (Arr. Ind. 18; Diod. the port of Alexander. Leaving this on the 23d
xix. 19. Stephanus Byzantinus, s. v. Are7T, calls him of October, he continued his voyage along the
a native of Lete in Macedonia, but this is certainly coast of the Oreitae, and after encountering many
a mistake.) Of his family or parentage we know dangers from rocks and shoals, and losing three of
nothing, but he appears to have occupied a promi- his ships in a storm, he arrived at a place called
nent position at the court of Philip, where he Cocala, where he halted ten days to repair his
attached himself to the party of Alexander, and vessels. During this interval he entered into
was banished, together with Ptolemy, Harpalus, communication with Leonnatus, who had been left
and others, for participating in the intrigues of the behind in charge of the province of the Oreitae,
young prince. After the death of Philip, he was and from whom he received supplies of provisions,
recalled, and, in common with all those who had and reinforcements of men to replace those whom
suffered on the same account, treated with the he had found the least efficient of his crews. From
utmost distinction by Alexander. (Plut. Alex. 10; this time, until he reached the coast of Carmania,
Arr. Anab. iii. 6.) After the conquest of the Nearchus was entirely dependent upon his own
maritime provinces of Asia, Nearchus was ap- resources, and had to contend not only with the
pointed to the government of Lycia, together with perils of an unknown navigation, but with the
the adjoining provinces south of the Taurus (Arr. greatest distress from want of provisions, as they
1. c.), a post which he continued to fill without coasted along the sandy and barren shores of the
interruption for five years. In B. C. 329 he joined Ichthyophlagi, and with the discontent of his own
Alexander at Zariaspa in Bactria with a force of followers,to which that scarcity gave rise. ThroughGreek mercenaries; and from this time, instead of out this period he displayed the utmost firmness as
returning to his government, he accompanied the well as energy; and the courage with which he
king in his subsequent campaigns. He appears confronted alike the novel dangers which threatened
to have held at first the rank of chiliarch of the them from whales (Arr. Ind. 30), and the myshypaspists, a somewhat subordinate situation; but terious perils of the island reputed to be enchanted
his acquaintance with naval matters, as well as the (lb. 31), proves him to have been a man altogether
personal favour he enjoyed with Alexander, in- above the level of his age and country. At a
mhnced the latter during his Indian expedition to fishing village called Mosarna, he for the first time