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

11:96 NICOMEDES. NICOMEDES.
ment of this article), and also Corybas (ibid. 40. which he chose, in the immediate neighbourhood (if
~ 42). the Megarian colony of Astacus, was so judiciously
Stobaeus (Serm. 61) has preserved' an interest- selected that the city of Nicomedeia continued for
ing sayiug of Nicomachus. An amateur remarking more than six centuries to be one of the richest
to him that he could see no beauty in the Helen and most flourishing in Asia. (Memnon, c. 20
of Zeuxis, the painter, replied, " Take my eyes, and Strab. xii. p. 563; Steph. Byz. v. NKon'~8cEa,
a goddess will be revealed to you."' The same an- Who' erroneously calls Nicomedes son of Zellas;
swer is ascribed by Aelian (V. H. xiv. 47) to a Euseb. Chron. 01. 129. 1; Paus. v. 12. ~ 7';
~certain Nicostratus, who is not mentioned else- Tzetz. Chil. iii. 950.) The foundation of Nicowhere, and whose name is therefore probably an medeia is placed by Eusebius (1. c.) in B. c. 264.
error for Nicomachus. The duration of. the reign of Nicomedes himself
2. A statuary or'sculptor, whose name appears after this event is unknown, but his death is
on a marble base recently discovered in Athens. assigned with much probability by the Abb6 Sevin
From the form of the letters, the date of the in- (M1m. de l'A cad. des Inscr. tom. xv. p. 34) to
scription is supposed to fall inr the time -of the about the year B. c. 250. He had been twice
earliest successors of Alexander. (Ross and married; by his first wife, Ditizela, a Phrygian by
Thiersch, in the Kunsthlatt for 1840, p. 48.) birth (who had been accidentally killed by a
3. -The engraver of- a gem representing a Faun favourite dog belonging to the king), he had two
sitting on a tiger's skin. (Bracci, tab. 87; Stosch, sons, Prusias and ZIELAs, and a daughter, Lysan44.) [P. S.] dira; but his second wife, Etazeta, persuaded him
NICO'MACHUS, ME'TIUS FALCO'NIUS, to set aside his children by this former marriage,
stood second on the roll of consular senators at the and leave his crown to her offspring. The latter
death of Aurelian. His -speech, in which he urged were still infants at the time of his death, on which
Tacitus to accept the purple, has been preserved by account he confided their guardianship by his will
Vopiscus. (Vopisc. Tacit. 6; TACITUS.) [W. R.] to the two kings, Antigonus Gonatas and Ptolemy,
NICOME'DES I. (NiKOco573s), king of Bithy- together with the free cities of Heracleia, Byzannia, was the eldest son of Zipoetes, whom he tium and Cius. But, notwithstanding this presucceeded on the throne, B. c. 278. (Memnon, caution, his son Zielas quickly established himself
c. 20, ed. Orell.; Clinton, vol. iii. p. 411.) Like on the throne. [ZIELAS.] (Memnon, c. 22;
many other Eastern potentates it appears that he Arrian ap. Tzetz. C]/il. iii. 960; Plin. H. N. viii.
commenced his reign by putting to death two of 40 (61), who calls the first wife of Nicomedes,
his brothers, but the third, Zipoetes, raised an Consingis.) It is probably this Nicomedes' who
insurrection against him, and succeeded in main- sought to purchase from the Cnidians the celebrated
taining himself for some time in the independent statue of Venus, by Praxiteles, by offering to remit
sovereignty of a considerable part of Bithynia. the whole public debt of the city.' (Plin. II. NV.
Meanwhile, Nicomedes was threatened with an vii. 39, xxxvi. 4. ~ 21.) [E. H. B.]
invasion from Antiochus I., king of Syria, who NICOME'DES II., surnamed EPIPHANEs, king
had already made war upon his father, Zipoetes, of Bithynia, was son of Prusias II., and fourth in
and to strengthen himself against this danger, he descent from the preceding. He is first mentioned
concluded an alliance with Heracleia, and shortly as accompanying his father to Rome in B. C. 167,
afterwards with Antigonus Gonatas. The threat- where they were favourably received by the senate'ened attack, however, passed over with little (Liv. xlv. 44) At this time he must have been
injury. Antiochus actually invaded Bithynia, but a mere child; but, as he grew up, the popularity of
withdrew again without risking a battle. It was the young prince incurred the jealousy of Prusias,
apparently as much against his revolted subjects who, wishing to remove him out of the sight of the
as his foreign enemies that Nicomedes now Bithynians, sent him to Rome as a kind of
called in the assistance of more powerful auxiliaries, hostage. Here we find him in B. c. 155, supand entered into an alliance with the Gauls, who, porting the ambassadors of Prusias, who were sent
under Leonnorius and Lutarius, were arrived on to defend that monarch against the complaints of
the opposite side of the Bosporus, and were at Attalus II., king of Bithynia. (Polyb. xxxii. 26.)
this time engaged in the siege of Byzantium, B. c. Nicomedes remained at Rome till B. c. 1.49, and
277. Having furnished them with the means of had, during his residence there, risen to a high
crossing over into Asia, he first turned the arms of place in the favour of the senate; but this only
his new auxiliaries against his brother, Zipoetes, served to increase the suspicions and enmity of
whom he defeated and, put to death, and thus re- Prusias, who at length despatched Meenas to Rome
united the whole of Bithynia under his dominion. with an embassy to the senate, but with secret
(Memnon, c. 16, 18, 19; Liv. xxxviii. 16; Justin. instructions to effect the assassination of the prince.
xxv. 2.) Of the events that followed we have little But Menas, on finding the favour which Niconmedes
information; it is probable that the Gauls subse- enjoyed at Rome, instead of executing his instruc-,quently assisted Nicomedes against Antiochus tions, divulged them to the prince himself, and in
(Trog. Pomp. prol. xxv; comp. Droysen, Hellenism. conjunction with Andronicus, the ambassador of.vol. ii. p. 178), but no particulars are recorded Attalus, urged him to dethrone his father, who had
-either of the war or the peace that terminated it. rendered himself by his vices the object of universal
It appears, however, that Nicomedes was left in contempt and hatred. Nicomedes readily listened
the undisturbed possession of Bithynia, which he to their suggestions, and departing secretly fronm
continued to govern from this time till his death, Rome landed in Epeirus, where he openly assumed
and which rose to a high degree of power and the title of king, and proceeded to the court of
prosperity during his long and peaceful reign. In Attalus, who received him with open arms, and
imitation of so many others of the Greek rulers prepared to support his pretensions with anl army
of Asia, he determined to perpetuate his own name Prusias, abandoned by his subjects, took refuge in
by the foundation of a new capital, and the site the citadel of Nicaea, from whence lie wrote tc