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1074
DREPAN1US.
of particular individuals which is not to be obtained elsewhere, and from the style we can draw some conclusions with regard to the state of the language and the tone of literary taste at the commencement of the fourth century; but, considered as a whole, antiquity has bequeathed to us nothing more worthless.
latjnus pacatus drepanius was a native of Aquitania, as we learn from himself and from Si-donius, the friend of Ausonius, who inscribes to him several pieces in very complimentary dedications, and the correspondent of Symmachus, by whom he is addressed in three epistles still extant. He was sent from his native province to congratulate Theodosius on the victory achieved over Maximus, and delivered the panegyric which stands last in the collection described above, at Rome, in the presence of the emperor, probably in the autumn of a. d. 391. If we add to these particulars the facts, that he was elevated to the rank of proconsul, enjoyed great celebrity as a poet, and was descended from a father who bore the same name with himself, the sources from which our information is derived are exhausted.
The oration, while it partakes of the vices which disfigure the other members of the family to which it belongs, is less extravagant in its hyperboles than many of its companions, and although the language is a sort of hybrid progeny, formed by the union of poetry and prose, there is a certain splendour of diction, a flowing copiousness of expression, and even a vigour of thought, which remind us at times of the florid graces of the Asiatic school. How far the merits of Drepanius as a bard may have justified the decision of the critic who pronounces him second to Virgil only (Auson. Praef. Epigramm. Idyll, vii.), it is impossible for us to determine, as not a fragment of his efforts in this department has been preserved. He must not be confounded with FlorusDrepanius, a writer of hymns.
The Editio Princeps of the Panegyrici Veteres is in quarto, in Roman characters, without place, date, or printer's name, but is believed to have appeared at Milan about 1482, and includes, in addition to the twelve orations usually associated together, the life of Agricola by Tacitus, and fragments of Petronius Arbiter, with a preface by Franc. Puteolanus, addressed to Jac. Antiquarius. Another very ancient impression in 4to.? without place, date, or printer's name, containing the twelve orations alone, probably belongs to Venice, about 1499. The most useful editions are those of SchivarzhiS) 4to., Ven. 1728; of Jaegerus., which presents a new recension of the text, with a valuable commentary, and comprehends the poem of Corippus, 2 torn. 8vo., Noremberg. 1779 ; and of Arntzenius, which excludes Drepanius, with very copious notes and apparatus criticus, 2 torn. 4to., Traj. ad Rhen. 1790—97. The edition published at Paris, 12mo., 1643, with notes by many commentators, bears the title " XIV Panegyrici Veteres," in consequence of the addition of Panegyrics by Ausonius and Ennodius.
In illustration we have T. G. Walch, Dissertcdio de Panegy-ricis veterum^ 4to., Jenae, 1721 ; T. G. Moerlin, de Panegyricis veterum programme 4to., Noremb. 1738; and Heyne, Censura XIIPane-gyricorum veterum., in his Opuscula Academica, vol. vi. p. 80.
(Sidon. Apollin. Epist. viii. 12; comp. Panegyr.
DROMICHAETES.
cc. 2 and 24 ; Auson. Praef. Epigramm., Lud. Sept. Sap.., Technopaegn., Gramaticomast^Idytt.vn.i Symmach. Epist. viii. 12, ix. 58, 69.) [W. R.]
DRIMACUS (ApiVa/cos), a fabulous leader of revolted slaves in Chios. The Chians are said to have been the first who purchased slaves, for which they were punished by the gods, for many of the slaves thus obtained escaped to the mountains of the island, and from thence made destructive inroads into the possessions of their former masters. After a long and useless warfare, the Chians concluded a treaty with Drimacus, the brave and successful leader of the slaves, who put an end to the ravages. Drimacus now received among his band only those slaves who had run away through the bad treatment they had experienced. But afterwards the Chians offered a prize for his head. The noble slave-leader, on hearing this, said to one of his men, " I am old and weary of life; but you, whom I love above all men, are young, and may yet be happy. Therefore take my head, carry it into the town and receive the prize for it." This was done accordingly; but, after the death of Drimacus, the disturbances among the slaves became worse than ever; and the Chians then, seeing of what service he had been to them, built him a heroum, which they called the heroum of the f/pws ^v^vrjs. The slaves sacrificed to him a portion of their booty; and whenever the slaves meditated any outrage, Drimacus appeared to their masters in a dream to caution them. (Athen. vi. p. 265.) [L. S.]
DRIMO (Api,uco), the name of two mythical personages. (Hygin. Fab. Praef. p. 2; Eustath. ad Horn. p. 776.) [L. S.]
DROMEUS (Ap0/ueys). 1. Of Mantineia, a victor in the Olympian games, who gained the prize in the pancratium in 01. 75. (Paus. vi. 6. §2, 11. §2.)
2. Of Stymphalus, twice won the prize at Olym- pia in the dolichos, but it is not known in Avhat years. He also gained two prizes at the Pythian, three at the Isthmian, and five at the Nemean games. He is said to have first introduced the custom of feeding the athletes with meat. There was a statue of his at Olympia, which was the work of Pythagoras. (Paus. vi. 7. § 3; Plin. H. N. xxxiv. 8, ]9.) [L. S-]
DROMICHAETES (Apo^xair^). 1. A king of the Getae, contemporary with Lysimachus, king of Thrace, and known to us only by his victory over that monarch. He first defeated and took prisoner Agathocles, the son of Lysimachus, but sent him back to his father without ransom, hoping thus to gain the favour of Lysimachus. The latter, however, thereupon invaded the territories of Dro-michaetes in person, with a large army; but soon became involved in great difficulties, and was ultimately taken prisoner with his whole force. Dro-michaetes treated his captive in the most generous manner, and after entertaining him in regal style, set him at liberty again on condition of Lysimachus giving him his daughter in marriage and restoring the conquests he had made from the Getae to the north of the Danube. (Diod. Exc. Peiresc. xxi. p. 559, ed. Wess., Exc. Vatic, xxi. p. 49, ed. Dind.; Strab. vii. pp. 302, 305 ; Plut. Demeir. 39, 52 ; Polyaen. vii. 25 ; Memnon, c. 5, ed. Orell.) Pau-sanias, indeed, gives a different account of the transaction, according to which Lysimachus himself escaped, but his son Agathocles having fallen
