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

842 SISYGAMBIS. SISYPHUS.
preserved. (Cic. Brut. 64, 88, de Leg. i. 2; Gell. during the battle of Arbela to make her escape,xvi. 9; Inscrip. Graec. ap. Brisson. de Formulis, p. contributed much to maintain the respect and af224; comp. Gruter, C. L. diii.; Appian, Ml1ithrid. fection with which Alexander appears to have
95; Dion Cass. xxxvi. 2; Ovid. Trist. ii. 443; regarded her, and which he displayed on various
Ritschl, de veteribus Plauti interpret. ~ 8, in his occasions by the most delicate and deferential atParergon Plautin. 8vo. Lips. 1845, p. 376; Krause, tentions. (Curt. iv. 10. ~ 20, 15. ~ 10, v. 2.
Vitae et Fraqmenta Historicorum Rom. 8vo. Berol. ~ 17-21; Diod. xvii. 59.) On her part, the
1833, p. 299; C. L. Roth, L. Cornelii Sisennae ist. captive queen had conceived so strong an attachRom. Vita, Basil. 1834.) [W. R.] ment for her conqueror, that she felt his death as a
SISENNA, A. GABI'NIUS. [GABINIUS, blow not less severe than that of her own son; and
No. 6.] overcome by this long succession of misfortunes,
SISENNA,NU'MMIUS,consulunderH adrian, put an end to her own life by voluntary starvation.
A.D. 133, with M. Antonius Hiberus (Fasti). (Diod. xvii. 118; Curt. x. 5. ~ 19-24; Justin.
SISENNA TAURUS, STATI'LIUS. [TAu- xiii. 1.) [E. H. B.]
RUS.] SI'SYPHUS ('otvepos), a son of Aeolus and
SISINES (o-lav77s), a Persian, who, according Enarete, whence he is called Aeolides (Hom.
to Curtius (iii. 4), was sent on an embassy to Ii. vi. 154; Horat. Carm. ii. 14. 20). He was
Philip of Macedon by the satrap of Egypt, and accordingly a brother of Cretheus, Athamas,
was induced to remain in the Macedonian service. Salmonens, Deion, Magnes, Perieres, Canace,
He accompanied Alexander the Great on his expe- Alcyone, Peisidice, Calyce and Perimede (Apollod.
dition into Asia; and, while the army was in i. 7. ~ 3; Paus. x. 31. ~ 2). He was married to
Cilicia, in B. C. 333, he received a letter from Merope, a daughter of Atlas or a Pleiad (Apollod.
Nabarzanes, a Persian officer, urging upon him i. 9. ~ 3; Ov. Fast. iv. 175; comp. MEROPE),
the assassination of Alexander. The letter, how- and became by her the father of Glaucus, Ornyever, had previously fallen into the king's hands, tion (or Porphyrion, Schol. ad Apollon. Rlsod. iii.
who had re-sealed it, and caused it to be delivered 1094), Thersandrus, and Halmus (Paus. ii. 4.
to Sisines, with the view of testing his fidelity. ~ 3, ix. 34. ~ 5). In later accounts he is also
Sisines intended to acquaint Alexander with its called a son of Autolycus, and the father of Sinon
contents, but several days elapsed without his (Serv. ad Aen. ii. 79) and Odysseus, who is
finding an opportunity of doing so, and Alexander, hence called Sisyphides (Ov. Met. xiii. 31; Serv.
therefore, feeling sure of his treachery, ordered him ad Aen. vi. 529; Tzetz. ad Lycopch. 344; Eustath.
to be put to death. ad Homrn. p. 1701). He is said to have built the
The name Sisines appears to be only another town of Ephyra, afterwards Corinth (Hom. II.
form of Asisines. (See Arr. Anab. i. 25.) [E. E.] vi. 153; Apollod. i. 9. ~ 3), though, according
SISINNA was, according to Appian (B. C. v. 7), to another tradition, Medea, on leaving Corinth,
the name of the son of Glaphyra, to whom Antony gave him the government of that city (Pans. ii. 3,
gave the kingdom of Cappadocia. Other writers, in fin.). As king of Corinth he promoted navi.
however, call him Archelaus, under which head an gation and commerce, but was fraudulent, avaaccount of him is given. [ARCHELAUS, No. 4.] ricious, and altogether of bad character, and his
SISPES. [SosPES.] whole house was in as bad repute as he himself
SISYGAMBIS (:tacslyausics), mother of Dareius (Hom. II. vi. 153; Theogn. 703,712; Schol. ad
Codomannus, king of Persia, appears to have been Aristoph. Acharn. 390, ad Sopis. Aj. 190; Eustath.
a daughter of Ostanes, a younger brother of Ar- ad Honz. p. 1701; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 980; Ov. HIer.
taxerxes Mnemon, though some writers consider xii. 204; Horat. Sat. ii. 17.12). He is said to have
her as a daughter of Artaxerxes himself. (See found the body of Melicertes on the coast of CoWesseling ad Diod. xvii. 5.) She was married to rinth, to have buried it on the isthmus, and to have
her brother (or cousin) Arsames, and bore seven founded the Isthmian games in honour of him (Ino
children, of whom Dareius was the only one that and Palaemon, Paus. ii. 1. ~ 3; Apollod. iii. 4.
grew up to manhood. (Curt. x. 5. ~ 23.) After the ~ 3; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. iii. 1240; Tzetz. ad
accession of her son, Sisygambis was treated with Lycoph. 107, 229). His wickedness during life
the utmost reverence and honour, according to the was severely punished in the lower world, where
Persian custom, and accompanied Dareius on his he had to roll up hill a huge marble block, which
campaign against Alexander in B. C. 333, which as soon as it reached the top always rolled down
terminated in the disastrous battle of Issus. After again (Cic. Tusc. i. 5; Virg. Georg. iii. 39; Ov.
that defeat she fell, together with the wife and Mlet. iv. 459, 1b. 175; Lucret. iii. 1013). The
daughters of Dareius, into the hands of the con- special reasons for this punishment are not the
queror, who treated them with the greatest gene- same in all authors; some say that it was because
rosity and kindness, and displayed towards Sisy- he had betrayed the designs of the gods (Serv. ad
gambis, ill particular, a reverence and delicacy of Aen. vi. 616; Schol. ad 11om. 11. i. 180, vi. 153),
conduct, which is one of the brightest ornaments others because he attacked travellers, and killed
of his character. (Arrian. Anab. ii. 11, 12; Plut. them with a huge block of stone. He was slain,
Alex. 21; Diod. xvii. 37, 38; Curt. iii. 3. ~ 22, 11. according to some, by Theseus (Schol. ad Stat.
~ 21-26, 12; Justin. xi. 9.) So great, indeed, Tiseb. ii. 380), while other traditions relate that
was the influence which she continued to enjoy, that Sisyphus lived in enmity with his brother Salshe ventured, on one occasion, to intercede in favour moneus, and consulted the oracle how he might
of Madates, a Persian, who had especially incurred get rid of him. Apollo answered, that if he begot
the wrath of Alexander, and her prayer was imme- sons by Tyro, the wife of his brother, they would
diately granted. (Curt. v. 3. ~ 12.) It is probable avenge him. Sisyphus indeed became the father
that the generous and magnanimous character of Si- of two sons by Tyro, but the mother killed themn
sygarmbis herself,-of which she afforded a striking immediately after their birth. Sisyphus took
proof by refusing to avail herself of the confusion cruel vengeance on her; and was punished for it