a daughter of the river Peneus by the goddess Terra, of whom Apollo became enamoured. This passion had been raised by Cupid; with whom Apollo, proud of his late conquest of the serpent Python, had disputed the power of his darts. Daphne heard with horror the addresses of the god, and endeavoured to remove herself from his importunities by flight. Apollo pursued her, and Daphne, fearful of being caught, intreated the assistance of the gods, who changed her into a laurel. Apollo crowned his head with the leaves of the laurel, and forever ordered that that tree should be sacred to his divinity. Some say that Daphne was admired by Leucippus, son of Oenomaus king of Pisa, who to be in her company disguised his sex, and attended her in the woods in the habit of a huntress. Leucippus gained Daphne's esteem and love; but Apollo, who was his powerful rival, discovered his sex, and Leucippus was killed by the companions of Diana. Daphne was also the name of a daughter of Tyreias, priestess in the temple of Delphi. She was consecrated to the service of Apollo by the Epigoni, or according to others by the goddess Tellus. She was called Sibyl, on account of the wildness of her looks and expressions when she delivered oracles. Her oracles were generally in verse; and Homer, according to some accounts, has introduced much of her poetry in his compositions.

in Ancient Geography, a small village near to, or in the suburbs of, Antiochia of Seleucus in Syria; with a large grove, well watered with springs. In the middle of the grove stood the temple of Apollo and Diana. Its extent was 80 stadia or 10 miles; the distance from the city five miles: A place pleasant and agreeable, from the plenty of water and the temperature of the air, and its soft-breathing breezes. The grove was of bay-trees, intermixed with cypress: which last multiplied so fast, as to occupy the whole of it. Pompey gave some land for enlarging the grove. Antiochus Epiphanes built a very large temple of Daphnaeus Apollo. The place at length became so infamous, that people of modesty and character avoided resorting thither; so that Daphnici mores became proverbial.

in Ancient Geography, a small district on the lake Samarchonites, in the Higher Galilee, very pleasant, and plentifully watered with springs, which feed the Less Jordan; whence its name seems to arise, probably in imitation of that near Antioch of Syria on the river Orontes.

Spurge-laurel; a genus of plants, belonging to the octandra class; and in the natural method ranking under the 31st order, Vepreculea. See Botany Index.

DAHNPEPHORIA, a festival in honour of Apollo, celebrated every ninth year by the Boeotians. It was then usual to adorn an olive bough with garlands of laurels and other flowers, and place on the top a brazen globe, on which were suspended smaller ones. In the middle was placed a number of crowns, and a globe of inferior size, and the bottom was adorned with a saffron-coloured garment. The globe on the top represented the sun or Apollo. That in the middle was an emblem of the moon, and the others of the stars. The crowns, which were 65 in number, represented the sun's annual revolution. This bough was carried in solemn procession by a beautiful youth of an illustrious family, and whose parents were both living. The youth was dressed in rich garments which reached to the ground, his hair hung loose and dishevelled, his head was covered with a golden crown, and he wore on his feet shoes called Iphicrates, from Iphicrates an Athenian, who first invented them. He was called Δανπεφορος, laurel-bearer; and at that time he executed the office of a priest of Apollo. He was preceded by one of his nearest relations, bearing a rod adorned with garlands, and behind him followed a train of virgins with branches in their hands. In this order the procession advanced as far as the temple of Apollo, surnamed Ismenius, where supplicatory hymns were sung to the god. This festival owes its origin to the following circumstance.—When an oracle advised the Ætolians who inhabited Arne and the adjacent country, to abandon their ancient possessions, and go in quest of a settlement, they invaded the Theban territories, which at that time were pillaged by an army of Pelasgians. As the celebration of Apollo's festival was near, both nations, who religiously observed it, laid aside all hostilities, and according to custom cut down laurel boughs from Mount Helicon, and in the neighbourhood of the river Melas, and walked in procession in honour of the divinity. The day that this solemnity was observed, Polematas the general of the Boeotian army saw a youth in a dream, that presented him with a complete suit of armour, and commanded the Boeotians to offer solemn prayers to Apollo, and walk in procession with laurel boughs in their hands every ninth year. Three days after this dream, the Boeotian general made a sally, and cut off the greatest part of the besiegers, who were compelled by this blow to relinquish their enterprise. Polematas immediately instituted a nonennial festival to the god, who seemed to be the patron of the Boeotians.