N E O 
two other functions of the Neocori; thefe are, to Hand at 
the gates of the temple in order to furinkle holy water 
for the purification of thofe who were entering into them ; 
the other to throw fomeof the fame water upon the meat 
ferved up at the emperor’s table. They were otherwife 
called ceditui. 
NECE'NIA, f. in antiquity, a feftival celebrated in 
honour of Bacchus, when the “ new wine” was firffc 
tailed. 
NECE'THO, in ancient geography, a fmall town of 
Italy, in Brutium, towards the ealt, upon the Necetus, at 
a little diltance north of Croton. 
NEOG'AMIST, f [from the Gr. reo;, new ; and ya-po;, 
a marriage.] One newly married. 
NEO'LA, a country of Africa, fituated on the north 
fide of the Gambia, to the well of Dentila. Lat. 12.30. N. 
Ion. 11. 40. W. 
NEO'LA KO'BA, a river of Africa, which runs into 
the Gambia in lat. 12.40. N. Ion. 12. 25. W. 
NEOLOG'ICAL, adj. [from neology.] Employing new 
words or phrafes.—Such examples really make one trem¬ 
ble ; and will, I am convinced,determine my fair fellow- 
fubjedts and their adherents to adopt, and fcrupulouily 
conform to, Johnfon’s rules of true orthography by book. 
In return to this conceffion, I ferioufly advife him to pub- 
lilh, by way of appendix to his great work, a genteel neo- 
logical di&ionary, containing thofe polite, though perhaps 
not llridtly grammatical, words and phrafes, commonly 
ufed, and Ibmetimes underftood, by the beau monde. 
Ld. Cliejlerjield ; World, N° 101. 
NEOL'OGY, j. [from the Gr. ve0;, new, and Xoyo;, a 
word.] Invention or ufe of new words and phrafes.—They 
endeavour, by a fort of neology of their own, to confound 
all ideas of right and wrong. Boolhhy on Burke. 
NEOLO'GISM, J'. A new and quaint exprellion. 
NEOM'AGUS, or Noviomagus, in ancient geography, 
a town of the Regni, in the Ille of Albion, according to 
Ptolemy. The Itinerary of Antonine places it between 
Londinium (London) and Vagniacis (Northfleet). The 
fituation of this ftation is very uncertain j but Camden, 
Gale, and Horfley, have agreed in placing it at Wood- 
cote, near Croydon, where traces of an ancient town are 
Hill to be feen. Mr. Baxter, however, and fome other 
antiquaries, contend for Ravenlburn in Kent; Mr. Lhyd 
for Guildford in Surrey; and Mr. Talbot for Croydon. 
NEOM'AGUS, or Noviomacus, a town of the Tre- 
viri on the Mofelle. Now Numagen, fourteen miles ealt, 
below Triers.—A town of Gallia Narbonenfis, on the 
confines of the Tricaftini. Now Nycns in Dauphine. 
NEOM'AGUS, or Noviom'agus Batavo'rum, a town 
of Germania Secunda, at the extremity of Gaul. The 
Peutingerian Table places it on the Rhine, between Caltra 
Herculis and Arenatio. Now Nimeguen. 
NEOM'AGUS, or Noviomagus Lexovio'rum, a town 
of Gallia Celtica. Now Lifeux, in Normandy. > 
NEOM'AGUS, or Noviomagus Neme'tum, a city of 
the Palatinate, on the left or well fide of the Rhine. Now 
Spire. 
NEOME'NIA, J'. [Greek, the new moon.] The fefti- 
val of the ancient Greeks at the new moon. A feftival 
was obferved at the beginning of every lunar month, in 
honour of all the gods, but efpecially Apollo, who was 
called NtoftEno;, becaufe the fun is the author of all lights ; 
for, whatever diftindlion of times and feafons may be taken 
from other planets, yet they are all owing to him, as the 
original and fountain of all thofe borrowed rays, which 
the reft have only by participation from him. 
The Jews, as fome affirm, reckoned two kinds of neo- 
menia, or new moons ; the firft on the day of her con- 
jundtion with the fun ; the fecond on that of her appari¬ 
tion or phalis ; and add, that they celebrated two paff- 
overs, on account of the uncertainty which of thefe days 
itjhould be held on. F. Hardouin, on the contrary, main¬ 
tains, they had no other neomenia but that of the moon’s 
conjunction with the fun, which it was eafy to afcertain 
N E O 711 
by aftronomical calculation ; whereas the other was liable 
to miftakes, the moon fometimes not flowing herlelf till 
four or five days after conjunction. 
NEOM'INAS, a river of Peru, which runs into the 
Pacific Ocean in lat. 4. 30. N. 
NE'ON, in ancient geography, a town of Greece, in the 
Phocide, fituated on the ridge of Parnaffus called Ti- 
thorea. At firft a mere fort; it was a confiderable town 
in the time of Plutarch. 
NEO'NE, a town of European Turkey, in Theffaly : 
twenty-eight miles north of Zeiton. 
NEONTI'CHOS, in ancient geography, a town of the 
Eolide, placed by Strabo at twenty ftadia from Lariffa ; but 
Herodotus places it at the diftance of thirty ftadia eaft of 
that town, near the plain of Hermus. The appellation 
denotes “ a new-walled town.”—Alfo, a town of Greece, 
in the Phocide. Paufanias. —A town of Thrace, on the 
Propontis.—A town of Afia Minor, in Caria, between 
Orthofia and Bargafta. Ptolemy. 
NEOPA'TRA, a town of European Turkey, in Thef- 
faly : twenty miles weft of Zeiton. 
NE'OPHYTE, /.’ [Gr. from veo;, new, and <pw, I pro¬ 
duce; i.e. newly born.] One regenerated ; a convert; one 
entered into a new Hate.—He tells thee true, my noble 
neophyte; my little grammaticafter, he does. B. donjon's 
Poetajler. —In the primitive church, a new Chriftian ; or 
a heathen newly converted to the faith.—In effe&s of 
grace, which exceed far the effects of nature, we fee St. 
Paul makes a difference between thofe he calls neophytes, 
that is, newly grafted into Chriftianity; and thofe that 
are brought up in the faith. Bacon on the Union of Laws. 
—The term is llill applied to the converts which the mif- 
fionaries frequently make among the infidels.—The Ja- 
ponefe neophytes, in the latter end of thefixteenth and be¬ 
ginning of tlie feventeenth century, are faid to have fhowti 
prodigies of courage and faith, equal to any known in the 
primitive church. Chambers. 
Neophytes has formerly likewife been ufed to denote 
new priefts, or thofe firft admitted into orders; and, fome¬ 
times, the novices in monalleries. 
NE'OPHYTE, adj. Newly entered into an employment. 
—It is with your young grammatical courtier, as with 
your neophyte player, a thing ufual to be daunted at the 
firft prefence or interview. B. Joufon's Cyrith. Bevels. 
NEOP'SCO CREE'K, a river of Virginia, which runs 
into the Potomack in lat. 38. 40. N. Ion. 77. 19. W. 
NE'OR. See Nore. 
NEOPTOL'EMUS, a king of Epirus, fon of Achilles 
and Deidamia, called Pyrrhus from the yellow colour of 
his hair. He was carefully educated under the eye of his 
mother, and gave early proofs of his valour. After the 
death of Achilles, Calchas declared in the affembly of 
the Greeks, that Troy could not be taken without the 
afliftance of the fon of the deceafed hero. Immediately 
upon this, Ulyffes and Phcenix were commiflioned to 
bring Pyrrhus to the war. He returned with them with 
plealure, and received the name of Neoptolemus, (new 
Jbldier,) becaufe he had come late to the field. On his 
arrival before Troy, he paid a vifit to the tomb of his 
father, and wept over his allies. He afterwards, accord¬ 
ing to fome authors, accompanied Ulyffes to Lemnos, to 
engage PhiloCletes to come to the Trojan war. He greatly 
iignalized himfelf during the remaining time of the liege, 
and was the firft who entered the wooden liorfe. He 
was inferior to none of the Grecian warriors in valour; 
and Ulyffes and Neftor alone could claim a fuperiority 
over him in eloquence, wifdom, and addrefs. His cruelty, 
however, was as great as that of his father. Not fatisfied 
with breaking down the gates of Priam’s palace, he ex- 
ercifed the greateft barbarity upon the remains of his fa¬ 
mily 5 and, without any regard to the fan&ity of the place 
where Priam had taken refuge, he llaughtered him with¬ 
out mercy; or, according to others, dragged him by the 
hair to the tomb of his father, where he facrificed him, 
and where he cut off his head, and carried it in exulta- ' 
tion 
