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

THEUDAS. THIMBRON. 1103
THETIS (o&is), one of the daughters of Ne- the person mentioned by Diogenes Lairtius (ix.
reus and Doris, was the wife of Peleus, by whom ~ 116), as being a native of Laodiceia, a pupil of
she became the mother of Achilles. (Hom. II. i. Antiochus of Laodiceia, and a contemporary of
538, xviii. 35, &c., 52, &c.; Hes. Tkleog. 244.) Menodotus, about the beginning of the second
Later writers describe her as a daughter of Cheiron century after Christ.
(Schol. ad Apollon. Rlod. i. 558). According to 2. The physician quoted by Andromachus (ap.
others, Peleus married Philomela, the daughter of Galen. De Comnpos. Medicame. sec. Gen. vi. 14. vol.
Actor, but his friend Cheiron, wishing to render xiii. p. 925), must be a different person, who lived
Peleus celebrated, spread the report that he was in the first century after
married to Thetis. (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. iv. THIMBRON or THIBRON (~flepwr, 01816.) Being a granddaughter of Poseidon, Catul- epwv). 1. A Lacedaemonian, was sent out as
lus (64. 28) calls her Aepturine. As a marine harmost in B. C. 400, with an army of about 5000
divinity, she dwelt like her sisters, the Nereids, in men, to aid the Ionians against Tissaphernes, who
the depth of the sea, with her father Nereus. (Hom. wished to bring them into subjection. On ThimII. i. 358, xviii. 36, xx. 207.) She there received bron's arrival in Asia he collected reinforcements,
Dionysus on his flight from Lycurgus, and the god, among which the most important was the mass of
in his gratitude, presented her with a golden urn. the Cyrean Greeks at Pergamus, and he succeeded
(Hom. II. vi. 135, Od. xxiv. 75; comp. Tzetz. ad in gaining over or capturing several cities. But
Lycoph. 273.) When Hephaestus was thrown meanwhile he allowed his troops to plunder the
down from heaven, he was likewise received by country of their allies, and he was therefore superThetis. She had been brought up by Hera (II. seded by Dercyllidas, and obliged to return to
xxiv. 60), and when she reached the age of ma- Sparta, where he was brought to trial, and fined.
turity, Zeus and Hera gave her, against her own It would appear that he was unable to pay the
will, in marriage to Peleus. Poseidon and Zeus penalty, and went into exile. But in B. C. 392
himself are said by some to have sued for her hand (for there is no reason to suppose this a different
(Pind. Ist/lzm. viii. 58), but when Themis declared person) we again find him sent by the Lacedaethat the son of Thetis would be more illustrious monians into Asia to command against STRUTHAS.
than his father, both suitors desisted. (Pind. 1. c. He seems, however, to have been still, as before,
viii. 70; Ov. Met. xi. 225, xv. 856, xi. 350, careless of his duties and neglectful of discipline,
&c.; Aeschyl. Prom. 767; Hygin. Fab. 54; while he was addicted also to convivial pleasures.
Serv. ad Virg. Eclog. vi. 42.) Others state that One day, accordingly, Struthas purposely sent some
Thetis rejected the offers of Zeus, because she Persian cavalry to commit depredations within
had been brought up by Hera (Hom. II. xxiv. sight of Thimbron. The latter sallied forth in a
60; Apollon. Rhod. iv. 793); and the god, to disorderly manner to check them, and Struthas
revenge himself, decreed that she should marry a suddenly came up with a superior force, by which
mortal. Cheiron then informed his friend Peleus Thimbron was defeated and slain. (Xen. Anab.
how he might gain possession of her, even if she vii. 6. ~ 1, 8. ~ 24, Hell. iii. 1. ~~ 4-8, iv. 8.
should metamorphose herself; for Thetis, like ~~ 17-19; Diod. xiv. 36-38; Isocr. Paneg. p.
Proteus, had the power of assuming any form she 70, d; Polyaen. ii. 19.)
pleased, and she had recourse to this means of 2. A Lacedaemonian, was a confidential officer
escaping from Peleus, but the latter did not let her of Harpalus, the Macedonian satrap of Babylon
go, until she again assumed her proper form. (Apol- under Alexander the Great. According to one
lod. iii. 13. ~ 5; Pind. Nern. iii. 60; Paus. viii. account it was Thimbron who murdered Harpalus
18. ~ 1.) Others again relate, that a marine divinity in Crete, in B. C. 324. [HARPALUS, No. 1.] He
appeared to Peleus on Mount Pelion, and testified then possessed himself of his late master's treaher love to him, but without revealing herself to sures, fleet, and army, and, ostensibly espousing
him. Peleus, however, who saw her playing with the cause of some Cyrenaean exiles, sailed to Cy —
dolphins, recognised the goddess, and henceforth rene with the intention of subjugating it. He
shunned her presence. But she encouraged him, defeated the Cyrenaeans in a battle, obtained posreminding him of the love of Eos to Tithonus, of session of their harbour, Apollonia, together with
Aphrodite to Anchises, &c., and promised to pre- the treasures he found there, and compelled them
sent him with a son who should be more illustrious to capitulate on condition of paying him 500 tathan any mortal. (Philostr. I/er. 19. 1.) The lents, and supplying him with half of their warwedding of Peleus was honoured with the presence chariots for his expeditions. This agreement, howof all the gods. (Hom. I1. xxiv. 62.) After she ever, they were soon induced to repudiate by
had become the mother of Achilles, she bestowed Mnasicles, one of Thimbron's officers, who had
upon him the tenderest care and love. (Hom. II. deserted his standard, and gone over to the enemy.
i. 359, 500, &c., viii. 370, xviii. 73, 457; comp. Under the able direction of Mnasicles, the CyreACHILLES.) Her prayers to Zeus for him were naeans recovered Apollonia, and, though Thimbron
listened to, because at one time, when Zeus was was aided by the Barcaeans and Hesperians, and
threatened by the other gods, she induced Briareus succeeded in taking the town of Teucheira, yet, on
or Aegaeon to come to his assistance. (Hom. I1. i. the whole, his fortunes declined, and he met be396, &c.) Thetis had a temple (Thetideion) be- sides with a severe disaster in the loss of a great
tween Old and New Pharsalus in Thessaly (Strab. number of his men, who were slain or captured by
ix. p. 431), and in Sparta and Messenia she was the enemy, and in the almost total destruction of
likewise worshipped. (Paus. iii. 14. ~ 4, 22. ~ his fleet by a storm. Not discouraged, however,
2.) [L. S.] he collected reinforcements from the Peloponnesus,
THEUDAS or THEIO'DAS or THE'ODAS defeated the Cyrenaeans (who were now aided by
(Ov3sas or ~ELC3&aY or Oeos5i), a physician be- the Libyans and Carthaginians), and closely belonging to the sect of the Empirici (Galen, De sieged Cyrene. Pressed by scarcity, the citizens
Mlets. Med. ii. 7, vol. x. p. 142), who is perhaps quarrelled among themselves, and the chiefs of the