one of the ancient names of Thrace, (Stephanus); that is martial, from the character of the people, whose country Euripides calls the residence of Mars, and Sophocles his place of nativity.

and Ariana, in Ancient Geography, whether the same or distinct countries authors are not agreed. Ptolemy has only Aria, and knows nothing about Ariana. Pliny mentions only Ariana, and says nothing about Aria; but distinguishes between the Arii and Ariani: Parthia, he says, has the Arii to the east, Caramania and the Ariani to the south; from which it is conjectured, the Ariani extended farther than the Arii, and comprised the Gedrosia and the Drangae. Arrian has only Aria and Arii, and is silent about Ariana. But Strabo gives more extensive bounds to Ariana than to Aria, without particularly defining them; only in general he says, that Ariana begins from India, and quotes Eratothenes; according to whom, Ariana is bounded by the Indus on the east; on the south by the Great sea; by Paropamius on the north, and by the mountains, quite to Portae Caspiae; on the west by the same boundaries by which Parthia is separated from Media, Caramania from Paracene and Persia; and thus Ariana is extremely extensive.—Aria has its limits thus described by Ptolemy: On the north, some parts of Margiana and Bactriana; on the east, the Paropamisdae; on the south the Drangiana; and Strabo says, the Arii adjoin to the Paropamisdae on the west.

called Ariopolis, (Strabo): Now Herat, in Chorasan, set down in an ancient map as situated on the river Arias, which probably gave name to the country Aria. Arrian calls the river Areios; Pliny, Arius; Ammian, Arias: now Heri, which runs by Alexandria, also called Alexandria Arius or Ariorum.

ARIADNEA, in Grecian Antiquity, two festivals at Naxos, in honour of two women named Ariadne. One of them being the daughter of King Minos, they had, in the solemnity dedicated to her, a show of sorrow and mourning; and, in memory of her being left by Theseus near the time of child-birth, it was usual for a young man to lie down and counterfeit all the agonies of a woman in labour. This festival is said to have been first instituted by Theseus, to atone for his ingratitude to that princess.—The other Ariadne was thought to be of a gay and sprightly temper; and therefore her festival was observed with music and other expressions of mirth and joy.