Athenion

(Ἀθηνίων).

1. A Cilician, who in the second servile war in Sicily, by the aid of his wealth and pretended astrological knowledge, procured himself to be chosen leader of the insurgents in the western part of the island. After a fruitless attack upon Lilybaeum, he joined Salvius, the king of the rebels, who, under the influence of a suspicious jealousy, threw him into prison, but afterwards released him. Athenion fought with great bravery in a battle with L. Licinius Lucullus, and was severely wounded. On the death of Salvius, he succeeded to his title of king. He maintained his ground for some time successfully, but in B. C. 101 the Romans sent against him the consul M'. Aquillius, who succeeded in subduing the insurgents, and slew Athenion with his own hand. (Diod. Fragm. xxxvi.; Florus, 3.19; Cic. in Verr. 3.26, 54.)

The nickname Athenio was given to Sex. Clodius. (Cic. Att. 2.12.)

2. A comic poet, from one of whose plays (the Σαμόρακες) Athenaeus (xiv. p. 660) has a long extract.

3. A tragic poet, the instructor of Leonteus the Argive. (Athen. 8.343.)

4. [Aristion.]

5. A mythographer referred to in the Schoiia on Apollonius (1.917) and Homer Hom. Il. 15.718). (Comp. Lobeck, Aglaoph. ii. p. 1220.) [C.P.M]

(Ἀθηνίων), a Greek physician, who is mentioned by Soranus (De Arte Obstetr. p. 210) as being a follower of Erasistratus, and who must therefore have lived some time between the third century before and the first century after Christ. He may very possibly be the same physician, one of whose medical formulae is preserved by Celsus. (De Medic. 5.25. p. 95.) [W.A.G]

1. A painter, born at Maroneia in Thrace. He was a pupil of Glaucion of Corinth, and a contemporary probably of Nicias, whom he resembled and excelled, though his style was harsher. He gave promise of the highest excellence in his art, but died young. (Plin. Nat. 35.11. s. 40.29.)

2. The engraver of a celebrated cameo, in the Royal Museum at Naples, representing Zeus contending with the giants. (Bracci, Mem. degli Ant. Inic. 1.30; Müller, Arch. d. Kunst. p. 498, Anm. 2.) [C.P.M]