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

PEIRIANDER. PERIBOEA. 19!1
subjection, and we are told, on the authority of felt for the deed, and which he seems to have tried
Timaeus, that he took part with Pittacus and the to quiet by superstitious rites, partly through the
Myvtilenaeans in their war against Athens (B. c. alienation of his younger son LYCOPHRON, inex606) for the possession of Sigeium and the sur- orably exasperated by his mother's fate. The
rounding coast. If, however, he was at first a young man's anger had been chiefly excited by
party to the contest, he seems to have acted sub- Procles, and Periander in revenge attacked Episequently as a mediator. (Strab. xiii. p. 600; daurus, and, having reduced it, took his father-inHerod. v. 94, 95; comp. Miill. ad Aesch. Euzn. law prisoner. His vengeance was roused also
~ 42; Clint. F. IH. sub anno 606.) Another against the Corcyraeans by their murder of Lycomode by which he strengthened himself was his phron, and he sent 300 Corcyraean boys to
alliance with tyrants in other cities of Greece Alyattes, king of Lydia, to be made eunuchs of;
(Miletus, e. g. and Epidaurus), and even with bar- but they were rescued on their way by the Samians,
barian kings, as with Alyattes of Lydia. On the and Periander is said to have died of despondency,
west of Greece, as MUller remarks (Dor. i. 8. ~ 3), at the age of 80, and after a reign of 40 years, acthe policy of the Cypselidae led them to attempt cording to Diogenes Laertius. He was succeeded
the occupation of the coast of the Ionian sea as far by a relative, Psammetichus, son of Gordias,as Illyria, and to establish a connection with the names which have been thought to intimate the
barbarous nations of the interior. In accordance maintenance by the Cypselidae of hospitable relawith this policy, Periander kept up a considerable tions with the princes of Egypt and Phrygia. For
navy, and is said to have formed the design of Gordias, however, some would substitute Gorgus
cutting through the Isthmus of Corinth and thus (the son or brother of Cypselus), whom Plutarch
opening a readier communication between the calls Gorgia3; but this conjecture we need not
eastern and western seas; and we find, too, that hesitate to reject. Aristotle, if we follow the re:
Apolldnia on the Macedonian coast was founded ceived text, assigns to the tyranny of Periander a
by the Corinthians in his reign. (Strab. vii. p. duration of 44 years; but the amount of the
316; Thuc. i. 26; Plin. H. N. iii. 23.) Such a whole period of the dynasty, as given by him, does
policy, combined with the natural advantages of its not accord with his statement of the length of the
situation, stimulated greatly the commerce of several reigns (Pol. v. 12, ed. Bekk. v. 9, ed.
Corinth, and we hear accordingly that the harbour Gittling). To make Aristotle, therefore, agree
and market-dues were so considerable, that Pe- with himself and with Diogenes La'rtius, Sylburg
riander required no other source of revenue. The and Clinton would, in different ways, alter the
construction of splendid works dedicated to the reading, while Gittling supposes Psammetichus,
gods (Kvq4ehuLcv, dcvaOfiara, Arist. Pol. v. 11), on the ground of his name, to have been not of the
would be recommended to him as much by his own blood of the Cypselidae, but a barbarian, to whom
taste and love of art as by the wish to drain the Periander entrusted the command of his mercenastores of the wealthy. Generally, indeed, we find ries, and who seized the government and held it
him, like so many of the other tyrants, a liberal for three years; and these years he considers
and discriminating patron of literature and philo- Aristotle to have omitted in stating the entire pesophy; and Arion and Anacharsis were in favour riod of the dynasty. Bat this is a most farat his court. Diogenes Lairtius tells us that he fetched and improbable conjecture. In Diogenes
wrote a didactic poem (uhro0jKam), which ran to Lairtius there is a very childish story, not worth
the length of 2000 verses, and consisted in all pro- repeating here, which relates that Periander met
bability of moral and political precepts; and he his end by violence and voluntarily. (Herod. iii.
was very commonly reckoned among the Seven 48-53, v. 92; Suid. s.v. rleptavpos; Clint. F. H.
Sages, though by some he was excluded from their sub annis 625, 585; Plut. de Herod. Mal. 22.)
number, and Myson of Chenae in Laconia was 2. A tyrant of Ambracia, was contemporary with
substituted in his room. The letters, which we his more famous namesake of Corinth, to whom he
find in Diogenes Lairtius, from Periander to his was also related, being the son of Gorgus, who was
brother sages, inviting them to Corinth, and from son or brother to Cypselus. The establishment of
Thrasybulus to Periander, e plaining the act of a branch of the family in Ambracia will be seen to
cutting off the tops of tile corn, are obvious and have been quite in accordance with the ambitious
clumsy fabrications. (Herod. i. 20, 23, 24; Ael. policy of the Cypselidae in the west of Greece, as
V. H. ii. 41; Gell. xvi. 19; Plut. Sol. 4, Conv. mentioned above. Periander was deposed by the
VTII Sap.; ])iod. IPragun. b. ix; Plat. Protay. p. people, probably after the death of the Corinthian
343; Clem. Alex. Strom. p. 351; Heracl. Pont. 5.) tyrant (B. c. 585). The immediate occasion of the
The private life of Periander is marked by great insurrection, according to Aristotle, was a gross
misfortune, if not by the dreadful criminality which insult offered by him to one of his favourites.
his enemies ascribed to him. He married MELISSA, (Arist. Pol. v. 4, 10, ed. Bekk.; Ael. V. H. xii.
daughter of Procles, tyrant of Epidaurus, having 35; Perizon. ad loc.; Diog. La'rt. i. 98; Menag.
fallen in love with her, according to one account, ad loc.; Clinton, F. H. sub anno 612; Miiller,
from seeing her in a light dress, after the Pelopon- DJor.'i. 6. ~ 8, 8. ~ 3, iii. 9. ~ 6.) [E. E.]
nesian fashion, giving out wine to her father's PERIANDER (fleptavspos), a Greek physician
labourers. (Pythaen. ap. Ath. xiii. p. 589, f.) She in the fourth century B. c.. He enjoyed some rebore him two sons, Cypselus and Lycophron, and putation in his profession, but was also fond of
was passionately beloved by him; but he is said writing poor verses, which made Archidamus, the
to have killed her by a blow during her pregnancy, son of Agesilaus, ask him how he could possibly
having been roused to a fit of anger by the calum- wish to be called a bad poet rather than an accomnies of some courtesans, whonl, on the detection of plished physician. (Plut. Apophtheym. Lacon. vol.
their falsehood, he afterwards caused to be burnt ii. p. 125. ed Tauchn.) [W. A. G.]
alive. His wife's death embittered the remainder PERIBOEA (MIepf'ooa). 1. The wife of Icarius,
of his days, partly through the remorse which he and mother of Penelope. [IcARIUS.]