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Maeander

Μαίανδρος). A river in Asia Minor, proverbial for its wanderings, rising in the south of Phrygia, close to the source of the Marsyas, flowing between Lydia and Caria, of which it forms the boundary, and at last falling into the Icarian Sea between Myus and Priené. Its chief tributaries are the Marsyas, Cludrus, Lethaeus, and Gaeson on the right (northern) side; and the Obrimas, Lycus , Harpasus, and a second Marsyas on the left (southern) side. In its course it was said to describe the Greek letters ε, ζ, ξ, ς, and ω; and from it Daedalus was imagined to have received the idea of his famous Labyrinth. (See Herod. ii. 29; Verg. Aen. v. 254; Lucan, v. 208; vi. 471; Ovid, Met. viii. 105; Mela, i. 17.) As a god, Maeander is described as the father of the nymph Cyané, who was the mother of Caunus. Hence the latter is called by Ovid, Maeandrius iuvenis.

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