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

PSELLUS. PSELLUS. 563
and not himself a writer, deserves mention here, as her three sons. When Romanus Diogenes, whom
he was the grandfather of Josephus (Jos. Vit. 1). Eudocia had married, was also declared emperor.2. Michael Psellus, the elder, of Andros, flou- (A. D. 1068), Psellus was one of his counsellors;
rished in the 9th century A. D. He was extremely but three years afterwards he was the chief adlearned in ancient literature and philosophy, and viser, among the senators, of the measure by which
endeavoured to resist the torrent of ignorance and Diogenes was deposed, and Michael VII. Ducas,
barbarism which- was coming upon the Christian the son of Constantinus Ducas, elected in his place,
world. He was also an eager student of the A.D. 1071. Michael was the pupil of Psellus
Alexandrian philosophy. By these pursuits he himself, by whom he had been so thoroughly
incurred the suspicion of one of his own pupils, imbued with the love of letters, that, in spite of
named Constantine, who attacked him in some the remonstrances of Psellus, he devoted himself
elegiac verses, as if he had renounced Christianity. to study and writing poetry, to the neglect of his
Upon this, Psellus placed himself under the tuition imperial duties. To this folly Michael added the
of the celebrated Photius; and having thus im- ingratitude of permitting his tutor to be supplanted
proved his knowledge of theology, he replied to in his favour by Joannes Italus, a man of fiar less
his adversary in a long iambic poem, which is not talent, but an eloquent sophist, and a great fanow extant. Cave places him at A. D. 870 (Hist. vourite with the nobles, in discussions with whoml
Litt. s. a. vol. ii. p. 55); Baronius and others at the emperor spent his time. The deposition of
A. D. 859 (Saxe, Onomast.). Some writers have Michael Ducas (A. D. 1078) was folloxwed by the
stated that he was the tutor of the emperor fall of Psellus, who was compelled by the new
Leo VI., surnamed Sapiens; but this arises from emperor, Nicephorus Botanlias, to retire into a
a confusion of the emperor Leo, who was a pupil monastery; and in his dishonoured old age he
of Photius, with Leo Byzantinus, surnamed Philoso- witnessed the elevation of his rival to the title of
phus, the grandson of John the patriarch: it was Prince of the Philosophers, which he himself ]lhad
the latter who was the pupil of Psellus. Except so long held, and which the next emperor, Alexius
the poem already referred to, we have no mention Comnenus, conferred upon Joannes, in A. D. 108il1.
of any writings of the elder Psellus; but it is sus- Psellus appears to have lived at least till A. D.
pected by Cave, Allatius, and others, that he was the 1105; some suppose that he was still alive in
real author of some of the works which are ascribed 1110, the thirtieth year of Alexius Comnenus.
to the younger Psellus, especially of the Dialogue He was not only the most accomplished scholar,
on the Operations of Daemons, an unedited tract but also the most voluminous writer of his age.
On Daemzons, and a small work On Stones. The His works are both in prose and poetry, oil a vast
reasons for ascribing these works to the elder variety of subjects, and distinguished by an elo-,
Psellus are their inferiority in style to the writings quelnce and taste which are worthy of a better
of the younger, and the traces they exhibit of the period.
Alexandrian philosophy; but it is confessed that A great number of the works of Psellus are
these reasons are indecisive. The Paraphrase to still unedited. Of those which have been printed
several Books of Aristotle, which is generally as- there is no complete collection. In 1532 a work
cribed to Michael of Ephesus, is also thought by was printed at Venice, in 8vo., and reprinted at
these scholars to be the work of the elder Psellus. Paris in 1541, in 12mo., entitled Pselli Introductio
(Compare Brucker, Hist. Crit. Philos. vol. iii. in sex Plilosophiae Modus: Synopsis quinque'(p. 538.) cum et decem Categoriarum, together with similar
3. Michael Constantinus Psellus the younger, works by Blemmidas and Georgius Pachymerius.
a far more celebrated person, flourished in the With this exception, all his works have been pub11th century of our era. He was born at Constan- lished singly, as follows: — 1. IRepl EvepsyeLas
tinople, of a consular and patrician family, A. D. 6ai60vYwv &lhAoyos, de Operatione Daemnonumz Dia1020. When five years old he was placed in the logus, Gr. ed. G. Gualminus, Par. 1615, 8vo.;
hands of a tutor, to whom, however, he is said to carelessly reprinted, Kilon. 1688, 12mo. 2. IDe
have been far less indebted than to his own pro- Lapidumn Yirtutibus, Gr. Lat. ed. Phil. Jac. Manlsdigious industry and talent. He afterwards sacus, Tolos. 1615, 8vo.; re-edited by Jo. Steph.
studied at Athens, and excelled in all the learning Bernardus, Lugd. Bat. 1745, 8vo. (It has been
of the age; so that he was a proficient at once in already stated that some scholars attribute these
theology, jurisprudence, physics, mathematics, phi- works to the elder Psellus.) 3. Synopsis Oryani
losophy, and history. He taught philosophy, rhe- Aristotelici, Gr. Lat. ed. a Elia Ehingero F., Aug.
toric, and dialectics, at Constantinople, where lie Vind. 1597, 8vo. 4. Mathematical Works,
stood forth as almost the last upholder of the falling namely, (1) complete; Pselli Opus in quatucor
cause of learning. The emperors honoured him Matl7emanticas Disciplinas, Ar it/hmeticam, Musiwith the title of Prince of the Philosophers (pLAxo- cam, Geometriam, et Astrolnolilam, ed. Arsenio,
er(pwv v'raTrs), and did not disdain to use his Archiepisc. Monembas. Gr. Venet. 1532, 8vo.
counsels, and in effecting their elevation he even reprinted, Paris. 1545, 12mo.; re-edited by G.
had a share. The period during which he thus Xylander, Basil. 1556, 8vo.; (2) separate porflourished at Constantinople extends over the tions; Geomletria, stud. M. C. Meureri, Lips.
reigns of Constantinus Monomnachus (A. D. 1042- 1589, 8vo.; 7rep! dCpiOwmLKds t-~vo'LuS, Aritlmnetices
1054), his empress Theodora (to A. D. 1056), and Conpendiumn, Gr. Paris. in off. Wechel. 1538, 4to.;
Michael Stratonicus, who succeeded Theodora, and reprinted, with a Latin version, Paris. 1545, 8vo.;
who entrusted Psellus with a conciliatory mission i6vok/ts ueovKcs, Comzpendium lAlusices, Gr. Paris.
to Isaac Comnenus, whom the soldiers had saluted ap. A. Wechliel. 1556, 4to. 5. Synopsis Legum,
emperor in A. D. 1057. He still remained in fa- versibuths ianibis et politicis, containing the Carmzina
vour with both these emperors, and with Constan- tpolitica de Doginate, C(armina de Noniocanone, and
tLnus Ducas, who succeeded Comnenus in A. D. Traclatus de septera sacris syno(dis oecusmzesicis, Gr.
1060, and also with his successor Eudocia, and Lat. per Fr. Bosquetum, Paris. 1632, 8vo.; reoo 2