repeated prohibitions against all consultation of astrologers whatever.
In the practice of their art they used calendars written on tablets, in which were set down, for every day, the motion and relative distances of the stars, whether lucky or unlucky. With the help of another set of tablets they proceeded to make their calculations for every hour in detail. They would, for instance, note the hour of a person's birth, ascertaining the relative position of the constellation dominant at the time. According to this they determined the fortunes of the individual who was born at the hour in question. In the same way they ascertained the time favourable to any given undertaking. Among the lucky stars we may mention Venus, Jupiter, and Luna; Saturn and Mars were unlucky; Mercury was lucky or unlucky according to the other circumstances of the case.
Asty̌ănax. Son of Hector and Andrŏmăchē. After the fall of Troy he was thrown down from the wall by the Greeks, because the prophet Calchās had pointed him out as destined to become the avenger of Troy.
Asty̌dămās. A Greek tragedian, son of Morsĭmus. (See Philocles.) His first appearance was in 399 b.c., and he won the prize fifteen times. He wrote 240 pieces, but a few titles are all that remains of them. His sons Astydamas and Phĭlŏclēs were also tragic poets.
Asty̌dămeia. Wife of Acastus of Iolcŏs. Peleus had rejected her advances, and Astydameia accordingly slandered him to Acastus, who made an attempt on the life of Peleus, to her own destruction and that of her husband. (See Acastus and Peleus.)
Asty̌nŏmi (Gr. astŭnŏmoi). The title of ten functionaries at Athens, drawn annually by lot from the ten tribes, five for the city and five for Piræus. They were a kind of city police, responsible for keeping the streets clean, for decency and quiet among the public, and probably for the protection of buildings. They had such powers of jurisdiction as were necessary to enforce their authority. Flute-girls and female performers on the harp or cĭthăra were subject to their control. [Arist., Const. of Athens, c.50.]
Asȳlum. A Greek word meaning an inviolable refuge for persons fleeing from pursuit. Among the Greeks all holy shrines were Asylums, and any pursuer who should remove a suppliant by force was regarded as a transgressor against the gods. The term asylum was especially applied to such shrines as secured to the suppliants absolute security within their limits, which were often considerable. The priests and the community in each case watched jealously over this right. The sanctuary of Zeus Lycæus in Arcadia, of Poseidōn in the island of Calauria, and of Apollo in Delos, are excellent examples of such asylums. These sanctuaries were exceptionally numerous in Asia. In Rome there was an asylum of great antiquity, said to have been founded by Rōmŭlus, in a grove of oaks on the Capitoline Hill. (See Veiovis.) The erection of buildings in its neighbourhood gradually rendered it inaccessible. During the Roman period the right of asylum attaching to Greek sanctuaries was, at first, maintained and even confirmed by Roman commanders. But its abuse led to a considerable reduction of the number of asylums under Tiberius. The right of asylum was now confined to such shrines as could found their claims upon ancient tradition. During the imperial period, however, the custom arose of making the statues of the emperors refuges against momentary acts of violence. Armies in the field used the eagles of the legions for the same purpose.
Atălantē. A Greek heroine of the type of Artĕmis. There were two slightly different versions of her story, one current in Arcadia and the other in Bœōtia.
(1) The Arcadian version. Atalante, daughter of Zeus and Cly̌mĕnē, was exposed by her father, who had desired male offspring only. She was suckled by a bear, until she was found and brought up by a party of hunters. Under their care she grew up to be a huntress, keen, swift and beautiful. She took part in the Calydonian boar-hunt, was the first who struck the boar, and received from Mĕlĕāger the head and skin of the beast as the prize of victory. (See Meleager.) She is also associated with the voyage of the Argonauts. She turned a deaf ear to the entreaties of her numerous suitors; but at last she propitiated the wrath of Aphrŏdĭtē by returning the faithful love of the beautiful Milănĭōn, who had followed her persistently, and suffered and struggled for her. Their son was Parthĕnŏpæus, one of the Seven against Thebes. (See Seven against Thebes.)
(2) The Bœotian version. Atalante was the daughter of Schœneus, son of Athămās, and distinguished for beauty and swiftness of foot. An oracle warns her against marriage, and she accordingly lives a lonely
