A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

APICATA. APICIUS. 225
Greek rhetorician who lived about A. D. 315, but Drusus, and was plotting against the life of the
of whose life nothing is known. He is the author latter. His subsequent murder of Drusus was first
of an elementary introduction to the study of disclosed by Apicata. (Tac. Ann. iv. 3, 11.) When
rhetoric, and of a number of fables in the style of Sejanus and his children were killed eight years
those of Aesop. The introduction to the study of afterwards, A. D. 31, Apicata put an end to her
rhetoric, which bears the title Progymnasmata own life. (Dion Cass. lviii. 11.)
(7rpouvusyaepara), if considered from a right point APICIUS. Ancient writers distinguish three
of view, is of great interest, inasmuch as it shews Romans bearing this name, all of them indebted
us the method followed by the ancients in the in- for celebrity to the same cause, their devotion to
struction of boys, before they were sent to the gluttony.
regular schools of the rhetoricians. The book con- 1. The first of these in chronological order, is
sists of rules and exercises. Previous to the time said to have been instrumental in procuring the
of Aphthonius the progymnasmata of Hermogenes condemnation of Rutilius Rufus, who went into
were commonly used in schools; Aphthonius found exile in the year B. c. 92. According to Posidoit insufficient, and upon its basis he constructed nius, in the 49th book of his history, he transcendhis new work, which contained fourteen progym- ed all men in luxury. (Athen iv. p. 168, d.; comnasmata, while that of his predecessor contained pare Posidonii Reliquiae, ed. Bake.)
only twelve. Soon after its appearance the work 2. The second and most renowned, M. Gabius
of Aphthonius superseded that of Hermogenes, and Apicius, flourished under Tiberius, and many
became the common school-book in this branch of anecdotes have been preserved of the inventive
education for several centuries. On the revival of genius, the skill and the prodigality which he disletters the progymnasmata of Aphthonius recovered played in discovering and creating new sources of
their ancient popularity, and during the sixteenth culinary delight, arranging new combinations, and
and seventeenth centuries they were used every- ransacking every quarter of the globe and every
where, but more especially in Germany, in schools kingdom of nature for new objects to stimulate and
and universities, as the text-book for rhetoric. But gratify his appetite. At last, after having squanby a singular mistake the work was during that dered upwards of eight hundred thousand pounds
period regarded as the canon of everything that upon the indulgence of his all-engrossing passion,
was required to form a perfect orator, whereas the he balanced his books, and found that little more
author and the ancients had intended and used it than eighty thousand remained; upon which, deas a collection of elementary and preparatory exer- spairing of being able to satisfy the cravings of
cises for children. The number of editions and hunger from such a miserable pittance, he forthtranslations which were published during that with hanged himself. But he was not forgotten.
period is greater than that of any other ancient Sundry cakes (Apicia) and sauces long kept alive
writer. (Fabr. Bibl. Graec. vi. p. 96, &c.; Hoff- his memory; Apion, the grammarian, composed a
mann, Lex. Bibliogr. i. p. 199, &c.) The editio work upon his luxurious labours; his name passed
princeps is that in Aldus' collection of the Rietores into a proverb in all matters connected with the
Graeci, Venice, 1508, fol. The most important pleasures of the table; he became the model of
imong the subsequent editions are that of Giunta, gastronomers, and schools of cookery arose which
Florence, 1515, 8vo., which contains also the hailed him as their mighty master. (Tacit. Ann.
)rogymnasmata ofHermogenes; that of Camerarius, iv. 1; Dion Cass. Ivii. 19; Athen. i. p. 7, a.; Plin.
vith a Latin translation, Lips. 1567, 8vo.; of B. H. N. viii. 51, ix. 17, x. 48, xix. 8; Senec. Consol.
-arbart, 1591, 8vo., with a Latin translation and ad Helv. 10, Epp. xciv. 43, cxx. 20, De Vit. Beat.
totes; of F. Scobarius, 1597, 8vo., and that of J. xi. 3; Juv. iv. 23, and Schol. xi. 2; Martial,
icheffer, Upsala, 1670, 8vo. The last and best ii. 69, iii. 22, x. 73; Lamprid. Heligab. 18, &c.;
dition is that in WValz's collection of the " Rhetores Sidon. Apollin. Epp. iv. 7; Suidas, s. v. Arifcos;
Iraeci," i. p. 54, &c. It contains the notes of Isidor. Origg. xx. 4; Tertullian. Apolog. 3.)
cheffer, and an ancient abridgement of the work by 3. When the emperor Trajan was in Parthia,
ie Matthaeus (7rýtro[) els Trd rs-is pSropssUcs -po- many days distant from the sea, a certain Apicius
viveanjra), and a sort of commentary upon them sent him fresh oysters, preserved by a skilfal proy an anonymous writer ('Avswvsov rWepI ' rtp v r TOs cess of his own. (Athen. i. p. 7, d.; Suidas,
iPOoviov arpouyuaos'UaTcov), p. 121, &c., 126, &c. s. v. o"rpea.)
The Aesopic fables of Aphthonius, which are in- The first and third of these are mentioned by
rior in merit to those of Aesop, are printed in Athenaeus alone, the second by very many writers,,obarius' edition of the progymnasmata, and also as may be seen, from the authorities quoted above.
the Paris edition of 1623. Furia's edition of Hence some scholars, startled not unnaturally by
e fables of Aesop contains twenty-three of those the singular coincidence of name and pursuit,
Aphthonius. (Westermann, Geschichle der have endeavoured to prove that there was in reality
riech. Beredtsamkeit, ~ 98, nn. 16-20.) [L. S.] only one Apicius, namely the second, and that the
APHTHO'NIUS ('ApOodvios) of Alexandria is multiplication arose from the tales with regard to
mntioned by Philostorgius (iii. 15) as a learned his excesses having passed from mouth to mouth
d eloquent bishop of the Manichaeans. He is among persons ignorant of chronology, or from the
mtioned as a disciple and commentator of Mani stories current with regard to various gluttons
Photius and Peter of Sicily, and in the form of having been all in the process of time referred to
juring Manichaeism. Philostorgius adds, that the most famous of all. It will be observed, howitius had a public disputation with Aphthonius, ever, that in so far as the first is concerned Athewhich the latter was defeated, and died of grief naeus points directly to the source from whence
"en days afterwards. [P. S.] his information was derived, and connects the inAPICA'TA, the wife of Sejanus, was divorced dividual Wvith an important and well known
him, A. D. 23, after she had borne him three historical fact, nor is it probable that there is any
ldren, when hlie had seduced Livia, the wife of ' confusion of names in the passage relating to the