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BATTUS

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Originally appearing in Volume V03, Page 535 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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BATTUS , the legendary founder of the See also:

Greek See also:colony of See also:Cyrene in See also:Libya (about 63o B.C.). The Greeks who accompanied him were, like himself, natives of See also:Thera, and descended partly from the See also:race of the Minyae. Various accounts are given both of the See also:founding of Cyrene and of the origin of the founder's name. According to the Cyrenaeans (See also:Herod. iv. 150-156), Battus, having an impediment in his speech, consulted the See also:oracle at See also:Delphi, and was told to found a colony in Libya; according to the Theraeans, Battus was entrusted with this See also:mission by their aged See also:king Grinus. In another version, there was See also:civil See also:war in Thera; Battus, See also:leader of one party, was banished, and, on applying to the oracle, was recommended to take out a colony to " the See also:continent " (Schol. See also:Pindar, Pyth. iv. ro). In any See also:case the See also:foundation is attributed to the See also:direct instructions of See also:Apollo. The name was connected by some with (3arrap1N, (" stammer "), but See also:Herodotus (iv. 1S5) says that it was the Libyan word for " king," that Battus was not called by the name until after his arrival at Libya, and that the oracle addressed him as " Battus " by anticipation. This, however, would imply on the See also:part of the oracle a knowledge of Libya, which was not shared by the See also:rest of See also:Greece (Herod. i.e.), and it is noteworthy that the name occurs in Arcadian and Messenian legends. Herodotus does not know his real name, but Pindar (Pyth. v.

116), no doubt rightly, calls the founder of the colony Aristoteles, while See also:

Justin (xiii. 7) gives his name as See also:Aristaeus who was worshipped at Cyrene. Four See also:kings named Battus, alternating with four named See also:Arcesilaus, ruled in Cyrene (q.v.) till the fall of the See also:dynasty about 450 B.C. See R. W. Macan's Ierodotus IV.-VI. (1895), vol. i. pp. 104 seq. and notes.

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