in Botany, a species of Oxalis.

ACHEA, in Ancient Geography, a town of the island of Rhodes, in the district of Ialysus, and the first and most ancient of all; said to be built by the Heliades, or grandsons of the sun.

ACHÆANS, the inhabitants of ACHÆA PROPRIA, a Peloponnesian state. This republic was not considerable, in early times, for the number of its troops, nor for its wealth, nor for the extent of its territories; but it was famed for its probity, its justice, and its love of liberty. Its high reputation for these virtues was very ancient. The Crotonians and Sybarites, to re-establish order in their towns, adopted the laws and customs of the Achaeans. After the famous battle of Leuctra, a difference arose betwixt the Lacedemonians and Thebans, who held the virtue of this people in such veneration, that they terminated the dispute by their decision. The government of the Achaeans was democratical. They preserved their liberty till the time of Philip and Alexander; but in the reign of these princes, and afterwards, they were either subjected to the Macedonians, who had made themselves masters of Greece, or oppressed by domestic tyrants. The Achaean commonwealth consisted of twelve considerable towns in Peloponnesus. Towards the 124th Olympiad, about the time when Ptolemy Soter died, and when Pyrrhus invaded Italy, the republic of the Achaeans recovered its old institutions and unanimity. This was the renewal of the ancient confederation, which subsequently became so famous under the name of the ACHAEN LEAGUE; having for its object, not as formerly a common worship, but a substantial political union. Though dating from the year B.C. 280, its importance may be referred to its connection with Aratus of Sicyon about 30 years later,—as it was further augmented by the splendid abilities of Philopoemen. Thus did this people, so celebrated in the heroic age, once more emerge from comparative obscurity, and become the greatest among the states of Greece in the last days of its national independence. The inhabitants of Patrai and of Dyman were the first assertors of ancient liberty. The tyrants were banished, and the towns again made one commonwealth. A public council was then held, in which affairs of importance were discussed and determined. A register was appointed to record the transactions of the council. This assembly had two presidents, who were nominated alternately by the different towns. But instead of two presidents, they soon elected but one. Many neighbouring towns, which admired the constitution of this republic, founded on equality, liberty, the love of justice, and of the public good, were incorporated with the Achaeans, and admitted to the full enjoyment of their laws and privileges.—Thirlwall, Hist. of Greece. Helwing, Geschichte der Achäischen Bundes.

ACHÆMENES, the ancestor of the Persian kings, and founder of the Achaemenidae, which was the most illustrious family of the Pasargadae, the noblest of the Persian tribes. He is said to have been nourished by an eagle. The unbroken line of succession of this family of kings is given in Herodotus, lib. viii. 11, where Xerxes declares himself sprung "from Darius, son of Hystaspes, son of Arsames, son of Ariarathes (Αριαράθης), son of Teispes, son of Cyrus, son of Cambyses, son of Teispes, son of Achaemenes." The adjective Achaemenius is sometimes used by the Roman poets in the sense of Persian.—Hor. od. iii. 44. Epod. xiii. 8.

ACHÆMENES, son of Darius I. king of Persia, and brother of Xerxes, had the government of Egypt bestowed on him, after Xerxes had forced the Egyptians to return to their allegiance. He some time after commanded the Egyptian fleet in the celebrated expedition which proved so fatal to all Greece. The Egyptians having again taken up arms after the death of Xerxes, Achaemenes was sent into Egypt to suppress the rebellion, but was vanquished by Inarus, chief of the rebels, succoured by the Athenians.

ACHÆUS, cousin-german to Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus the Great, kings of Syria, became a very powerful monarch, and enjoyed the dominions he had usurped for many years; but at last he was punished for his usurpations in a dreadful manner, in the year B.C. 214, as related by Polybius.

ACHÆUS, son of Xuthus, the mythical ancestor of the Achaeans.

ACHÆUS of Eretria, a tragic poet, born B.C. 484. In the satirical drama he displayed considerable abilities. The fragments of his pieces were published at Bonn, 1834.