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

NECTANABIS. NECTARIUS. 1149
2. Appears to have been the nephew of Tachos, Olympias by magic arts. But this deserves menwho, in his expedition to Phoenicia, in B. C. 361, tion only as a specimen of those wild legends, by
left his brother behind as governor of Egypt, and which Oriental vanity strove to reconcile itself to a
placed Nectanabis, who accompanied him, in the foreign yoke by identifying the blood of its concommand of his Egyptian forces, and sent him to queror with its own (Diod. xvi. 40, 41, 42, 44,
lay siege to the cities in Syria. Taking advantage 46-51; comp. Isaiah xix. 11, &c.; Vitringa, ad
of the power thus entrusted to him, and aided by loc.; Thirlwall's Greece, vol. vi. p. 14'2; Wess.
his father, who had raised a rebellion at home, ad Diod. xvi. 51). The date usually assigned to
Nectanabis persuaded his troops to renounce their the conquest of Egypt by Ochus is B. C. 350; but
allegiance to Tachos, and revolted. Being acknow- see Thirlwall's Greece, vol. vi. p. 142, note 2.
ledged by the Egyptian people also as king, Nectanabis was the third king of the Sebennite
he made overtures and large promises to Agesilaus dynasty, and the last native sovereign who ever
and Chabrias, both of whom were engaged with ruled in Egypt (comp. Ezek. xxix. 14, 15, xxx.
Greek mercenaries in the service of Tachos. Cha- 13). We read in Diogenes Lahrtius (viii. 87;
brias refused to transfer his assistance to him, but comp. Menag. ad loc.) that he received at his court,
he was more fortunate with Agesilaus, and Tachos, and recommended to the priests the astronomer
finding himself thus deserted, fled for refuge to Eudoxus, who came to him with a recommendation
Artaxerxes II., and, notwithstanding the confused from Agesilaus. Pliny (H. N. xxxvi. 9.) speaks
statement of Diodorus to the contrary, seems to of an obelisk which had been made by order of
have made no further attempt to recover the crown. Nectanabis, and was set up at Alexandria by
It was, however, disputed with Nectanabis by a Ptolemy Philadelphus; but it does not appear to
certain Mendesian, who for some time met with which of the two persons above-mentioned he is
considerable success, but was ultimately defeated alluding. - [E. E.]
by the skill of Agesilaus, and the Spartan king NECTAR (Nc-rTap), was, according to the early
left Egypt with rich presents from Nectanabis, poets, the wine or drink of the gods, which was
whom he had thus firmly established on the throne. poured out to them by Hebe or Ganymede, and the
(Xen. Ages.; Plut. Ages. 37-40, Apoph. Lac. colour of which is described as red (Hom. II. iv. 3,
Ages. 76-78; Diod. xv. 92, 93; Wess. ad loc.; Od. v. 93, 195, &c.; Ov. il/et. x. 161). Like the
Nep. Clkbr. 2, 3, Ages. 8; Ath. xiv. p. 616, d, e; wine of mortals it was mixed with water when it
Paus. iii. 10; Polyaen. ii. 1; Aelian, V.H. v. 1; was drunk, and the wine which Odysseus had
Perizon. ad loc.; Clinton, F. 1. vol. ii. App. pp. 213, carried with him is called by Polyphemus the cream
316; Rehdantz, Vit. Ipl7. Chabhr. Tims. v. ~ 11.) of nectar (daroppor VEK'apos, Od. ix. 359). Later
Artaxerxes III. (Ochus), soon after his accession in writers sometimes by nectar understand a fragrant
B. c. 359, made several attempts to recover Egypt; balm which prevents the decomposition of organic
but the generals, whom he sent thither, were bodies, as, in fact, even in Homer (II. xix. 39),
utterly defeated by Nectanabis, through the skill Thetis prevents the body of Patroclus becoming demainly of two experienced commanders in his composed by anointing it with ambrosia and nectar
service, Diophantus, of Athens, and Lamius, of (comp. Ov. Met. iv. 250). Some of the ancient
Sparta. The failure of the Persian attacks on poets, moreover, described nectar not as the drink,
Egypt encouraged Phoenicia also and Cyprus to but as the food of the immortals, that is, they made
revolt, and Artaxerxes accordingly (leaving the it the same as ambrosia. (Athen. ii. p. 39; Eureduction of Cyprus to IDRIEus) resolved to put stath. ad Horn. p. 1632.) [L. S.]
himself at the head of an expedition which should NECTA'RIUS (NeKrapos), was the successor
crush the Phoenician rebellion, and should then of Gregory of Nazianzus, and the predecessor of
proceed to take vengeance on Nectanabis. It John Chrysostom, as bishop of Constantinople.
therefore became necessary for his own defence His occupancy of the episcopal chair between two
that the Egyptian king should succour the Phoe- such men would have required extraordinary merit
nicians, and we find him accordingly despatching to make him conspicuous. But, in truth, though
MENTOR, the Rhodian, to their aid with 4000 he does not seem to merit the epithet applied to
mercenaries. But Mentor went over to Artaxerxes, him by Gibbon, "the indolent Nectarius," the fact
and, after the subjugation of Phoenicia, accom- of his having been appointed at all is the most
panied him in his invasion of Egypt. Nectanabis remarkable thing in his personal history. When
had made large and active preparations for defence; Gregory, as has been related [Vol. II. p. 313],rebut, according to Diodorus, his presumptuous con- signed his office, A. D. 381, it was during the
fidence made him think that he could conduct the meeting of the second oecumenical council at Concampaign alone, while his utter unfitness for the stantinople. Nectarius, a senator, and a man of
command of an army (obvious enough indeed in the highest family, was a native of Tarsus. The
his former war with the Mendesian pretender) ecclesiastical historians relate that, at this time, he
caused his ruin. Some of his troops having sus- intended to visit his native place, and previously
tained a defeat from Nicostratus and Aristazanes, waited on Diodorus, the bishop of Tarsus, who was
he adopted ill. alarm the fatal step of shutting in Constantinople attending the council. Diodorus,
himself up in Memphis. Here he remained without along with the other bishops, was perplexed as to
a struggle, while town after town submitted to the whom they should nominate to the vacant see.
enemy, and at length, despairing of his cause, he Struck by the majestic appearance and the white
fled with the greater part of his treasures into hair of Nectarius, taking for granted that he had
Aethiopia. Another account, viz. that of Lynceus been baptized, Diodorus requested Nectarius to
(ap. Allm. iv. p. 150, b), represents him as having postpone his departure, and recommended him to
been taken prisoner by Artaxerxes, and kindly Flavian, bishop of Antioch, as a fit person to suctreated, while a third story brings him to Mace- ceed Gregory. Flavian laughed at the strange
donia, and makes him become the father of Alex- proposal, but, to oblige his friend, put his name
ander the Great, having won the favours of last on the list, which he, as well as the other