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

152 -' FIRMICtJS. -FIRMICUS.
posius ever existed, and that the real author'of had"followed the Antiscia of Hipparchus, but had
these trifles is no less a personage than the Latin erred in presupposing a degree of knowledge on the
father Caelius Firmianus Lactantius, the pupil of. part of his readers that they were little likely to
Arnobius, who taught at Sicca; the author, as we possess. In the Libri Matheseos we find references
learn from Jerome, of a Symposium. This hy- to other pieces previously composed by the author
pothesis, although supported by much learning, is upon similar topics, especially to a dissertation L)e
so wild as scarcely to deserve confutation. It will Domzino Geniturae et C]kronocratone, and De Fine
be sufficient to remark that all MSS. agree in re- Vitae; the former addressed to a friend, Murinus
presenting Symnposius (or something like it) as a (iv. 14, vii. 6.), while he promises to publish
proper name, —that there are no grounds for sup- "twelve books" as a supplement to his present
posing the Symposiunm of Lactantius to have been undertaking (v. 1), together with an explanation
of a light or trivial character, but that we are rather of the Myriogenesis (viii. Praef.), and a translation
led to conclude that it was a grave dialogue or dis- of Necepso upon health and disease (viii. 3). Of
quisition, resembling in plan the Symposia of Xe- these not one has been preserved.
nophon, of Plato, and. of Plutarch, or the Satur- Firmicus Maternus was first printed at Venice,
nalia of Macrobius. fol. 1497, by Bivilacqua, from a MS. brought to
The Aenigmeata were first printed at Paris, 8vo. Italy by Pescennius Franciscus Niger from Con1533, along with the Sayings of the Seven Wise stantinople; again by Aldus, fol. 1499, in a voMen of Greece: the most elaborate edition is that lume containing also Manilius, the Phaenomena of
of Henmann, Hannov., 8vo. 1722, which was fol- Aratus, in Greek, with the translations by Cicero,
lowed by that of Heynatz, Francof. ad Viad., 8vo. Caesar Germanicus, and Avienus, the Greek com1775; the most useful is that contained in the mentaries of Theon on the same work, the Sphere
Poet. Lat. Alin. of Wernsdorf, vol. vi. part ii. of Proclus, in Greek, and the Latin version by
p. 474, with very complete prolegomena (p. 410). Linacer; a collection reprinted four years afterThe Odes are given in the same collection, vol. iii. wards under the inspection of Mazalis (fol. Rheg.
pp. 386, 389. See also vol. v. part iii. p. 1464, Ling. 1503). The last edition noticed by biblioand vol. iv. part ii. p. 853. [W. R.] graphers is that corrected by Pruckner, fol. Basil.
FIR'MICUS MATERNUS, JU'LIUS, or 1551, and published along with the Quadripartiperhaps VI'LLIUS. We possess a treatise, which ttam, the Centiloquium, and the Inerrantium Slelbears the title Julii Firmici Materni Junioris Si- laurnm Significationes, translated from the Greek of
culi V. C. l]4atl7eseos Libri VIII., the writer of C. Ptolomaeus; the Astronomica of Manilius; and
which, as we gather from his own statement (lib. sundry tracts by Arabian and Oriental astrologers.
iv. praef.), during a portion of his life, practised as (Sidon. Apollin. Carmn. xxii. Praef.)
a forensic pleader, but abandoned the profession in In the year 1562 Matthias Flaccius published at
disgust. The production named above is a formnal Strasburg, from a Minden MS., now lost, a tract
introduction to judicial astrology, according to the bearing the title Julius Firmnius ll[aternus V. C!
discipline of the Egyptians and Babylonians, as de E,7rrore Profanarurz Religionum ad Constantiual
expounded by the most renowned masters, among et Constantem Augustos. No ancient authority
whom we- find enumerated Petosiris, Necepso, makes any mention of this piece, nor does it conAbraham, and Orpheus. The first book is chiefly tain any allusions from which we might draw an
occupied with a defence of the study; the second, inference with regard to the personal history of the
third, and fourth contain the definitions and max- composer. The supposition, at one time generally
ilrs of the science, while in the remainder the admitted, that he was the same person with the
powers and natal influences (apotelesnata) of the astrologer spoken of above, rests upon no proof
heavenly bodies in their various aspects and combi- whatever except the identity of name, while it is
nations are fully developed, the horoscopes of Oe- rendered highly improbable by several consideradipus, Paris, Homer, Plato, Archimedes, and tions, and is much shaken by a chronological arguvarious other remarkable individuals, being ex- ment. For, as we have already seen, the Mat/reamined, as examples of the propositions enunciated. seos Libri were certainly not commenced until after
It would appear that the task was commenced A. D. 334, and in all likelihood not finished for a
towards the close of the reign of Constantine the considerable period; it being evident, moreover,
Great, for a solar eclipse, which happened in the from the spirit which they breathe, that the writer
consulship of Optatus and Paullinus, A. D. 134, is was not a Christian; while, on the other hand, the
spoken of (lib. i. 1.) as a recent event. It seems attack upon the heathen gods must have been
probable, however, that the whole was not pub- drawn up before A. D. 350, since in that year Conlished at once; for while each book is formally stans, one of the emperors, to whom it is inscribed,
addressed to Manutius Lollianus, the title of pro- was slain.
consul is added to his name in the dedication to The object of the essay is not so much to enlarge
the last four only. If this Lollianus be the Fl. upon the evidences of the true faith as to demonIolQianus who appears in the Fasti along with Fl. strate the falsehood of the different forms of pagan
Arbitio, in the year 355, the conclusion of the belief, to trace the steps by which men fell away
work might be referred to an epoch somewhat later from the service of the true God, first by personifythan this date. ing the powers of nature, and then by proceeding
Although we can trace in several passages a to raise mere men to the rank of divinities. Ini
correspondence with the Astronomnica of Manilius, this portion of the argument the theory of Euhewe are led to suppose that Firmicus was ignorant merus [ETHEMERUvjS], which ever since the davs
of the existence of that poem; for his expressions of Ennius had exercised great influence over the
on two occasions (lib. ii. Praef. viii. 2) imply Roman mind, is followed out, and the discussion
his belief that scarcely any Roman writers had concludes with an exhortation to the heathen to
touched upon these themes except Cicero and Cae- abandon such a system of worship, and with an
bar, the translators of- Aratus, and Fronto, who appeal to the emperors, urging them to take