Arīon

, a famous lyric poet and musician, son of Cyclos of Methymna, in the island of Lesbos. He went into Italy with Per i an der tyrant of Corinth, where he obtained immense riches by his profe ion. Some time after, he wished to revisit his country; and the sailors of the ship in which he embarked resolved to murder him, to obtain the riches which he was carrying to Lesbos. Arion, seeing them inflexible in their resolution, begged that he might be permitted to play some melodious tune; and as soon as he had finished it, he threw himself into the sea. A number of dolphins had been attracted round the ship by the sweetne of his music; and it is said that one of them carried him safe on his back to Tænarus, whence he hastened to the court of Per i an der, who ordered all the sailors to be crucified at their return. Hyginus , fable 194.— Hero dot us , bk. 1 , chs. 23 & 24.— Ælian , de Natura Animalium , bk. 13 , ch. 45 .— Silius Italic us , bk. 11 .— Pro pert i us , bk. 2 , poem 26, li. 17 .— Plutarch , Convivium Septem Sapientium .――A horse, sprung from Ceres and Neptune. Ceres, when she travelled over the world in quest of her daughter Proser pine, had taken the figure of a mare, to avoid the importuning addre es of Neptune. The god changed himself also into a horse, and from their union arose a daughter called Hera, and the horse Arion, which had the power of speech, the feet on the right side like those of a man, and the rest of the body like a horse. Arion was brought up by the Nereides, who often harne ed him to his father’s chariot, which he drew over the sea with uncommon swiftne . Neptune gave him to Copreus, who presented him to Hercules. Adrastus king of Argos received him as a present from Hercules and with this wonderful animal he won the prize at the Nemæan games. Arion, therefore, is often called the horse of Adrastus. Pausanias , bk. 8 , ch. 25 .— Pro pert i us , bk. 2 , poem 34, li. 37 .— Apollo dor us , bk. 3 , ch. 6 .