No More Learning

iv. p. 168, d. ), and apparently of very miscel- 121, ii. 2. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 18, 20, 21,
laneous contents, tu judge by the tolerably nume 24, pp. 139, 243, 244, 246, 247, 248, 254, 255,
rous quotations of it in Athenaeus, and com- 257, 258, 260), and Paulus Aegineta (vii. 3, 21,
prising events from the time of Alexander the 22, pp. 614, 692, 693). The name frequently
Great to his own times.
occurs in Galen, but it is probable that in every
Suidas, by a gross blunder, attributes to Po- passage the philosopher is referred to and not the
seidonius of Alexandria an historical work in physician. if (as seems upon the whole not un-
fifty-two books, in continuation of the history of likely) this Poseidonius is the pupil of Zopyrus at
Polybius. Vossius (de Hist. Graec. p. 199, ed. Alexandria, who is mentioned by Apollonius Citi-
Westermar. n) considers this work to be identical ensis as his fellow-pupil (ap. Dietz, Schol. in Hip-
with the historical work of Poseidonius of Apa- pocr. et Gal. vol. i. p. 2), there is a chronological
meia. Bake dissents from this view, inasmuch difficulty which the writer is not at present able to
as events were mentioned by Poseidonius earlier explain.
than those included in the history of Polybius, and 2. The son of Philostorgius and brother of Philo
assigns the work to Poseidonius of Olbiopolis. His agrius, who lived in the latter half of the fourth
objection is not decisive, and Westermann coin- century after Christ, during the reign of Valentinian
cides with Vossius. But the account which Suidas and Valens. (Philostorg. H. E. viii. 10. ) [W. A. G. ]
gives of the work is enormously wrong, as he says POSEIDO'NIUS, of Ephesus, & celebrated
it ended with the Cyrenaic war (B. C. 324), and yet silver-chaser, who was contemporary with Pasi-
was a continuation of the history of Polybius, teles, in the time of Pompey. (Plin. H. N. xxxiii.
which goes down to the destruction of Corinth by 12. s. 55. ) Pliny mentions him also among the
Mummius (B. c. 146). 23. A history of the life artists who made athletas et armatos et venatores
of Pompeius Magnus (Strab. xi. p. 753). This sacrificantesque, and adds to the mention of his
may possibly have been a part of his larger his. name the words qui et argentum caelavit nobiliter
torical work. 24. Téxvn TAKTIKÝ (de Acie instru (H. N. xxxiv. 8. 6. 19. 34). Nagler (Künstler-
enda). 25. Various epistles.
Lexicon) makes the singular mistake of ascribing
All the relics which still remain of the writings to him the sphere of the celebrated philosopher
of Poseidonius have been carefully collected and Poseidonius, which is mentioned by Cicero (do
illustrated by Janus Bake, in a work entitled Posi- Nat. Deor. ii. 34).
(P. S. )
donü Rhodii Reliquiae Doctrina. , Lugd. Bat. 1810. POSIS, a Roman modeller, who lived in the
(Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. iii. p. 572; Vossius, de Hist. first century B. C. , and who was mentioned as an
Graec. p. 198, ed. Westermann ; Ritter, Geschichte acquaintance by M. Varro, according to whom he
der Philosophie, bk. xi. c. 6, vol. iii. p. 700, &c. ; made apples and grapes, which it was impossible
Bake, l. c. ).
to distinguish from the real objects. (Varro, ap.
There was an earlier Poseidonius, a native of Plin. H. N. xxxv. 12. 8. 45. The text of the pas-
Alexandria, and a disciple of Zeno, mentioned by sage is very corrupt ; but there can be little doubt
Diogenes Laërtius (vii. 38) and Suidas, who (besides that the reading as restored by Gronovius gives the
the historical work above referred to) mentions some meaning fairly, namely : M. Varro tradit sibi cog-
writings, of which, however, he is more disposed nitum Romae Posim nomine, a quo fucla poma et
to consider Poseidonius of Olbiopolis the author. uvas, ut non possis discernere a veris. ) These imi-
The latter he describes as a sophist and historian, tations of fruit must have been first modelled, and
and the author of the following works :-Nepl tou then painted. Their truthfulness would suggest
'Ωκεανού: Περί της Τυρικής καλουμένης χώρας : the suspicion that they were in wax ; but, from
'ATTiKds iotopías, in four books : Albuká, in eleven the absence of any statement to that effect, it must
books ; and some others. The first mentioned be supposed that they were only in some kind of
work is assigned by Bake to Poseidonius of Apa- clay or stucco or gypsum.
(P. S. )
meia.
POSSI'DIUS, a disciple of Augustine, with
There were also some others of the same name whom he lived upon intimate terms for nearly
who are not worth mentioning, (C. P. M. ) forty years. In A. D. 397 he was appointed bishop
POSEIDOʻNIUS (Tlogeidavios), the name of of Calama, a town in Numidia at no great distance
two Greek physicians, who have been confounded from Hippo Regius; but this elevation brought no
together by Sprengel (Hist. de la Méd. vol. ii. p. tranquillity nor ease, for his career from this time
92, French transl. ), and placed in the time of forward presents one continued struggle with a
Valens ;" and also by M. Littré (Oeuvres d'Hip succession of fierce antagonists. For a long period
pocr. vol. iii. p. 5), who, while correcting one half he was engaged in active strife with the Donatists,
of Sprengel's chronological mistake, falls himself maintained triumphant disputations in public with
;


## p. 510 (#526) ############################################

B10
POSTUMIA.
POSTUMUS.
1
1
1
1
their leaders on several occasions, and was one of the Punic wars, and subsequently, we also find
the four prelates despatched in 410 by se ortho- the surnames PYRGENSIS, TEMPSANUS, and Tym-
dox party in Africa to Honoriue on the purpose PANUS. A few Postumii are mentioned without
of soliciting a repeal of the . . . w which had been any surname: these are given below.
passed in favour of thei: teretical opponents.
He POSTU'MIUS. 1. A. Postumius, tribunus
next took a promijent part in the councils held militum in B. c. 180. (Liv. xl. 41. )
against Caelestius and Pelagius. In A. D. 430 he 2. C. POSTUMIUS, tribunus militum in B. c. 168.
was driven from Calama by the Vandals, sought (Liv. xlv. 6. )
refuge at llippo, and while that city was besieged, 3. PostUMIUS, a soothsayer, who predicted
watched over the deathbed of his preceptor and success to Sulla, and told him to keep him in
friend. Prosper relates in his chronicle ( A. D. 437) chains, and put him to death if matters did not
that Possidius, along with Novatus and Severianus, turn out well
. Plutarch (Sull. 9) says that this
strenuously resisted the efforts of Genseric to pro- occurred when Sulla was marching upon Rome, in
pagate the doctrines of Arianism, and it is gene- 1. c. 88; whereas Cicero (de Div. i. 33) and Valerius
rally believed, that having been expelled from Maximus (i. 6. $ 4) relate that it happened before
Africa, after the capture of Carthage (A. D. 439), the battle in which Sulla defeated the Samnites.
he made his way to Italy, and there died.
4. M. Postumius, quaestor of Verres in his
Two tracts by Possidius are still extant. government of Sicily, B. c. 73. (Cic. Verr. ii. 18. )
1. Vitu Augustini. 2. Indiculus Scriptorum Au- 5. Cn. Postumius, was one of the supporters
gustini.
These are attached to all the best editions (subscriptores) of Ser. Sulpicius in his prosecution
of Augustine. The best edition of the Vita, in a of Murena for bribery in B. C. 63. He had been
separate form, is that of Salinas, 8vo. Rom. 1731, a candidate for the praetorship in the same year.
and Aug. Vindel. 1768; of the Indiculus, that (Cic. pro Mur, 26, 27, 33. )
published at Venice, 8vo. 1735. [W. R. ) 6. T. Postumius, an orator mentioned by Cicero
POSSIS (Tóoois), a Greek writer, mentioned with praise (Brut. 77), may perhaps have been the
only by Athenaeus, who cites two of his works, same person as the following.
namely, the third book of his history of the 7. PosTUMIUS, a friend of Cicero, belonged to
Amazons ('Auacovis, vii. p. 296, d. ), and the third the Pompeian party, and on the breaking out of the
book of his history of Magnesia (Mayuntiká, xii. civil war, in b. c. 49, was appointed by the senate
p. 533, d. ).
to succeed Furfanius Postumus in Sicily ; but as he
POSTVERTA or POSTVORTA, is properly refused to go to the province without Cato, Fannius
a surname of Carmenta, describing her as turning was sent in his stead. (Cic. ad Att. vii. 15. & 2. )
backward and looking at the past, which she re- Cicero mentions him as one of his friends in B. C.
vealed to poets and other mortals. In like manner 46 (ad Fam. vi. 12. $ 2, xiii, 69). He speaks of
the prophetic power with which she looked into him again as one of the procuratores of the games
the future, is indicated by the surnames Antevorta, of Octavius in B. C. 44 (ad Alt. xv. 2. § 3).
Prorsa (i. e. Proversa), and Porrima. Poets, how- 8. Postumius, a legate of Caesar, whom he
ever, have personified these attributes of Carmenta, sent over from Greece to Italy in B. C. 48, to
and thus describe them as the companions of the hasten the passage of his troops. (Appian, B. C.
goddess. (Ov. Fast. i. 633 ; Macrob. Sat. i. 7 ; ii. 58. )
Gellius, xvi. 16 ; Serv. ad Aen. viii. 339. ) [L. S. ) 9. P. Postumius, a friend of M. Marcellus,
POSTU’MIA. 1. A Vestal virgin, accused of who was murdered at Athens in B. c. 45. (Servius,
incest in B. C. 419, in consequence of the elegance ap. Cic. ad Fam. iv, 12. $ 2. )
of her dress and the freedom of her remarks, but 10. Q. POSTUMIUS, a Roman senator, was torn
acquitted, with an admonition to be more careful to pieces by order of Antony, because he meditated
in her conduct for the future. (Liv. iv. 44. ) deserting to Augustus in B. C. 31. (Dion Cass.
2. The wife of Ser. Sulpicius, was a busy in- 1. 13. )
triguing woman, and did not bear a good character. POSTU'MIUS, architecte (Pollio. )
She is said to have been one of the mistresses of POSTUMULE'NUS, is only known as a friend
Julius Caesar (Suet. Jul. 50), and Cicero suspected of Trebianus or Trebonius (Cic. ad Fam. vi. 10).
that it was her charms which drew his legatus PO'STUMUS, which signifies a person born
Pomptinus from Cilicia to Rome. (Cic. ad Att. after the death of his father, was originally a prae-
v. 21. $ 9. ) Her name frequently occurs in nomen (Varr. L. L. v. 60, ed. Muller), but was
Cicero's correspondence at the time of the civil also used as a cognomen, of which several instances
wars (ad Fam. iv. 2, ad Att. x. 3. A, r. 14, xii. occur in the persons mentioned below.
11, &c. ).
PO'STUMUS, a Roman, to whom Horace ad.
POSTU'MIA, PO'NTIA. [PONTIA, No. 2. ) dresses one of his odes (ii. 14). Nothing is known
POSTU'MIA GENS, patrician, was one of of him, but he may have been the same person as
the most ancient patrician gentes at Rome, and the Postumus to whom Propertius addresses one of
frequently held the highest offices of the state, his elegies (iii. 12).
from the banishment of the kings to the downfal PO'STUMUS, stands second on the list of the
of the republic. The most distinguished family in thirty tyrants enumerated by Trebellius Pollio (see
the gens was that of Albus or ALBINUS, but we AUREOLUS). His full name was M. Cassianus
also find at the commencement of the republic dis- Latinius Postumus. Of humble origin, he owed his
tinguished families of the names of MEGELLUS advancement to merit, was nominated by Valerian,
and TUBERTUS. The first of the Postumii, who who entertained the strongest conviction of his
obtained the consulship, was P. Postumius Tu- worth, governor of Gaul, and was entrusted spe-
bertus, in B. c. 503, only six years after the expul- cially with the defence of the Rhenish frontier.
sion of the kings. Regillensis is properly an By his aid Gallienus was enabled to repulse for
agnomen of the ALBINI, and accordingly persons some years the attacks of the barbarians; but on
with this surname are given under ALBINUS. In setting out for Illyria (A. D. 257), in order to quell


## p. 511 (#527) ############################################

POSTUMUS.
611
POSTUMUS.
the insurrection of Ingenuus [INGENUUS], he com- | Vict. de Caes. 33, Epit. 32; Eutrop. ix. 7; Orcs.
mitted his son Saloninus to the guardianship of vii
. 22 ; Zosim. i. 38; Zonar. xii. 24. From inscrip
Silvanus. Postumus, feeling slighted by this ar- tions and medals we obtain the name given above,
rangement, took advantage of the disaffection of M. Cassianus Latinius Postumus, but Victor terms
the troops towards the royal family, raised the him Cassius Labienus Postumus, while Pollio uni-
standard of rebellion, assumed the style and title formly designates him as Postrmius, and erro-
of emperor, and drove Saloninus to take refuge in neously limits the duration of his power to seven
Colonia Agrippina, where he was besieged, and years.
(W. R. ]
eventually put to death upon the capture of the POʻSTUMUS, son of the foregoing, is men-
city. These events took place in A. D. 258 and tioned by Trebellius Pollio, who presses in his
259, while Valerian was prosccuting his unfor- name to swell the number of the 30 tyrants, stating
tunate campaign against the Persians. Whatever that having received first the title of Cacsar, and
guilt may attach to the circumstances under which subsequently that of Augustus, he was slain along
Postumus established his sway—and these are with his father. But when we recollect that not-
differently represented by different authorities, withstanding the multitude of coins still existing
since Pollio declares that he was urged on by the of the elder Postumus, not one has been found
discontent of the army and the provincials rather commemorating the dignities of the younger, we
than by any ambition of his own, denying, at the are led with Eckhel to doubt the testimony of a
same time, that he had any hand in the death of writer notoriously inaccurate, and to conclude that
the youth whom he represents as having been ac- no such person ever existed, or at all events that
tually consigned to his protectionit seems cer- he was never invested with the title of Augustus
tain that he exercised his power with firmness, or Caesar. (Trebell. Pollio. Trig. Tyr. iii. ; Eckhel,
moderation, and skill. Not only were the efforts vol. vii. p. 447. ) It must not, however, be con-
of Gallienus to take vengeance for his son signally cealed, that in addition to the pieces described by
frustrated; but while the nominal sovereign was Goltzius, which every numismatologist rejects as
indulging in slothful pleasures, the pretender, be- spurious, there are to be found in some cabinets tivo
loved by all to whom his influence extended, very rare medals, one in gold, the other in billon,
maintained a strong and just government, and pre- bearing upon the obverse the head of the elder Pos-
served Gaul from the devastation of the warlike tumus, with the legend Imp. C. POSTUMUS. P. F.
tribes upon the eastern border. Hence the titles AUG. , and on the reverse the bust of a more ju-
of Imperator and Germanicus Maximus, which venile personage, with a radiated crown, and the
recur upon the medals of several successive years, words INVICTO. AUG. Whether we are justified
are in this case something better than a mere in regarding this as a representation of the younger
empty boast. At length, however, his fickle sub- Postumus, is a question which can hardly be an-
jects became weary of submitting to the strict and swered with certainty, but the arguments adduced
well-regulated discipline enforced in all depart- to prove the affirmative are far from being con-
ments of the state, rallied round a new adventurer clusive. (See Mionnet, Medailles Romaines, vol.