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

EPHORUS.' EPHRAEM. 27
attempting to write a history of the period previous Galienus in this account, it should be observed, is
to the return of the Heracleidae; but the history only a correction of Volaterranus, for the common
of the subsequent time is still greatly intermixed reading in Suidas is raAqove. (Comp. Marx, Eplhor.
with fables and mythical traditions; and it must be Fraym. p. 7.) [L. S.]
acknowledged that his attempts to restore a genuine E'PHORUS, an Ephesian painter, and teacher
history by divesting the traditions from what he of APELLES. (Suid. s. v.'ArrehAs.) [P. S.]
considered mythical or fabulous, were in most EPHRAEM.' The name is variously written
cases highly unsuccessful, and sometimes even Ephraem, Ephraemus, Ephraim, Ephraimius, Ephabsurd and puerile. He exercised a sort of criti- rem, Ephremus, and Euphraimius: it belongs to
cism which is anything but that of a real historian several ecclesiastical writers of the Greek and
(Strab. xii. p. 550), and in some instances he Oriental churches.
forced his authorities to suit his own views. For 1. EPHREMUS. To a writer so called, and to
the early times he seems to have preferred the whose name no distinctive epithet can be attached,
logographers to the epic poets, though the latter, is ascribed the account of Saints Abram and
too, were not neglected. Even the later portions Mary (Acta SS. Abramii et Mariae) in the Acta
of his history, where Ephorus had such guides as Sanctorum Martii, vol. ii. p. 436, &c. Papebroche,
Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon, contained in his introduction to the account, conjectures that
such discrepancies from his great predecessors, and the writer lived about the middle of the sixth cenon points on which they were entitled to credit, tury. The account, of which he is the author, is
that Ephorus, to say the least, cannot be regarded sometimes ascribed (as in the Catalogue of the
as a sound and safe guide in the study of history. King's Library at Paris A. D. 1740) but incorrectly.
The severest critic of Ephorus was Timaeus, who to Ephraem the Syrian. It has also been ascribed,
never neglected an opportunity of pointing out his but incorrectly, to Ephrem of Caria and Ephrem of
inaccuracies; several authors also wrote separate Mylasa. [Nos. 3 and 7 below.]
books against Ephorus, such as Alexinus, the pupil 2. EPHRAIMIUS (EdppaILwos), or, as Theophanes
of Eubulides (Diog. Laert. ii. 106, 1 10), and Strato writes the name, EUPHRAIMIUS (Edq5pacldbos),
the Peripatetic. (Diog. Lairt. v. 59.) Porphyrius patriarch of ANTIOCH, or, as it was then
(ap. Euseb. Praep. Evang. x. 2) charges Ephorus called, Theopolis. If the designation given him
with constant plagiarisms; but this accusation is by Theophanes (6'AlpgLos) indicates the place
undoubtedly very much exaggerated, for we not of his birth, he was a native of Amida in Aronly find no traces of plagiarism in the fragments menia, near the source of the Tigris. His first
extant, but we frequently find Ephorus disputing employments were civil: and in the reign of the
the statements of his predecessors. (Joseph. c. emperor Justin I. he attained to the high'dignity
Apion. i..3.) Polybius (xii. 25) praises him for of Count of the East. While in this office he
his knowledge of maritime warfare, but adds that received, according to a curious story, recorded
he was utterly ignorant of the mode of warfare on in the AeLpowvdpLos, or Pratum Spirituale, writland; Strabo (viii. p. 332) acknowledges his ten byJoannes Moschus, but erroneously ascribed,
merits, by saying that he separated the historical by ancient as well as modern writers, to Sophronius
from the geographical portions of his work; and, in patriarch of Jerusalem, an intimation of the ec-'
regard to the latter, he did not confine himself clesiastical dignity to which he was destined to
to mere lists of names, but he introduced investi- attain. In the years 525 and 526, Antioch was
gations concerning the origin of nations, their con- nearly destroyed by successive shocks of an earthstitutions and manners, and many of the geogra- quake, and by a fire which had been occasioned by
phical fragments which have come down to us the overthrow of the buildings. Among the sufcontain lively and beautiful descriptions. (Polyb. ferers was Euphrasius the patriarch, who was
ix. 1; Strab. ix. p. 400, &c., x. pp. 465, 479, &c.) buried in the ruins of the falling edifices; and the
As regards the style of Ephorus, it is such as might people, grateful for the compassionate care which
be expected from a disciple of Isocrates: it is clear, Ephraimius manifested for them in their distress,
lucid, and elaborately polished, but at the same chose him successor to the deceased prelate. His
time diffuse and deficient in power and energy, so elevation to the patriarchate is generally placed in
that Ephorus is by no means equal to his master. the year 526, but perhaps did not take place till
(Polyb. xii. 28; Dionys. de Conzp. Verb. 26; the year following. His conduct as patriarch'is
Demetr. rIep! e'p1uv. ~ 68; Dion Chrysost. Orat. highly eulogized by ecclesiastical writers, who
xviii. p. 256, ed. Morel.; Plut. Pericl. 28; Phi- speak especially of his charity to the poor, and of
lostr. Vit. Soph. i. 17; Cic. Orat. 51; Phot. Bibl. the zeal and firmness with'which he opposed heCod. 176.) The fragments of the works of Ephorus, resy. His zeal against heretics was manifested in
the number of which might probably be much in- a curious encounter with an heretical stylite, or
creased if Diodorus had always mentioned his pillar-saint, in which the heretic is said to have
authorities, were first collected by Meier Marx, been converted by the miraculous passing of the
Carlsruhe, 1815, 8vo., who afterwards published patriarch's robes, unconsumed, through the ordeal of
some additions in Friedemann and Seebode's lJfis- fire. He condemned, in a synod at Antioch, those
cellan. Cit.. ii. 4, p. 754, &c. They are also con- who attempted to revive the obnoxious sentiments
tained in C. and Th. Miiller's Fragm. Historicor. of Origen; and wrote various treatises against the
Graec. pp. 234-277, Paris, 1841, 87o. Both Nestorians, Eutychians, Severians, and Acephali,
editors have prefixed to their editions critical dis- and in defence of the Council of Chalcedon. But,
sertations on the life and writings of Ephorus. toward the close of his life, he was obliged by the
2. Of Cumae, called the Younger, was likewise Emperor Justinian, under a threat of deposition,
an historian, but he is mentioned only by Suidas, to subscribe the condemnation of three of the
according to whom he wrote a history of Galienus decrees of the Council of Chalcedon, which he had
in twenty-seven books, a work on Corinth, one on hitherto so. earnestly supported. Facundus of
the Aleuadae, and a few others. The name Hermia, the strenuous advocate of the condemned