Leo I, St: Pope. (r September 29, 440-Nov 10, 461).
Leo II, St.: Pope. (rDec 681-July 3, 683).
Leo III: Pope. (rDec 26, 795-June 12, 816).
Leo IV, St.: Pope. (rJan. 847-July 17, 855).
Leo V: Pope. (rJuly-Sept 903).
Leo VI: Pope. (rMay-Dec 928).
Leo VII: Pope. (rJan 3, 936-July 13, 939).
Leo VIII: Pope. (rJuly 964-Mar 1, 965).
Leo IX, St.: Pope. (rFeb 12, 1049-Apr. 19, 1054).
Leo X: Pope. (rMar 9, 1513-Dec 1, 1531).
Leo XI: Pope. (rApr. 1-Apr 27, 1605).
Leo XII: Pope. (rSept. 28, 1823-Feb 10, 1829).
Leo XIII: Pope. (rFeb 20, 1878-July 20, 1903).
Leo, Leonardo: (b. 5 August 1694, San Vito Degli Schiavi. d. 31 October 1744, Naples). Composer.
Leoncavallo, Ruggiero: (b. 8 March 1857, Naples. d. 9 August 1919, Montecatini). Composer.
Leontini: ancient city, E Sicily, c.20 mi (32 km) S of Catania. It was founded (729 B.C.) as a colony of Chalcidian Greeks from the island of Naxos and, in the 5th century BC, passed under the rule of Syracuse. It was the legendary home of the Laestrygonians, a group of giants encountered by Odysseus. The site of ancient Leontini is now occupied by modern Lentini.
Leotiskos: an athlete of ancient Messene in Sicily. He was victor in wrestling at the Olympian Games in 456 BC and 452 BC.
Leontius (1): (fl. mid-7th century). Ecclesiastic. Bishop of Naples. He was present at the Lateran synod of AD 649. He held the see of Naples for 4 years.
Leontius (2): (fl. 2nd half of the 8th century). Ecclesiastic. Bishop of Bari. He was present at the 2nd Council of Nicaea in AD 787.
Leontius (3): (fl. late 6th/early 7th centuries). Byzantine official. After serving as Consul or Quaestor in Sicily, he remained an important figure. He received a number of letters from Pope Gregory I between AD 598 and 601.
Leonymus: A mythological Greek king of Croton, in southern Italy who made war on neighboring Locri. According to Pausanias [3.19.12ff], he was wounded in battle by the ghost of the hero Ajax the Greater, who was fight on behalf of the Locrians. When the wound failed to heal, Leonymus went to Delphi to consult the oracle of Delphi. There he was told that he must travel to the mystical island of Leuke (the White Island). Here, it was said, that the souls of dead heroes dwelt, and here he had to seek out Ajax, for only he could cure the wound which he had inflicted. Leonymus found the White Island at the mouth of the River Ister (Danube) and was said to become the first living man to set foot there. Ajax agreed to heal him and while there, Leonymus also saw the shades of Ajax the Lesser, of Helen (who had wed Achilles in the afterlife), Patroclus, and Antilochus.
Leucothea: In classical mythology, one of the Sirens. She had cult centers located in the cities of Neapolis (Naples) and Velia, in Magna Graecia.
Levanzo (anc. Phorbantia; Bucinna): One of the principal islands of the Isole Egadi, off the west coast of Sicily. Its highest point is 850 feet.
Lex municipalis Tarentina: A municipal charter of the city of Tarentum (mod. Taranto) dating from the 1st Century BC. The surviving portion of the charter contains provisions about the responsibilities of municipal magistrates, building regulations, etc.
Liber: Originally an ancient Italic god of animal and vegetation fertility god, he later came to a wine god similar to the Greek Dionysus. His festival on March 17 marked the day when Roman youths assumed the toga virilus, the symbol of adulthood. He was the son of Ceres and brother of Libera.
Libera: An ancient Italic underworld (chthonic) goddess. She was the daughter of Ceres and sister of Liber, with whose worship she was usually connected. She was often identified with Persephone,
Liberius: Pope. (rMay 17, 352-Sept 24, 366).
Licinii: An important gens (clan) of ancient Rome. It was originally of Etruscan origins. The triumvir Marcus Licinius Crassus (d. 53 BC), the conqueror of Spartacus, belonged to this gens.
Ligorio, Pirro: (b. c1510, Naples. d. 1583, Ferrara). Architect, painter, art writer and antique dealer. He was living in Rome in 1534, where he was creating paintings depicting historical events. In 1568, he moved to the court of Este in Ferrara.Principal Works:Paintings:Excavations of the Villa Adriana in the city of Tivoli- 1549.Books:Libro delle antichita’ di Roma- 1553.Architecture-Villa d’Este in Tivoli- (1550-1572).Casino di Pio IV in Rome (1559-1562).Palazzo Torres-Lancellotti- Rome.Niche of the courtyard of Belvedere- Rome.