I.a celebrated island in the Ægean Sea, off the coast of Troy and Mysia, the birthplace of Pittacus, Alcæus, Arion, Sappho, and Theophrastus, and famous for its wine; now Mityleni: “sed quam capiam civitatem cogito ... Lesbumne,” Plaut. Merc. 3, 4, 62; Mel. 2, 7, 4; Plin. 5, 31, 39, § 139; Cic. Att. 9, 9, 2; Ov. M. 11, 55: “nota,” Hor. Ep. 1, 11, 1.—Hence,
A. Lesbĭăcus , a, um, adj., Lesbian: Lesbiaci libri, a work of Dicæarchus on the immortality of the soul (so called because the dialogues contained in it were held at Mitylene, in Lesbos), Cic. Tusc. 1, 31, 77: metrum, i. e. the Sapphic metre (because Sappho was a native of Lesbos), Sid. Ep. 9, 13 in carm. 1. —
B. Lesbĭus , a, um, adj., = Λέσβιος, Lesbian: “civis,” i. e. Alcæus, Hor. C. 1, 32, 5: “plectrum,” i. e. Alcaic, id. ib. 1, 26, 11: “pes,” i. e. a lyric poem, id. ib. 4, 6, 35: “Lesbia vates,” i. e. Sappho, Ov. Tr. 3, 7, 20: “vinum,” Plin. 14, 7, 9, § 73; Gell. 13, 5; Prop. 1, 14, 2; Hor. Epod. 9, 34: “marmor,” Plin. 36, 6, 5, § 44.—Also absol.: Lesbĭum , i, n., Lesbian wine, Hor. C. 1, 17, 21: Lesbium genus vasis caelati a Lesbis inventum, Paul. ex Fest. p. 115 Müll.—*
C. Lesbōus , a, um, adj., Lesbian: nec Polyhymnia Lesboum refugit tendere barbiton, the Lesbian lyre, i. e. lyric songs (like those of Alcæus and Sappho), Hor. C. 1, 1, 34.—
D. Lesbĭ-as , ădis, f., = Λεσβιάς, a Lesbian woman: “Lesbiadum turba,” Ov. H. 15, 16: “Lesbias,” a precious stone found in Lesbos, Plin. 37, 10, 62, § 171 (al. Lesbia).—
