Nisus

Nīsus, i, m., = Νῖσος

• A king of Megara, father of Scylla, who, in order to gain the love of Minos, cut off her father's purple hair, on which the safety of his kingdom depended, whereupon Nisus was changed into a sparrow-hawk, and Scylla into the bird ciris, Verg. G. 1, 404 sq.; Ov. M. 8, 8 sqq.; v. Scylla.—
• • B Hence,
  • • 1 Nī-saeus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Nisus, Nisaean: et vos Nisaei, naufraga monstra, canes, i.e. Scylla, the daughter of Phorcus, Ov. F. 4, 500; cf. id. A. A. 1, 331.—
    • 2 Nīsēis, ĭdis, f., the daughter of Nisus, Scylla (q. v.), confounded with the daughter of Phorcus: praeterita cautus Niseide navita gaudet, Ov. R. Am. 737.—
    • 3 Nīsēĭus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Nisus, Nisaean: per mare caeruleum trahitur Niseia virgo, Verg. Cir. 390; Ov. M. 8, 35.—
    • 4 Nīsĭas, ădis, f., Nisaean, i.e. Megarian: Nisiades matres Nisiadesque nurus, of Megaris, in Sicily (a colony of Megara, in Greece), Ov. H. 15, 54.—
• II Son of Hyrtacus and friend of Euryalus, Verg. A. 5, 294; 9, 176 sq.

2. Nīsus, ī, m. (Νισος), I) König in Megara, Vater der Scylla, die ihres Vaters purpurnes Haar, auf dem das Schicksal des Staates beruhte, abschnitt u. seinem Feinde Minos gab, worauf Nisus in einen Sperber, Scylla aber auch in einen Raubvogel (Ciris) verwandelt wurde, Ov. met. 8, 8 sqq. Verg. georg. 404 (als Sperber). – Dav.: A) Nīsaeus, a, um (Νίσαιος), nisäisch, canes, der Scylla, Tochter des Phorkus (also verwechselt mit der Tochter des Nisus), Ov. fast. 4, 500. – B) Nīsias, adis, f. (Νισιάς), nisiadisch, poet. = megarisch, Ov. her. 15, 54. – C) Nīsēis, ēidis, f., die Nisëide (Tochter des Nisus), d.i. Scylla; aber mit der Tochter des Phorkus verwechselt, Ov. rem. 737. – D) Nīsēius, a, um, nisëisch, virgo, Scylla, des Nisus Tochter, Ov. met. 8, 35. – II) Freund des Euryalus, Verg. Aen. 5, 294.

1 Nisus [CL] 1 Nisus, king of Megara who was turned into a sea-eagle. de Scilla mutata in alaudum et Nyso in alietum Wals. AD 119. 2 hawk or sparrow-hawk; b (dist. from accipiter); c (~us rubeus, sorus, or sim.) sore or red hawk, not moulted. teque ipsum ‥ id asserere audivi ~um sc. silvestrem, quem non alia ratione domare poteras, musico instrumento domesticum fecisse Adel. ED 26; ~us, accipiter Osb. Glouc. Deriv. 385; monachi ‥ sicut ~us alaudam territam ita predam suam agnoscunt Map NC I 25 (v. deplumare b); Neckam NR I 32 (v. 2 nisus a); videtur quod alietus idem sit quod ~us parvus qui Gallice dicitur muschet vel ipse ~us [Trevisa: sperhawke] Bart. Angl. XII 3; c1260 in iij pullis ad ~os Househ. Ac. 153; pro carne empta ad ~os domini Henrici Househ. Henry 408.  b plurimi civium delectantur, ludentes in avibus celi, ~is, accipitribus et hujusmodi W. Fitzst. Thom. prol. 18; 1206 salvis mihi et heredibus meis aeiriis accipitrum et ~orum et falconum Ch. Chester 341.  c a1171 singulis annis daturus est michi loco servicii ~um unum sorum Ch. Mowbray 330; c1180 reddendo unum nysum sor’ ad nundinas Rokeburgie Melrose 139; c1200 dedi ‥ terram ‥ reddendo annuatim T. ‥ sori ~um sive xij denarios (Cart. Westwood) MonA VI 1005b; c1250 precium rubei ~i xij denarii ‥ precium albi de mut extracti xxiiij denarii Leg. Wall. B 200; c1270 inde annuatim reddendo pro anni servitio unum ~um sarum, sive sex denarios Reg. S. Thom. Dublin 170; c1318 reddendo ‥ unum rubeum ~um RMS Scot 34; 1348 onerat se de ‥ xx d. vel de uno rubeo ~o, per redditum assise de Ordeley ExchScot 542.

4 Nīsus, (11) ī, m. (Νῖσος), père du cinquième Bacchus : Cic. Nat. 3, 58 || roi de Mégare, père de Scylla changé en épervier : Ov. M. 8, 8 ; Virg. G. 1, 404 || Troyen, ami dʼEuryale : Virg. En. 5, 294 ; 9, 176.

Nisus

(Νῖσσος).

1. A son of Pandion (or, according to others, of Deion or Ares) and Pylia, was a brother of Aegeus, Pallas, and Lycus, and husband of Abrote, by whom he became the father of Sevlla. He was king of Megara; and when Minos, on his expedition against Athens, took Megara, Nisus died, because his daughter Seylla, who had fallen in love with Minos, had pulled out the purple or golden hair which grew on the top of her father's head, and on which his life depended. (Apollod. 3.15. §§ 5, 6, 8; Schol. ad Eurip. Hippol. 1090.) Minos, who was horrified at the conduct of the unnatural daughter, ordered Scylla to be fastened to the poop of his ship, and afterwards drowned her in the Saronic gulf. (Apollod. l.c.) According to others, Minos left Megara in disgust, but Scylla leaped into the sea, and swam after his ship; but her father, who had been changed into an eagle, perceived her, and shot down upon her, whereupon she was metamorphosed into either a fish or a bird called Ciris. (Ov. Met. 8.6, &c.; Hyg. Fab. 198; Virg. Georq. 1.405, Eclog. 6.74.) The tradition current at Megara itself knew nothing of this expedition of Minos, and called the daughter of Nisus Iphinoe, and represented her as married to Megareus. It is further added, that in the dispute between Sciron and Nisus Aeacus assigned the government to Nisus (Paus. 1.39.5), and that Nisa, the original name of Megara, and Nisaea, afterward the port town of Megara, derived their names from Nisus, and that the promontory of Scyllaeum was named after his daughter. (Paus. 1.39.4, 2.34.7; Strab. viii. p.373.) The tomb of Nisus was shown at Athens, behind the Lyceum. (Paus. 1.19.5.)

Nisus

2. A son of Hyrtacus, a companion of Aeneias and friend of Euryalus, whose death he avenged by slaying Volscens, and then himself, in a dying state, threw himself upon the body of his friend and expired. (Verg. A. 9.176, &100.444.)

Nisus

3. A noble of Dulichium, and father of Amphinomus, who was one of the suitors of Penelope. (Hom. Od. 16.395, 18.126, 412.) [L.S]

Nisus

(Νῖσος). (1) A son of Hyrtacus, born on Mount Ida, near Troy. He came to Italy with Aeneas, and was attached to Euryalus, son of Opheltes. During the war with Turnus, Nisus, to whom the defence of one of the entrances of the camp was intrusted, sallied forth in search of Aeneas, and Euryalus accompanied him. Fortune at first aided their efforts, but they were at length surprised by a Latin detachment. Euryalus was cut down by Volscens; the latter was as immediately despatched by Nisus, who, however, overpowered by numbers, soon shared the fate of his friend (Verg. Aen. ix. 176 foll.; cf. v. 334 foll.).

(2) A king of Megara. In the war waged by Minos, king of Crete, against the Athenians, on account of the death of Androgeus (see Androgeus), Megara was besieged, and it was taken through the treachery of Scylla, the daughter of Nisus. This prince had a golden or purple lock of hair growing on his head, and as long as it remained uncut, so long was his life to last. Scylla, having seen Minos, fell in love with him, and resolved to give him the victory. She cut off her father's precious lock as he slept, and he immediately died; the town was then taken by the Cretans. But Minos, instead of rewarding the maiden, disgusted with her unnatural treachery, tied her by the feet to the stern of his vessel, and thus dragged her along until she was drowned (Apollod.iii.15.1). Another legend adds that Nisus was changed into the bird called the Sea-eagle (ἁλιάετος) and Scylla into that named Ciris (κεῖρις), and that the father continually pursues the daughter to punish her for her crime (Ovid, Met. viii. 145; Cir.). According to Aeschylus (Choëph. 609 foll.), Minos bribed Scylla with a golden collar.

Nisus Nisus, son of Pandion

• Paus. 1.39.4, 6, Apollod. 3.15.5
• king of Megara, his purple hair:: Paus. 1.19.4, Apollod. 3.15.7
• at war with Minos and Cretans: Paus. 1.39.4, Paus. 1.44.3
• slain by Minos: Paus. 1.19.4
• perishes by the treachery of his daughter Scylla: Apollod. 3.15.7
• buried at Athens: Paus. 1.19.4
• his daughter (Scylla): Paus. 2.34.7