of the five dialects, or forms of speech, which prevailed among the Greeks. It was first used by the Lacedemonians, and particularly by those of Argos; and thence it passed into Epirus, Libya, Sicily, and the islands of Rhodes and Crete. In this dialect wrote Archimedes and Theocritus, who were both of Syracuse, as likewise Pindar.

In strictness, however, we should rather define Doric the manner of speaking peculiar to the Dorians, and which afterwards came to prevail among the Lacedemonians and other states. Some even distinguish between the Lacedemonian and Doric; but in reality, setting aside a few particularities in the language of the Lacedemonians, these dialects were the same; as indeed is shown by Rutilanus in his treatise De Lingua Graeca ejusque Dialectis.

Besides the authors already mentioned as having written in the Doric dialect, we might add Archytas of Tarentum, Bion, Callinus, Simonides, Bacchylides, Cypselas, Alcmeon, and Sophron.

Most of the medals of the cities of Graecia Magna and Sicily, savour of the Doric dialect in their inscription; thus, AMBAKHTAN, ADIOAOMINTAN, AXEOPTAN, AXYPTAN, HPAXAEONTAN, TPAXINION, OEPMITAN, KAYAOMINTAN, KOHIATAN, TATPOMENITAN. These names indicate the countries in which the Doric dialect was used.

The general rules of this dialect are laid down by the grammarians of the Port-Royal; but they are much better explained in the fourth book of Rutilanus, where he even notes the minuter differences of the dialects of Sicily, Crete, Tarentum, Rhodes, Lacedemon, Laconia, Macedonia, and Thessaly. The omega abounds everywhere in the Doric; but this dialect bears so close a conformity to the Æolic, that many reckon them but one. (See Müller's History and Antiquities of the Doric Race, vol. ii. appendix.)