Abdēra

I. Abdera, a town on the southern coast of Thrace, not far from the mouth of the Nestus, noted for the stupidity of its inhabitants. It was the birthplace of the philosophers Protagoras, Democritus, and Anaxarchus; n., Liv. 45, 29, 6; Gell. 5, 3, 3; f., Ov. Ib. 469; Plin. 25, 8, 53, § 94 dub.; 4, 11, 18, § 42: hic Abdera, non tacente me, Cic. Att. 4, 17, 3 (4, 16, 6).—

2. Folly, stupidity, madness, Cic. l. l. (cf.: id est Ἀβὀηριτικόν, i. e. stupid, id. Att. 7, 7, 4, and Arn. 5, p. 164; Juv. 10, 50; Mart. 10, 25, 4).—

B. Hence, derivv.

1. Abdērīta and Abdērītes, ae, m., =Ἀβδηρίτης, an Abderite: Democritus Abderites, Laber. ap. Gell. 10, 17: Abderites Protagoras, Cic. N. D. 1, 23, 63; cf. id. Brut. 8: de Protagora Abderita, id. de Or. 3, 32, 128: Abderitae legati, Liv. 43, 4, 8; cf. id. § 12 sq.; Vitr. 7, 5, 6; Just. 15, 2 al.—

2. Ab-dērītānus, a, um, adj., of Abdera, meton. for stupid, foolish: Abderitanae pectora plebis habes, Mart. 10, 25, 4.—

II. A city of Hispania Baetlca, on the southern coast, now Adra, Mel. 2, 6, 7; Plin. 3, 1, 3, § 8.