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

324 PHILOSTRATUS. PHILOSTRATUS.
and style. In all of them, except the lives of the Tuavf'a'Anro;A;AoLov. In composing it, he seems at
sophists, Philostratus seems to have intended to first to have followed Herodotus as his model, whom
illustrate the peculiar manner in which the teachers however he forsakes as he gets into those parts
of rhetoric were in the habit of treating the various where he finds an opportunity to be more rhetosubjects that came before them. They amplified, rical, as in the appearance of Philostratus before
ornamented, and imitated without regard to his- Domitian (viii. 7). Kayser (ibid. p. viii.) thinks
torical truth, but solely as a species of gymnastics, that in the latter part he had Thucydides in his
which trained the mental athlete to be ready for eve, but Xenophon seems rather to have been his
any exertion in disputation or speaking, to which model.
he might be called. In the time of Philostratus, It would be endless to enumerate all the works
the sphere was circumscribed enough in which that have been written in whole or in part regardsophists and rhetoricians (and it is to be observed ing this life of Apollonius. An examination or
that he makes no distinction between them) could notice of them will be found in the prefaces of
dispute with safety; and hence arises his choice of Olearius and of Kayser. The work itself was first
themes which have no reference to public events published by Aldus, 1502, Venice, fol., with a
or the principles of political action. That he was Latin translation by Alemannus Rhinuccinus, and
intimately acquainted with the requirements of along with it, as an antidote, Eusebius, contra
style as suited to different subjects, is proved by Hieroclem. The other editions having this work
his critical remarks on the writings of his brother contain the whole works of Philostratus, as will be
sophists. One illustration will suffice. While mentioned afterwards. The life of Apollonius
writing of the younger Philostratus, he says ( V. S. (with a commentary by Artus Thomas) was transii. 33. ~ 3), "The letter written by Philostratus on lated into French by Blaise de Vigenere, 1596, 2
the art of epistolary correspondence is aimed at vols. 4to., and repeatedly republished, the transAspasius; for having been appointed secretary to lation being revised and corrected by Fed. Morel,
the emperor (Maximin), some of his letters were one of the editors of Philostratus (Bayle, art. Apolmore declamatory and controversial (tdyovtLoralcw'rE- lonius 7yanaezts). A translation of the two first
pop) than was becoming, and, others were deficient in books, with notes professedly philological, but only
perspicuity. Both these characteristics were un- partly so, and partly containing a commentary of
befitting a prince; for whenever an emperor writes,' bitter infidelity, was published in London, 1 680,
on the one hand the mere expression of his will is fol. The translation, and probably the philological
all that is required, and not elaborate reasoning notes, both of which evince much reading but not
(eOvpU1td't7Wrv oI' e7riXe~Lp'aeOv), and on the other accurate scholarship, are by Charles Blount, whose
perspicuity is absolutely necessary; for he pro:- tragical end is told by Bayle (1. c.). The other
nounces the law, and perspicuity is the law's inter- notes were partly derived, it is said, from a mannpreter." And in the introduction to his EicjvEs, script of Lord Herbert. This translation was probe makes an express distinction between the man hibited with severe penalties, in 1693, but was
3BovAducveos ao-pi3eaOai, and him who inquires se- twice reprinted on the Continent.
riously regarding the origin of the art of painting. II. Thle Lives of the Sophists (Bido 1o-rtrwv).
We may infer besides, from an expression in this This work bears the following title in its dedicaintroduction, where, speaking of painting, he says tion in the best MSS.:- r AaA,7rpoTdfTq viral'q
of it, 7rAeiow 9onp1isaL, that in his view the pro-'Av-rweiop roplavcP 4,Adauos tAo'datrpaToe. Of Anfession of a sophist extended to all kinds of em- tonius Gordianus mention has been already made.
bellishment that required and exhibited invention The author states the object of his book to be twoand the power of pleasing by mere manner. The fold-to write the history of philosophers who had
idea ingeniously stated by Kayser (Praef: ad Oper. the character of being sophists, and of those who
2Phil. p. vi.), that it was also his aim to restore to were par excellence (Kvpie6s) sophists. This disGreece her ancient vigour, by holding up bright tinction, which is well marked by Synesius (in
examples of her past glories, does not seem to be Vita D]ionis), was first pointed out in more recent
borne out by his works. As to his style, it is times by the acute Perizonius (in his preface to
characterized by exuberance and great variety of Aelian, V. H. ed. Gronov. ]731, p. 48, &c.), and
expression. It is sufficiently clear except when is essential to elucidate the chronology of the Lives.
he has recourse to irregularities of construction, to In his Prooemion Philostratus makes an instructive
which he is somewhat prone, in addition to semi- distinction between the philosophers and the sopoetical phrases and archaisms, which he employs phists. Philosophy doubts and investigates. The
without scruple. And as he undoubtedly intended sophist's art takes its grounds for granted, and emto exemplify various nlodes of writing, we have in bellishes without investigation. The former he
him specimens of every species of anomaly, which compares to the knowledge of futurity, carefully
are apt to perplex, till this peculiarity be under- formed from the observation of the stars, the latter
stood. He is at the same time well versed in the to the divine afflatus of the oracular tripos. Again,
works of the orators, philosophers, historians, and in the history of this art, he has two periods, chapoets of Greece, many of whose expressions he in- racterized by their subjects. The sophists of the
c.rporates with his own, especially Homer, He- first period discussed such subjects as courage, jusrodotus, Xenophon, Euripides, Pindar, and De- tice, divine and human, and cosmogonv; the second
mosthenes. presented lively representations of the rich and the
The following is a list of the works of Philo- poor, and in general individualized more the subjects
stratus:- presented by history. In this respect the sophists
I. The Life of Apollonius of Tyana. A full seem to have borne to philosophers much the same
account of this work, which has principally ren- relation that, in modern times, historical fiction
dered Philostratius distinguished, is given under does to history. I-He also states that the main
APOI,rsONIUS. [Vol. I.p. 242, &c.] It is divided distinction of a sophist was the power which
into eight books, and bears the title Ta es -rov he had over language, and discusses, in connee