Appias

For the genus of butterflies, see Appias (butterfly).

In ancient Rome, Appias /ˈæpiəs/ was a statue of a nymph near the Appiades Fountain in the Forum of Caesar. Ovid wrote that the fountain was in the middle of the Temple of Venus Genetrix and surrounded by statues of nymphs who were called "The Appiades" (/əˈpaɪ.ədiːz/; plural form of Appias).^[1][2] Traditionally the Appiades are said to be of Concordia, Minerva, Pax, Venus, and Vesta.^[3]

In Roman mythology, Appias was a naiad who lived in the Appian Well outside the temple to Venus Genitrix in the Roman Forum.^[4]

In one of his letters,^[5] Cicero refers to a statue of Minerva as "Appias". In this case, he derived this surname from the name of Appius Claudius Pulcher, whom he intended to flatter.

References

1. Ovid, Remedia Amoris, 659; Ars Amatoria, 1. 81., 3. 451
2. Lanciani, Rodolfo Amedeo. The Ruins and Excavations of Ancient Rome; a Companion Book for Students and Travelers,. Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin and, 1897. Page 300.
3. Reddall, Henry Frederic. Fact, Fancy, and Fable; a New Handbook for Ready Reference on Subjects Commonly Omitted from Cyclopaedias; Comprising Personal Sobriquets, Familiar Phrases, Popular Appellations, Geographical Nicknames, Literary Pseudonyms, Mythological Characters, Red-letter Days, Political Slang, Contractions and Abbreviations, Technical Terms, Foreign Words and Phrases, Americanisms, Etc. Comp. by Henry Frederic Reddall. Chicago: A.C McClurg, 1892. Print.
4.  Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Appias". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
5. Cicero, Ad familiares, 3. 1

Sources

• Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology by William Smith, v. 1, page 248, under Appias