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

~SCYLITZES. SCYLITZES. 759
to follow the opinion of Niebuhr, who supposes the 70oC To"l p rwvvPuoV). According to the account
writer to have lived in the first half of the reign of given by Fabricius and Cave, and which is now gePhilip of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the nerally received, he was a native of the Thracesian
Great (Philip began to reign B. c. 360). Niebuhr Thema (which nearly corresponded to the Roman
shows from internal evidence that the Periplus proconsular Asia), and attained successively at the
must have been composed long after the time of Byzantine court, the dignities of protovestiarius
-lerodotus; whilst, from its omitting to mention (high chamberlain), mregnus drungarius vigiliarunm
any of the cities founded by Alexander, such as (captain of the guards), and curopalates. He flouAlexandria in Egypt, as well as from other circum- rished as late as A. D. 1081, if not later. While he
stances, we may conclude that it was drawn up was protovestiarius he published the first edition of
before the reign of Alexander. It is probable, how- his great historical work, which came down to A. D.
ever, that the author, whoever he was, may not have 1057; and in or after A. D. 1081, when he was
borne the name of Scylax himself, but prefixed to his curopalates, he published either a supplement, or a
work that of Scylax of Caryanda, on account of the second and enlarged edition, bringing the work
celebrity of the navigator in the time of Dareius down to about A. D. 1080. Several parts of this
Hystaspis. Aristotle is the first writer who refers account are, however, very questionable, as we
to Scylax (Pol. iii. 14); but it is evident, from his shall take occasion to show. It has been already
reference, as well as from the quotations from observed [CEDRENUS, GEORGIUS] that the portion
Scylax in other ancient writers (Philostr. Apollon. of the history of Cedrenus which extends from
iii. 47; Harpocrat. p. 174, ed. Gronlov.; Tzetz. the death of the emperor Nicephorus I. (A. D.
Chil. vii. 14,1), which refer to matters not con- 811) to the close of the work (A.D. 1057), is
tained in the Periplus come down to us, that we found almost verbatim in the history of Joannes
possess only an abridgment of the original work. Scylitzes, which commences from the death of NiThe Periplus of Scylax was first published by cephorus I. (A. D. 811), and extends, in the printed
Hoeschel, with other minor Greek geographers, copies, to the reign of Nicephorus Botaniotes
Augsburg, 1600, 8vo.; next by Is. Vossius, Am- (A. D. 1078-1081). From this circumstance two
sterdam, 1639, 4to.; subsequently by IIudson, in questions arise. Did Cedrenus borrow from Scyhis " Geographi Graeci Minores," and in the re- litzes, or Scylitzes from Cedrenus? and, did Scyprint of the same work by Gail, Paris, 1826; and litzes publish two editions of his history, or only
last of all by R. H. Klausen, attached to his frag- one? The former question is the more important.
ments of Hecataeus, Berlin, 1831. As the history of Scylitzes, in its present form,
(Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. iv. p. 606, &c.; extends to a period more than twenty years after
Vossius, de Hist. Graecis, p. 166, ed.Westermann; that at which Cedrenus closes his work, the natural
Sainte-Croix, in Mtom. de l'Acad. des Inscriptions, inference, if we judged from this circumstance
vol. xlii. p. 350; Niebuhr, Ueber des Alter des alone, would be that Scylitzes was the later writer.
Kiistenbeschreibers Skylax von Karyanda, in his And this was the opinion of Fabrot, the Parisian
Kleine Sc/hriften, vol. i. p. 105, &c., translated in the editor of Cedrenus; and of Henschenius. (Acta
Plhiloloyical MIusez m, vol. i. p. 245, &c.; Ukert, Sanctorum Februser. a. d. xi. Comment. de lsmpera{Geographie der Griechen und Rdmner, vol. i. pt. ii. trice Theodora, ~ 90, 97.) As, however, the dates
p. 285, &c.; the dissertations prefixed to Hudson's indicate that they were nearly contemporary, such
and Klausen's editions.) an extensive incorporation as must have been pracSCYLAX (iKcvxAa), an engraver of precious tised by one or the other could hardly have been
stones, whose time is unknown, but from whose practised without its being kinown; and, if known,
hand we still possess some beautiful gems. (Stosch, there could be no reason why the borrower should
58, 59; Bracci, 101, 102, 103). [P. S.] not avow the obligation. The question then turns
SCYLES (ZKviAs), son and successor of Aria- upon this point, has either of the two mentioned or
peithes, king of the Scythians in the time of He- referred to the other? Scylitzes, in his Proioemiunm,
rodotus. His mother was a Greek of Istria, who which is given in the original Greek by Montfaucon
taught him her own language, and imbued him (Biblioth. Coisline. p. 207, &c.), from a MS. appawith an attachment to Greek customs and modes rently of the twelfth century, mentions Georgius
of life. The tastes thus acquired he used to gratify Syncellus [GEORGIUS, lit. and eccles. No. 46] and
at Olbia, a Milesian colony (as its inhabitants pro- Theophanes [THEOPHANES], as the only writers
fessed), at the mouth of the Borysthenes, where who, since the time of the ancients, had success.
he passed a great part of his time, havi g built a fully written history; and says that, after them,
house there, and married a woman of the place. no one had devoted himself to the production of
Here he was detected by some of his countrymen similar works; that those who had attempted to
in the celebration of the Bacchic mysteries, where- write history had either given mere catalogues of
upon they withdrew their allegiance from him, and sovereigns, or had been influenced by the desire of
set up his brother, Octamasades, as king. Scyles, panegyrising or vituperating some prince or paupon this, fled to Sitalces, king of Thrace; but triarch or personal friend; by which we suppose
the latter, on the invasion of his kingdom by a lie meanls that they had written biography, and
Scythian army, surrendered him to Octamasades, that partially, instead of history. He enumerates
who caused him to be beheaded. (Herod. iv. 78 many writers of this class, as Theodorus Daph-80.) [E. E.] nopates [THEODORUS], Nicetas Paphlago [NIcauSCYLITZES or SCYLITZA, JOANNES, a TAS, Byzantine writers, No. 9], Joseph Genesius
Byzantine historian, of the later period of the [GENEsIUJS], &c. But in neither class does he
empire, surnamed, from his office, CUROPALATES notice Cedrenus, whom, as the author of a recent
('Iwadov7ms Kovpo7raXAdrT's o cKvUAt(s); probably work of such extent, and to the merit of which,
also called (apud Cedren. Compend. sub init.) had he transcribed it,he would thereby have borne
JOANNES THR.CESIUS, anld, from his office, PRO- a virtual testimony, he could hardly have overTOVESTIARIUS (5 r'OTroGe-Ta'dpios'Iwadsv-s (o Opa- looked. His silence, therefore, furnishes a strong,
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