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

AUSONIUS.

AUSONIUS. 445

" Si fortuna volet fies de rhetore consul."
The letter of Gratian, conferring the dignity,
and the grateful reply of Ausonius, are both extant.
After the death of Gratian he retired from public
life, and ended his days in a country retreat at no
great distance from his native city (Epist. xxiv.),
without losing, however, his court favour, for we
have direct evidence that he was patronised by
Theodosius. (Praefatiuncula, i.)
The precise dates of the birth and of the death
of Ausonius are alike unknown. That he was
born about the beginning of the fourth century, as
stated above, is evident from the fact, that he
speaks of himself as far advanced in years when
invested with the consulship (Grat. Act.), and he
was certainly alive in 388, since he refers to the
victory of Theodosius over Maximus, and the death
of the " Rutupian robber." (Clar. Urb. vii.)
Judging from the fond terms in which Ausonius
speaks of his relations, the kindly feeling which
appears to have been maintained between himself
and several of his pupils, and the warm gratitude
expressed by him towards his benefactors, we
should be led to conclude that he was gentle,
warm-hearted, and affectionate; but it is so very
easy to be amiable upon paper, that we have perhaps no right to form any decided opinion upon
his character. His religious faith has been the
subject of keen controversy, but there seems to be
little difficulty in determining the question. From
his cradle he was surrounded by Christian relatives,
he was selected by a Christian emperor to guide
the studies of his Christian son, and he openly
professes Christianity in several of his poems. It
is objected- 1. That his friend and quondam disciple, Pontius Paullinus, the famous bishop of
Nola, frequently upbraids him on account of his
aversion to the pure faith. 2. That several of his
pieces are grossly impure. 3. That his works contain frequent allusions to Pagan mythology, without any distinct declaration of disbelief. 4. That
he was the intimate friend of Symmachus, who
was notorious for his hostility to Christianity.
5. That the compositions in which he professes
Christianity are spurious. To which arguments we
may briefly reply, that the first falls to the ground,
because the assertion, on which it rests, is entirely
false; that if we admit the validity of the second
and third, we might demonstrate half the poets
who have lived since the revival of letters to be
infidels; that the fourth proves nothing, and that
the fifth, the rest being set aside, amounts to a
petitio principli, since it is supported by no independent evidence external or internal. His poetical
powers have been variously estimated. While
some refuse to allow him any merit whatever,
others contend that had he lived in the age of
Augustus, he would have successfully disputed the
palm with the brightest luminaries of that epoch.
Without stopping to consider what he might have
become under a totally different combination of
circumstances, a sort of discussion which can never
lead to any satisfactory result, we may pronounce
with some confidence, that of all the higher attributes of a poet Ausonius possesses not one. Considerable neatness of expression may be discerned
in several of his epigrams, many of which are evidently translations from the Greek; we have a
very favourable specimen of his descriptive powers
in the Mosella, perhaps the most pleasing of all
his pieces; and some of his epistles, especially that

to Paullinus (xxiv.) are by no means deficient in
grace and dignity. But even in his happiest
efforts we discover a total want of taste both in
matter and manner, a disposition to introduce on
all occasions, without judgment, the thoughts and
language of preceding writers, while no praise
except that of misapplied ingenuity can be conceded to the great bulk of his minor effusions,
which are for the most part sad trash. His style
is frequently harsh, and in latinity and versification he is far inferior to Claudian.
His extant works are1. Epigrammatum Liber, a collection of 150
epigrams. 2. Ephemeris, containing an account of
the business and proceedings of a day. 3. Parentalia, a series of short poems addressed to friends
and relations on their decease. From these Vinet
has extracted a very complete catalogue of the
kindred of Ausonius, and constructed a genealogical tree. 4. Professores, notices of the Professors
of Bourdeaux, or of those who being natives of
Bourdeaux gave instructions elsewhere. 5. Epitaphia Heroum, epitaphs on the heroes who fell
in the Trojan war and a few others. 6. A metrical catalogue of the first twelve Caesars, the period
during which each reigned, and the manner of his
death. 7. Tetrasticha, on the Caesars from Julius
to Elagabalus. 8. Clarae Urbes, the praises of
fourteen illustrious cities. 9. Ludus Septem Sapientum, the doctrines of the seven sages expounded
by each in his own person. 10. Idyllia, a collection of twenty poems on different subjects, to
several of which dedications in prose are prefixed.
The most remarkable are, Epicedion in patrem
Julium Antonium; Ausonii Villula; Cupido cruci
afixzus; lMosella; and the too celebrated Cento
Nuptialis. 11. Eclogarium, short poems connected
with the Calendar and with some matters of domestic computation. 12. Epistolae, twenty-five
letters, some in verse, some in prose, some partly
in verse and partly in prose, addressed to various
friends. 13. Gratiarum Actio pro Consulatu, in
prose, addressed to the emperor Gratian. 14.
Periochae, short arguments to each book of the
Iliad and Odyssey. 15. Tres Praifatiunculae, one
of them addressed to the emperor Theodosius.
The Editio Princeps of Ausonius appeared at
Venice in folio, without a printer's name, in a volume bearing the date 1472, and containing Probae Centones, the eclogues of Calpurnius, in addition
to which some copies have the Epistle on the death
of Drusus and some opuscula of Publius Gregorius
Tifernus. It is extremely scarce. The first edition, in which Ausonius is found separately, is that
edited by J. A. Ferrarius, fol. Mediolan. 1490,
printed by Ulderic Scinzenzeller. The first edition, in which the whole of the extant works are
collected in a complete form, is that of Tadaeus
Ugoletus, printed by his brother Angelus, at
Parma, 4to. 1499. The first edition, which exhibits a tolerable text, is that of Phil. Junta, 8vo.
Florent. 1517; and the best edition is the Variorum of Tollius, 8vo. Amstel. 1671. [W. R.]
AUSO'NIUS, JULIUS, an eminent physician,
who, however, is chiefly known by his being the
father of the poet of the same name, from whose
works almost all the events of his life are to be
learned. He was a native of Cossio Vasatum (the
modern Bazas), but removed to Burdigala (Bourdeaux). He married Aemilia Aeonia, with whom
he lived thirty-six years, and by whom he had four