ABDERA, a maritime town of Thrace, situated at the mouth of the river Nessus, and chiefly remarkable for the marvellous stories which arc related of it by an cient authors. During the reign of Lysimachus, the in habitants of Abdera were said to be afflicted with a burn ing fever, which reached its maximum on the seventh day, and which affected their imaginations in such a man ner, that every one fancied himself a player. The fa vourite drama of this theatrical city, was the Androme da of Euripides; and it was not uncommon to see groups of these tragedians spouting in the streets with all the fervour and sincerity of real actors. Lucian, who re lates this incredible story, accounts for it from the fol lowing circumstance. During a very sultry summer, the Andromeda of Euripides was performed in Abdera by the celebrated actor Archelaus. When the audience was dismissed, several of them were seized with a delirious fever; and as the various incidents of the play had made a deep impression upon their minds, they began, during the paroxysms of the disease, to imitate the gestures and looks of the leading characters ; and pronounce the bro ken sentences which their memory had preserved. The
disease was said to have been epidemical, and therefore the whole inhabitants were seized with this dramatic mania.
Among other wonders, the grass of the surrounding country is said to have been of such a noxious quality, that the horses which fed upon it were seized with mad ness; and during the reign of Cassander, king of Mace don, the houses were so inundated with tribes of rats and frogs, that the inhabitants were obliged to surrender them for a while to the devastation of these invaders.
Though the stupidity of the Abderites is proverbial among ancient authors, yet Abdera had the honour of giving birth to many illustrious men ; among whom were Democritus, Anaxarchus, Protagorus, I I ecateus the his torian, and Nicxnetus the poet. Abdera was formerly celebrated for its gold and silver mines ; but is now re duced to an insignificant village. See P/in. ./Vat. Hist. lib. xxv. cap. 8. Justin. lib. xxv. cap. 2. Lucian. Opera, tom. ii. p. 1. Herodotus, lib. i. c. 186. Stephan. de Uri). p. 5. c. 2. Univ. Hist.vol. vii. p. 432. yol. x. p. 49. and Baule voc. Abdera. (o)