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

OPPIANUS. OPPIUS. 37
and also by David Peifer, whose translation was was then about thirty years of age. Here Oppian
made in 1555, but first published in Schneider's wrote (or perhaps rather finished) his poems, which
second edition, Lips. 1813. There is a French he took to Rome after the death of Severus, A. D.
translation by Florent Chrestien, Paris, 1575, 4to., 211, and presented to his son " Antoninus" (i. e.
and by Belin de Ballu, Strasb. 1787, 8vo.; an Caracalla), or, according to Sozomen (Hist. Eccles.
English version of the first book by J. Mawer, Lond. praef.), to Severus himself. The emperor is said
1736, 8vo.; and a German one by S. H. Lieber- to have been so much pleased with the poems, that
kiihn, Leipz. 1755, 8vo. An anonymous Greek he not only repealed, at his request, the sentence of
prose paraphrase of part of the poem was published his father's banishment, but also presented hinm with
by Andr. Mustoxydes and Dem. Schinas, in their a piece of gold (OraTrp XpveoVs, or vyutoeaa XpvovAXo-y)'A7ro 7raoArTOwv'AVErc8i''EAA'rvoLccv/, aso0, probably about fifteen shillings and sixpence)
Venet. 1817, 8vo., which is probably the same for each verse they contained. Shortly after his
as that which is commonly attributed to Eutecnius return to his native country he died of some pes(see Lambec. Biblioth. Vindob. 1. c.). The earliest tilential disease, at the early age of thirty. His
edition of both poems is the Aldine, Venet. 1517, countrymen raised a monument in his honour, and
8vo., containing the Greek text, with the Latin inscribed on it five verses (which are preserved),
translation of the "IHalieutica," by Laur. Lippius. which lament his early death, and allude to his
The most complete edition that has hitherto been poems, but not in such definite terms as to enable
published is that by J. G. Schneider, Argent. 1776, us to decide which are the poems intended. The
8vo. Gr. et Lat., with copious and learned notes, anonymous biographer does not mention the
containing also a Greek paraphrase of the "Ix- " Halieutica," but only the "Cynegetica" and
eutica" that will be mentioned below. The editor'" Ixeutica."
published some additional notes and observations It is quite clear (if the hypothesis adopted in
in his "Analecta Critica," Francof 1777, 8vo. this article be correct) that the whole of these parfasc. i. p. 31, &c. This edition was executed when ticulars cannot apply to either of the poets of the
Schneider was a young man, in conjunction with name of Oppian, nor, perhaps, is it possible to
Brunck, who assisted him in she " Cynegetica;" decide for certain how they are to be apportioned
and accordingly it exhibits many bold corrections to each. Probably the epitaph and the early death
of the text, which he withdrew in his second belong to the Cilician, that is, to the author of
edition, published in 1813, Lips. 8vo. This edition the "Halieutica"; and the anecdote respecting the
is unfinished, and contains only the Greek text of " golden verses" may relate to the other poet.
the two poems, Peifer's Latin translation of the 2. With respect to the poem on hawking'I~EW"Cynegetica," mentioned above, some short notes ritcaK, if it is to be attributed to either of the Oppians,
relating to the text, and a preface, in which it probably belongs to the younger; but Schneider
Schneider repeats his conviction that the " Halieu- considers that it is more probably the work of
tica" and " Cynegetica" were written by two dif- Dionysius. The poem itself, which is said to have
ferent persons, and replies to the objections of consisted of five books, is no longer extant, but
Belin de Ballu. The last edition of the two poems there is a Greek prose paraphrase of three books
is that published by F. Didot, together with Ni- by Eutecnius. This was first published with a
cander and Marcellus Sidetes, in his collection of Latin translation by Eras. Windingius, Vafniae,
Greek classical authors, Paris, large 8vo. 1846, 1702, 8vo., and is inserted in Schneider's former
edited by F. S. Lehrs. It contains a Latin prose edition, and in Didot's. The first'book treats of
translation and the Greek paraphrase of the " Ix- tame birds and birds of prey; the second of watereutica," but (it is believed) is at present unfinished. fowls; and the third of the various modes of
A Latin translation of both poems was published in catching birds. Of the poetical merits of the work,
1555, Paris, 4to., that of the " Halieutica" in verse as it no longer exists in the form of a poem, it is
by Laur. Lippius, and that of the " Cynegetica" in scarcely possible to judge. (See Fabric. Bitl. Gr.
prose, by Adr. Turnebus; and an Italian trans- vol. v. p. 590, &c. ed. Harles; J. G. Schneider's
lation of both poems by A. 1I1. Salvini was published preface and notes to his first edition, and the prein 1728, Firenze, 8vo. face to the second; Hoffmann's Lex. Bibliogaph.
III. If we assume that there were two poets art. "Oppianus," by F. Ritter, in Ersch and
of the name of Oppian, there are two other ques- Gruber's Encyclophdie.) [W. A. G.]
tions relating to them that require to be examined OPPI'DIUS, SE'RVIUS, a wealthy Roman
into: 1. To which are we to refer the biographical of Canusium, whose dying advice to his two sons,
particulars contained in the anonymous Greek Life Aulus and Tiberius, is related by Horace. (Sat. ii.
of Oppian? and 2. Which, if either, was the i. 168, &c.)
author of the poem on hawking,'IteVT1'c. O'PPIUS. 1. M. OPPIus, was elected, with
1. The Greek Life states that Oppian was a Sext. Manilius, as the commander of the soldiers,
native of Cilicia, and that his father's name was in their secession to the Aventine during the second
Agesilaus, ald his mother's Zenodota. He received decemvirate, B. c. 449 (Liv. iii. 51; Dionys. xi.
an excellent education in all the liberal sciences, 43, 44).
especially music, geometry, and grammar, under 2. C. OPPIus, was elected one of the tribunes
the personal superintendence of his father, who was of the plebs on the overthrow of the second decemone of the principal persons in his native city, and virate, B. c. 449 (Liv. iii. 54).
who suffered himself to be so engrossed by his 3. C. Oppius, tribune of the plebs, B.c. 213, in
philosophical studies, that, when on one occasion the middle of the second Punic war, carried a law
the emperor Severus visited his city, he neglected to curtail the expenses and luxuries of Roman
to pay his respects to him along with the other women. It enacted that no woman should have
chief magistrates of the place. For this offence more than half an ounce of gold, nor wear a dress
Agesilaus was banished to the island of Melita, of different colours, nor ride in a carriage in the
and was accompanied in his exile by his son, who city, or in any town, or within a mile of it, unless ou
is a