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

~974 TANTALUS. TANTALUS.
rt c. 194. He was praetor in B. c. 192, when he ad Eurip. Or. 5; Diod. iv. 74.) All traditions
received Bruttii as his province, with two legions, agree in stating that he was a wealthy king, but
and 1500 foot-soldiers and 500 horse of the allies. while some call him king of Lydia, of Sipylus in
In consequence of the threatening war with An- Phrygia or Paphlagonia, others describe him as
tiochus the Great, he was ordered to march with king of Argos or Corinth. (Hygin. Fab. 124;
these troops to the neighbourhood of Brundisium Serv. ad Aen. vi. Ai03; Diod. 1. c.) Tantalus is
and Tarentum, and soon afterwards to cross over particularly celebrated in ancient story for the
with them to Epeirus. He remained in Greece severe punishment inflicted upon him after his death
the following year as propraetor, and took an in the lower world, the causes of which are diffeactive part in the war against Antiochus. In rently stated by.the ancient authors. The common
conjunction with Philip, king of Macedonia, he account is that Zeus invited him to his table and
marched into Thessaly, and as Antiochus retreated communicated his divine counsels to him. Tantabefore them, Tamphilus obtained possession of lus divulged the secrets intrusted to him, and the
many important towns in Thessaly. The consul gods punished him by placing him in the nether
IM'. Acilius Glabrio arrived soon afterwards, and world in the midst of a lake, but rendering it imtook the command of the troops, but Tamphilus possible for him to drink when he was thirsty, the
continued in Greece, serving under the consul. water always withdrawing when he stooped.
(Liv. xxxiv. 45, xxxv. 10, 23, 24, xxxvi. 8, 10, Branches laden with fruit, moreover, hung over his
13, 14, 22.) head, but when he stretched out his hand to reach
In B. C. 186, Tamphilus was one of the three the fruit, the branches withdrew. (Hom. Od. xi.
ambassadors sent to settle the disputes between 582.) Over his head there was suspended a huge
Eumenes and Philip and the Thessalian states. rock ever threatening to crush him. (Pind. 01. i.
In B. C. 181 he was consul with P. Cornelius 90, &c., Isthm. viii. 21; Eurip. Or. 5, &c.; Diod.
Cethegus. Both consuls received Liguria as their v. 74; Philostr. Vit. Apollon. iii. 25; Hygin.
province, but they did not engage in any military Fab. 82; Horat. Sat. i. 1. 68; Tibull. i. 3. 77;
operations. In the following year, however, when Ov. Met. iv. 457, Art. Am. ii. 605; Senec. Here.
their command was prolonged till the arrival of Fur. 752; Cic. de Fin. i. 18, Tuscul. iv. 16.)
the new consuls, they marched at the commence- Another tradition relates that he, wanting to try
ment of the spring into the territory of the Apuani the gods, cut his son Pelops in pieces, boiled them
Ligures, who, taken unawares, found themselves and set them before the gods at a repast. (Hygin.
obliged to surrender. In order to prevent -a re- Fab. 83; Serv. ad Aen. vi. 603, ad Georg. iii. 7.)
newal of the war, the consuls transported 40,000 A third account states that Tantalus stole nectar
of these people, with their wives and children, to and ambrosia from the table of the gods and gave
Samnium. On account of this success, they tri- them to his friends (Pind. 01. i. 98; Tzetz. Clil.
umphed on their return to Rome, being the first v. 465); and a fourth lastly relates the following
instance in which this honour had been conferred story. Rhea caused the infant Zeus and his nurse
upon generals who had not carried on a war. (Liv. to be guarded in Crete by a golden dog, whom sub.
xxxix. 23, 24, xl. 18, 35, 37, 38.) sequently Zeus appointed guardian of his temple in
4. CN. BAEBIUS TAMPHILUS, probably son of Crete. Pandareus stole this dog, and, carrying
No. 2, was praetor urbanus, B. C. 168. In the him to Mount Sipylus in Lydia, gave him to Tanfollowing year he was one of the five legati sent talus to take care of. But afterwards, when Paninto Illyricum. (Liv. xliv. 17, xlv. 17). dareus demanded the dog back, Tantalus took an
The following coin of C. Baebius Tamphilus has oath that he had never received him. Zeus thereon the obverse the head of Pallas, and on the upon changed Pandareus into a stone, and threw
reverse Apollo driving a quadriga. Tantalus down from Mount Sipylus. (Anton. Lib.
36.) Others again relate that Hermes demanded
the dog of Tantalus, and that the perjury was committed before Hermes. (Pind. Ol1. i. 90.) Zeus
buried Tantalus under Mount Sipylus as a punishment. (Schol. ad Pind. 01. 90, 97.) There his
tomb was shown in later times. (Pans. ii. 22. ~ 4,
\0 od32O v. 13. ~ 4.) In the Lesche of Delphi Tantalus was
represented by Polygnotus in the situation described in the common tradition: he was standing
COIN OF C. BAEBIUS TAMPHILUS. in water, with a fruit-tree over his head, and
threatened by an overhanging rock. (Paus. x. 31.
TANAGRA (Tdvaypa), a daughter of Aeolus or ~ 2.) The punishment of Tantalus was proverbial
Asopus, and wife of Poemander, is said to have in ancient times, and from it the English language
given the name to the town of Tanagra in Boeotia. has borrowed the verb " to tantalize," that is, to
(Paus. ix. 20. ~ 2; Strab. ix. p. 403.) [L. S.] hold out hopes or prospects which cannot be
TA'NAQUIL. [TARQUINIUSs.] realized. Tzetzes (ad Lycoplh. 355) mentions that
TA'NTALUS (TdYaraAos). 1. A son of Zeus Tantalus was in love with Ganymede, and engaged
by Pluto, or according to others (Schol. ad Eurip. with Ilus in a contest for the possession of the
Orest. 5; Tzetz. Chil. v. 444; Apostol. Cent. xviii. charming youth.
7) a son of Tmolus. (Hygin. Fatb. 82, 154; Anton. 2. A son of Thyestes, who was killed by Atreus
Lib. 36.) His wife is called by some Euryanassa (Hygin. Fab. 88, 244, 246; others call him a son
(Schol. ad Eurip. 1. c.; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 52), by of Broteas). He was married to Clytaemnestra
others Taygete or Dione (Hygin. Fab. 82; Ov. before Agamemnon (Pans. ii. 22. ~ 4), and is maid
Met. vi. 174), and by others Clytia or Eupryto by some to have been killed by Agamemnon.
(Schol. ad Eurip. Or. 11; Apostol. 1. c.) He was (Paus. ii. 18. ~ 2, comp. iii. 22. ~ 4.) His tomb
the father of Pelops, Broteas, and Niobe. (Schol. was shown at Argos.