CORYDON

corydon, a town and the county-seat of harrison county, indiana, u.s.a., on indian creek, about 21 m. w. by s. of louisville, kentucky. pop. (1900) 1610; (1910) 1703. corydon is served by the louisville, new albany & corydon railway, which connects at corydon junction, 8 m. n., with the southern railway. there are sulphur springs here, and the town is a summer and health resort. wyandotte cave is several miles w. of corydon. corydon is in an agricultural region, and there are valuable quarries in the neighbourhood; among the town's manufactures are waggons, and building and lithographic stone. corydon was settled about 1805, and was the capital of indiana territory from 1813 to 1816, and of the state until 1824. the convention which framed the first state constitution met here in june 1816. the original state house, an unpretentious two-storey stone building, is still standing. corydon was captured by the confederates during gen. morgan's raid on the 9th of july 1863. coryphaeus (from gr. [greek: koruphe], the top of the head), in attic drama, the leader of the chorus. hence the term (sometimes in an anglicized form "coryphe") is used for the chief or leader of any company or movement. in 1856 in the university of oxford there was founded the office of coryphaeus or praecentor, whose duty it was to lead the musical performances directed by the choragus (q.v.). the office ceased to exist in 1899.