These defects, however,
seem to have derogated but little from his fame, either
in his own age or in after times.
seem to have derogated but little from his fame, either
in his own age or in after times.
Charles - 1867 - Classical Dictionary
-- Colutn.
, 7, 2.
-- Sil. Lai. , 8, 599. ) A battle was fought in its vi-
linity between Stilico and the Goths, the success of
which appears to have been very doubtful. (Oros. ,
"i, 37. ) But Claudian speaks of it as the greatest tri-
? inphcf his hero. (De Bell. Get. , 605. ) The mod-
'. rii village of PoUnza stands near the site of the an-
ient city. (Cramer's Anc. Italy, vol. 1, p. 28. )
Pollio, I. C. Asinius, a Roman consul in the time
o( Augustus, who, though of humble birth, was one
of the most remarkable men and most distinguished
patrons of literature during the age in which he lived;
and who we consider the brilliant part which he acted
as a military commander, politician, and man of let-
ters, it is srii. gular we have so few remains of his wri-
tings, and such brief records of his actions. Pollio
was born in ilia 675th year of tho city, and he had,
consequently, rea. '. bed tho age of thirty before the liber-
tics of his country were subverted. During the times
of the republic, he so well performed the parts of a cit-
izen and patriot, that in one of Cicero's letters he is
classed with Cato for his love of liberty and virtue.
But in pursuing this line of conduct he offended some
of the partisans of Pompcy, and was forced, as he af-
terward alleged, to ospouse the part of Caesar, in
order to shield himself from their resentment. (Cic,
Ep. ad Fam. , 10, 31. ) He became a favourite officer
t. Julius Caesar, whom he served with inviolable fidel-
ity, and ever entertained for him the most devoted at-
'. >>? :'. . inent. A short while before the dictator's death,
a; was sent to Spain at the head of a considerable
army, to crush the parvy wbich Sextus Pompey had
? ? recently formed in tha'. province; but he was nut very
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? POLLIO.
PO L
tro me snbtraham, et cro prseda Victoria" Veil. Pa-
terc, 2,86. ) From this period till his death(. vhich hap-
pened at hit Tusculan villa in 755 IT. C, when he had
reached the age of eighty) Pollio withdrew almost entire-
ly from public affairs. He was naturally of a bold, assu-
ming, and overbearing temper; he affected a stern predi-
lection for the forms and manners of the ancient repub-
lic; and, having amassed an enormous fortune during
the proscriptions, he never sought to ingratiate himself
with Augustus. Accordingly, though he was respect-
ed and esteemed, he was not beloved by the emperor.
During the contest wi;h Lucius Antonius, several sting-
ing epigrams were directed against him by Augustus.
Pollio was well able to retort, but he did not choose,
as he himself expressed it, " in eum scribere qui potest
oroscribere. " (Macrob. , Saturn. , 2,4. ) His neutral-
ity during the war with Antony and Cleopatra, though
permuted by Augustus, would little tend to conciliate
his favour; and that prince saw around him so many
able ministers who had uniformly supported his inter-
ests, that he had no occasion to require the assistance
or counsel of Pollio. With the exception, therefore, of
occasionally pleading in the Forum, Pollio devoted all
his time to literary composition and the protection of
literary men. No Roman of that period was more ca-
pable of enjoying retirement with dignity, or relishing it
with taste. He possessed everything which could ren-
der his retreat delightful: an excellent education,distin-
guished talents, a knowledge of mankind, and a splen-
did fortune. To all the strength and solidity of under-
standing requisite to give him weight in the serious or
important affairs of life, he united the most lively and
sgreeable vein of wit and pleasantry. His genius and
acquirements enabled him likewise to shine in the
noblest branches of polite literature: poetry, elo-
quence, and history, in which last department Seneca
prefers his style to that of Livy. He had, no doubt,
effectually improved the opportunities which the times
afforded, of enriching himself at the cost of others;
and no one had profited more by the forfeited estates
during the period of the proscriptions; but it should
not be forgotten, that whatever fortune he amassed
was converted to the most laudable purposes: the
formation of a public library, the collection of the most
eminent productions of art, and the encouragement of
learning and literary men. Pliny, in his Natural His-
tory, informs us, that Pollio was the first person who
erected a public library at Koine. It was placed in the
vicinity of the Atrium Libertatis, which ne had con-
structed on the Aventine Hill; and the expense of the
establishment was defrayed frotrrthe spoils of conquer-
ed enemies (7, 30; 35, 2). From the same author
we have an account of his fine collection of statues
by Praxiteles and other masters (34, 5), which he
was extremely desirous should be publicly seen and
commended. Among the labours of Praxiteles are
mentioned a Silenus, an Apollo, a Neptune, and a Ve-
nus. The specimens of the works of other artists ex-
hibited the Centaurs carrying off the Nymphs, by Ar-
chesitas; Jupiter, surnamed Hospitalis, by Pamphilus,
a scholar of Praxiteles; a sitting Vesta; and, finally,
Zethus, Amphion. and Dirce, fastened by a cord to the
bull, all formed out of one stone, and brought from
Rhodes by the direction of Pollio. Still more useful
and praiseworthy was the patronage which he extended
to men of genius. In youth, his character and con-
versational talents had rendered him a favourite with
? ? the master-spirits of Rome: Cesar, Calvus, and Ca-
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? VOL
POLYBIUS
i Chariot, Bee>>. 2. Of the Age of Men; of wh<<t pre-1 ther the lessons of civil and political wisdom.
Hs
cedes and follows Birth; of the Members of the Human
Frame; of the External and Internal Parts of the Body.
3, Of the various relations between the Members of a
Family or a City; of Friends, Country, Love; of the
Relation between Master and Slave; of Metals, Trav-
els, Roads; of Gayety and Saduess; of Happiness;
of Kivcrs; of the Avaricious, the Industrious, and the
Idle; of Buying and Selling, &c--4. Of the Sciences.
--5. Of the Chase, Animals, &c. --6. Of Repasts; of,
various Crimes, dec. --7. Of various Arts and Trades.
8. Of Justice, and the public Administration of it.
--9. Of Cities, Edifices, Games, dec--10. Of Vases,
Utensils, dec. --The value of the work, for acquiring
not only a knowledge of Greek terms, but also of anti-
quities, is conceded by all. The interest, moreover, is
considerably increased by the citations from authors
whose works are lost. Julius Pollux composed many
other works that have not come down to us, such as
Dissertations (AtoAtftic) and Declamations (McAc-
rai); and among these are mentioned a discourse pro-
nounced on the occasion of the marriage of Commo-
dus, an eloge on Rome, and an accusation of Socrates.
The best edition of the Onomasticon is that of Hein-
sterhusius, Amst. , 1706, fol. There is a later one by
W*. Dindorf, Lips. , 1824, 5 vols. , in 6 parts, contain-
ing the notes of former editors. --III. An ecclesiasti-
cal writer in the ninth century, not to be confounded
with the author of the Onomasticon. He compiled a
shronology, which commences with the creation. The
author calls it 'laropia fvoinij (" a physical history"),
because his work enlarges greatly respecting the crea-
tion of the world. It is ruUier, however, an ecclesias-
tical than a political history. The best edition is that
of Hardt, Monach , 1792, 8vo. Hardt supposed that
? . his work was just newly discovered; but the Abbe
Morelli has proved that this is the same work with that
entitled Hisloria Sacra ab orbc condiio ad Valentinia-
>mm el Valcntem Imp. a Biancono, Bonon. , 1779, fol.
PolYjENUs, I. a native of Lampsacus, and one of
the friends of Epicurus. He had attended previously
to mathematical studies. (Cic. ,de Fin. , 1,6. )--II. A
native of Sardis, a sophist in the time of Julius Caesar,
and who is thought to have taken his prsnomen (Ju-
lius) from the family that protected him. We have
four epigrams by him remaining. -- III. A native of
Macedonia, a rhetorician or advocate, who flourished
about the middle of the second century of our era. He
. published a work entitled IrparnyrtnaTiKa (" Military
Stratagems"), in eight books, of which the sixth and
seventh are imperfect. This work, addressed to Mar-
cus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, during their campaign
against the Parthians, is of little value to military men,
but not without interest in an historical point of view.
It is well written, though rather affected, and too much
loaded with ornament. Polyaenus has been justly cen-
sured for admitting into his list of stratagems instan-
ces of treachery and perfidy unworthy of warriors, and
undeserving of being regarded as ruses de gverre. He
is inexcusable on another point: he mutilates and dis-
torts facts; he wishes to convert every military opera-
tion into a stratagem, particularly those of Alexander,
a prince who contended openly with his foes, and de-
tested stratagems of every kind. The most useful edi-
tion of Polyaenus is that of Mursinna, Berol, 1756,
ISmo. A more correct text than the former is given
? ? by Coray in the Parerga Bibl. Hell, Paris, 180'J, 8vo,
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? POLYBIUS.
POL
Not t intent with relating events in the order in which
they bad occurred, he goes back to the causes which pro-
ilaced them; he unfolds their attendant circumstances,
and the consequences they have brought with them.
He judges the actions of men, and paints the charac-
ters of the principal actors. In a word, he forms the
judgment of the reader, and causes him to indulge in
reflections which ought to prepare him for the adminis-
tration of public affairs (irpayfmra). Hence the title of
his history, 'laropia Trpay/iaTiicr). Never has a history
been written by a man of more good sense, of more
perspicacity, or of a sounder judgment, and one more
free from all manner of prejudice. Few writers have
united in a greater degree a knowledge of military and
political affairs; no one has carried farther a rigid
impartiality, and a respect for virtue Cicero gives
an animated character of this history in his treatise
De Oralore (2, 15. -- Compare the remarks of Ast,
Grundriss der Phihlogie, p. 202). --The style of Po-
lybius is not free from faults. The period when the
Attic dialect was spoken in all its purity had long
passed away, and he wrote in the new dialect which
had arisen after the death of Alexander. A long resi-
dence also out of his native country, and sometimes
among barbarian nations, had rendered him, in some lit-
tle degree, a stranger to his mother-tongue Though
his diction is always noble, yet he occasionally mingles
with it foreign terms, and even Latinisms. We find
in him, too, phrases borrowed from the school of Al-
exandrca, and passages taken from the poets ; he loves,
also, occasional digressions; but, whenever he indulges
in these, they are always instructive. --" In Polybius,"
saya Miiller, "we find neither the art of Herodotus,
nor the strength of Thucydides, nor the conciseness
of Xenophon, who says all in a few words: Polybius
is a statesman full of his subject, who, caring little for
the approbation of literary men, writes for statesmen;
reason is his distinctive character. " (Allgemtine Ges-
thichte, 5, 2. )--Dionysius of Halicarnassus (De Comp.
Verb. , c. 4) remarks, that no man of taste can endure
to read the work of Polybius to the end. It is strange
that he did not take into consideration the highly at-
tractive nature of the events, and the spirit with which
they arc narrated. --Besides his general history, Polyb-
ius wrote " Memoirs of the Life of Phifcpoemen" (lib.
10, Etc. Peiresc, p. 28), a work on "Tactics" (lib.
9, Exe. , c. 20), and a letter "on the situation of La-
conia," addressed to Zeno of Rhodes (lib. 16, Exc).
From a passage of Cicero, moreover (Ep. ad Fam. , 5,
12), it would appear that Polybius had written a de-
tached " History of the Numantine war. " It is proba-
ble that his visit to Spain, during the second consul-
ship of Scipio, gave him the idea of this last-mentioned
work, and furnished him with the materials. --Plutarch
relates that Marcus Brutus, the assassin of Cesar,
made an abridgment of the history of Polybius, and
that he was occupied with this in his tent on the even-
ing preceding the battle of Philippi. Casaubon is
hence led to infer that the abridgment or epitome which
we possess, from the 7th to the 17th books, may be
the work of Brutus; but this abridgment is made with
so little judgment that we cannot properly ascribe it
to that distinguished Roman. --The best edition of Po-
lybius is that of Schweighaeuser, Lips. , 1789-95, 9
vob. 8vo. Orel! i us published in 1818, from the Leip-
tic press, the commentary of . tneas Tacticus, in one
volume 8vo, as a supplement to this edition. The
? ? Excerpta Vatieana of Polybius, which Mai first made
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? PUL
PU1.
? rhfch Phidias invented, to perfection. He discovered
the ait of balancing of figures on one leg; and is said
to have been so partial to this mode of representing
the human form, that he almost invariably adopted it
in his statues. He is accused by Varro of too great
uniformity in his figures, and the constant repetition of
the same idea. Nothing could exceed the exactness
of symmetry with which he framed his statues; but it
seems that they were destitute of passion, sentiment,
and expression. It is singular that, notwithstanding
tho refinement, the extreme poliah, and exactness of
finishing with which his works were in general elabo-
rated, he represented the hair in knots, after the fash-
ion of the ancient sculptors.
These defects, however,
seem to have derogated but little from his fame, either
in his own age or in after times. (Encycl. Metropol. ,
div. 2, vol. 1, p. 400, seq. )--Polycletus used, in many
of his works, the brass of . (Egina. (PZt'n. , 34, 2, 6. )
His highest glory, perhaps, was obtained from a statue
made of ivory and gold, and dedicated in the Ileraum
by the citizens of Argos and Mycen*. The estima-
tion in which this wock was held is evident from Stra-
ta (551). The production itself is described in Pau-
aanias (2, 17, 4), whose remarks are admirably illus-
trated by Bottiger (Andeut. , 122). --Like other statu-
aries of the same age, Polycletus was also distinguish-
es as an architect, and erected a theatre, with a dome,
at Epidaurus, on a piece of ground consecrated to ^J3s-
culapius. This building Pausanias pronounces to be
superior, in respect of symmetry and elegance, to ev-
ery other theatre, not excepting even those at Rome.
All ancient writers bestow the highest praises on Pol-
ycletus. Cicero pronounces his works absolutely
perfect. (Brut. , 18. ) Quintilian mentions his dili-
gence and the gracefulness of his productions, but in-
timates that they were deficient in majestic dignity.
(Quint. , 12, 10) Dionysius of Halicarnassus says of
his works, conjointly with those of Phidias, that they
were esteemed Karu rd oeuvov koX fieynXoT? xvov Ka*
&? iu/io. tikov (de Isocr. , p. 95, ed. Sylb. ). The breasts
of his statues were particularly admired. (Auct. ad
Herenn. ,i, 6. ) We find also, in other writers, several
narratives illustrative of his skill, and his accurate
judgment of the arts. Consult, in particular, Plutarch
(Symp. , 2, 3) and . (Elian (V. H. , 14, 8, 16). He
wrote also a treatise on the Symmetry of the Members
of the Human Body, of which Galen makes mention.
(Tlepl tuv naff 'lrnroKp. nal UMr. , 4. 3, vol. 5, p.
449, ed. Kuhn. --SiUig, Diet. Art. , p. 104. )--II. A
statuary, a native of Argos, who flourished a little be-
fore Olymp. 100. He executed, among other works,
a figure of Hecate at Argos, the Amyclean Venus, and
a statue of Alcibiades. (Pausan. , 2, 22. --Dio Chry-
sost. , Oral. , 37, vol. 2, p. 122, ed. Reiskc. -- Sillig,
Diet. Art. , p. 104. )
Polycrates, I. a tyrant of Samos, who raised him-
self to the chief power, from the condition of a private
person, by his abilities alone, about 566 B. C. His
history is narrated at length by Herodotus. He shared,
at first, the government of his country with his two
brothers Pantaleon and Syloson; but subsequently
ie caused the former to be put to death, and expelled
the latter; after which he reigned with undivided au-
thority. His successes were great and rapid, and he
acquired a power which made him dreaded equally by
his subjects and neighbours; and his alliance was
courted by some of the most powerful sovereigns of
? ? that period. He conquered the Lesbians and other
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? POL
POL
Ki, tiie titter of Hecuba. He mrrr'td Lycaate, a
natural daughter of Priam. According to Dares, Po-
lyomas, in conjunction with Antenor and . Eneas, be-
trayed Troy 10 the Greeks. (Dar. , Phry/r. , 39, >>eq(j)
--II. A son of Panthoiis, and born the same night as
Hector. He was distinguished for wisdom and val-
our. Dictys of Crete makes him to have been slain
by Ajax. Homer, however, is silent about the man-
ner of his death. (Did. Cret. , 2, 7. --Horn. , II. , 11,
67. --Id. ib. , 14,458, &c. )---III. A celebrated athlete
of Scotussa, remarkable for his great size and strength
of body, in both of which respects he is said to have
surpassed all the men of his time. He was conquered,
indeed, according to one account, by Promacnus of
Pallene, at the Olympic games, but this was denied
by his countrymen the Tnessalians. (Pausan. , 6, 5.
--Id. , 7, 27. ) He is said to have killed lions with his
hands, tearing them in pieces like so many lambs.
(Diod. Sic. , fragm. , 18, p. 640, cd. West. ) Pausa-
nias, however, merely says that be met a lion on one
occasion, and, though unarmed, destroyed it in emu-
lation of Hercules (6, 5). At another time he seized
the largest and fiercest bull in a herd, and held it ao
firmly by one of its hind legs, that the animal, after
many efforts, only managed to escape at length with
the loss of its hoof. He could also hold back a char-
iot, when advancing at full speed, so firmly with one
hand, that the charioteer could not urge it onward in
the least by the most vigorous application of the lash
to his steeds. The tame of his exploits obtained for
him an invitation to the court of Artaxerxes, where he
slew three of the royal body-guard, called the immor-
tals, who attacked him at once. He lost his life by an
act of foolhardiness; for, having one day entered a
cave along with some friends for the purpose of caress-
ing in this cool retreat, the roof of the cave became
rent on a sudden, and was on the point of fall'ng. The
rest of the party fled; but Polydamas, endeavouring
to support with his arms the failing mass, was crushed
beneath it. A statue was erected to him at Olympia,
on the pedestal of which was inscribed a narrative of
hit exploits. (I'ausan , 6, 5 . ) Lucian says, that the
touch of this statue was believed to cure levers.
(Dear Coneil. , 12. )
Pol rnscTKs, king of the island of Soriphus when
Danae and her son Perseus were wafted thither. ( Vid.
Danae. i. x Pcrseui. .
Polyoorus, I. a son of Cadmus and Harmonia.
He succeeded his father on the throne of Thebes,
and married Nycte'it, daughter of Nycteus, by wl. jm
he became the father of Labdacus. (Apollod. , 3, 4,
2. ? Id. , 3, 5, 4. --Consult Heyne, ad loc. )--II. A son
of Priam and Hecuba, treacherously put to death by
Polymnestor, king of Thrace, to whose care his father
had consigned him, on account of his early years, to-
wards the close of the Trojan war. (Vid. Polymnes-
tor. ) According to the legend followed by Euripides,
in his play of the " Hecuba," the body of the young
Trojan prince was thrown into the tea, and, having
been washed up by the waves on the beach, was there
found by Hecuba, then a prisoner to the Greeks. Vir-
gil, however, following a different version of the fable,
makes him to have been trantfllxed by many spears,
and these spears to have grown into trees over his
corpse. When . . Eneas visited the Thracian coast, and
was preparing to oflei a sacrifice in this spot, he en-
deavoured to pull up some of these trees, in order to
? ? procure boughs for shading the altar. From the root
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? POL
l>>OL
jet ond more unfavourable, and ihoae of Ihe last exact
representations. (Ami. , Pott. , 2, 2. ) Pliny states,
that Polygnotus likewise gave attention to statuary.
(Plin. , 34, 8, 18. --SiUig, Diet. Art. , s. v. )
Polyhymnia and Polymnia, one of the Muses,
daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, who presided
over singing and rhetoric, and was deemed the invent-
ress of harmony. She was represented veiled in white,
holding a sceptre in her left hand, and with her right
raised up, as if ready to harangue Ausonius describes
her attributes in the following line, " Signal cuncta
manu, loquitur Polyhymnia geitu. {Idyll. ,ull. ) The
etymology of the name is disputed. According to the
common acceptation of the term, it cornea from -n'/. ve,
"much" and v/tvoc, " a long" or "hymn," and indi-
cates one who is much given to singing. Some, how-
ever, deduce it from iroMc and /iveia, "memory,"
and therefore write the name Polymncia, making her
the Muse that watches over the remembrance of things
and the establishment of truth. Hence Virgil remarks,
"Nam verum fateamur: amat Polymneia verum. "
(Ciria, 55. --Consult fleyne, ad loc. in Var. Led. )
Polymnestor or Polymkbtor, a king of the Thra-
cian Chersonese, who married Ilione, one of the daugh-
ters of Priam. When Troy was besieged by the
Greeks, Priam sent his youngest son Polydorus, with
a large amount of treasure, to the court of Polymnes-
tor, and consigned him to the care of that monarch.
His object in doing this was to guard the young prince
against the contingencies of war, and, at the aame time,
to provide resourcea for the surviving members of his
family, in case Troy should fall. As long as the city
withstood the attacks of its foes, Polymnestor remain-
ed faithful to his charge. But when the tidings reach-
ed him of the death of Priam and the destruction of
Troy, he murdered Polydorus, and seized upon the
treasure. A very short time after this, the Grecian
fleet touched at the Chersonese on its return home,
bearing with it the Trojan captives, in the number of
whim was Hecuba, the mother of Polydorus. Here
me of the female Trojans discovered the corpse of the
young prince amid the waves on the shore, Polymnes-
tor having thrown it into the sea. Tho dreadful in-
telligence was immediately communicated to Hecuba,
who, calling to mind the fearful dreams which had
visited her during the previous night, immediately con-
cluded that Polymnestor was the murderer. Resolv-
ing to avenge the death of her son, and having obtain-
ed from Agamemnon a promise that ho would not in-
terfere, she enticod Polymnestor within, under a prom-
ise of showing him where some treasures were hid, and
then, with Ji- aid of the other female captives, she de-
prived him of sight, having first murdered before his
eyes his two sons who had accompanied him. (Eu-
rip. , Hec. ) -- Hyginus gives a different version of the
legend. According to this writer, when Polydorus
was sent to Thrace, his sister Ilione, apprehensive of
her husband's cruelty, changed him for her son Diphi-
lus, who was of the same age, so that Polydorus pass-
ed for her son, and Diphilua for her brother, tho mon-
arch being altogether unacquainted with tho imposi-
tion. After the deatruction of Troy, the conquerors,
who wiahed the house and family of Priam to be ex-
tirpated, offered Electra, the daughter of Agamemnon,
in marriage to Polymnestor, if he would destroy Ilione
and Polydorus. The ""inarch accepted the offer, and
immediately murdered his v,*ro son Diphilua, whom he
? ?
-- Sil. Lai. , 8, 599. ) A battle was fought in its vi-
linity between Stilico and the Goths, the success of
which appears to have been very doubtful. (Oros. ,
"i, 37. ) But Claudian speaks of it as the greatest tri-
? inphcf his hero. (De Bell. Get. , 605. ) The mod-
'. rii village of PoUnza stands near the site of the an-
ient city. (Cramer's Anc. Italy, vol. 1, p. 28. )
Pollio, I. C. Asinius, a Roman consul in the time
o( Augustus, who, though of humble birth, was one
of the most remarkable men and most distinguished
patrons of literature during the age in which he lived;
and who we consider the brilliant part which he acted
as a military commander, politician, and man of let-
ters, it is srii. gular we have so few remains of his wri-
tings, and such brief records of his actions. Pollio
was born in ilia 675th year of tho city, and he had,
consequently, rea. '. bed tho age of thirty before the liber-
tics of his country were subverted. During the times
of the republic, he so well performed the parts of a cit-
izen and patriot, that in one of Cicero's letters he is
classed with Cato for his love of liberty and virtue.
But in pursuing this line of conduct he offended some
of the partisans of Pompcy, and was forced, as he af-
terward alleged, to ospouse the part of Caesar, in
order to shield himself from their resentment. (Cic,
Ep. ad Fam. , 10, 31. ) He became a favourite officer
t. Julius Caesar, whom he served with inviolable fidel-
ity, and ever entertained for him the most devoted at-
'. >>? :'. . inent. A short while before the dictator's death,
a; was sent to Spain at the head of a considerable
army, to crush the parvy wbich Sextus Pompey had
? ? recently formed in tha'. province; but he was nut very
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? POLLIO.
PO L
tro me snbtraham, et cro prseda Victoria" Veil. Pa-
terc, 2,86. ) From this period till his death(. vhich hap-
pened at hit Tusculan villa in 755 IT. C, when he had
reached the age of eighty) Pollio withdrew almost entire-
ly from public affairs. He was naturally of a bold, assu-
ming, and overbearing temper; he affected a stern predi-
lection for the forms and manners of the ancient repub-
lic; and, having amassed an enormous fortune during
the proscriptions, he never sought to ingratiate himself
with Augustus. Accordingly, though he was respect-
ed and esteemed, he was not beloved by the emperor.
During the contest wi;h Lucius Antonius, several sting-
ing epigrams were directed against him by Augustus.
Pollio was well able to retort, but he did not choose,
as he himself expressed it, " in eum scribere qui potest
oroscribere. " (Macrob. , Saturn. , 2,4. ) His neutral-
ity during the war with Antony and Cleopatra, though
permuted by Augustus, would little tend to conciliate
his favour; and that prince saw around him so many
able ministers who had uniformly supported his inter-
ests, that he had no occasion to require the assistance
or counsel of Pollio. With the exception, therefore, of
occasionally pleading in the Forum, Pollio devoted all
his time to literary composition and the protection of
literary men. No Roman of that period was more ca-
pable of enjoying retirement with dignity, or relishing it
with taste. He possessed everything which could ren-
der his retreat delightful: an excellent education,distin-
guished talents, a knowledge of mankind, and a splen-
did fortune. To all the strength and solidity of under-
standing requisite to give him weight in the serious or
important affairs of life, he united the most lively and
sgreeable vein of wit and pleasantry. His genius and
acquirements enabled him likewise to shine in the
noblest branches of polite literature: poetry, elo-
quence, and history, in which last department Seneca
prefers his style to that of Livy. He had, no doubt,
effectually improved the opportunities which the times
afforded, of enriching himself at the cost of others;
and no one had profited more by the forfeited estates
during the period of the proscriptions; but it should
not be forgotten, that whatever fortune he amassed
was converted to the most laudable purposes: the
formation of a public library, the collection of the most
eminent productions of art, and the encouragement of
learning and literary men. Pliny, in his Natural His-
tory, informs us, that Pollio was the first person who
erected a public library at Koine. It was placed in the
vicinity of the Atrium Libertatis, which ne had con-
structed on the Aventine Hill; and the expense of the
establishment was defrayed frotrrthe spoils of conquer-
ed enemies (7, 30; 35, 2). From the same author
we have an account of his fine collection of statues
by Praxiteles and other masters (34, 5), which he
was extremely desirous should be publicly seen and
commended. Among the labours of Praxiteles are
mentioned a Silenus, an Apollo, a Neptune, and a Ve-
nus. The specimens of the works of other artists ex-
hibited the Centaurs carrying off the Nymphs, by Ar-
chesitas; Jupiter, surnamed Hospitalis, by Pamphilus,
a scholar of Praxiteles; a sitting Vesta; and, finally,
Zethus, Amphion. and Dirce, fastened by a cord to the
bull, all formed out of one stone, and brought from
Rhodes by the direction of Pollio. Still more useful
and praiseworthy was the patronage which he extended
to men of genius. In youth, his character and con-
versational talents had rendered him a favourite with
? ? the master-spirits of Rome: Cesar, Calvus, and Ca-
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? VOL
POLYBIUS
i Chariot, Bee>>. 2. Of the Age of Men; of wh<<t pre-1 ther the lessons of civil and political wisdom.
Hs
cedes and follows Birth; of the Members of the Human
Frame; of the External and Internal Parts of the Body.
3, Of the various relations between the Members of a
Family or a City; of Friends, Country, Love; of the
Relation between Master and Slave; of Metals, Trav-
els, Roads; of Gayety and Saduess; of Happiness;
of Kivcrs; of the Avaricious, the Industrious, and the
Idle; of Buying and Selling, &c--4. Of the Sciences.
--5. Of the Chase, Animals, &c. --6. Of Repasts; of,
various Crimes, dec. --7. Of various Arts and Trades.
8. Of Justice, and the public Administration of it.
--9. Of Cities, Edifices, Games, dec--10. Of Vases,
Utensils, dec. --The value of the work, for acquiring
not only a knowledge of Greek terms, but also of anti-
quities, is conceded by all. The interest, moreover, is
considerably increased by the citations from authors
whose works are lost. Julius Pollux composed many
other works that have not come down to us, such as
Dissertations (AtoAtftic) and Declamations (McAc-
rai); and among these are mentioned a discourse pro-
nounced on the occasion of the marriage of Commo-
dus, an eloge on Rome, and an accusation of Socrates.
The best edition of the Onomasticon is that of Hein-
sterhusius, Amst. , 1706, fol. There is a later one by
W*. Dindorf, Lips. , 1824, 5 vols. , in 6 parts, contain-
ing the notes of former editors. --III. An ecclesiasti-
cal writer in the ninth century, not to be confounded
with the author of the Onomasticon. He compiled a
shronology, which commences with the creation. The
author calls it 'laropia fvoinij (" a physical history"),
because his work enlarges greatly respecting the crea-
tion of the world. It is ruUier, however, an ecclesias-
tical than a political history. The best edition is that
of Hardt, Monach , 1792, 8vo. Hardt supposed that
? . his work was just newly discovered; but the Abbe
Morelli has proved that this is the same work with that
entitled Hisloria Sacra ab orbc condiio ad Valentinia-
>mm el Valcntem Imp. a Biancono, Bonon. , 1779, fol.
PolYjENUs, I. a native of Lampsacus, and one of
the friends of Epicurus. He had attended previously
to mathematical studies. (Cic. ,de Fin. , 1,6. )--II. A
native of Sardis, a sophist in the time of Julius Caesar,
and who is thought to have taken his prsnomen (Ju-
lius) from the family that protected him. We have
four epigrams by him remaining. -- III. A native of
Macedonia, a rhetorician or advocate, who flourished
about the middle of the second century of our era. He
. published a work entitled IrparnyrtnaTiKa (" Military
Stratagems"), in eight books, of which the sixth and
seventh are imperfect. This work, addressed to Mar-
cus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, during their campaign
against the Parthians, is of little value to military men,
but not without interest in an historical point of view.
It is well written, though rather affected, and too much
loaded with ornament. Polyaenus has been justly cen-
sured for admitting into his list of stratagems instan-
ces of treachery and perfidy unworthy of warriors, and
undeserving of being regarded as ruses de gverre. He
is inexcusable on another point: he mutilates and dis-
torts facts; he wishes to convert every military opera-
tion into a stratagem, particularly those of Alexander,
a prince who contended openly with his foes, and de-
tested stratagems of every kind. The most useful edi-
tion of Polyaenus is that of Mursinna, Berol, 1756,
ISmo. A more correct text than the former is given
? ? by Coray in the Parerga Bibl. Hell, Paris, 180'J, 8vo,
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? POLYBIUS.
POL
Not t intent with relating events in the order in which
they bad occurred, he goes back to the causes which pro-
ilaced them; he unfolds their attendant circumstances,
and the consequences they have brought with them.
He judges the actions of men, and paints the charac-
ters of the principal actors. In a word, he forms the
judgment of the reader, and causes him to indulge in
reflections which ought to prepare him for the adminis-
tration of public affairs (irpayfmra). Hence the title of
his history, 'laropia Trpay/iaTiicr). Never has a history
been written by a man of more good sense, of more
perspicacity, or of a sounder judgment, and one more
free from all manner of prejudice. Few writers have
united in a greater degree a knowledge of military and
political affairs; no one has carried farther a rigid
impartiality, and a respect for virtue Cicero gives
an animated character of this history in his treatise
De Oralore (2, 15. -- Compare the remarks of Ast,
Grundriss der Phihlogie, p. 202). --The style of Po-
lybius is not free from faults. The period when the
Attic dialect was spoken in all its purity had long
passed away, and he wrote in the new dialect which
had arisen after the death of Alexander. A long resi-
dence also out of his native country, and sometimes
among barbarian nations, had rendered him, in some lit-
tle degree, a stranger to his mother-tongue Though
his diction is always noble, yet he occasionally mingles
with it foreign terms, and even Latinisms. We find
in him, too, phrases borrowed from the school of Al-
exandrca, and passages taken from the poets ; he loves,
also, occasional digressions; but, whenever he indulges
in these, they are always instructive. --" In Polybius,"
saya Miiller, "we find neither the art of Herodotus,
nor the strength of Thucydides, nor the conciseness
of Xenophon, who says all in a few words: Polybius
is a statesman full of his subject, who, caring little for
the approbation of literary men, writes for statesmen;
reason is his distinctive character. " (Allgemtine Ges-
thichte, 5, 2. )--Dionysius of Halicarnassus (De Comp.
Verb. , c. 4) remarks, that no man of taste can endure
to read the work of Polybius to the end. It is strange
that he did not take into consideration the highly at-
tractive nature of the events, and the spirit with which
they arc narrated. --Besides his general history, Polyb-
ius wrote " Memoirs of the Life of Phifcpoemen" (lib.
10, Etc. Peiresc, p. 28), a work on "Tactics" (lib.
9, Exe. , c. 20), and a letter "on the situation of La-
conia," addressed to Zeno of Rhodes (lib. 16, Exc).
From a passage of Cicero, moreover (Ep. ad Fam. , 5,
12), it would appear that Polybius had written a de-
tached " History of the Numantine war. " It is proba-
ble that his visit to Spain, during the second consul-
ship of Scipio, gave him the idea of this last-mentioned
work, and furnished him with the materials. --Plutarch
relates that Marcus Brutus, the assassin of Cesar,
made an abridgment of the history of Polybius, and
that he was occupied with this in his tent on the even-
ing preceding the battle of Philippi. Casaubon is
hence led to infer that the abridgment or epitome which
we possess, from the 7th to the 17th books, may be
the work of Brutus; but this abridgment is made with
so little judgment that we cannot properly ascribe it
to that distinguished Roman. --The best edition of Po-
lybius is that of Schweighaeuser, Lips. , 1789-95, 9
vob. 8vo. Orel! i us published in 1818, from the Leip-
tic press, the commentary of . tneas Tacticus, in one
volume 8vo, as a supplement to this edition. The
? ? Excerpta Vatieana of Polybius, which Mai first made
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? PUL
PU1.
? rhfch Phidias invented, to perfection. He discovered
the ait of balancing of figures on one leg; and is said
to have been so partial to this mode of representing
the human form, that he almost invariably adopted it
in his statues. He is accused by Varro of too great
uniformity in his figures, and the constant repetition of
the same idea. Nothing could exceed the exactness
of symmetry with which he framed his statues; but it
seems that they were destitute of passion, sentiment,
and expression. It is singular that, notwithstanding
tho refinement, the extreme poliah, and exactness of
finishing with which his works were in general elabo-
rated, he represented the hair in knots, after the fash-
ion of the ancient sculptors.
These defects, however,
seem to have derogated but little from his fame, either
in his own age or in after times. (Encycl. Metropol. ,
div. 2, vol. 1, p. 400, seq. )--Polycletus used, in many
of his works, the brass of . (Egina. (PZt'n. , 34, 2, 6. )
His highest glory, perhaps, was obtained from a statue
made of ivory and gold, and dedicated in the Ileraum
by the citizens of Argos and Mycen*. The estima-
tion in which this wock was held is evident from Stra-
ta (551). The production itself is described in Pau-
aanias (2, 17, 4), whose remarks are admirably illus-
trated by Bottiger (Andeut. , 122). --Like other statu-
aries of the same age, Polycletus was also distinguish-
es as an architect, and erected a theatre, with a dome,
at Epidaurus, on a piece of ground consecrated to ^J3s-
culapius. This building Pausanias pronounces to be
superior, in respect of symmetry and elegance, to ev-
ery other theatre, not excepting even those at Rome.
All ancient writers bestow the highest praises on Pol-
ycletus. Cicero pronounces his works absolutely
perfect. (Brut. , 18. ) Quintilian mentions his dili-
gence and the gracefulness of his productions, but in-
timates that they were deficient in majestic dignity.
(Quint. , 12, 10) Dionysius of Halicarnassus says of
his works, conjointly with those of Phidias, that they
were esteemed Karu rd oeuvov koX fieynXoT? xvov Ka*
&? iu/io. tikov (de Isocr. , p. 95, ed. Sylb. ). The breasts
of his statues were particularly admired. (Auct. ad
Herenn. ,i, 6. ) We find also, in other writers, several
narratives illustrative of his skill, and his accurate
judgment of the arts. Consult, in particular, Plutarch
(Symp. , 2, 3) and . (Elian (V. H. , 14, 8, 16). He
wrote also a treatise on the Symmetry of the Members
of the Human Body, of which Galen makes mention.
(Tlepl tuv naff 'lrnroKp. nal UMr. , 4. 3, vol. 5, p.
449, ed. Kuhn. --SiUig, Diet. Art. , p. 104. )--II. A
statuary, a native of Argos, who flourished a little be-
fore Olymp. 100. He executed, among other works,
a figure of Hecate at Argos, the Amyclean Venus, and
a statue of Alcibiades. (Pausan. , 2, 22. --Dio Chry-
sost. , Oral. , 37, vol. 2, p. 122, ed. Reiskc. -- Sillig,
Diet. Art. , p. 104. )
Polycrates, I. a tyrant of Samos, who raised him-
self to the chief power, from the condition of a private
person, by his abilities alone, about 566 B. C. His
history is narrated at length by Herodotus. He shared,
at first, the government of his country with his two
brothers Pantaleon and Syloson; but subsequently
ie caused the former to be put to death, and expelled
the latter; after which he reigned with undivided au-
thority. His successes were great and rapid, and he
acquired a power which made him dreaded equally by
his subjects and neighbours; and his alliance was
courted by some of the most powerful sovereigns of
? ? that period. He conquered the Lesbians and other
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? POL
POL
Ki, tiie titter of Hecuba. He mrrr'td Lycaate, a
natural daughter of Priam. According to Dares, Po-
lyomas, in conjunction with Antenor and . Eneas, be-
trayed Troy 10 the Greeks. (Dar. , Phry/r. , 39, >>eq(j)
--II. A son of Panthoiis, and born the same night as
Hector. He was distinguished for wisdom and val-
our. Dictys of Crete makes him to have been slain
by Ajax. Homer, however, is silent about the man-
ner of his death. (Did. Cret. , 2, 7. --Horn. , II. , 11,
67. --Id. ib. , 14,458, &c. )---III. A celebrated athlete
of Scotussa, remarkable for his great size and strength
of body, in both of which respects he is said to have
surpassed all the men of his time. He was conquered,
indeed, according to one account, by Promacnus of
Pallene, at the Olympic games, but this was denied
by his countrymen the Tnessalians. (Pausan. , 6, 5.
--Id. , 7, 27. ) He is said to have killed lions with his
hands, tearing them in pieces like so many lambs.
(Diod. Sic. , fragm. , 18, p. 640, cd. West. ) Pausa-
nias, however, merely says that be met a lion on one
occasion, and, though unarmed, destroyed it in emu-
lation of Hercules (6, 5). At another time he seized
the largest and fiercest bull in a herd, and held it ao
firmly by one of its hind legs, that the animal, after
many efforts, only managed to escape at length with
the loss of its hoof. He could also hold back a char-
iot, when advancing at full speed, so firmly with one
hand, that the charioteer could not urge it onward in
the least by the most vigorous application of the lash
to his steeds. The tame of his exploits obtained for
him an invitation to the court of Artaxerxes, where he
slew three of the royal body-guard, called the immor-
tals, who attacked him at once. He lost his life by an
act of foolhardiness; for, having one day entered a
cave along with some friends for the purpose of caress-
ing in this cool retreat, the roof of the cave became
rent on a sudden, and was on the point of fall'ng. The
rest of the party fled; but Polydamas, endeavouring
to support with his arms the failing mass, was crushed
beneath it. A statue was erected to him at Olympia,
on the pedestal of which was inscribed a narrative of
hit exploits. (I'ausan , 6, 5 . ) Lucian says, that the
touch of this statue was believed to cure levers.
(Dear Coneil. , 12. )
Pol rnscTKs, king of the island of Soriphus when
Danae and her son Perseus were wafted thither. ( Vid.
Danae. i. x Pcrseui. .
Polyoorus, I. a son of Cadmus and Harmonia.
He succeeded his father on the throne of Thebes,
and married Nycte'it, daughter of Nycteus, by wl. jm
he became the father of Labdacus. (Apollod. , 3, 4,
2. ? Id. , 3, 5, 4. --Consult Heyne, ad loc. )--II. A son
of Priam and Hecuba, treacherously put to death by
Polymnestor, king of Thrace, to whose care his father
had consigned him, on account of his early years, to-
wards the close of the Trojan war. (Vid. Polymnes-
tor. ) According to the legend followed by Euripides,
in his play of the " Hecuba," the body of the young
Trojan prince was thrown into the tea, and, having
been washed up by the waves on the beach, was there
found by Hecuba, then a prisoner to the Greeks. Vir-
gil, however, following a different version of the fable,
makes him to have been trantfllxed by many spears,
and these spears to have grown into trees over his
corpse. When . . Eneas visited the Thracian coast, and
was preparing to oflei a sacrifice in this spot, he en-
deavoured to pull up some of these trees, in order to
? ? procure boughs for shading the altar. From the root
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? POL
l>>OL
jet ond more unfavourable, and ihoae of Ihe last exact
representations. (Ami. , Pott. , 2, 2. ) Pliny states,
that Polygnotus likewise gave attention to statuary.
(Plin. , 34, 8, 18. --SiUig, Diet. Art. , s. v. )
Polyhymnia and Polymnia, one of the Muses,
daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, who presided
over singing and rhetoric, and was deemed the invent-
ress of harmony. She was represented veiled in white,
holding a sceptre in her left hand, and with her right
raised up, as if ready to harangue Ausonius describes
her attributes in the following line, " Signal cuncta
manu, loquitur Polyhymnia geitu. {Idyll. ,ull. ) The
etymology of the name is disputed. According to the
common acceptation of the term, it cornea from -n'/. ve,
"much" and v/tvoc, " a long" or "hymn," and indi-
cates one who is much given to singing. Some, how-
ever, deduce it from iroMc and /iveia, "memory,"
and therefore write the name Polymncia, making her
the Muse that watches over the remembrance of things
and the establishment of truth. Hence Virgil remarks,
"Nam verum fateamur: amat Polymneia verum. "
(Ciria, 55. --Consult fleyne, ad loc. in Var. Led. )
Polymnestor or Polymkbtor, a king of the Thra-
cian Chersonese, who married Ilione, one of the daugh-
ters of Priam. When Troy was besieged by the
Greeks, Priam sent his youngest son Polydorus, with
a large amount of treasure, to the court of Polymnes-
tor, and consigned him to the care of that monarch.
His object in doing this was to guard the young prince
against the contingencies of war, and, at the aame time,
to provide resourcea for the surviving members of his
family, in case Troy should fall. As long as the city
withstood the attacks of its foes, Polymnestor remain-
ed faithful to his charge. But when the tidings reach-
ed him of the death of Priam and the destruction of
Troy, he murdered Polydorus, and seized upon the
treasure. A very short time after this, the Grecian
fleet touched at the Chersonese on its return home,
bearing with it the Trojan captives, in the number of
whim was Hecuba, the mother of Polydorus. Here
me of the female Trojans discovered the corpse of the
young prince amid the waves on the shore, Polymnes-
tor having thrown it into the sea. Tho dreadful in-
telligence was immediately communicated to Hecuba,
who, calling to mind the fearful dreams which had
visited her during the previous night, immediately con-
cluded that Polymnestor was the murderer. Resolv-
ing to avenge the death of her son, and having obtain-
ed from Agamemnon a promise that ho would not in-
terfere, she enticod Polymnestor within, under a prom-
ise of showing him where some treasures were hid, and
then, with Ji- aid of the other female captives, she de-
prived him of sight, having first murdered before his
eyes his two sons who had accompanied him. (Eu-
rip. , Hec. ) -- Hyginus gives a different version of the
legend. According to this writer, when Polydorus
was sent to Thrace, his sister Ilione, apprehensive of
her husband's cruelty, changed him for her son Diphi-
lus, who was of the same age, so that Polydorus pass-
ed for her son, and Diphilua for her brother, tho mon-
arch being altogether unacquainted with tho imposi-
tion. After the deatruction of Troy, the conquerors,
who wiahed the house and family of Priam to be ex-
tirpated, offered Electra, the daughter of Agamemnon,
in marriage to Polymnestor, if he would destroy Ilione
and Polydorus. The ""inarch accepted the offer, and
immediately murdered his v,*ro son Diphilua, whom he
? ?
