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

SYPIHAX. SYRIANUS. 965
and Syphax was induced to enter into friendly at this great disaster, he was unwilling again to
relations with Rome, though it is doubtful whether take the field, and was with difficulty induced, by
(as asserted by Livy) he concluded any definite the united entreaties of Hasdrubal and Sophonisba,
treaty; at least, he appears to have been shortly to try his fortune once more. Having at length
after gained over by Hasdrubal to the opposite assembled a fresh army, he again joined his forces
cause. To this result the charms of Sophonisba, with those of llasdrubal, but they were once more
the beautiful daughter of Hasdrubal, whom he totally defeated by Scipio, and Syphax fled for refuge
offered in marriage to the Numidian king, are said to his hereditary dominions among the Massaesyto have powerfully contributed; Syphax accepted lians, leaving Laelius and Masinissa to recover,
the proffered alliance, and became from this time a without opposition, the kingdom of the latter. But
staunch friend to the Carthaginians. (Liv. xxviii. while his enemies were thus employed, he con17, 18, xxix. 23; Polyb. xiv. 1, 7; Appian. Hisp. trived to assemble for the third time a large army,
29, 30, Pun. 10; Zonar. ix. 10, 11.) with which he met the invaders on their advance
Meanwhile another opening had presented itself to Cirta. An obstinate contest ensued, but the
to his ambition. After the death of Gala, the army of Syphax was at length totally routed, and
Massylian kingdom had been a prey to civil dis- the king himself fell into the hands of the Romans,
sensions, in which, however, Syphax at first took who immediately sent him as a prisoner to Scipio.
little part; and though he lent some assistance to Meanwhile his capital city of Cirta was occupied
Lacumaces and his pupil Mezetulus, he did not by Masinissa. (Polyb. xiv. 6-9; Liv. xxx. 7-9,
succeed in preventing his old enemy Masinissa 11, 12; Appian. Pun. 26, 27; Zonar. ix. 13.)
from establishing himself on his father's throne. Scipio treated his royal prisoner with distinction,
[MASINISSA.] He was even disposed, we are told, for the purpose of enhancing his own victory, but
to acquiesce altogether in the elevation of his rival, immediately sent him (together with one of his
had not the representations of Hasdrubal warned sons who had been taken prisoner at the same
him of the danger of such a course. But lie yielded time), under the charge of Laelius, to Rome. Here
to the suggestions of the Carthaginian general, and he was ordered by the senate to be imprisoned at
~assembled a large army, with which he invaded Alba, for safe custody, where he remained until
the territories of Masinissa, defeated him in a the return of Scipio, after the close of the war.
pitched battle, and made himself master of his Polybius states expressly that he was one of the
whole kingdom. The Massylian king was thence- captives who adorned the triumph of the conqueror
forth compelled to restrict himself to a predatory upon that occasion, and that he died in confinement
warfare, in the course of which he obtained various shortly after. Livy, on the contrary, asserts that
advantages, and at one time compelled Syphax he was saved from that ignominy by a timely
himself (in conjunction with his son VERMINA) death at Tibur, whither he had been transferred
once more to take the field against him. Though from Alba. (Polyb. xvi. 23; Liv. xxx. 13, 16,
again defeated, he was still able to maintain him- 17, 45; App. Pun. 27, 28.) The statement of
self at the head of a small force until the landing Polybius, as well as the fact that his death occurred
of Scipio in Africa, B. c. 204. (Liv. xxix. 29-33; at Tibur, are confirmed by an inscription preserved
Appian. Pun. 10-12.) in the Vatican, the authenticity of which is, howOn that event Syphax, who had already sent an ever, very doubtful. (See Niebuhr's Lect. on Rosw.
embassy to Scipio in Sicily to warn him against Hist.,vol. i. p. 218, ed. Schmitz; Burton's Detaking such a step, did not hesitate to support the scription of Rome, vol. ii. p. 312.)
Carthaginians, and joined Hasdrubal with an army If we may trust the same authority he was 48
of 50,000 foot and 10,000 horse. But his desire years old at the time of his death. [E. H. B.]
was not so much for the decided victory of either SY'RIA DEA (4vpi-7 aEos), "the Syrian godof the two parties, as to become the means of dess," a name by which the Syrian Astarte or
mediating a peace between them, which he hoped Aphrodite is sometimes designated. This Astarte
to effect on condition of the Romans withdrawing was a Syrian divinity, resembling in many points
their troops from Africa, in return for the evacua- the Greek Aphrodite, and it is not improbable that
tion of Italy by Hannibal. He in consequence the latter was originally the Syrian Astarte, the
took advantage of the long protracted operations of opinions concerning whom were modified after her
the siege of Utica, during which his own army and introduction into Greece; for there can be no doubt
that of Ilasdrubal were encamped in the immediate that the worship of Aphrodite came from the East
neighbourhood of Scipio, to open negotiations with to Cyprus, and thence was carried into the south
the Roman general. These were protracted through- of Greece. (Lucian, De Syria Dea; Paus. i. 14.
out great payt of the winter; but Scipio, while he ~ 6; Aeschyl. Suppl. 562.). [L. S.]
pretended to lend a willing ear to the overtures of SYRIACUS, VAILLIUS, a friend of Asinius
the Numidian king, secretly entertained wholly Gallus, unjustly slain by Tiberius. He is fredifferent designs, and early in the spring of B. C. quently mentioned by the elder Seneca as a distin203, having abruptly broken off the treaty, he guished rhetorician. (Dion Cass. lviii. 3; Senec.
suddenly attacked the camp of Syphax in the Controv. i. 9, 14, 21, 27).
night, and set fire to the straw huts under which SYRIA'NUS (!vpiavns), a Greek philosopher
his soldiers were sheltered. The Numidians were of the Neo-Platonic school, was a native of Alextaken completely by surprise, and their whole andria, and the son of Philoxenus. We know little
army perished in the conflagration, or was put to of his personal history, but that he came to Athens,
the sword in the confusion that ensued. The and studied with great zeal under Plutarchus, the
Carthaginian camp shared the same fate. (Polyb. head of the Neo-Platonic school, who regarded him
xiv. 1 —5; Liv. xxx. 3-7; Appian. Pun. 13, 14, with great admiration and affection, andd appointed
17 —22; Zonar. ix. 12.) Syphax himself, with a him as his successor. The most distinguished of
few fugitives, made his escape to Numidia, where his disciples was Proclus, who regarded him with
he again began to collect troops; but disheartened the greatest veneration, and gave directions that at
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