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

LAOCOON. LAODAMAS. 717
son of No. 2 and grandson of No. 1, was consul in l (Virg. Aen. ii. 40, &c.) The - Trojans, however,
B. c. 440, with Proculus Geganius Macerinus. resolved to draw it into the city, and rejoiced at
During their consulship there was a great famine the peace which they thought they had gained at
at Rome; and a praefectus annonae was for the length, with sacrifices and feasting. In the meanfirst time appointed, in the person of L. Minucius time Sinon, who had been taken prisoner, was.
Augurinus [AUGURINUS, No. 5],' though it was brought before-the Trojans, and by his cunning
not till the following year that the great struggle treachery he contrived to remove every suspicionbetween the patricians and Sp. Maelius came to a from himself and the wooden horse. When he had
head. (Liv. iv. 12; Diod. xii. 36.) finished his speech, and Laocoon was preparing to
5. AGRIPPA MENENIUS T. F. AGRIPPAE N. sacrifice a bull to Poseidon, suddenly two fearful
LANATUS, a brother of No. 4, was consul in B. c. serpents were seen swimming towards the Trojan
439, with T. Quintius Capitolinus Barbatus; but coast from Tenedos. They rushed towards Laothey had little to do with the government, as T. coon, who, while all the people took to flight, reQuintius was forced to nominate Cincinnatus as mained with his two sons standing by the altar of
dictator, in order to crush Sp. Maelius. Lanatus the god. (Virg. I. c. 229; Hygin. Fab. 135.) The
was one of the consular tribunes in B. C. 419, and serpents first entwined the two boys, and then the
a second time in 417. (Liv. iv. 13, 44, 47; father, who went to the assistance of his children,
Diod. xii. 37, xiii. 7.) and all three were killed. (Virg. Aen. ii. 1996. L. MENENIUS LANATUS, was consular tribune 227; comp. Q. Smyrn. xii. 398, &c,; Lycoph.
four times, first in B. C. 387, secondly in 380, thirdly 347.) The serpents then hastened to the acropolis
in 378, and fourthly in 376. (Liv. vi. 5, 27; of Troy, and disappeared behind the shield of
Diod. xv. 24, 50, 71.) Tritonis. The reason why Laocoon suffered this
LA'NGARUS, king of the Agriani, a con- fearful death is differently stated. According to
temporary of Alexander the Great, with whom he Virgil, the Trojans thought that it was because he
ingratiated himself even before the death of Philip. had run his lance into the side of the horse, but
He rendered Alexander important services shortly according to others because, contrary to the will of
after his accession, in his expedition against the Apollo, he- had married and begotten children
Illyrians and Taulantians, when the Autariatae (Hygin. 1. c.), or because Poseidon, being hostile to
were preparing to attack him on his march. Lan- the Trojans, wanted to show to the Trojans in the
garus by an invasion of their territory prevented person of Laocoon what fate all of them deserved.
them from carrying their purpose into effect. Alex- The sublime story of the death of Laocoon was a
ander conferred on him the most distinguished fine subject for epic and lyric as well as tragic poets,
marks of his regard and favour, and promised him and was therefore frequently treated by ancient
his half- sister Cynane in marriage; but Langarus poets, such as Bacchylides, Sophocles, Euphorion,
died soon after his return home. (Arrian, i. Lysimachus, the Pseudo-Peisander, Virgil, Petro5.) [C. P. M.] nius, Quintus Smyrnaeus, and others. But Laocoon
LANICE (Aav/IKl), the nurse of Alexander the is equally celebrated in the history of ancient art, as
Great. She was the sister of Cleitus. [CLEITUS.] in that of ancient poetry; and a magnificent group,.
(Arrian, iv. 9;. Athen. iv. p. 129.) By Curtius representing the father with his two sons entwined
(viii. 1) she is called Hellanice. Her two sons by the two serpents, is still extant. It was disaccompanied Alexander on his Asiatic expedition, covered in 1506, in the time of pope Julius II., at
and had fallen in battle before the death of Cleitus. Rome, in the Sette Sale, on the side of the Esquiline
According to Curtius they fell at the storming of hill; and the pope, who knew how to appreciate
Miletus. One of her sons was named Proteas. its value, purchased it from the proprietor of the
(Aelian, V. H. xii. 26; Athen. 1. C.) He is ground where it had been found, for an annual
mentioned as having been greatly addicted to pension, which he granted to him and his family.
drinking, a propensity which his descendants seem This group excited the greatest admiration from
to have inherited from him. A Proteas, son of the moment it was discovered, and may be seen at
Andronicus, is mentioned by Arrian (ii. 2); but Rome in the Vatican. Good casts of it exist in all
the statement of Curtius, above referred to, is the museums of Europe. Pliny (H. N. xxxvi. 4,
against our supposing him tobe the son of Lanice, as 11), who. calls it the masterwork of all art, says
the capture of Miletus took place before the occasion that it adorned the palace of the emperor Titus,
on which he is mentioned by Arrian. [C. P. M.] and that it is the work of the Rhodian artists
LAOCOON (AeoK&Ov), a Trojan hero, who Agesander, Polydorus, and Athenodorus. He furplays a prominent part in the post-Homeric legends ther states that the whole group consists of one
about Troy, especially in the'IALov 7crpeLS, the block of marble, but a more accurate observation
substance of which is preserved in Proclus's Chre- shows that it consists of five pieces. Respecting
stomathia. He was a son of Antenor (Tzetz. ad the excellent taste and wisdom which the artists
Lycoph. 347) or of Acoites (Hygin. Fab. 135), have displayed in this splendid work, see Lessing,
and a priest of the Thymbraean Apollo, or, accord- Laocoon oder fiber die Grenazen der Malerei und
ing to others, of Poseidon. (Tzetz. 1. c.; comp. Poesie; Heyne, Antiquarische Aufs;itze, ii., p. 1Virg. Aen. ii. 201, with Serv. note.) His story 52; Thiersch, Epochen, p. 322; Welcker, das
runs as follows:-As the Greeks were unable to Academ. Kunstmuseum zu Bonn, p. 27, &c.
take Troy by force, they pretended to sail home, Another personage of the name of Laocoon is
leaving behind the wooden horse. While the mentionedamong the Argonauts. (Apollon. Rhod.
Trojans were assembled around the horse, deliber- i. 192.) [L. S.]
ating whether they should draw it into their city LAOCOOSA (AaotKo'aa), the wife of Aphaor destroy it, Laocoon hastened to them from the reus, and mother of Idas. (Theocrit. xxii. 206;
city, and loudly cautioned them against the danger comp. Apollod. iii. 10. ~ 3, who, however, calls the
which it might bring upon them. While saying mother of Idas Arene.) [L. S.1
this he thrust his lance into the side of the horse. LAO'DAMAS (Aaoel as) 1. A son of Alci