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

b70: ILLtJS., ILLYRIUS.
magister'officiorum. He is said to have' employed reputation, who Had first introduced'Pamprepius
his power and influence well, and to have rendered to Illus, and the patrician Leontius, a Syrian,
good service to the state in peace as well as in war. and an officer of reputation, either accompanied
He assiduously-cultivated science and literature. him or joined him in the East, and probably
It was perhaps his literary predilections that also his brother Trocondus. Having traversed
made him the friend and patron of Pamprepius Asia Minor they erected the standard of revolt
(nacurpei7ros) for who'mr he obtained a salary from (A.D. 483 or 484). Illus declared Leontius em?
the public revenue, and to whom also he made an peror, defeated the army of Zeno near Antioch,
allowance from his private resources. Pamprepius and having drawn over the Isaurians to his party,
was a native of Thebes, or, according to others, of and obtained possession of Papurius, released
Panopolis in Egypt, an avowed heathen, and emi- Verina, and induced. her to crown Leontius at
nent as a poet, a grammarian; and especially for his Tarsus, and to send a circular letter to the imperial
skill in divining'the future. Pamprepius was hated officers at Antioch, in Egypt, and the East,
both by Zeno and by the dowager empress Verina, by which they were prevailed on to join Illus.
and during the absence of Illus, who had gone on This important service did not, however, prevent
some business into Isauria, they banished him on a Illus from sending Verina back to Papurius, where
charge of attempting to divine future events in she soon after closed her restless life. Zeno (A. D.
favour of Illus and against the emperor. Illus, 485) sent against the rebels a fresh army, said to
knowing that his intimacy with him had been the consist of Macedonians and Scythians (Tillemont
real cause of his banishment, received him into his conjectures, not unreasonably, that these were
household, and,'on his return to the capital, took Ostro-Goths) under John "the Hunchback," or,
him with him. The date of these events is doubt- more probably, John " the Scythian," and Theoful: it is possible that they occurred before Mar- doric the Ostro-Goth, who was at this time
cian's revolt, though a later date is on the whole consul. John defeated the rebels near Seleuceia
more probable. (which town of that name is not clear, perhaps
As the weakness of Zeno's character made him the Isaurian Seleuceia) and drove them into the
jealous of all persons of influence and talent, it is fort of Papurius where he blockaded them. In this
not wonderful that the commanding position and difficulty Trocondus attempted to escape and gather
popular favour of Illus rendered him an object of forces for their relief, but was taken by the besuspicion, and that the emperor in various ways siegers and put to death. Illus and Leontius were
sought to rid himself of him. The ambitious Verina, ignorant of his fate, and, encouraged by Pamprethe dowager empress, was also his enemy,and formed plius, who gave them assurance of his return and of
a' plot against his life. The assassin, an Alan, em- ultimate victory, held out with great pertinacity
ployed by her, is said to have wounded Illus; but for above three years. In the fourth year the death
this is doubtful, as historians have confounded her of Trocondus was discovered, and Illus, enraged at
plot with the later one of her daughter Ariadne. At the deceit practised on him by Pamprepius, put
any rate Verina's attempt was defeated, and Zeno, him to death. The fort was soon after taken by the
equally jealous of her and of Illus, banished her at treachery of Trocondus's brother-in-law, who had
the instance of the latter, and confined her in the been sent for the purpose from Constantinople by
fort of Papurius. There is some doubt as to the Zeno, and Illus and Leontius were beheaded (A. D,
time of these events' also. Candidus places the 488) and their heads sent to the emperor.
banishment- of Verina before the revolt of Marcian, Tillemont and Le Beau regard the revolt of Illus
and Theodore Lector assigns as the cause of it her as an attempt to re-establish heathenism; but for
share in the revolt of Basiliscus. It is not unlikely, this view there seems no foundation. We do not.
indeed, that this turbulent woman was twice ba- know that Illus was a heathen, though Pamprepius
nished, once before Marcian's revolt, for her con- was one: it is more likely that Illus was a man
nection with'Basiliscus, and again after Marcian's of no fixed religious principles, and that his revolt
revolt, for her plot against Illus. From her prison originated either in ambition, or in a conviction
she managed to interest her daughter Ariadne, the that his only prospect of safety from the intrigues
wife of Zeno, in her. favour, and Ariadne endea- of his enemies and the suspicions of Zeno was the
voured to obtain her release, first from Zeno, and dethronement of the emperor. It is remarkable
then from Illus, to whom the emperor referred her. that Gibbon does not mention the name of Illus,
Illus not only refused her request, but charged her and scarcely notices his revolt. (Suidas, s. vv. ZUvowv,
with wishing to place another person on her hus- I7apsrp7rioso; Zonar. xiv. 2; Theophan. Chronog.
band's throne. This irritated her; and she, like pp. 103, &c. ed. Paris; pp. 83, &c. ed. Venice;
her mother, attempted to assassinate Illus. Jor- Evagrius, H. E. iii. 8, 16, 24, 26, 27; Candidus,
nandes ascribes her hatred to another cause: he apud Phot. Bibl. cod. 79; Malchus, apud Phot.
says that Illus had infused jealous suspicions into Bibl. cod. 78; Damascius, apud Phot. Bibl. cod.
Zeno's mind which had led Zeno to attempt her 242; Procop. B. V. i. 7; Marcellinus, Chronicon;
life, and that her knowledge of these things stimu- Victor Tun. Ch]ronicon.; Theodor. Lector, H. E.
lated her to revenge. The assassin whom she em- i. 37, ii. 3, 4; Jornandes, de Reg. Success. c. 47
ployed failed to kill Illus, but cut off his ear in the Cedrenus, Compendium; Liberatus Diaconus, Breattempt. The assassin was taken, and Zeno, who viarium Caussae Nestorianorumn et Eutychianorum,
appears to have been privy to the affair, was un- c. 16, 17, apud Galland. Bibliotlk. Patram, vol. x;
able to prevent his execution. Tillemont, Hist. des Emnpereurs, vol. vi; Le Beau,
Illus, with his friend Pamprepius, now retired Bas Empire, c. 36; Gibbon, ch. 39.), [J. C. M.]
from court, first to Nice, and. then, on pretence of ILLY'RIUS ('IAA6pros), a son of Cadmus and:change of air and of procuring the cure of his Harmonia, who was born at the time when Cadmus
wound, into the'East, where he was made general assisted the Encheleans in their war against the
of all, the armies, with the power of appointing the Illyrians, and- conquered and ruled over them.
provincial officers. Marsus, an Isaurian officer of (Apollod. iii. 5. ~ 4.), [L. S.]