Pactolus
Pactolus, a river of Lydia, with golden sands
Frieze-Dennison Vergil
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Pactolis Proper-name noun: masculine ablative plural, Proper-name noun: masculine dative plural of Pactolus
- a river in Lydia which was said to bring down golden sands, the mod. Sarabat, Verg. A. 10, 142; Plin. 5, 29, 30, § 110; Hyg. Fab. 191; Ov. M. 11, 142: Pactolus aureas undas agens, Varr. ap. Non. 243, 20.—Prov., of wealth: tibique Pactolus fluat, Hor. Epod. 15, 20; cf. Prop. 1, 14, 11; Juv. 14, 299.— Hence,
- II Pactōlis, ĭdis, f. adj., of or belonging to the Pactolus: nymphae Pactolides, Ov. M. 6, 16.
- , Πακτωλός, a river of Lydia, with golden sands, V., O.—Prov.: tibi Pactolus fluat, i. e. boundless wealth, H., Iu.
PACTO´LUS (Πακτωλός), a small river of Lydia, which flows down from Mount Tmolus in a northern direction, and, after passing on the west of Sardis, empties itself into the Hermus. (Hdt. 5.101; Xenoph. Cyrop. 6.2.1, 7.3.4, Ages. i. 30; Strab. xii. pp. 554, 521, 13. p. 625, foll.; Ptol. 5.2.6; Plin. Nat. 5.30.) In ancient times the Pactolus had carried in its mud, it is said, a great quantity of small particles of gold-dust, which were carefully collected, and were believed to have been the source of the immense wealth possessed by Croesus and his ancestors; but in Strabo's time gold-dust was no longer found in it. The gold of this river, which was hence called Chrysorrhoas, is often spoken of by the poets. (Soph. Phil. 392; Dionys. Perieg. 831; Hom. Hymn. in Del. 249; Verg. A. 10.142; Horat. Epod. 15.20; Ov. Met. 11.85, &c.; Senec. Phoen. 604; Juven. 14.298; Silius It. 1.158.) The little stream, which is only 10 feet in breadth and scarcely 1 foot deep, still carries along with it a quantity of a reddish mud, and is now called Sarabat.
[L.S](Πακτωλός). A small but celebrated river of Lydia, rising on Mount Tmolus, and flowing past Sardis into the Hermus. The golden sands of Pactolus have passed into a proverb, and were one of the sources of the wealth of ancient Lydia (Herod.v. 101; Verg. Aen. x. 142). For the fabulous origin of the gold, see Midas.
- Hdt. 5.101