island of the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to the kingdom of Naples. It stretches from east to west, and is thirteen miles and a half in circumference, with a level surface, except to the south-east, where it shelves from a height of 400 feet to a low shore, indented, or rather serrated, with many caves, of which the largest is called the harbour; and the island is entitled to notice, because it was proposed to retain this port at the time Bonaparte disputed our demand to retain possession of Malta after the peace of Amiens. It has few inhabitants, though an attempt was made to establish a colony during the late war, which has since been abandoned. The chief products are fire-wood and fish. It is ten miles from Tripoli, and seventy-five from Malta. The castle at the harbour is in longitude 12° 35' 10" east, and in latitude 35° 29' 19" north.

Lampridius, Ælius, one of the writers of the Augustan History, who lived at the beginning of the fourth century, during the reigns of Diocletian and Constantius, to whom he dedicates his work. The Augustan History is composed by six different authors, and contains a series of biographical sketches of the Roman emperors, from Hadrian to Carus and his sons (117–285 A.D.). These authors were, Ælius Spartianus, Vulcatius Gallicanus, Trebellius Pollio, Flavius Vopiscus, Ælius Lampridius, and Julius Capitolinus. Lampridius wrote the four lives of Commodus, Diadumenus, Heliodabulus, and Alexander Severus. He seems to have been more attentive to the accuracy of his facts than to the beauty of his style. It is supposed by Vossius (De Hist. Lat. ii. 7), and by Fabricius (Biblioth. Lat. iii. 6), that Lampridius and Spartanus are the same writer; but this opinion has been ably refuted by Demoulin. (See Moller, Diss. de Æl. Lampridio, Altorf, 1688; Casaubon, ad. Spart. Adrian.)

Lampridius, Benedict, of Cremona, a Latin poet of the sixteenth century. He taught Greek and Latin at Rome and at Padua, until he was invited to Mantua by Frederick Gonzaga to undertake the tuition of his son. He wrote epigrams and lyric verses, both in Greek and Latin, which were printed separately, as well as amongst the Deliciae of the Italian poets.

Lampsacus, or Lampsacum, in Ancient Geography, a considerable city of Mysia, more anciently called Pithecus, because abounding in pine trees. It is situated at the north extremity or entrance of the Hellespont into the Propontis, with a commodious harbour opposite to Callipolis, in the Thracian Chersonesus. It is still called Lampsacus. Long. 28° E. Lat. 40° 12' N.