Nicander

, a king of Sparta, son of Char ill us, of the family of the Proclidæ. He reigned 39 years, and died B.C. 770.――A writer of Chalcedon.――A Greek grammarian, poet, and physician, of Colophon, 137 B.C. His writings were held in estimation, but his judgment cannot be highly commended, since, without any knowledge of agriculture, he ventured to compose a book on that intricate subject. Two of his poems, entitled Theriaca , on hunting, and Alexipharmaca , on antidotes against poison, are still extant; the best editions of which are those of Gorræus, with a translation in Latin verse by Grevinus, a physician at Paris, 4to, Paris, 1557, and Salvinus, 8vo, Florence, 1764. Cicero , bk. 1 , On Oratory , ch. 16 .