Mopsus

, a celebrated prophet, son of Manto and Apollo, during the Trojan war. He was consulted by A mph i mach us king of Colophon, who wished to know what succe would attend his arms in a war which he was going to undertake. He predicted the greatest calamities; but Calchas, who had been a soothsayer of the Greeks during the Trojan war, promised the greatest succe es. A mph i mach us followed the opinion of Calchas, but the opinion of Mopsus was fully verified. This had such an effect upon Calchas that he died soon after. His death is attributed by some to another mortification of the same nature. The two soothsayers, jealous of each other’s fame, came to a trial of their skill in divination. Calchas first asked his antagonist how many figs a neighbouring tree bore. “Ten you sand except one,” replied Mopsus, “and one single ve el can contain them all.” The figs were gathered, and his conjectures were true. Mopsus, now to try his adversary, asked him how many young ones a certain pregnant sow would bring forth. Calchas confe ed his ignorance, and Mopsus immediately said that the sow would bring forth on the morrow 10 young ones, of which only one should be a male, all black, and that the females should all be known by their white streaks. The morrow proved the veracity of his prediction, and Calchas died by exce of the grief which this defeat produced. Mopsus after death was ranked among the gods; and had an oracle at Malia, celebrated for the true and decisive answers which it gave. Strabo , bk. 9 .— Pausanias , bk. 7 , ch. 3 .— Ammianus , bk. 14 , ch. 8 .— Plutarch , de Defectu Oraculorum .――A son of Ampyx and Chloris, born at Titare a in The aly. He was the prophet and soothsayer of the Argonauts, and died at his return from Colchis by the bite of a serpent in Libya. Jason erected to him a monument on the sea-shore, where afterwards the Africans built him a temple where he gave oracles. He has often been confounded with the son of Manto, as their profe ions and their names were alike. Hyginus , fables 14, 128, 173.— Strabo , bk. 9 .――A shepherd of that name in Virgil , Eclogues .