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retreated. From this period, the Athenians regarded Codrus as the father of his country, and to pay the highest possible regard to his memory, they resolved that no man was fit to reign as king after him; the monarchy was accordingly abolished, and the government placed in the hands of elective magistrates, entitled archons, of whom the first was Medon, son of Codrus, who sustained the office twenty years.

MEDON, son of Codrus the 17th and last king of Athens, was the first archon that was appointed with regal authority, B. C. 1070. In the election, Medon was preferred to his brother Neleus, by the oracle of Delphi, and he rendered himself popular by the justice and moderation of his administration. His successors were called from him Medontidæ, and the office of archon remained more than 200 years in the family of Codrus under twelve perpetual archons.

NELEUS, the 2nd son of Codrus, the patriotic king of Attica, who, after the abolition of monarchy at Athens, led a colony of Ionians to Asia, where he built Ephesus, Miletus, Prien, Colophon, Myus, Feos, Lebedos, Clazomenæ, &c.

AGIS, the son of Eurystheus, the 2nd king of Lacedæmon, of the race of the Heraclidæ, was contemporary with David king of Israel, and Medon the first archon of Athens.

LATINUS, the fifth king of the Latins, was the son of Æneas Sylvius, and grandson of Æneas the Trojan by Lavinia. He succeeded his father, in the kingdom of Latium, and was succeeded by his son Alba.

DAN, a king of Denmark, flourished about B. C. 1050. Almost all historians agree that he was the son of Humble, a native of Zealand. His possessions and influence were very considerable, not only in Zealand, but in the islands of Langland and Mona. It was his courage, and skill in the art of war, that induced the inhabitants of Denmark to choose him for their king. He was called to the assistance of the Jutlanders upon an irruption of the Saxons upon their territories, and promised the sovereignty of the country if he drove out the enemy. On this he raised an army, gained a complete victory over the Saxons, and obliged them to leave the country, and he was accordingly elected king.

LAOBOTAS, or LABOTAS, a Spartan king, of the family of the Agidæ who succeeded his father Echestratus, B. C. 1023. During his reign war was declared against Argos, by Sparta. He sat on the throne for thirty-seven years, and was succeeded by his son Doryssus.

PHILOSOPHY.

LOKMAN, a philosopher in considerable estimation among the eastern nations, to whom is attributed a collection of maxims

and fables, which are calculated to display the moral doctrines of the ancient Arabians. There have been many hypotheses concerning the country in which he lived, and the period at which he flourished, but the greater part of the Mussulman doctors make him contemporary with David and Solomon. It has been supposed that he was a native of Ethiopia or Nubia, and in rather a servile condition; that he had been a slave in different countries, that he was at length sold among the Israelites. His wisdom has been ascribed to divine inspiration, which he received in the following manner. While asleep at noon-day, angels came to the place where he was reposing, saluted him, without rendering themselves visible, and declared that God would make him a monarch and his lieutenant on earth. He signified his submission to the will of his Maker, but would rather have preferred to remain in a low condition. On account of this answer, God bestowed upon him wisdom in so eminent a degree, that he was enabled to instruct mankind by a great variety of maxims, sentences, and parables, amounting to ten thousand in number. The anecdotes which are recorded concerning the life of Lokman are found scattered in the writings of several of the orientals; of these we shall notice only a few. As he was once seated in the midst of a circle of auditors, a man of high rank asked if he was not that black slave whom he had before seen attending upon the flocks in the field; he replied, he was; how then, said the other, have you attained to such wisdom, and so high reputation; "By following exactly," said Lokman," these three precepts; always to speak the truth; to keep inviolably the promises made; and never to meddle with what does not concern me.' It was Lokman who said, that "the tongue and the heart were both the best and the worst parts of man." Mahomet frequently refers to the authority of Lokman in support of his own opinions and doctrines, and he is still regarded by the followers of the Mahometan religion as a saint and a prophet. They represent him to have been as virtuous and pious as he was wise, and on that account was peculiarly blessed of God. Some writers assert that he embraced the Jewish religion, and entered into the service of king David, who entertained a high esteem for him, and that he died at a very advanced age. The scanty relics of the fables of Lokman were published by Erpenius, in Arabic and Latin, and Tanaquil Faber gave an edition of them in elegant Latin verse.

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POETRY.

LAMIRAS, a famous poet and musician of Thrace, who, according to some authors, was the inventor of the Dorian

mode. He lived before Homer, and is said to have been the first musician who united the voice to the sound of the cithara.

LITERATURE.

THERSIPPUS, an Athenian dramatic writer, who died B. C. 954.

ASTRONOMY.

TCHEOU-KONG, a celebrated Chinese astronomer, who flourished about 1000 years before the Christian era, and is said to have invented the mariner's compass. He erected a tower in the city of Ho-nan for an observatory; and there is still to be seen in it an instrument which he made and used for finding the shadow at noon, and determining the latitude.

PAINTING.

CLEANTHUS, one of the first inventors of painting in Corinth. He is said to have learned the art from one Ardices, his countryman, and was one of those painters who were styled monochromists, because their art extended to no farther than to draw the simple outline of the figure, and fill it up with one colour only. Strabo, however, describes some large compositions of this master. The period of Cleanthus is doubtful; but he probably lived about this time.

PERIOD VII.

FROM AHAB TO JEROBOAM II.

[B. C. 949.]

REMARKABLE FACTS, EVENTS, AND DISCOVERIES.

B.C.

886 Homer's Poems brought from Asia into Greece. 884 Lycurgus reforms the constitution of Lacedæmon. 869 Scales and measures invented by Phidon.

864 The city of Carthage enlarged by Dido.

In this period we perceive liberty and laws paving the way for the appearance of those great men, of whom the world has reason to be proud. Fabulous divinities and barbarous heroes begin to retire, that more interesting characters may occupy their space.

In this period, poetry and music make a respectable figure.

AHAB, the son of Omri, the king of Israel, succeeded his father, B. C. 918. Of this monarch, it is difficult to determine, whether his wickedness and impiety, in establishing idolatry, and persecuting the true prophets of the Almighty, notwithstanding repeated warnings and extraordinary visitations both of judgment and mercy from heaven, or his weakness and folly in being thus led to his destruction by the advices of a beautiful but abandoned woman, were greatest. His marriage with Jezebel, his multiplied idolatries; the repeated warnings he had from Elijah and other prophets; the extraordinary famine of three years' continuance; the still more extraordinary circumstance attending the restoration of fertility and plenty; the insolent messages sent him by the haughty Benhadad; his repeated and signal victories over the proud boaster, notwithstanding his numerous forces, and the combination of kings that accompanied him; his ill judged mercy to, and covenant with, that late imperious and now cringing tyrant; his discontent at Naboth's refusing to sell his patrimonial vineyard, with the dreadful judgments denounced against the royal family in consequence, and the complete execution of the threatened vengeance by the extirpation of the whole race, are recorded in the first and second books of Kings and Second of Chronicles,

and are well known to every reader of the Scriptures. The history of the prince affords a useful lesson both to sovereigns and subjects. To the latter it exhibits a dreadful picture of an arbitrary government, where the most innocent are not secure of either life or property; and to the former a no less striking warning of the fatal consequences of the abuse of power, by oppressing the innocent. Ahab was slain at Ramoth Gilead, B. C. 887.

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JEZEBEL, was daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, and wife to Ahab, king of Israel. 1 Kings xvi. 31. This princess introduced into the kingdom of Samaria the public worship of Baal, Astarte, and other Phoenician deities, which God had expressly forbidden; and with this impious worship a general prevalency of all those abominations which had formerly incensed the Lord against the Canaanites, and procured their utter extirpation. Jezebel was so zealous for the honour of this false religion, that she fed at her own table four hundred prophets belonging to the goddess Astarte; and her husband, Ahab, in like manner kept four hundred of Baal's prophets as ministers of his false gods. 1 Kings xviii. 1., &c. Jezebel seems to have undertaken the utter abolition of the worship of the Lord in Israel, by persecuting his prophets; and she would have destroyed them all, had not a part been saved by some good men. Elijah, who lived at this time, having brought fire from heaven on his burnt-offering in sight of Ahab and all Israel, assembled at Mount Carmel, and the people having killed four hundred and fifty of Baal's prophets, Jezebel sent to Elijah, and declared that the next day he should be dispatched. On hearing this he fled. 1 Kings xix. 1., &c.

Some time after, Ahab was desirous of buying Naboth's vineyard, but met with a refusal from Naboth. Jezebel, therefore, wrote in the king's name to the principal men of Jezreel, and required them to accuse Naboth of blaspheming God and the king, and to punish him capitally. These orders were too punctually executed. Ahab returning from Jezreel, was met by Elijah, who threatened his destruction in the name of God; and that Jezebel, who had been the cause of this evil, should be eaten by dogs in the portion of Jezreel, or, according to the Hebrew, by the outward wall of Jezreel. The predictions were verified, when Jehu, son of Nimshi, rebelled against Ahab. Jehu coming to Jezreel, Jezebel painted her eyes with antimony, to make them appear larger and blacker, decked her head with all her ornaments, and looking out of a window, which was in the apartment over the city-gate, and seeing Jehu as he entered riding in his chariot, she cried out, "Had Zimri peace who slew his master?" Jehu, lifting up his head, asked who was there? Immediately, two or three eunuchs appeared, and Jehu bid them throw her down. They threw her out of

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