Volume 1

The universal dictionary of biography and mythology / by J. Thomas.

  • Joseph Thomas
Date:
[1887]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The universal dictionary of biography and mythology / by J. Thomas. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Cleomenes II., King of Sparta, of the elder branch, succeeded his brother Agesipolis II, in 370 H.C. He died in 309 B.C., and left the throne to his grandson Areus. Cleomenes IIL, King of Sparta, of the Agid® line, succeeded his father Leonidas II. in 236 B.C. He had before married Agiatis, the widow of Agis IV., and daughter of Gylippus. Having formed a design to re- store the ancient Spartan virtue and discipline, he de- clared war against the Achrean League, with the idea that war was conducive to his purpose. He gained a signal victory over Aratus near Megalopolis in 226 b.c. Finding the powers of the ephori an obstacle to his design, he put them all to death except Agesilaus, who escaped. He then made a new division of property or land, restored the old social system, abolished the office of ephorus, and made his brother Euclidas his partner in the throne. He afterwards defeated the Achasans in several battles, until the latter were reintorced by Anti- gonus, King of Macedon, who obtained a decisive victory over Cleomenes at Sellasia in 222 b.c. He then fled to Egypt, where he killed himself in the year 220. Plutarch extols his magnanimity, and says, “ lie showed himself in all respects the great man.” He may be justly ac- counted the last great man of Sparta. See Plutarch, “Cleomenes” and “Aratus;” Franz van Cap- pklle, “ Dissertatio de Cleomene Lacedtempniorum Rege,” 1845; Droysen, “Geschichte der Hellenen.” Cleomenes, [Fr. Cleomene,] a Greek sculptor, is mentioned by no ancient author except Pliny, who says the group of Muses placed by Pollio in his house in Rome was the work of Cleomenes. His name would perhaps have been forgotten if it had not been carved on that exquisite type of grace and beauty, the Venus de Me- dici, thus : KAEOMENHS AIIOAAOAilPOY A0HNAIOZ EnS2IILSEN, “Cleomenes, son of Apollodorus, an Athe- nian, made [this.]” He is supposed to have lived about 200 or 300 B.c. See Visconti, “Notice critique sur les Sculpteurs Grecs qui ont portd le Nom de Cleomenes.” Cleomenes, a Greek of Naucratis, in Egypt, was appointed by Alexander the Great receiver-general of tribute in Egypt, and was notorious for his rapacity. He was also employed to superintend the building of Alexandria. He was put to death by King Ptolemy about 322 B.c. Cle'on or Kle'on, [KAiov,] an Athenian demagogue, noted for his insolence, venality, and facility of speech, first appears in history about 42S B.c. He was a favour- ite and leader of the popular party, or lower classes, while Nicias was the chief of the opposite party. He conducted a successful expedition against the Spartans at Pylos in 425, which raised his credit and filled him with presump- tion. Though he was ignorant of the military art, he again obtained command of an army sent against the Spartan general Brasidas, by whom he was defeated at Amphipolis in 422 b.c. Cleon and Brasidas both fell in this action. See Grote, “History of Greece;” Thucydides, “History;” Plutarch, “Pericles” and “Nicias.” Cleon, a Greek sculptor, born at Sicyon, was a pupil of Atitiphanes. He flourished about 388 B.c. Pliny speaks of a statue of Admetus as his master-piece. Cleon made two bronze statues of Jupiter for the temple at Olympia. Cle'o-paa or Cle'o-phas, one of the primitive and immediate disciples of Christ. (See Luke xxiv. 18 ; John xix. 25.) Cle-o-pa'tra, [Gr. Kfoonarpa,] the daughter of Philip of Macedon and Olympias, was the sister of Alexander the Great. In 336 b.c. she became the wife of Alexander, King of Epirus, her maternal uncle. After the death of her brother she was assassinated by order of Antigonus. Cleopatra, the daughter of Antiochus the Great, was married to Ptolemy Epiphanes of Egypt in 193 b.c. Cleopatra, an ambitious queen of Syria, was the daughter of Ptolemy Phiiometor. She was the wife of three successive kings of Syria,—Alexander Balas, De- metrius Nicator, and Antiochus Sidctes. It is said that she caused the second to be killed. Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, a daughter of Ptolemy Lpiphancs, was married first to Ptolemy Phiiometor, and next to Ptolemy Physcon. Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, a daughter of the pre- ceding, was married to Ptolemy Physcon. Died 89 B.c. She had a daughter Cleopatra, who became the queen of Ptolemy Lathyrus. Cleopatra, [Gr. KUinruTfxi; Fr. ClEopAtke, kliV- pfitR',] a queen of Egypt, celebrated for her personal charms, her various accomplishments, and her dramatic history, was the daughter of Ptolemy Auletes, and was born in 69 B.c. Her father died in the year 51, leaving the throne to her in partnership with her brother Ptol- emy. She was richly endowed with mental qualities and captivating graces, and was mistress of many languages besides the Greek, her mother-tongue. In 48 b.c., Julius Caesar, who had entered Egypt with a small army, having been caught “ in her strong toils of grace,” restored her to the throne, from which her brother had expelled her. War ensued between Caesar and Ptolemy, who was de- feated and killed. She then became the actual sovereign, though her young brother nominally shared the throne. She followed Caesar to Rome in the year 46, and was an inmate of his palace until his death in 44 b.c., when she returned to Egypt. Her brother, above mentioned, was killed about this time,—it is said, by her order. In the year 41 she formed a liaison with the triumvir Mark An- tony, who became her devoted admirer, and offered, as Plutarch says, at her shrine of luxury the sacrifice of his precious time. The great modern dramatist has described his infatuation and his dalliance with the voluptuous and dusky Egyptian while the empire of the world was passing into the hands of Octavius. Cleopatra was present at the naval battle of Actium, in 31 B.c., and was the first to order a retreat, in which Antony followed. After An- tony had killed himself, she became the prisoner of Octa- vius, with whom she had an interview, and whose favour she failed to gain. Intending to lead her as a captive in his triumph in Rome, he took strict measures to secure her from suicide; but, according to Plutarch, she effected her purpose by means of an asp, which was conveyed to her in a basket of fruit, and died in 30 B.C., leaving a son, Caesarion, (whose reputed father was Julius Cresar.) besides several other children. She was the last of her dynasty that reigned in Egypt See Plutarch, “Antony;” C-esar, “Bellum Civile:” Giitlio Landi, “ Vita di Cleopatra,” 1551 ; J. F. Kinderling, “ Hekubaund Cleopatra,” 1804; Dion Cassius, books xlii., xliii., xlviii., and xlix. Cleopatra surnamed Sele'ne, the daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, was taken to Rome at the death of her parents, 30 b.c. She became the wife of Juba, King of Mauritania. Cleopfftre. See Cleopatra. Cle-o-phan'tus, [K/aotpavros,] a Corinthian, whom Greek tradition commemorates as the first who applied colour to designs. Respecting the time in which he lived we have nothing but conjecture. Cle'o-plion or Kle'o-plion, [KAfoduv,] an Atheniau demagogue, who dissuaded the people from accepting the terms offered by the Lacedemonians after the battle of Arginusa:. He was condemned and executed by the senate in 405 b.c. Cleostrate. See Cleostratus. Cle-os'tra-tus or Kle-os'tra-tus, [Gr. KAcrerrpcrrof,- Fr. Cleostrate, kli'o'stRit',] a Greek astronomer, bom in Tenedos, is supposed to nave lived about 500 b.c He is said to have divided the zodiac into signs. Clerc, klaiR, (Nicolas Gabriel,) a French physician, born in Franche-Comte in 1726. He became first phy- sician of the French army in Germany in 1757. A few years later he went to Russia, where Tie had the title of chief physician to the grand duke. He published seve- ral medical works, one of which was very successful, namely, “ Medicine restored to its First Simplicity,” and a “ History of Russia, Ancient and Modern,” (6 vols., 1783-94,) which, says M. Weiss, (in the “ Biographie Univcrscllc,”) “is still the most complete work we have on that subject” Died at Versailles in 179S. Sec Qui4rard, “La France Littdraire; Eloy, “Dictionnaire dc la Mddedne. Clerc de la Forrest, le, I?h klaiR d?h 13 fo'rj', (Antoine,) a French scholar, noted for his beneficence, was born at Auxerrc in 1563. Among his works are “Letters and Maxims,” (1644.) Died in 1628. See his life, entitled “The Perfect Layman,” (in French.) 1644.