EPIGON’IAD (The), called “the Scotch Iliad,” by William Wilkie (1721-1772).  This is the tale of the Epig’oni or seven sons of the seven chieftains who laid siege to Thebes.  The tale is this:  When Oe’dipos abdicated, his two sons agreed to reign alternate years; but at the expiration of the first year, the elder son (Eteocles) refused to give up the throne.  Whereupon the younger brother (Polynikes) interested six Grecian chiefs to espouse his cause, and the allied armies laid siege to Thebes, without success.  Subsequently, the seven sons of the old chiefs went against the city to avenge the death of their fathers, who had fallen in the former siege.  They succeeded in taking the city, and in placing Thersander on the throne.  The names of the seven sons are Thersander, AEgi’aleus, Alkmaeon, Diomedes, Sthen’elos, Pro’machos, and Euryalos.

EPIMEN’IDES (5 syl.) of Crete, sometimes reckoned one of the “seven wise men of Greece” in the place of Periander.  He slept for fifty-seven years in a cave, and, on waking, found everything so changed that he could recognize nothing.  Epimenides lived 289 years, and was adored by the Cretans as one of their “Curetes” or priests of Jove.  He was contemporary with Solon.

(Goethe has a poem called Des Epimenides Erwachen.—­See Heinrich’s Epimenides.)

Epimenides’s Drug.  A nymph who loved Epimenides gave him a draught in a bull’s horn, one single drop of which would not only cure any ailment, but would serve for a hearty meal.

Le Nouveau Epimenede is a man who lives in a dream in a kind of “Castle of Spain,” where he deems himself a king, and does not wish to be disillusioned.  The song is by Jacinthe Leclere, one of the members of the “Societe de Momus,” of Paris.

EPINOGRIS (Sir), son of the king of Northumberland.  He loved an earl’s daughter, but slew the earl in a knightly combat.  Next day, a knight challenged him to fight, and the lady was to be the prize of the victor.  Sir Epinogris, being overthrown, lost the lady; but when Sir Palomides heard the tale, he promised to recover her.  Accordingly, he challenged the victorious knight, who turned out to be his brother.  The point of dispute was then amicably arranged by giving up the lady to Sir Epinogris.—­Sir T. Malory, History of Prince Arthur, ii. 169 (1470).

EPPIE, one of the servants of the Rev. Josiah Cargill.  In the same novel is Eppie Anderson, one of the servants at the Mowbray Arms, Old St. Ronan’s, held by Meg Dods.—­Sir W. Scott, St. Bonarts Well (time, George III.).

EPPS, cook of Saunders Fairford, a lawyer.—­Sir W. Scott, Redgauntlet (time, George III.).  EQUITY (Father of), Heneage Finch, earl of Nottingham (1621-1682).  In Absalom and Achitophel (by Dryden and Tate) he is called “Amri.”

  Sincere was Amri, and not only knew,
  But Israel’s sanctions into practice drew;
  Our laws, that did a boundless ocean seem,
  Were coasted all, and fathomed all by him ... 
  To whom the double blessing doth belong,
  With Moses’ inspiration, Aaron’s tongue.