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

-LUCANUS. LUCANUS. 807
(Plin. H. N.: xxxiv. 8. s. 19. ~ 34: the common blood, he felt his extremities becoming chill, but
editions have Leophon.) [P. S.] while still retaining full consciousness, he recalled
LOTIS, a nymph, who in her escape from the to recollection and began to repeat aloud some
embraces of Priapus was metamorphosed into a verses which he had once composed descriptive of
tree, called after her Lotis. (Ov. Met. ix. 347, a wounded soldier perishing by a like death, and
&c.) [L. S.] with these lines upon his lips expired (A. D. 65).
LO'XIAS (AoS[as), a surname of Apollo, which The following inscription which, if genuine, seems
is derived by some from his intricate and ambiguous to have been a tribute to his memory proceeding
oracles (Notd), but it is unquestionably connected from the prince himself, was preserved at no diswith the verb Ae$yewt, and describes the god as the tant period in one of the Roman churches: —
prophet or interpreter of Zeus. (Herod. i. 91, viii.
136; Aeschyl. Eunm. 19; Aristoph. Plut. 8; Eu- M. ANNAEO. LUCANO. CORDUBNSI. POETAE.
stath. ad Hornm. p. 794; Macrob. Sat. i. 17.) [L. S.] BENEFICIO. NERONIS. FAMA. SERVATA.
LOXO (Aoc05), a daughter of Boreas, one of From the birthday ode in honour of the dethe Hyperborean maidens, who brought the worship ceased, addressed to his widow Polla Argentaria,
of Artemis to Delos, whence it is also used as a by Statius, we gather that his earliest poem was
surname of Artemis herself. (Callim. Hymn. in on the death of Hector and the recovery of his
Del. 292; Nonnus, Dionys. v. p. 168; comp. body by Priam; the second, on the descent of
Spanheim, ad Callinm. 1. c.) [L. S.] Orpheus to the infernal regions; the third on the
LUA, also called Lua mater or Lua Saturni, one burning of Rome; the fourth, an address to his
of the early Italian divinities, whose worship was wife; the last, the Pharsalia; there is also an alforgotten in later times. It may be that she was lusion to the success which attended his essays in
no other than Ops, the wife of Saturn; but all we prose composition, and we infer from an expression
know of her is, that sometimes the arms taken of Martial that his muse did not confine herself
from a defeated enemy were dedicated to her, and exclusively to grave and dignified themes. (Stat.
burnt as a sacrifice, with a view to avert punish- Silv. ii. praef. and Carm. 7; Martial, Ep. i. 61, vii.
ment or any other calamity. (Liv. viii. I, xlv. 33; 21, 22, 23, x. 64, xiv. 194; Juv. vii. 79; Tac.
Gellius, xiii. 22; Varro, de Ling. Lat. viii. 36, with Ann. xv. 49, 56, 70, xvi. 17; comp. Dialog. de
Muller's note.) [L. S.] Orat. 20; Hieron. in Chzron. Euseb. n. 2080;
LUCA'NUS, M. ANNAEUS. The short no- Sidon. Apollin. x. 239, xxiii. 165; Wernsdorff,
tices of this poet in common circulation, such as that Poet. I.at. Min. vol. iv. pp. 41, 587.)
prefixed to the edition of Weise, although par- II. In a short trumpery fragment entitled "Vita
ticularly meagre, contain a series of statements many Lucani," ascribed to Suetonius, and which may be
of which rest upon very uncertain evidence, while an extract from the treatise of that grammarian,
the longer biographies, such as that of Nisard, are " De claris Poetis," we are told that Lucan made
almost purely works of imagination. In order that his first public appearance by reciting at the quinwe may be enabled to separate those portions of the quennial games the praises of Nero, who ranked
narrative which admit of satisfactory proof from him among his chosen friends, and raised him to
those which are doubtful or fictitious, we must the quaestorship. This good understanding, howexamine our materials and class them according to ever, was short-lived, and the courtly bard having
their quality. been, as he conceived, insulted by his patron, from
I. The facts collected from the writings of Sta- that time forward seized every opportunity of attius, Martial, Juvenal, Tacitus, the Eusebian tacking him in the most bitter lampoons, and
Chronicle as translated by Jerome and Sidonius eventually took a lead in the plot which proved
Apollinaris, may be received with confidence. Ac- the destruction of himself and his associates.
cording to these authorities Lucan was a native III. Another "Vita Lucani," said to be " Ex
of Cordova; his father was L. Annaeus Mella, Commentario Antiquissimo," but which can scarcely
a man of equestrian rank and high considera- be regarded as possessing much weight, furnishes
tion, who, satisfied with amassing a large fortune sundry additional purticulars. It-sets forth that
by acting as agent for the imperial revenues he was born on the 3d of Nov. A. D. 39, that he
(procurator), did not seek the same distinction in was conveyed from his native country to Rome
literature or politics, which was achieved by his when only eight years old, that his education was
brothers M. Seneca and Junius Gallio. The talents superintended by the most eminent preceptors of
of the son developed themselves at a very early the day, that he gave proofs of extraordinary preage and excited such warm and general admiration *cocity, attracted the attention of Nero, and while
as to awaken the jealousy of Nero, who, unable to yet almost a boy was admitted into the- senate,
brook competition, forbade him to recite in public. raised to the dignity of the quaestorship, that he
Stung to the quick by this prohibition the fiery exhibited in that capacity gladiatorial shows, and
young Spaniard embarked in the famous conspiracy was soon after invested with a priesthood, that
of Piso, was betrayed, and, by a promise of pardon, he incurred the hatred of Nero by defeating him
was with some difficulty induced to turn informer. and carrying off the prize with his Orpheus, in a
In order to excuse the hesitation he had at first poetical contest at the quinquennial games, in condisplayed, and to prove the absolute sincerity of sequence of which he was prohibited from writing
his repentance, he began by denouncing his own poetry or pleading at the bar; that, seeking remother Acilia (or Atilia), and then revealed the venge, be found death, and perished on the last
rest of his accomplices without reserve. But he day of April, A. D. 65, in the 26th year of his age.
received a traitor's reward. After the more impor- Then follows a catalogue of his works, many of the
taut victims had been despatched, the emperor names being evidently corrupt: Iliacvn. Suturna.
issued the mandate for the death of his poetical lia. Catascomon-(probably Catacausmos, i. e. cKaTarival who, finding escape hopeless, caused his veins KavozIS). Sylvarunm X. Tragoedia Medea imper.
to be opened. When, from the rapid effusion of fecta. gSalticae Fabmlae XIV. HIippainata prosa
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