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

170;FLORENTIUS. FLORUS.
Tatits (Varro, de L. L. v. 74), and Numa ap- fect of Illyricum, in the room of Anatolius, recently
pointed a flamen to her. The resemblance between deceased; but on the death of his patron in the
the names Flora and Chloris led the later Romans same year (361), he fled, along with his colleague
to identify the two divinities. Her temple at Taurus, from the wrath of the new emperor, during
Rome was situated near the Circus Maximus (Tac. the whole of whose reign he remained in close conAnn. ii. 49), and her festival was celebrated from cealment, having, while absent, been impeached
the 28th of April till the first of May, with ex- and capitally condemned. Julian is said to have
travagant merriment and. lasciviousness. (Dict. of generously refused to be informed of the place where
Ant. s. v. Floralia.) [L. S.] his former enemy had sought shelter. (Julian,
FLORENTI'NUS, a jurist, who is named by Epist. 15; Amm. Marc. xvi. 12, 14, xvii. 3, 2,
Lampridius (Alexand. 68.) as one of the council of xx. 4, 2. 8, 20, xxi. 6, 5, xxii. 3, 6. 7, 5; Zosim.
the emperor Severus Alexander; and, though this iii. 10.) [W. R.]
authority would otherwise be entitled to little FLORIA'NUS, M. AN'NIUS, the brother,
weight, it is supported by a rescript of the emperor by a different father, of the emperor Tacitus, upon
Alexander to A. Florentinus, which is preserved whose decease he at once assumed the supreme
in Cod. 3. tit. 28. s. 8. He wrote Institutiones in power, as if it had been a lawful inheritance. This
12 books; and his work, which was composed boldness was to a certain extent successful, for his
with much elegance, acuteness, and learning, was authority, although not formally acknowledged,
not neglected by the compilers of Justinian's In- was tolerated by the senate and the armies of the
stitutes. This is the only work by which he is west. The legions in Syria, however, were not so
known; and there are 43 pure extracts from it submissive, but invested their own general, Probus,
preserved in the Corpus Juris. These have been with the purple, and proclaimed him Augustus.
separately commented upon by M. Schmalz, in a A civil war ensued [PRoBus], which was abruptly
dissertation entitled Florentini Institutionumn Fray- terminated by the death of Florianus, who perished
mienta Comrnent. illustrata, 8vo. Regiom..1801. at Tarsus, either by the swords of his soldiers or
The other dissertations upon Florentinus and his by his own hands, after he had enjoyed the iamremains bear the following titles:-A. F. Rivinus, perial dignity for about two months, from April to
Florentini Jurispreldentiae Testamentariae Reli- June or July, A. D. 276. (Zonar. xii. 29; Zosim.
quiae in Institut. imp. Justin. repertae et Notis i. 64; Aur. V.ict. Caes. 36, 37, Epit. 36; Eutrop.
illustratae, 4to. Vitemb. 1752; Chr. G. Jaspis, ix. 10; Vopisc. Florian.) [W. R.]
De Florentino ejusque eleganti Doctrina, 4to.
Chemnic. 1753; C. F. Walchius, De Philosophia
Florentini, 4to Jena. 1754, et in Opusculis, vol. i.
p. 337-346; Jos. Th. Mathews, De Florentino
Icto, ejusque sex libris prioribus Institutionum, 4to. i
Lug. Bat. 1801. Like the more celebrated writer
of Institutes, Gaius, he is not cited by any sub- ios
sequent jurist, or, at least, no such citation has
reached us. [J. T. G.]
FLORENTI NUS, the author of a panegyric
in thirty-nine hexameters, on the glories of the COIN OF FLORIANUS.
Vandal king Thrasimund and the splendour of
Carthage under his sway, must have flourished FLORUS, ANNAEUS(?). We possess a
about the close of the fifth century. These verses, summary of Roman history, divided into four
which are expressed in harsh and almost barbarous books, extending from the foundation of the city to
phraseology, present nothing except a cumbrous the establishment of the empire under Augustus
tissue of coarse flattery. [FELIX FLAVIUS; Lux- (A. D. 20), entitled Re rum Romanatrun Libri I V.,
oarus.] (Alntlolog. Lat. vi. 85, ed. Burniann, or or Epitome de Gestis Romanorum, and composed,
n. 290, ed. Meyer.) [W. R.] as we learn from the prooemium, in the reign of
FLORENTI'NUS, a Byzantine writer of un- Trajan or of Hadrian. This compendium, which
certain age, but who lived in or before the tenth must by no means be regarded as an abridgment of
century of the Christian era, is said to be the Livy, but as a compilation from various authorities,
author of the Geoponzica, which are generally presents within a very moderate compass a striking
ascribed to BAssus CAssIANUs. [W. P.] view of all the leading events comprehended by
FLORE'NTIUS, praetorian prefect of Gaul in the above limits. A few mistakes in chronology
the reign of Constantius II., by the unscrupulous and geography have been detected here and there;
tyranny of his financial administration, excited the but the narrative is, for the most part, philosophic
indignation of Julian, who refused to ratify his in arrangement and accurate in detail, although it
ordinances. When the embarrassing order arrived has too much the air of a panegyric upon the
for the legions to march to the east [JULIANUS], Roman people. The style is by no means worthy
Florentius, that he might escape the responsibility of commendation. The general tone is far too
of compliance or disobedience, remained obstinately poetical and declamatory, while the sentiments freat Vienna, busily engaged, as he pretended, in the quently assume the form of tumid conceits exdischarge of official duties; but upon receiving pressed in violent metaphors.
intelligence of the open revolt of the troops and With regard *to the author all is doubt and untheir choice of an Augustus, he immediately re- certainty. In many MSS. he is designated as
paired to the court of Constantius, that lie might L. A~nnaeus Florus, in others as L. Julius Florus,
both display his own fidelity, and at the same time in others as L. Annaeus Seneca, and in one, perhaps
magnify the guilt of the rebel prince. In recom- the oldest of all, simply as L. Annaeus. Hence
pense of this devotion, he was forthwith nominated some critics have sought to identify him with
consul for A. D. 361, and appointed praetorian pre- Julius Florus SccunIdus, whose eloquence is praised