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

896 SPINTHARUS. SPONSIANUS.
artists, as ornaments of architectural and other 1034; Bode, Gesch. d. Hellen. Dicetckunst, vol. iii.
works. (Paus. iii. 18. ~ 8, v. 11. ~ 2; Eurip. pt. 1, pp. 48, 562.) Respecting some other inElect. 471.) [L. S.] significant writers of this name, see Menag. ad
SPHO'DRIAS (qos~pLas), a Spartan, whom Diog. La6e-t. ii. 20. [P. S.]
Cleombrotus, on his return from the invasion of SPI'NTHARUS (:SrivOapos), a Corinthian
the Theban territory, in B.C. 378, left behind him architect, who commenced the rebuilding of the
as harmost at Thespiae, placing the third part of great temple at Delphi, after its destruction by fire
the allies (their regular contingent) under his in 01. 58. 1, B. c. 548. (Paus. x. 5. ~ 5.) The
command, and entrusting him with all the money temple was not, however, finished till 01. 75, B. c.
lie had brought from home, with -which he desired 480; so that the architect could scarcely have
him to hire mercenaries. Not long after this, and lived to see the completion of the work. [P. S.]
at a time when his country was at peace with SPINTHER, an agnomen of P. Cornelius
Athens, Sphodrias was induced to take the foolish Lentulus, consul B. c. 57, and of his son. [LENand unjustifiable step of invading the Athenian TULUS, Nos. 20 and 21.]
territory. According to Diodoru3, he was instigated SPITHRIDA'TES (:rliOplado7s.) 1. A Perto it by private orders from Cleombrotus, acting sian, was one of the commanders sent by Pharnawithout the authority of the Ephors; while from bazus to oppose the passage of the Cyrean Greeks
Xenophon and Plutarch we gather that he was through Bithynia, B. C. 400. [RHATHINES.] In
tampered with by Pelopidas and Gorgidas, who B. C. 396 Spithridates, offended with Pharnabazus,
wished to embroil Atlens with Sparta, and whose who wished to take his daughter as a concubine,
mingled bribes and flattery Sphodrias, venal at was induced by Lysander to revolt from the satrap,
once and vain and weak, was unable to resist. He bringing with him his children, his treasures, and
accordingly led forth his troops from Thespiae, 200 horse. His defection was most acceptable to
with the professed intention of surprising the Pei- Agesilaus, who gained information from him about
raeeus. When the day broke, however, he had the affairs of Pharnabazus. (Xenl. Aszab. vi. 5. ~ 7,
advanced no further than the Thriasian plain, tIell. iii. 4. ~ 10, Ages. 3. ~ 3; Plut..Ages. 8, Lys. 24.)
where, according to one statement preserved by 2. Satrap of Lydia and Ionia under Dareius
Plutarch, his soldiers were terrified by a light, Codomannus, was one of the Persian commanders
which appeared to flash from some temples at at the battle of the Granicus, in B. C. 334, in which
Eleusis. Sphodrias of course was obliged to aban- engagement, while he was aiming a blow from
don his enterprise; but instead of retreating quietly, behind at Alexander, his arm was cut off by Cleilie wantonly added to the exasperation of the tus, son of Dropides (Arr. Anzab. i. 12, 15, 16).
Athenians, by driving off cattle and plundering Diodorus calls him Spithrobates, and appears to
houses. The Ephors brought him to trial for his confound him with Mithridates [MLTHRIDATES,
life, and his guilt was so clear, not to speak of No. 5.], the son-in-law of Dareius, whom Alexthe policy of conciliating Athens by his condemna- ander slew in the battle with his own hand; while
tion, that he did not dare to return homne and what Arrian records of Spithridates is related by
meet the charge in person. He was therefore tried Diodorus of his brother Rhoesaces. (Diod. xvii.
in his absence, and, contrary to all expectation, 19, 20; Wess. ad loc.; Plut. Alex. 16, dle Alex.
was acquitted through the influence of Agesilaus, Fort. i. 2.) [E. E.]
who had weakly yielded to the entreaties of his SPITYNCHAS is mentioned by Sillig (Cat.
son Archidamus, an intimate friend of Cleonymus, Artif s. v.), as the engraver of a precious stone
the son of Sphodrias. At Leuctra Sphodrias was described by Gori (Geelm. Etrusc. ii. pl. 9, No. I );
one of the immediate escort of king Cleombrotus, but we find no other notice of him, nor any other
and perished in the battle, B.c. 371. (Xen. Hell. instance in which the name occurs. We have
v. 4. ~~ 15, 20, &c., vi. 4. ~ 14; Plut. Ages. 24, not the opportunity of referring to the work of
25, Pelop. 14; Diod. xv. 29.) [E. E.] Gori. [P. S.]
SPHRAGI'TIDES (mpparrf1esc), a surname of SPO'DIUS (27r Mlos), a surname of Apollo at
a class of prophetic nymphs on mount Cithaeron in Thebes, derived from aBrods, ashes, because his
Boeotia, where they had a grotto called mppa-yiaov. altar consisted of the ashes of the victims which
(Plut. Aristid. 9; Paus. ix. 3, in fin.; Plut. Sympos. had been sacrificed to him. (Paus. ix. 11. ~
i. 10.) [L. S.] 5.) [L. S.]
SPI'NTHARUS (ri'O0apos), of Heracleia on SPO'NGIA, one of the judices who acquitted
the Pontus, a tragic poet, contemporary with Clodius for his violation of the mysteries of the
Aristophanes, who designates him as a barbarian Bona Dea, B. C. 61, is probably a fictitious name
and a Phrygian (Av. 763, comp. Schol.). He was given to him by Cicero in ridicule. (Cit. ad Att.
also ridiculed by the other comic poets. We i. 16. ~ 6.)
know nothing of his plays, except two titles, pre- SPONSIAINUS. A few gold coins, of half
served by Suidas (s. v.), 7rpilcaiotAEVOS'HpaKNaS, barbarous workmanship and of much larger size
and seIhl'A KEpavmoi'vqOU. He appears to be the than those usually issued from the Roman imperial
same person as the Spintharus who, according to mint, are to be found, chiefly in the museums of
Diogenes Laertius (v. 92, 93; comp. Suid. s. v. Austria, which exhibit onil the obverse a male
7rapaosriXLs), attempted to pass off a spurious tra.- beardless head surrounded with rays, and the chagedy, entitled IlapOevoraos,as awork of Sophocles; racters IMP. SPONSIANI, while on the reverse is
and so far succeeded as to impose upon Heracleides, stamped a device corresponding minutely with the
who quoted the play as a genuine drama of So- consular denarii of C. Minucius Augurinus. and
phocles; but the Alexandrian grammarians never the letters c. AUG. The lname of Sponsianus is
give it a place among the works of Sophocles. The totally unknown to history, and no plausible
forgery was also ascribed to a certain Dionysius conljecture has yet been proposed in regard to
Metathemenus. (Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. ii. pp. the origin of these pieces. (Eckhel, Doctrin. Nulml.
211, 215, 323; Welcker, die Griech. Tsayid. p. vol. vi. p. 840.) [W. R.]