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

THEOPOMPUS. TH EOPOMPUS. 1093
orations of the kind, called IEpideitic by the Greeks, tinuation of the history of Thucydides. It comrn
that is, speeches oni set subjects delivered for menced in B. c. 41],at the point where the history
display, such as eulogiums upon states and indi- of Thucydides breaks off, and embraced a period of
viduals, and similar subjects. He himself tells us seventeen years down to the battle of Cnidus in
that there was no important city of Greece, in B. c. 394 (Diod. xiii. 42, xiv. 84; Marcellin. Vii.
which he had not remained some time, and where Thucyd. 45). Only a few fragments of this work
lie had not obtained great glory by the public ex- are preserved.
hibition of his oratorical powers. One instance of 3. 4IALr7nrlca, also called'Io-'ropLca (aT"' iEoxv'),
the kind is recorded. In B. C. 352 he contended The History of Philip, father of Alexander the
at Halicarnassus with Naucrates and his master Great, in fifty-eight books, from the commencement
Isocrates for the prize of oratory, given by Arte- of his reign B. c. 360, to his death B. C. 336. (Diod.
misia in honour of her husband, and gained the xvi. 3; Phot. Cod. 176.) Schweighaeuser supposed
victory (Gell. x. 18; Plut. Vit. dec. Orat. p. 838, b; that the Hellenics and the Philippics formed one
Euseb. Pratep. Ev. x. 3.) The other places which work, which was called the History of Theopompus,
he visited are not mentioned; but it appears from but this opinion has been satisfactorily refuted by
his own account, to which we har\e already referred, Clinton. (IR;'sti Hell. vol. ii. pp. 374, 375, 2d ed.)
that he spent the greater part of the time of his Wherever the History of Theopompus is quoted by
exile in travelling, and in the acquisition of know- the ancient writers without any distinguishing
ledge. He was able to pursue this mode of life in name, the Philippics are always meant, as this was
consequence of his possessing a large fortune, which the more important work; when the Grecian
released him from the necessity of working for his history is meant, it is cited by the title of Hellenics.
livelihood, like Isocrates, by writing speeches for Moreover, as Clinton justly remarks, these two
others, and giving instruction in oratory. (Phot. works cannot be said to form one corpushistoricuni;
Cod. 176; Dionys. Ep. ad Cn. Pomlp. c. 6; Athen. they did not proceed in one unbroken series, for
iii. p. 85, b.) On his return to his native country the first work terminated inu B. c. 394, and the
in B. c. 333, Theopompus, from his eloquence, second began in B. C. 360, thus leaving a space of
acquirements and wealth, naturally took an im- thirty-four years between them, which did not
portant position in the state; but his vehement belong to either. The great length of the Plhlippics
temper, haughty bearing, and above all his support was not so much owing to the minute account
of the aristocratical party, which he had inherited which it gave of the life and reign of Philip, as to
from his father, soon raised against him a host of the numerous digressions of all kinds with which
enemies. Of these one of the most formidable was it abounded. For as it was the original intention
the sophist Theocritus, who had also been a pupil of Theopompus to write a history of the whole
of Isocrates, and who likewise attacked Alexander of Greece (comp. Polyb. viii. 13), he eagerly
and Aristotle in the bitterest manner. (Strab. xiv. availed himself of every opportunity that occurred
p. 645.) As long as Alexander lived, his enemies to give an account of other Greek states. Such a
dared not take any open proceedings against digression sometimes occupied several books, as we
Theopompus; and even after the death of the learn from Diodorus (xvi. 71), who informs us that
Macedonian monarch, he appears to have enjoyed the 41st, 42d. and 43d books were devoted to the
for some years the protection of the royal house. history of Sicily. Moreover in these digressions
But when he lost this support, he was expelled Theoponipus did not confine himself to contempofrom Chios as a disturber of the public peace. He raneous events, but frequently ascended to fabulous
fled to Egypt to king Ptolemy. (Phot. I. c.) Pto- tinmes. The digressions in fact formed by far the
lemy did not assume the title of kilg till B. c. 306, larger part of the work; and Philip V. king of
and consequently if the expression of Photins is to Macedonia, was able, by omitting them and retainbe taken literally, we may place the arrival of ilng only what belonged to the proper subject, to
Theopompus in Egypt in a. c. 305, when he was reduce the work from fifty-eight books to sixteen.
seventy-five years of age. Photius adds that Pto- (Phot. 1. c.) Fifty-three of the fifty-eight books
lemny not only refilsed to receive TheopompuLs, but of the origiinal work were extant in the ninth
would even have put him to death as a dangerous century of the Christian aera, and were read by
busybody, had not some of his friends interceded Photius, who has preserved an abstract of the
for his life. Of his further fate we have no par- twelfth book. (P'hot. 1. c.) The five books lost ill
ticulars, but he probably died soon afterwards. the tinme of Photius were the 6th, 7th, 9th, 20th,
The following is a list of the works of Theo- and 30th, and these were, without doubt, the same
pompus, none of which have come down to us. five books, which were missing as early as the time
1.'EriToyjo1 Trcv'Hpoo'T-ou i-TopiC.v, An Epitonze of Diodorus (xvi. 3). The tleilenics probably
of the History of Herodotus. This work is men- perished earlier, as they were less celebrated:
tioned by Suidas, and in a few passages of the Photius, at least, appears not to have read them,
grammarians; but it has been questioned by Vossius The two works, the Hellenics and Philippics, conwhether it was really drawn up by Theopompus, tained together, according to Theopompus's own
on the ground that it is improbable that ad writer of statement, 150,000 lines (Phot. 1. c.) The Phihlis attainments and skill ill historical composition lippics are constantly quoted by the ancient writers,
would have engaged in such a task. It has there- and many fragments of them are preserved.
fore been supposed that it was executed by some 4. Orationcs, which were chiefly Panegyrics, and
later writer, who prefixed to it the well-known what the Greeks called v~uorhevAsurLKoc AXdyol.
alne of Theopompus. It is, however, not impos- Besides the Panegyric on Mausolus, which has
sible that Theopolnpus may have made the Epitome been already alluded to, Theopompus wrote Paneat an early period of his life as an exercise in gyrics on Philip and Alexander (Theon,'rogyymn.
composition. pp. 19, 103; Suidas, s. v.'Epopos). Of his lvouov2.'EXAAquVtKal o-ropart or 5v-rVaets'EhXXhviKcdv, XesTrscoh xdyiot, one of the most celebrated was
A Jistory of Greece, ill twelve books, was a con- addressed to Alexander on the state of Chios, and
4a 3