in Antiquity, always mariners, a denomination given to the senators of Miletus, because they held their deliberations on board a ship, and never returned to land till matters had been agreed on.

ÆLFREIC, an eminent ecclesiastic of the 10th century, was the son of an earl of Kent, and a monk of the Benedictine order in the monastery of Abingdon. In 963, he was settled in the cathedral of Winchester, under Athelwold the bishop, and undertook the instruction of the youth of the diocese, for which purpose he compiled a Latin Saxon vocabulary, and some Latin colloquies. He also translated from the Latin into Saxon many of the historical books of the Old Testament. While he resided at Winchester he drew up Canons, which are a kind of charge to be delivered by the bishops to their clergy. He was afterwards abbot of St Albans, bishop of Wilton, and, finally, in 994, translated to the see of Canterbury. Here he had a hard struggle for some years in bravely defending his diocese against the incursions of the Danes. He died in 1005, and was buried at Abingdon, but his remains were removed to Canterbury in the reign of Canute. Ælfric is held up as one of the most distinguished prelates of the Saxon church. His learning, for the times, was considerable, his morals were pure, and his religious sentiments were untainted with many of the corruptions of the age in which he lived. Besides the works already mentioned, he translated two volumes of Homilies from the Latin Fathers.

ÆLFREIC, surnamed Bæa, pupil of the former, was promoted to the archbishopric of York in 1023, and died in 1051.

ÆLFREIC, an abbot of Malmesbury in 974, was created bishop of Crediton in 977, and died in 981.

ÆLIA Capitolina, a name given to the city built by the emperor Adrian, A.D. 134, near the spot where the ancient Jerusalem stood, which he found in ruins when he visited the eastern parts of the Roman empire. A Roman colony was settled here, and a temple, in place of that of Jerusalem, was dedicated to Jupiter Capitolinus. Hence the name is derived, to which he prefixed that of his own family.

ÆLIAN, CLAUDIUS, born at Panion in Italy. He taught rhetoric at Rome, according to Perizonius, under the emperor Alexander Severus. He was surnamed Mela, honey-mouth, on account of the sweetness of his style in his discourses and writings. To this excellence the poet alludes:

O jucunda, Covine, solitudo, Carrucà magis, effedoque gratum; Facundi miki munus Æliani.

MARTIAL. He was likewise honoured with the title of Soghiyt, an appellation in his days given only to men of learning and wisdom. He loved retirement, and devoted himself to study. He greatly admired and studied Plato, Aristotle, Isocrates, Plutarch, Homer, Anacreon, Archilochus, &c., and, though a Roman, gives the preference to the writers of the Greek nation. His two most celebrated works are, his Various History, and History of Animals. He composed likewise a book on Providence, mentioned by Eustathius; and another on Divine Appearances, or The Declarations of Providence. There have been several editions of his Various History.

ÆLIUS PONS, in Ancient Geography, one of the fortresses near the wall or rampart, or, in the words of the Notitia, through the line of the hither wall; built, as is thought, by Adrian, now named Portland, in Northumberland, between Newcastle and Morpeth, (Camden.)

ÆLIUS PONS, now il Ponte St Angelo, a stone bridge at Rome, over the Tiber, which leads to the Burgo and Vatican from the city, along Adrian's mole, built by the emperor Adrian.

ÆLFRED. See Alfred.

ÆLURUS, in Egyptian Mythology, the deity or god of cats; represented sometimes like a cat, and sometimes like a man with a cat's head. The Egyptians had so superstitious a regard for this animal, that the killing it, whether by accident or design, was punished with death: and Diodorus relates, that, in the time of extreme famine, they chose rather to eat one another than touch these sacred animals.