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

776'LIBANIUS. LIBER.
in Reiske's edition of Libanius (iv. p. 266, &c.), more complete edition' is that of F. Morellus (Li.
and also in most of the editions of Demosthenes. banii Prleludia Orat. LXXII., Declamat. XL V.,
5.'Erl'JoxAal, or letters,- of which a very large et Dissertat. Moral., Paris, 1606, fol.), but some
number is still extant. In the edition of J. C. further additions were subsequently made by Leo
Wolf (Amsterdam, 1738, fol.) there are no less Allatius, and the whole is to be found in Reiske's
than 1605 epistles in Greek, in addition to which edition (vol.' iv. p. 853, &c.). The orations and
there are 397 epistles of which we only possess a declamations were first published, though very inLatin translation by Zambicarius, first published at complete, at Ferrara, 1517, 4to., then in the aboveKrakau, but reprinted with several others-in Wolf's mentioned edition of F. Morellus; and after seedition (p. 735, &c.). Two other letters in the veral more had been published from MSS. by J.
Greek original were published by Bloch, in Mun- Gothofredus, Fabricius and A. Bongiovanni, a comter's Miscellanea (Hafniae, i. 2, p. 139, &c.). plete collection, with some fresh additions, was
Many of these letters are extremely interesting, published by J. J. Reiske (Libanii Sophistae Orabeing addressed to the most eminent men of his tiones et DeclamRationes ad fidenz codd. recens. et
time, such as the emperor Julian, Athanasius, perpet. adnotat. illustravit, Altenburg, ]791-97,
Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom, and 4 vols. 8vo.). The best edition of the epistles is
others. In this collection there are also many very that of J. Ch. Wolf (Libanii Epistolae, Graece et
short letters, being either letters of introduction, or Latine edid. et notis illustr., Amsterdam, 1738,
formal notes of politeness and the like. The style fol.). For further particulars see J. G. Berger, De
in all of them is neat and elegant. Among the Libanio Disputationes Sex, Vitebergae, 1696, &c.,
same class of literary compositions we may also 4to.; Reiske, in the first vol. of his edition; F.
reckon the 7r1oroAoCKoi xapaKftipss, or formulae of C. Petersen, Consmentat. de Libanio Sophista, part
letters, which were first edited by W. Morellus i. (containing an account of the life of Libanius);
(Paris, 1551, 1558, 8vo.), and afterwards at Lug- Hafiiiae, 1827, 4to.; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vi. p. 750,
dunum (1618, 12mo.). Many epistles as well as &c.; Westermann, Gesch. der Griech. Beredtsamorations are still extant in MS. at Madrid, Venice, keit, ~ 103, and Beilage, xv. p. 330, &c.
and other places, but have never been published, Four other persons of the name of Libanius,
and others which are now and then alluded to by none of whom is of any importance are enumerated
later writers seem to be lost. by Fabricius' (Bibl. Graec. x. p. 106). [L. S.]
As regards the style of Libanius as an orator, LIBENTINA, LUBENTINA, or LUBENsome modern critics have called him a real model TIA, a surname of Venus among the Romans, by
of pure Attic Greek (Reiske, Praefat. p. xvii.), which she is described as the goddess of sexual
but this is carrying praise too far, and even pleasure (dea libidinis, Varr. de Ling. Lat. v. 6;
Photius entertained a much more correct opinion Cic. de Nat. Deor. ii. 23; August. de Civ. Dei,
of him (Bibl, Cod. 90, p. 67, b.). There can iv. 8; Nonius, i. 324; Plaut. Asin. ii. 2. 2; Ar-be no doubt that Libanius is by far' the most nob. adv. Gent. i. p. 15, who however speaks of
talented and most successful among the rhetoricians Libentini dii.) [L. S.]
of the fourth century; he took'the best orators of LIBER. This name, or Liber pater, is frethe classic age as his models, and we can often see quently applied by the Roman poets to the Greek
in him the disciple and happy imitator of Demos- Bacchus or Dionysus, who was accordinglyregarded
thenes, and his animated descriptions are often full as identical with the Italian Liber. Cicero (de
of power and elegance; but he is not able always Nat. Deor. ii. 24), however, very justly distinto rise above the spirit of his age, and we rarely guishes between Dionysus (the Greek Liber) and
find in him that natural simplicity which constitutes the Liber who was worshipped by the early Itathe great charm of the best Attic'orators. His lians in conjunction with Ceres and Libera. Liber
diction is a curious mixture of the pure old Attic and the feminine' Libera were' ancient Italian diviwith what may be termed modern, and the latter nities,'presiding over the cultivation of the vine
would be more excusable, if he did not so often and fertility of the fields; and this seems to have
claim for himself the excellencies of the ancient given rise to the combination of their worship with
orators. In addition to this, it is evident that, that of Ceres. A temple of these three divinities
like all other rhetoricians, he is more concerned was vowed by the dictator, A. Postumius, in B. C.
about the form than about the substance, whence 496, near the Circus Flaminius; it was afterwards
Eunapius (p. 133) calls his orations weak, dead, restored by Augustus, and dedicated by Tiberius.
and lifeless. This tendency not seldom renders (Tac. Ann. ii. 49; Dionys. vi. 17.) The most
his style obscure, notwithstanding his striving after probable etymology of the name Liber is from
purity, inasmuch as he sometimes sacrifices the liberare; Servius (ad Virg. Georg. i. 7) indeed
logical connection of his sentences to his rhetorical states that the Sabine name for Liber was Loebamode of expressing them. As far as the history of sius, but this. seems to have been only an obsolete
Libanius's age is concerned, however, some of his form for Liber, just as we are told that the ancient'orations, and still more his epistles are of great Romans said loebesus and loebertas for the later
value, such as the oration in which he relates the forms liber(us) and libertas. (Paul. Diac. p. 121,
events of his own life, the eulogies on Constantius ed. MUller.) Hence Seneca (de Tranq. Anim. 15)
and Constans, the orations to and on Julian, several says, " Liber dictus est quia liberat servitio cura-'orations describing the condition of Antioch, and rum animi;" while others, who were evidently'those which he wrote against his professional and thinking of the Greek Bacchus, found in the name
political opponents. - an allusion to licentious drinking and speaking.
A complete edition of all the works of Libanius (Macrob. Sat. i. 18; August. de Civ. Dei, vi. 9;
does not yet exist. The first edition of the Pro- Paul. Diac. p. 115.) Poets usually call him Liber
gymnasmata appeared under the name of Theon, pater, the latter word being very commonly added
together with a similar work by the latter author, by the Italians to the names of gods. The female
at Basel, 1641, 8vo., edited by J. Cammerarius; a Libera was identified by the Romans with Cora or