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

8'r04 ILONGINJS. LONGINUS.
made many journeys with his parents, that he nity as an:independent sovereign. In consequence
visited many countries, and became'acquainted of this, Zenobia wrote a spirited letter to the
with all the men who at the time enjoyed a~great Roman emperor Aurelian. (Vopisc. Aurelia'. 27!)
reputation as philosophers, and among whom the In A. D. 273, when Aurelian took and destroyed
most illustrious are Ammonius Saccas, Origen, Palmyra, Longinus had to pay with his life for the
Plotinus, and Amelius. Of the first two Longinus advice which he had given to Zenobia. (Vopisc.
was a pupil for a long time, though they did not Aurelian. 30; Suid. s. v. Ao-yyvos.) This cata-'succeed in inspiring him with ally love for that kind strophe must have been the more painful to Lonof speculative philosophy of which they were the ginus,' since the queen, after having fallen into the'founders. Longinus in his study of philosophy hands of the Romans, asserted her own innocence,
went to the fountain-head itself, and made himself and threw all the blame upon her advisers, and
thoroughly familiar with the works of Plato; and more especially upon Longinus. But he bore his
bthat he was a genuine Platonist is evident from the execution with a firmness and cheerfulness worthy
character of his works, or rather, fragments still ex- of a Socrates. (Zosimus, i. 56.)
tant, as well as from the commentaries he wrote on Longinus was unquestionably by far the greatest'several of Plato's dialogues;' and the few fragments philosopher of the age, and stands forth so distinct
-of these commentaries which have come down to its, and solitary in that age'of mystic and fanciful'show that he had a clear and sound head, and was quibblers, that it is impossible not to recognise in
-free from the allegorical fancies in which his con- him a man of excellent sense, sound and independ-temporaries discovered the great wisdom of the an- ent judgment, and extensive knowledge. He had
-cients. His commentaries not only explained the thoroughly imbibed the spirit of Plato and Demossubject-matter discussed by Plato, but also his style thenes, from whom he derived not only that intel-'and diction. This circumstance drew upon him the lectual culture which distinguished him above all
contempt and ridicule of such men' as Plotinus, others, but also an ardent love of liberty, and a
who called him a philologer, and would not admit great frankness both in expressing his own opinions
his'claims to be a philosopher. (Porphyr. Vit.Plot. and exposing the faults and errors of others.'p. 116; Proclus, ad Plat. Tim. p. 27.) (Porphyr. Vit. Plot. p. 126.) His work Iepl 4/ovs,
After Longinus had derived all the advantages a great part of which is still extant, surpasses in
he could from'Ammonius at Alexandria, and the oratorical power every thing that was ever written:other philosophers whom he met in his travels, he after the time of the Greek orators, and he, like'returned to Athens, where he had been born and Cicero among the Romans, is the only Greek who
bred. He there devoted himself with -so much not only knew how to teach rhetoric, but was able
zeal to the instruction of his numerous pupils, that by his own example to show what true oratory is.'he had scarcely any time left for the composition of Besides the Greek and Syriac languages, he-was
-any literary production. The most distinguished also familiar with the Latin, as we must conclude
among his pupils was Porphyrius, whose original from his comparison of Cicero with Demosthenes
name was Malchus, which Longinus changed into (rlepl vJi'. ~ 12; comp. Suid. s. v. Alwvodptos;
Porphyrius, i. e. the king, or the man clad in Tzetz. Posthoms. p. 75.) In his private life he
purple. At Athens he seems to have lectured on seems to have been a man of a very amiable disphilosophy and criticism, as well as on rhetoric and position; for although his pupil Porphyrius left
grammar (Eunap. Porplhyr. init.; Porphyr. Vit. him, declaring that he would seek a better phi-Plot. p. 131; Vopisc. Aurelian. 30; Suid. s. v. losophy in the school of Plotinus, still Longinus'Aoyy3vos), and the extent of his information was did not show' him any ill-will on that account, but
so great, that Eunapius calls him " a living library " continued to treat him as a friend, and invited hinm
and "a walking museum;" but his knowledge to come to Palmyra. (Porphyr. Vit. Plot. pp. 120,'was not a dead encumbrance to his mind, for the 124, 131.) He was, and remained throughout his
power'for which he was most celebrated was his' life, a pagan, though he was by no means hostile
critical skill (Phot. Bibl. Cod. 259; Sopat. Proleg.: either to Judaism or Christianity.
ia'Aristid. p. 3; Suid. s. vv. rIopsptos, Aoryy7vos), Notwithstanding his manifold avocations, Lonand this was indeed so great, that the expression ginus composed a great number of works, which
icard Ao-yyZvv.:;plfvev became synonymous with appear to have been held in the highest estimation,
" to judge correetlys`'. (Hieronym. Epist. 95; Theo- but nearly all of which have unfortunately perished.'phylact. Epist. 1.) -,?i>; All that has come down to us consists of a conAfter having' spent.'a-is erra ble part of his siderable part of his work'nlpfi fovs, or De Sublife' at Athens, and comnip-6epti'best of his works, limitate, and a number of fragments, which have
he went to the East', eie'i'fhr for the purpose of been preserved as quotations in the works of con-'seeing his friends at Emesa or to settle some of his temporary and later writers. There is scarcely any
family affairs. It seems to have been on that oc- work in the range of ancient literature which, in-'casion that he became known to queen Zenobia of dependent of its excellence of style, contains so
Palmyra,'who, being a woman of great talent, and many exquisite remarks upon oratory, poetry, and
fond of the arts and literature, made him her teacher good taste in general.'It is'addressed to one Pos-'of Greek literature. As Longinus had no extensive tumius Terentianus, but contains many lacunae,
library at his command at Palmyra, he was obliged which cannot be filled up, since all the MSS. extant:almost entirely to abandon his literary pursuits, are only copies of the one which is preserved at
but another sphere of action was soon opened, to Paris. The following is a list of his'lost works:-.,him'there; for when king Odenathus'had died, 1. Oh pAldAoyoo, a very extensive work, since
and Zenobia had undertaken the governmentof her a 21st book of it is quoted. It seems'to have
empire,: ghe availed herself most extensively of the contained information and critical remarks upon a
advice of Longinus, and it was he'Who, being an variety of subjects.'(Auctor, Vit. Apollon. Rhod.'ardent lover of liberty, advised and encouraged her Ruhnken, Dissertatio Philol. De Vit. et Scriipt. Lony.'to shake off the'Roman yoke, and assert her dig- p. 28, &c.)