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

'FLORUS. FLORUS. 177
by Quintilian (x. 13); Vossius and Salmasius, hibits a very pure text and a copious selection of
with a greater show of probability, recognize him as the best commentaries. We may also consultthe poet Florus (see below), the composer of cer- with advantage the recent editions by Titze, 8vo.,
tain verses to Hadrian, preserved by Spartianus, Prag. 1819, and Seebode, 8vo. Lips. 1821.
while Vinetus and Schottus believe him to be no The work has been frequently translated into
other than Seneca, the preceptor of Nero, resting almost all European languages. [W. R.]
their opinion chiefly upon a passage in Lactantius FLORUS, ANNAEUS, the author of three
(Instit. vii. 15), where we are told that the philo- sportive Trochaic dimeters addressed to Hadrian,
sopher in question divided the history of Rome into which, with the emperor's reply in the same strain,
a succession of ages,-infancy under'Romulus, have been preserved by Spartianus (Had. 16).
boyhood under the kings immediately following, We cannot doubt that he is the same person with
youth from the sway of Tarquin to the downfal of the Annaeus (Cod. Neap. Annius) Florus twice
the Carthaginian power, manly vigour up to the quoted by Charisius (pp. 38, 113) as an authority
commencement of the civil wars, which undermined for the ablative poe7zatis - "Annaeus Florus ad
its strength, until, as if in second childhood, it was divum Hadrianum poematis delector." (Ant/ol. Lat.
forced to submit to the control of a single ruler;- ii. 97, ed. Burmann, or n. 212, ed. Meyer.)
a fancy which has been adopted by the author of A series of eight short epigrams in trochaic tethe Epitome, who, however, arranges the epochs trameters catalectic are found in many MSS. under
differently, and might evidently have borrowed the the name of Florsus, or, as in the Codex Thuaneus,
general idea. Moreover, if we were to adopt this Floridus, to which Salmasius (ad Spart. Had. 16)
last hypothesis, we should be compelled arbitrarily added a ninth, in five hexameters, ascribing the
to reject the prooemium as spurious. Finally, whole to Florus the historian, who was at one time
Titze imagines that, he can detect the work of two believed by Wernsdorf to be the author not only
hands,-one a writer of the purest epoch, whom of these and of the lines to Hadrian, but of the'he supposes to have been. the Julius Florus twice well-known Pervigilium Veneris also-an opinion
addressed by Horace (Ep. i. 3, ii. 2), the other an which, however, he afterwards retracted. (Antlol.
unknown and inferior interpolator, belonging tothe Lat. i. 17, 20. iii. 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 265,
decline of literature. To the former, according to 291, ed. Burmann, or n. 213-221, ed. Meyer;
this theory, all that is praiseworthy, both in matter Wernsdorf, Poet. Lat. Min. vol. iii. p. 425, vol. iv,
and manner, mdst be ascribed, while to the share of pt. ii. p. 854.)
the latter fall all the blunders, both in facts and A curious fragment has been recently published
taste, which disfigure the production as it now ex- from a Brussels MS. headed " PANNII FLORI (a
ists. But all these opinions rest upon nothing but corruption probably of P. ANNII) Virgilius Orator
mere conjectures. It would be a waste of time to an Poeta, Incipit." The introduction only, which
discuss the native country and personal history of is in the form of a dialogue supposed to have been
a person whose very name we cannot ascertain with held about A. D. 101, has been preserved, and
certainty, and therefore we shall refrain from ex- from this we learn that the author was a native of
amining the arguments by which scholars have Africa, that he had repaired, when still almost a
sought to demonstrate that he was an Italian, or a boy, to Rome, and had become a competitor, at the
Gaul, or a Spaniard. Ludi Capitolini celebrated by Domitian (A. D. 90
What is usually esteemed the Editio Princeps apparently), for the poetical prize, which had been
of Florus was printed at the Sorbonne about 1471, awarded to him by the applauding shouts of the
in 4to., by Gering, Friburg, and Crantz, under the audience, but unfairly withheld by the emperor.
inspection of Gaguinus, with the title "Lucii An- We are farther informed that, disgusted by this
naei Flori de tota Hystoria Titi Livii Epithoma;" disappointment, he had refused to return to his
but two others, without date and without the country and his kindred, had become a wanderer
name of place or printer, one in Gothic and one in upon the earth, visiting in succession Sicily, CreteRoman characters, are believed by many bibliogra- Rhodes, and Egypt,-that he then returned to
phers to be entitled to take precedence. In ad- Italy, crossed the Alps into Gaul, proceeded ondition to these, at least six impressions were pub- wards to the Pyrenees, finding at last repose in the
lished before the close of the fifteenth century, city of Tarragona, and contentment in the peaceful
revised by the elder Beroaldus, Antonius Sabelli- occupation of superintending the instruction of
cus, Thannerus,:and Barynthus (or Barynus). youth. Ritschl endeavours to identify this perSince that periodnlumberlesseditions have appeared; sonage with Florus the poet under Hadrian; but
but those who desire to' study the gradual progress there seems little to support this view except the
of the text, which, as might be expected in a work name and the fact that there is no chronological
which was extensively employed in the middle difficulty. (Rlteinisches Museum, for 1841, p. 302,'
ages as a school-book, is found in most MSS. &c.) [W. R.]
under a very corrupt form, will be able to trace its FLORUS, C. AQUI'LLIUS, M. F. C. N., con —
gradual development in the labours of the following sul B. c. 259, the sixth year'of the first Punic war.,scholars:-Jo. Camers, 4to. Vienn. Pannon. 1518, The province assigned to Florus was Sicily, where;
fol. Basil. 1532, accompanied by elaborate historical he watched the movements of Hamilcar during the.
notes; El. Vinetus, 4to. Pictav. 1553. 1563. autumn and winter months, and remained in the
Paris, 1576; J. Stadius, 8vo. Antv. 1567. 1584. island as proconsul until late in the suminer- of
11594; Gruterus, 8vo. Heidel. 1597; Gruterus and B. c. 258. He was employed in that year in:Salmasius, Heidel. 8vo. 1609; Freinshemius, 8vo. blockading Mytistratum, a strong hill-fort, which,
Argentorat. 1632. 1636. 1655; Graevius, 8vo. after a stubborn.resistance and severe loss to the
Traj. ad Rhen.'1680, with numerous illustrations Romans, submitted at length to the united legions'
from coins and ancient monuments; Dukerus, 8vo. of Florus and his. successor in the consulship, A.
tug. Bat. 1722. 1744. Lips. 1832. This last Atilius Calatinus [CALATINUS]. Florus triumphed
inust be -considered as the standard, since it ex-'" De Poeneis" on the 5th of October, 258. (Liv,VOL. II. N