Listed 31 sub titles with search on: Biographies for wider area of: "REGGIO CALABRIA Town CALABRIA" .
RIGION (Ancient city) CALABRIA
(of Rhegium). One of the Greek Logographi.
Hippys, (Hippus or Hipus) of Rhegium, a Greek historian, who lived in the time of the Persian wars, and wrote a work on Sicily (tas Sikelikas praxeis) in five books, which was epitomised by Myes. He also wrote Ktisin Italias, no doubt an account of the early mythical history of Italy, like the works which the Romans called Origines ; Chronika in five books; and, if the text of Suidas is correct (Argologikon g), a miscellaneous work, the fruit of leisure hours, in three books: but few critics will hesitate to accept the conjectural emendation of Gyraldus, Argolikon. (Suid. s. v.) There can be no doubt that the remainder of the article in Suidas (houtos protos egrapse parodian kai choliambun kai alla is misplaced from his article Hipponax. Hippys is quoted by Aelian (N. A. ix. 33), by Stephanus Byzantinus (s. v. Apkas), who says that Hippys first called the Arcadians proselenous; by Plutarch (de Defect. Orac. 23); by the Scholiast on Apollonius Rhodius (iv. 262), and, with a corruption of the name into Hippias and Hippeus, by Athenaeus (i p. 31, b.); by a Scholiast on Euripides (Med. 9); and by Zenobius (Prov. iii. 42). Perhaps too one passage (Antig. Hist. Mir. 133), in which the name of Hippon of Rhegium occurs, may really refer to Hippys. (Vossius, de Hist. Graec., ed. Westermann.)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Nov 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Lycus (Lukos), of Rhegium, surnamed Boutheras, the father, real or adoptive, of the poet Lycophron, was an historical writer in the time of Demetrius Phalereus, who, for some unknown reason, aimed at his life. He wrote a history of Libya, and of Sicily, and a work on Alexander the Great. He is quoted by several ancient writers, some of whom ascribe to him also works upon Thebes and upon Nestor, which seem clearly to have been of a mythological character. (Suid. s. v.; Steph. Byz. s. v. Habrotonon, Skidros; Schol. ad Aristoph. Pac. 924; Antig. Caryst. 46, 148, 154, 170, 188; Tzetzes, Vit. Lycophr.; Schol. ad Lycoph. 615, 1206; Schol. ad Hesiod. Theog. 326; Vossius, de Hist. Graec.)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Oct 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
LOKRI EPIZEFIRIOI (Ancient city) ITALY
Ephorus, in his mention of the written legislation of the Locri which was drawn up by Zaleucus from the Cretan, the Laconian, and the Areopagite usages, says that Zaleucus was among the first to make the following innovation--that whereas before his time it had been left to the judges to determine the penalties for the several crimes, he defined them in the laws, because he held that the opinions of the judges about the same crimes would not be the same, although they ought to be the same. And Ephorus goes on to commend Zaleucus for drawing up the laws on contracts in simpler language. . .
Zaleucus, (Zaleukos). The celebrated lawgiver of the Epizephyrian Locrians, is said by some to have been originally a slave, but is described by others as a man of good family. He could not, however, have been a disciple of Pythagoras, as some writers state, since he lived upwards of one hundred years before Pythagoras. The date of the legislation of Zaleucus is assigned to B.C. 660. His code, which was severe, is stated to have been the first collection of written laws that the Greeks possessed. Among other enactments we are told that the penalty of adultery was the loss of the eyes. There is a celebrated story of the son of Zaleucus having become liable to this penalty, and the father himself suffering the loss of one eye, that his son might not be utterly blinded. It is further related that among his laws was one forbidding any citizen, under penalty of death, to enter the senate-house in arms. On one occasion, however, on a sudden emergency in time of war, Zaleucus transgressed his own law, which was remarked to him by one present; whereupon he fell upon his own sword, declaring that he would himself vindicate the law. Other authors tell the same story of Charondas, and of Diocles.
This text is from: Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities. Cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
LOKRI EPIZEFIRIOI (Ancient city) ITALY
Eunomus, (Eunomos), a cithara-player of Locri, in Italy. One of the strings of his cithara being broken (so runs the tale) in a musical contest at the Pythian games, a cicada perched on the instrument, and by its notes supplied the deficiency. Strabo tells us there was a statue of Eunomus at Locri, holding his cithara with the cicada, his friend in need, upon it. (Strab. vi.; Casaub. ad loc. ; Clem. Alex. Protrept. i.; comp. Ael. Hist. An. v. 9.)
Timaeus of Locri, in Italy, a Pythagorean philosopher, is said to have been a teacher of Plato. He gives his name to a dialogue of Plato, in which is given the account of the mythical island Atlantis, lying in the Western Ocean, and supposed by many in modern times to have been suggested by vague stories of the American continent.
This text is from: Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities. Cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Elicaon or Helicaon (Helikaon), of Rhegium, a Pythagorean philosopher. He is mentioned along with other Pythagoreans, who gave good and wholesome laws to Rhegium, and endeavoured to make practical use of the philosophical principles of their master in the administration of their country. (Iamblich. Vit. Pythag. 27, 30, 36.)
Euthycles. Of Rhegium, a Pythagorean philosopher. (Iamblich. Vit. Pyth. cc. 27, 36.)
LOKRI EPIZEFIRIOI (Ancient city) ITALY
A Greek poetess of Locri in Italy who lived in the fourth century B.C., and wrote twelve epigrams preserved in the Greek Anthology.
RIGION (Ancient city) CALABRIA
Ιbycus, (Ibukos). A Greek lyric and erotic poet of Rhegium in
Lower Italy, who flourished about B.C. 530. Like Anacreon, he led a roving life,
and spent much of his time at the court of Polycrates of Samos. According to his
epitaph, he died in his native town; but according to the legend made familiar
by Schiller's poem, he was slain on a journey to Corinth, and his murderers were
discovered by means of a flock of cranes, which, as he died, he had invoked as
his avengers. The story goes that, after his murder, when the Corinthians were
gathered in the theatre, the cranes appeared; whereupon one of the assassins who
was present cried out, "See the avengers of Ibycus!" thus giving a clue
to their detection. Hence arose the expression used of the cranes, Ibukou geranoi.
His poems, which were collected into seven books, survive in scanty fragments
only. They dealt partly with mythological themes in the metres of Stesichorus
and partly with love-songs in the spirit of Aeolic lyric poetry, full of glowing
passion and sensibility. It was mainly to the latter that he owed his fame.
This text is from: Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities. Cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Ibycus. Poet from the Greek city of Rhegium on the very toe of Italy,
who lived in the first half of the 6th century BC. When he was offered to become
the dictator of the city, he refused and went traveling instead. He ended up on
Samos, where he enjoyed life
at the court of Polycrates.
Ibycus was known to have a passion for boys, and there is definitely
a homosexual stroke in his poetry. Not much of his work has survived, but we know
he wrote mythological stories as well as personal love poems. He also wrote choral
poetry, and is said to have invented the victory ode.
He had a great love for nature, especially birds, which was to affect
his fate in a rather bizarre way: he was attacked and killed by robbers, and as
he died, he said that the cranes that flew above their heads would revenge him.
The villains went to a nearby village, and soon some cranes flew over the city.
One of them then said “look, the avengers of Ibycus”, which the crowd
heard and apprehended them.
This text is cited Sept 2003 from the In2Greece URL below.
Ibycus (Ibukos), the fifth lyric poet in the Alexandrine canon, was a native of
Rhegium. One writer calls him a Messenian, no doubt because the survivors of the
second Messenian War formed a considerable portion of the population of Rhegium.
His father's name is differently stated, as Phytius, Polyzelus, Cerdas, Eelidas,
but Phytius is probably the right name. The best part of his life was spent at
Samos, at the court of Polycrates, about 01. 60, B. C. 540. Suidas erroneously
places him twenty years earlier, in the time of Croesus and the father of Polycrates.
We have no further accounts of his life, except the well-known story, about which
even some doubt has been raised, of the manner of his death. While travelling
through a desert place near Corinth, he was attacked by robbers and mortally wounded,
but before he died he called upon a flock of cranes that happened to fly over
him to avenge his death. Soon afterwards, when the people of Corinth were assembled
in the theatre, the cranes appeared, and as they hovered over the heads of the
spectators, one of the murderers, who happened to be present, cried out involuntarily,
"Behold the avengers of Ibycus": and thus were the authors of the crime detected.
The phrase hai Ibukou geranoi passed into a proverb (Suid.; Antip. Sid. Epig.
78, ap. Brunck, Anal. vol. ii.; Plut. de Garrul.). The argument against this account
of the poet's death, adduced by Schneidewin from another epigram in the Anthology
(Brunck, Anal. vol. iii.), which seems to imply that Ibycus was buried at Rhegium,
is answered by reference to the prevailing practice of erecting cenotaphs to the
memory of great men, especially in their native place. The story at all events
proves one thing, namely, that Ibycus was loved as well as admired by his contemporaries,
who therefore thought that he ought to be dear to the gods.
His poetry was chiefly erotic, and partook largely of the impetuosity
of his character. The charge of paiderastia is brought against him above all other
erotic poets (Cic. Tusc. iv. 33). Others of his poems were of a mythical and heroic
character, but some of these also were partially erotic. In his poems on heroic
subjects he very much resembled Stesichorus, his immediate predecessor in the
canon. In his dialect, as well as in the character of his poetry, there was a
mixture of the Doric and Aeolic. Suidas mentions seven books of his lyric poems,
of which only a few fragments now remain.
The best edition of the fragments is that of Schneidewin. (Schneid.
Ibyci Carm. Reliq., with an introductory Epistle from K. O. Muller, Gotting. 1835)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Jan 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Cleomenes of Rhegium, a dithyrambic poet, censured by Chionides (Athen. xiv.), and by Aristophanes, according to the Scholiast (Nubes, 332, 33..) He seems to have been an erotic writer, since Epicrates mentions him in connexion with Sappho, Meletus, and Lamynthius (Athen.xiv.). The allusions of other comedians to him fix his date in the latter part of the fifth century B. C. One of his poems was entitled Meleager. (Athen. ix.)
Glaucus. Of Rhegium, sometimes mentioned merely as of Italy, wrote on the ancient poets and musicians (sungramma ti peri ton archaion poieton te kai mousikon, Plut. de Music. 4). Diogenes Laertius quotes statements of his respecting Empedocles and Democritus, and says that he was contemporary with Democritus (viii. 52, ix. 38). Glaucus is also quoted in the argument to the Persae of Aeschylus. (Glaukos en tois peri Aischulou muthon.) His work was also ascribed to the orator Antiphon. (Plut. Vit. X. Orat.)
LOKRI EPIZEFIRIOI (Ancient city) ITALY
P.Matienus, a tribune of the soldiers in the army of P. Scipio in Sicily, was sent by Scipio with M. Sergius, another tribune, to Q. Pleminius, who commanded as propraetor in Rhegium, to co-operate with him in taking the town of Locri. After the town had been taken a quarrel arose between the soldiers of the tribunes and those of Pleminius, and in the fight which ensued the latter were defeated. Pleminius enraged commanded the tribunes to be scourged; but they were rescued, after receiving a few blows, by their own soldiers, who, in retaliation, fell upon the propraetor and handled him most unmercifully. Scipio arrived a few days after at Locri, and having investigated the case, he acquitted Pleminius of blame, but ordered the tribunes to be put into chains and sent to Rome to the senate. This, however, did not satisfy Pleminius, who burned for revenge; and, accordingly, no sooner had Scipio returned to Sicily, than he commanded the tribunes to he put to death with the most excruciating tortures, and then would not allow their corpses to be buried. (Liv. xxix. 6, 9.)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Oct 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
RIGION (Ancient city) CALABRIA
Decius, a Campanian, and commander of the Campanian legion which the Romans stationed at Rhegium in B. C. 281 for the protection of the place. Decius and his troops, envious of the happiness which the inhabitants of Rhegium enjoyed, and remembering the impunity with which the Mamertines had carried out their disgraceful scheme, formed a most diabolical plan. During the celebration of a festival, while all the citizens were feasting in public, Decius and his soldiers attacked them; the men were massacred and driven into exile, while the soldiers took the women to themselves. Decius put himself at the head of the city, acted as tyrannus perfectly independent of Rome, and formed connexions with the Mamertines in Sicily. He at first had endeavoured to palliate his crime by asserting that the Rhegines intended to betray the Roman garrison to Pyrrhus. During the war with Pyrrhus the Romans had no time to look after and punish the miscreants at Rhegium, and Decius for some years enjoyed the fruits of his crime unmolested. During that period he was seized by a disease of the eyes, and not venturing to trust a Rhegine physician, he sent for one to Messana. This physician was himself a natire of Rhegium, a fact which few persons knew, and he now took the opportunity to avenge on Decius the wrongs he had inflicted upon Rhegium. He gave him something which he was to apply to his eyes, and which, however painful it might be, he was to continue till the physician should return from Messana. The order was obeyed, but the pain became at last quite unbearable, and Decius in the end found that he was quite blind. After the death of Pyrrhus, in B. C. 271, Fabricius was sent out against Rhegium; he be sieged the place, and took it. All the survivors of the Campanian legion that fell into his hands, upreceive wards of three hundred men, were sent to Rome, where they were scourged and beheaded in the forum. The citizens of Rhegium who were yet alive were restored to their native place. Decius put an end to himself in his prison at Rome. (Appian, Samnit. Excerpt. ix. 1-3; Diodor. Fragm. lib. xxii.; Liv. Epit. 12, 15; Polyb. i. 7; Val. Max. vii. 7.15.)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Nov 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Leptines. A Syracusan, who joined with Callippus in expelling the garrison of the younger Dionysius from Rhegium, B. C. 351. Having effected this, they restored the city to nominal independence, but it appears that they continued to occupy it with their mercenaries: and not long afterwards Leptines took advantage of the discontent which had arisen among these, to remove Callippus by assassination. (Diod. xvi. 45; Plut. Dion. 58.) We know nothing of his subsequent proceedings, nor of the circumstances that led him to quit Rhegium, but it seems probable that he availed himself of the state of confusion in which Sicily then was to make himself master of the two cities of Apollonia and Engyum: at least there is little doubt that the Leptines whom we find established as the tyrant of those cities when Timoleon arrived in Sicily is the same with the associate of Callippus. He was expelled in common with all the other petty tyrants, by Timoleon; but his life was spared, and he was sent into exile at Corinth, B. C. 342. (Diod. xvi. 72; Plut. Timol. 24.)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Oct 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Pliny places Pythagoras fourth in his selection of five bronze-casters, after Pheidias, Polykleitos, and Myron, and before Lysippos.
Assembling all the evidence, his recorded works, all bronzes, are as follows:
Victor statues
- The wrestler Leontiskos of Messana, at Olympia
- The runner Astylos of Kroton, at Olympia
- The boxer Euthynos of Italian Locri, at Olympia
- The pankratiast Dromeus of Mantinea, at Olympia
- The hoplite runner Mnaseas of Kyrene, nicknamed Libys, at Olympia
- The charioteer Kratisthenes of Kyrene, his chariot, and Nike, at Olympia
- The boy-boxer Protolaos of Mantinea, at Olympia
- A pankratiast, at Delphi
- The kithara-player Kleon, at Thebes
Gods and heroes
- Apollo shooting the dragon, perhaps at Kroton
- A wounded man, at Syracuse
- Seven nudes and an old man, later at Rome
- Eteokles and Polyneikes
- Perseus
- Europa on the Bull, at Taras
Pythagoras.Of Rhegium, one of the most celebrated statuaries
of Greece, probably flourished B.C. 480-430. His most important works appear to
have been his statues of athletes.
On the right of the Lady of the Bronze House [at Sparta] has been set up an image of Zeus Most High, the oldest image of bronze in existence. It is not wrought in one piece. Each of the limbs has been hammered separately; these are fitted together, being prevented from coming apart by nails. They say that the artist was Klearchos of Rhegion, who is said by some to have been a pupil of Dipoinos and Skyllis, by others of Daidalos himself. (Pausanias 3.17.6)
Clearchus, a sculptor in bronze at Rhegium, is important as the teacher of the celebrated Pythagoras, who flourished at the time of Myron and Polycletus. Clearchus was the pupil of the Corinthian Eucheir, and belongs probably to the 72nd and following Olympiads. The whole pedigree of the school to which he is to be ascribed is given by Pausanias. (vi. 4.2)
Learchus (Learchos), of Rhegium, is one of those Daedalian artists who stand on
the confines of the mythical and historical periods, and about whom we have extremely
uncertain information. One account made him a pupil of Daedalus, another of Dipoenus
and Scyllis. (Paus. iii. 17.6). Pausanias saw, in the Brazen House at Sparta,
a statue of Zeus by him, which was made of separate pieces of hammered bronze,
fastened together with nails. Pausanias adds, that this was the most ancient of
all existing statues in bronze. It evidently belonged to a period when the art
of casting in bronze was not yet known. But this is inconsistent with the account
which made Learchus the pupil of Dipoenus and Scyllis, for these artists are said
to have been the inventors of sculpture in marble, an art which is generally admitted
to have had a later origin than that of casting in bronze. Moreover, Rhoecus and
Theodorus, the inventors of casting in bronze, are placed about the beginning
of the Olympiads. Learchus must, therefore, have flourished still earlier; but
the date of Dipoenus and Scyllis is, according to the only account we have of
it, about 200 years later.
The difficulty is rather increased than diminished if we substitute
for Learchon, in the passage of Pausanias, Klearchon, which is probably the true
reading. (See the editions of Schubart and Walz, and Bekker). In another passage,
Pausanias mentions (vi. 4.2) Clearchus of Rhegium as the instructor of Pythagoras
of Rhegium, and the pupil of Eucheirus of Corinth. This Clearchus must therefore
have lived about B. C. 500, eighty years later than Dipoenus and Scyllis. We must
therefore either assume the existence of two Clearchi of Rhegium, one near the
beginning, and the other at the end of the Daedalian period, or else we must account
for the statement of Pausanias by supposing that, as often happens, a vague tradition
affixed the name of a well-known ancient artist to a work whose true origin was
lost in remote antiquity.
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Oct 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Anaxilaus (Anaxilaos) or Anaxilas, tyrant of Rhegium, was the son of Cretines, and of Messenian origin. He was master of Rhegium in B. C. 494, when the Samians and other Ionian fugitives seized upon Zancle. Shortly afterwards he drove them out of this town, peopled it with fresh inhabitants, and changed its name into Messene (Herod. vi. 22, 23; Thuc. vi. 4; comp. Aristot. Pol. v. 10.4). In 480 he obtained the assistance of the Carthaginians for his father-in-law, Terillus of Himera, against Theron (Herod. vii. 165). The daughter of Anaxilaus was married to Hiero. Anaxilaus died in 476, leaving Micythus guardian of his children, who obtained possession of their inheritance in 467, but was soon afterwards deprived of the sovereignty by the people (Diod. xi. 48, 66, 76). The chronology of Anaxilaus has been discussed by Bentley, who has shewn that the Anaxilaus of Pausanias (iv. 23.3) is the same as the one mentioned above.
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Oct 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Leophron, son of Anaxilas, tyrant of Rhegium. According to Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Exc. xix. 4), he succeeded his father in the sovereign power; it is therefore probable that he was the eldest of the two sons of Anaxilas, in whose name Micythus assumed the sovereignty, and who afterwards, at the instigation of Hieron of Syracuse, dispossessed the latter of his authority. Diodorus, from whom we learn these facts, does not mention the name of either of the young princes. According to the same author, their reign lasted six years (B. C. 467-461), when they were expelled by a popular insurrection both from Rhegium and Zancle (Diod. xi. 48, 66, 76). Leophron is elsewhere mentioned as carrying on war against the neighbouring city of Locri, and as displaying his magnificence at the Olympic games, by feasting the whole assembled multitude. His victory on that occasion was celebrated by Simonides. (Justin. xxi. 3; Athen. i.)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Oct 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
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