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

964 SYNTIPAS. SYPHAX.
partim antem ab Achmede filio Abrami, nepote SY'NTROPHUS, P. RUTI'LIUS, is desigChaletis medici, primum fuit compositum." Ibnu- nated Marmorarius in an extant inscription, found
l-Jezza'r was a pupil of Ishak Ibn Soleiman Al- at Cadiz, which records the accomplishment of a
Israili (commonly called Isaac Judaeus), and lived vow which he had made to erect in the temple
at Kairow'an in Africa. He died at a great age, of Minerva a Theostasis decorated with marbles,
A. H. 395 (A. D. 1004). He was a man of con- wrought by his own hand (Muratori, Tlies. vol. i.
siderable eminence, and wrote several works on p. cxxv. 2; Orelli, Inscrip. Lat. Sel. No. 2507).
medicine, metaphysics, history &c., some -of which It is doubtful whether the word Marmorarius sigare extant in MS. in different European libraries. nifies a sculptor, or a common worker in marble.
The only one of these with which we are here Raoul-Rochette quotes a passage from Seneca
concerned is entitled; l Al' Zadu-l-JVMu- (Epist. 88), in which it appears to nave the former
J' sense; and, of course, if such be its meaning in
s6fer, "Viaticum Peregrinantium," and consists of this inscription, the name of Syntrophus must be
seven books. There is an incomplete Arabic MS. added to the lists of ancient artists. (R. Rochette,
of this work in the Bodleian Library at Oxford Lettre a M. Schorn, pp. 411, 412, 2d ed.) [P.S. ]
(flunt. 302), which the Writer has examined par- SYPHAX (Vpfa5), a Numidian prince, fretially throughout, more especially the part corre- quently called king of Numidia, but properly, or at
sponding with the Pseudo-Synesius; and he finds least originally, only king of the Massaesylians,
(as Reiske had done before him,) that it agrees the westernmost tribe of the Numidians. (Polyb.
(upon the whole) very exactly with the Greek and xvi. 23; Liv. xxviii. 17.) The period of his acLatin translations mentioned above. A more minute cession is unknown, nor do we learn anything of
examination of the Arabic, Greek, and Latin texts the relations in which he had stood towards the
will probably enable some future editor to give Carthaginians previous to the year B. c. 213, when
some further information respecting the two trans- we find him engaged in hostilities with that people.
lations: the Writer can only say of the conjecture This circumstance, together with the successes of
that the Latin version was made from the Greek the Roman arms in Spain at that juncture, induced
rather than from the original Arabic, that it appears the two Scipios to enter into friendly relations
to him to be wholly without foundation, inasmuch as with him; they accordingly sent three officers as
the Latin translation in some places agrees more envoys to him, with promises of assistance from
closely with the Arabic text than with the Greek. Rome if he persevered in his hostility to their
Ibnu-l-Jezza'r's work was also translated into He- common enemy; and one of these legates, Q. Stabrew by Rabbi Moshe Ben Tibbon (Uri, Catal. torius, even remained in Numidia to instruct him
JIISS. Hebr. Bibl. Bodl. ~ 413), and thus enjoys in the art of war. Under his direction Syphax
the singular honour of having been translated into levied a regular army, with which he was able to
no less than three languages during the middle ages. meet the Carthaginians in the field, and defeat
(For further information see Bernard's Preface to them in a pitched battle. Hereupon they recalled
Synlesius; Nicoll and Pusey's Catal. MSS. Arab. Hasdrubal from Spain to take the command against
Bibl. Bodl. p. 587; Wiistenfeld, Gesch. der Arab. him, at the same time that they concluded an alAerzte und Naturforascher, ~ 120; Choulant,Handb. liance with Gala, king of the Massylians, who sent
der Biich7erkunde fur die Aeltere Medicin, ~~ 46, his whole forces, under the command of his son
70, 90.) [W. A. G.] Masinissa, to the support of the Carthaginians.
SYNNOON (uvvvovY), statuary. [ARISTO- Syphax was unable to contend with their united
CLES.] strength; he was totally defeated in a great battle
SYNTIPAS, a Persian sage, to whom are attri- (in which 30,000 men are said to have fallen), and
buted two works of which we possess Greek trans- compelled to take refilge in Mauritania. Here he
lations, which bear the name of Michael Andreo- soon gathered a fresh force around him, but was
pulus. One of these works is a romance, or pursued and again defeated by Masinissa. (Liv.
collection of stories, very much on the plan of the xxiv. 48, 49; Appian. Hisp. 15, 16.) Of his
Thousand and One Nights. By an Arabic author, subsequent fortunes we know nothing for some
however, the work is ascribed to one Sendebad, time; but he appears to have concluded a treaty of
the head of the philosophers of India, who lived peace with Carthage, by which he apparently resomewhere about 100 years before Christ, and gained possession of his dominions. In B.C. 210,
wrote a work entitled " The Book of the Seven we find him renewingo his overtures to the Romans,
Counsellors, the Teacher and the Mother of the and recounting his successes over the Carthaginians
King." This work was translated into Persian, (Liv. xxvii. 4), with whom he appears to have
Arabic, Hebrew, and Syriac, and it is from this been at that time again at war; but in B. c. 206
last translation that the Greek translation was he was once more on peaceful, and even friendly
made. The Greek translation seems to belong to terms with the same people. At that time, howabout the eleventh century. It appears not un- ever, the successes of the young Scipio in Spain
likely that this work became known to Europe led him to cast his eyes towards Africa also, and
through the crusades. In the form in which we he sent his friend Laelius on an embassy to
at present possess it, the work has been accom- Syphax, in the hope of detaching him from the
modated to Christian ideas. The Greek text was Carthaginian alliance. The Numidian king lent a
published by Boissonade (De SSyntipa et Cyri Filio favourable ear to his overtures, but refused to treat
A4ndreopuli Narratio, Paris, 1828). with any one but the Roman general in person.
The other work attributed to Syntipas, and, Hereupon Scipio boldly. ventured over to Africa,
like the former, translated into Greek from the where he was received by Syphax in the most
Syriac, is a collection of fables (7rapastCTl.yauaro friendly manner, although he accidentally arrived
dyoL). An edition of this work was published by at the same time with the Carthaginian general
F. Matthaei at Leipzig, in 1781. (Schill, Gesch. der HIasdrubal, the son of Gisco. The personal influGriech. Litteratur. vol. iii. p. 429, &c.) [C. P. M.] ence of Scipio for a time obtained the ascendancy,