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

36.4 HECATE. HECATOMNUS.
who is repeatedly mentioned among the historians (Orph.'Lith. 48; Schol. ad Theocr. 1. c.; Apollon.
of Alexander, of whom he must have had frequent Rhod. iii. 1211; Lycoph. I1175; Horat. Sat. i. 8.
occasions to speak in his history of Egypt. [L. S.] 35; Virg. Aen. vi. 257.) By Phorcos she became
HECATAEUS, a statuary and silver-chaser of the mother of Scylla. (Apollon. Rhod. iv. 829;
some note, who seems, from the way in which he comp. Hom. Od. xii. 124.) There is another very
is mentioned by Pliny, to have been a native of important feature which'arose out of the notion of
Mytilene, and to have lived not long before the her being an infernal divinity, namely, she was retime of Pompey the Great. (Plin. H. N. xxxiii. garded as a spectral being, who at night sent from
12. s. 55; xxxiv. 8. s. 19. ~ 25.) [P. S.] the lower world all kinds of demons and terrible
HE'CATE ('Etcdxr), a mysterious divinity, who, phantoms, who taught sorcery and witchcraft, who
according to the most common tradition, was a dwelt at places where two roads crossed each
daughter of Persaeus or Perses and Asteria, whence other, on tombs, and near the blood of murdered
she is called Perseis. (Apollod. i. 2. ~ 4; Apollon. persons. She herself too wanders about with the
Rhod. iii. 478.) Others describe her. as a daughter souls of the dead, and her approach is announced
of Zeus and Denleter, and state that she was sent by the whining and howling of dogs. (Apollon.
out by her father in search of Persephone (Schol. Rhod. iii. 529, 861, iv. 829; Theocrit. 1. c.; Ov.
ad T/leocrit. ii. 12); others again make her a Heroid.xii. 168, Met. xiv. 405; Stat. Theb. iv. 428;
daughter of Zeus either by Pheraea or by Hera Virg. Aen. iv. 609; Orph. Lith. 45, 47; Eustath.
(Tzetz. ad Lye. 1175; Schol. ad Theocrit. ii. 36); ad Hom. p. 1197, 1887; Diod. iv. 45.) A number
and others, lastly, say. that she was a daughter of of epithets given her by the poets contain allusions
Leto or Tartarus. (Procl. in Plat. Cratyl. p. 112; to these features of the popular belief; or to her
Orph. Argon. 975.) Homer does not mention her. form. She is described as of terrible appearance,
According to the most genuine traditions, she ap- either with three bodies or three heads, the one of
pears-to have been- an ancient Thracian divinity, a horse, the second of a dog, and the third of a
and a Titan, who, from the time of the Titans, lion. (Orph. Argon. 975, &c.; Eustath. ad Hom.
ruled in heaven, on the earth, and in the sea, who pp. 1467, 1714.) In works of art she was somebestowed on mortals wealth, victory, wisdom, good times represented as a single being, but sometimes
luck to sailors and hunters, and prosperity to youth also as a three-headed monster. (Paus. ii. 28. ~ 8.
and to the flocks of cattle; but all these blessings. 30. ~ 2.) Besides Samothrace and Aegina, we
might at the same time be withheld by her, if find express mention of her worship at Argos
mortals did not deserve them. She was the only (Paus. ii. 30. ~ 2.) and at Athens, where she had
one among the Titans who retained this power a sanctuary under the name of'EirLrupyiala, on the
under the rule of Zeus, and she was honoured by acropolis, not far from the temple of Nice. (Paus.
all the immortal gods. She also assisted the gods ii. 30. ~.2.) Small statues or symbolical representain their war with the Gigantes, and slew Clytius. tions of Hecate ('icKdraLa) were very numerous,
(Hes. Theog. 411-452; Apollod. i. 6. ~-2.) This especially at Athens, where they stood before or in
extensive power possessed by Hecate was probably houses, and on spots where two roads crossed each
the reason that subsequently she was confounded other; and it would seem that people consulted
and identified with several other divinities, and at such Hecataea as oracles. (Aristoph. Vesp. 816,
length became a mystic goddess, to whom mysteries Lysistr. 64; Eurip. Med. 396; Porphyr. de Abwere celebrated in Samothrace (Lycoph. 77; Schol. stin. ii. 16; Hesych. s. v.'EKdTatra.) At the close
ad Aristoph. Pac. 277) and in Aegina. (Paus. ii. of every month dishes with food were set out for
30. ~ 2; comp. Plut. de Flure. 5.) For being as her and other averters of evil at the points where
it were the queen of all nature, we find her identi- two roads crossed each other; and this food was
fled with Demeter, Rhea (Cybele or Brimo); being consumed by poor people. (Aristoph. Plut. 596;
a huntress and the protector of youth, she is the Plut. Sympos. vii. 6.) The sacrifices offered to her
same as Artemis (Curotrophos); and as a god- consisted of dogs, honey, and black female lambs.
dess of the moon, she is regarded as the mystic (Plut Quaest. Rom. 49; Schol. ad Theocrit. ii. 12;
Persephone. (Hom. Hymn. in Cer. 25, with the Apollon. Rhod. iii. 1032.) [L. S.]
commentat.; Paus. i. 43, ~ 1.) She was further HECATODO'RUS. [HYPATODORUS.]
connected with the worship of other mystic divini- HECATO.MNUS ('EKcaTdC4ws), king or dynast
ties, such as the Cabeiri and Curetes (Schol. ad of Caria, in the reign of Artaxerxes III. He was
Thteoerit. ii. 12; Strab. x. p. 472), and also with appointed by the Persian king to command the
Apollo and the Muses. (Athen. xiv. p. 645; Strab. naval forces destined to take part in the war
x. p. 468.) The ground-work of the above-men- against Evagoras of Cyprus (Theopomp. ap. Phot.
tioned confusions and identifications, especially with p. 120 a; Diod. xiv. 98); but the operations of
Demeter and Persephone, is contained in the Ho- the war were at that time allowed to linger; and
meric hymn to Demeter; for, according to this it appears that Hecatomnus himself shared in the
hymn, she was, besides Helios, the only divinity spirit of disaffection towards Persia at that time so
who, from her cave, observed the abduction of Perse- general; as when hostilities were at length rephone. With a torch in her hand, she accompanied sumed in earnest against Evagoras, he not only
Demeter in the search after Persephone; and when took no part in support of the Persian monarchy,
the latter was found, Hecate remained with her as but secretly supplied Evagoras with sums of money
her attendant and companion. She thus becomes a to raise mercenary troops. (Diod. xv. 2.) No
deity of the lower world; but this notion does not notice, however, seems to have been taken of this
occur till the time of the Greek tragedians, though act of treachery, a circumstance for which the disit is generally current among the later writers. She organised state of the Persian monarchy will fully
is described in this capacity as a mighty and for- account: and Hecatomnus continued to hold posmidable divinity, ruling over the souls of the de- session of Caria in a state of virtual independence
parted; she is -the goddess of purifications and until his death. The date of this cannot be ascerexpiations, and is accompanied by Stygian dogs. tained with certainty, but we learn from Isocrates