=Aspathīnes=, one of the seven noblemen of Persia who conspired against the usurper Smerdis. _Herodotus_, bk. 5, ch. 70, &c.――――A son of Prexaspes. _Herodotus_, bk. 7. =Aspendus=, a town of Pamphylia, at the mouth of the river Eurymedon. _Cicero_, _Against Verres_, bk. 1, ch. 20. The inhabitants sacrificed swine to Venus. =Asphaltītes=, a lake. _See:_ Mare Mortuum. =Aspis=, a satrap of Chaonia, who revolted from Artaxerxes. He was reduced by Datames. _Cornelius Nepos_, _Datames_.――――A city and mountain of Africa.――――One of the Cyclades.――――A city of Macedonia. =Asplēdon=, a son of Neptune by the nymph Midea. He gave his name to a city of Bœotia, whose inhabitants went to the Trojan war. _Homer_, _Iliad_, bk. 2, li. 18.――_Pausanias_, bk. 9, ch. 38. =Asporēnus=, a mountain of Asia Minor near Pergamus, where the mother of the gods was worshipped, and called _Asporena_. _Strabo_, bk. 13. =Assa=, a town near mount Athos. =Assabīnus=, the Jupiter of the Arabians. =Assărăcus=, a Trojan prince, son of Tros by Callirhoe. He was father to Capys, the father of Anchises. The Trojans were frequently called the descendants of Assaracus, _Gens Assaraci_. _Homer_, _Iliad_, bk. 20.――_Virgil_, _Æneid_, bk. 1.――――Two friends of Æneas in the Rutulian war. _Virgil_, _Æneid_, bk. 10, li. 124. =Asserīni=, a people of Sicily. =Assōrus=, a town of Sicily, between Enna and Argyrium. =Assos=, a town of Lycia on the sea coast. =Assy̆ria=, a large country of Asia, whose boundaries have been different in its flourishing times. At first it was bounded by the Lycus and Caprus; but the name of Assyria, more generally speaking, is applied to all that territory which lies between Media, Mesopotamia, Armenia, and Babylon. The Assyrian empire is the most ancient in the world. It was founded by Ninus or Belus, B.C. 2059, according to some authors, and lasted till the reign of Sardanapalus, the 31st sovereign since Ninus, B.C. 820. According to Eusebius, it flourished for 1240 years; according to Justin, 1300 years; but Herodotus says that its duration was not above 500 or 600 years. Among the different monarchs of the Assyrian empire Semiramis greatly distinguished herself, and extended the boundaries of her dominions as far as Æthiopia and Libya. In ancient authors the Assyrians are often called Syrians, and the Syrians Assyrians. The Assyrians assisted Priam in the Trojan war, and sent him Memnon with an army. The king of Assyria generally styled himself king of kings, as a demonstration of his power and greatness. The country is now called Curdistan. _See:_ Syria. _Strabo_, bk. 16.――_Herodotus_, bks. 1 & 2.――_Justin_, bk. 1.――_Pliny_, bk. 6, chs. 13 & 26.――_Ptolemy_, bk. 1, ch. 2.――_Diodorus_, bk. 2.――_Mela_, bk. 1, ch. 2. =Asta=, a city in Spain. =Astacœni=, a people of India near the Indus. _Strabo_, bk. 15.