nius as the king of Delos, and the priest of
Apollo at the same time. 'Rex Anius, rex idem hominum Phoebique
sacerdos.' AEneid, Book III. He was descended from Cadmus, through
his mother Rhea, the daughter of Staphilus. Having engaged in some
intrigue, as Diodorus Siculus conjectures, her father exposed her on
the sea in an open boat, which drove to Delos, and she was there
delivered of Anius, who afterwards became the king of the island. By
his wife Dorippe he had three daughters, who were extremely frugal,
and by means of the offerings and presents that were brought to the
temple of Apollo, amassed a large store of provisions. During the
siege of Troy, the Greeks sent Palamedes to Delos, to demand food
for the army; and, as a security for his compliance with these
demands, they exacted the daughters of Anius as hostages. The
damsels soon afterwards finding means to escape, it was said that
Bacchus, who was their kinsman through Cadmus, had transformed them
into doves. Probably the story of their transforming every thing
they touched, into wine, corn, and oil, was founded solely on their
thriftiness and parsimony. Bochart, however, explains the story from
the circumstance of their names being, as he conjectures, Oeno,
Spermo, and Elai, which, in the old Phoenician dialect, signified
wine, corn, and oil; and he thinks that the story was confirmed in
general belief by the fact that large quantities of corn, wine, and
oil were supplied from Delos to the Grecian army when before Troy.

In the reign of Orion, Thebes being devastated by a plague, the
oracles were consulted, and the Thebans were told that the contagion
would cease as soon as the daughters of the king should be
sacrificed to the wrath of heaven. The two maidens immediately
presented themselves at the altar; and on their immolation, the Gods
were appeased, and the plague ceased. This example of patriotism and
fortitude filled the more youthful Thebans with so much emulation,
that they shook off their former inactivity, and soon became
conspicuous for their bravery: which sudden change gave occasion to
the saying, that the ashes of these maidens had been transformed
into men.

The Poet follows AEneas on his voyage, to gain an opportunity of
referring to several other current stories. Among other places, he
passes the city of Ambracia, about which the Gods had contended, and
sees the rock