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

POSEIDONI US. POSEIDONIUS. 507
iii. 16. ~ 4); but he had besides a vast number of observing the setting of the sun, and by his observchildren by other divinities and mortal women. ations confuting the ignorant story of the hissing
He is mentioned by a variety of surnames, either sound made by the sun as it descended into the
in allusion to the many legends related about him, ocean. Having collected a variety of information
or to his nature as the god of the sea. His wor- on points of geography and natural history, he set
ship extended over all Greece and southern Italy, out for Italy. Nor was he idle on the voyage,
but he was more especially revered in Pelopon- paying attention to the course of the winds, and
nesus (which is hence called oicnrKp77pov HoEliiivos) examining the peculiarities of the coasts along
and in the Ionic coast towns. The sacrifices offered which he passed. He visited Sicily and the neighto him generally consisted of black and white bouring islands, and then proceeded to Dalmatia
bulls (Hom. Od. iii. 6, II1. xx. 404; Pind. 01. xiii. and Illyricum (Strab. iii. p. 165, iv. p. 197, xiii.
98; Virg. Aen. v. 237); but wild boars and rams p. 614; Vitruv. de Archit. viii. 4). After visiting
were also sacrificed to him. (Hom. Od. xi. 130, Massilia, Gallia Narbonensis, and Liguria, he
&c., xxiii. 277; Virg. Aen. iii. 119.) In Argolis returned to the East, and fixed his abode at
bridled horses were thrown into the well Deine as Rhodes, where he became the president of the
a sacrifice to him (Paus. viii. 7. ~ 2), and horse Stoic school. He also took a prominent part in the
and chariot races were held in his honour on the political affairs of the republic, influencing the
Corinthian isthmus. (Pind. Nemt. v. 66, &c.) The course of legislation, and among other offices filling
Panionia, or the festival of all the lonians near that of Prytanis (Strab. iv. p. 655, vii. p. 316).
Mycale, was celebrated in honour of Poseidon. IIe was sent as ambassador to Rome in B. C. 86.
(Herod. i. 148.) In works of art, Poseidon may With Marius he became personally acquainted,
be easily recognised by his attributes, the dolphin, and Plutarch in his life of Marius was considerthe horse, or the trident (Paus. x. 36. ~ 4), and he ably indebted to information derived from him
was frequently represented in groups along with (Plut. Afar. 45). Cicero, when he visited Rhodes,
Amphitrite, Tritons, Nereids, dolphins, the Dios- received instruction both from Molo and from
curi, Palaemon, Pegasus, Bellerophontes, Thalassa, Poseidonius (Cic. de Nat. Deoer. i. 3, de Fin. i. 2;
Ino, and Galene. (Paus. ii. 1. ~ 7.) His figure Plut. Cic. 4). Pompey also had a great admiration
does not present the majestic calm which charac- for Poseidonius, and visited him twice, in B. c. 67
terises his brother Zeus; but as the state of the sea and 62. (Strab. xi. p. 492; Plut. Ponmp. 42;
is varying, so also is the god represented some- Plin. It. N. vii. 31.) To the occasion of his first
times in violent agitation, and sometimes in a state visit probably belongs the story that Poseidonius,
of repose. (Hirt, MJ/thol. Bilderb. i. p. 26.) It to prevent the disappointment of his distinguished
must be observed that the Romans identified visitor, though severely afflicted with the gout,
Poseidon with their own Neptunus, and that ac- held a long discourse on the topic that pain is not
cordingly the attributes belonging to the former an evil (Cic. Tusc. Disp. ii. 25). He seems to
are constantly transferred by the Latin poets to have availed himself of his acquaintance with
the latter. [L. S.] Pompey to gain such additions as he could to his
POSEIDO'NIUS (rIlooELSe ves),a distinguished geographical and historical knowledge (Strab. xi.
Stoic philosopher, was a native of Apameia in p. 492). In B. c. 51 Poseidonius removed to
Syria (Strab. xiv. p. 968, xvi. p. 1093; Suidas, Rome, and appears to have died soon after. He was
s. v. -Ioer-sE.). He was called sometimes the succeeded in his school by his disciple and granldApamean, from his birthplace, sometimes the Rhod- son Jason. [JAsoN, p. 556.] Among his disciples
ian, from the place where he taught (Lucian, were Phanias (Diog. Laert. vii. 41), and AscleMacrob. vol. iii. p. 223; Athen. vi. p. 252, e.) He piodotus (Senec. Qu. NVat. ii. 26, vi. 17). Besides
was also known by the surname'AOXrjTns (Siid. Cicero, he seems to have had among his hearers
1. c.). The dateof his birth is not known with any C. Velleins, C. Cotta, Q. Lucilius Balbus, and
exactness; but he was a disciple of Panaetius and probably Brutus. (Cic. de NAat. Deor. i. 44; Plut.
a contemporary of Pompeius and Cicero. Athenaeus Brut. p. 984.) Of Pompey we have already
(xii. p. 549, e.), by a great mistake, mentions spoken.
Poseidonius instead of Panaetius as the companion Poseidonius was a man of extensive and varied
of Scipio Africanus on his embassy to Egypt. acquirements in almost all departments of human
Elsewhere (xiv. p. 657) he talks of him as a con- knowledge. Strabo (xvi. p. 753) calls him dvm}p
temporary of Strabo, misunderstanding a passage'rv KaO' b,/as rpiLoao'pwvo 7r AvofaOsoraToo. Cicero
of the latter (xvi. p. 1093), where the expression thought so highly of his powers, that he requested
KcaO' jdasg, in an author who quotes from so many him to write an account of his consulship (ad Att.
writers of different ages, may very well be under- ii. 1). As a physical investigator he was greatly
stood of one who preceded him but a short time. superior to the Stoics generally, attaching himself
Vossius supposes that the old age of Poseidonius in this respect rather to Aristotle. His geogramay have coincided with the childhood of Strabo. phical and historical knowledge was very extensive.
The supposition is not necessary. As Panaetius Though attached to the Stoic system, he was far
died in B. c. 112, and Poseidonius came to Rome less dogmatical and obstinate than the majority of
in the consulship of M. Marcellus (B.C. 51), and that school, refusing to admit a dogma because it
according to Lucian (I. c.) reached the age of 84 was one of the school, if it did not commend itself
years, B.C. 135 is probably not far from the date to him for its intrinsic merits. This scientific cast
of the birth of Poseidonius. of his mind Galen attributes to his accurate acPoseidonius, leaving Syria, betook himself to quaintance with geometry (De Plac. fiIpp. et Plat.
Athens, and became the disciple of Panaetius, and iv. p. 279, viii. p. 319). His style of composition
never returned to his native country. (Suid. 1. c.; also seems to have been far removed from the unCic. de Off. iii. 2, 7insc. Disp. v. 37.) On the graceful stiffness which was frequently affected by
death of Panaetius he set out on his travels, and Stoic writers. (Strab. v. p. 147; comp. Galen, I. c.
first visited Spain. At Gades he staid thirty days, iv. p. 281, v. p. 296.)