(Mar-
Claudius Maximus, proconsul of Africa (Apolog.
Claudius Maximus, proconsul of Africa (Apolog.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - a
26, for the
A'PPIAS, a nymph of the Appian well, which victories he had gained in that country. (Dion
was situated not far from the temple of Venus Cass. li. 20; Fust. Capitol. )
Genitrix in the forum of Julius Caesar. It was 8. M. APPULEIUS SEX. F. Sex. N. , consul in
surrounded by statues of nymphs, who were called B. C. 20, may possibly be the same person as No.
Appiades. (Ov. Rem. Am. 659, Ars Am. i. 81, 5. (Dion Cass. liv. 7. )
in. 451. ) Cicero (ad Fam. iii. 1) flatters Appias 9. Sex. APPULEJUS Sex. F. Sex. No, probably
Pulcher by applying the name Appias to a statue a son of No. 7, consul in A. D. 14, the year in
of Minerva. In modern times, statues of nymphs which Augustus died. (Dion Cass. lvi. 29; Suet.
have been found on the spot where the Appian well Aug. 100 ; Tac. Ann. i. 7 ; Vell. Pat. ii. 123. )
existed in ancient times, and they are considered He is called in two passages of Dion Cassius (l. c.
to be statues of the Appiades. (Visconti, in Mus. and liv. 30) a relation of Augustus. Tacitus
Pio-Clem. i. p. 216, ed. Mediolan. ) [L. S. ) (Ann. ii. 50) speaks of Appuleia Varilia, who was
APPION (APION. ]
accused of adultery and treason in A. D. 17, as a
APPION, a jurist, contemporary with Justinian, granddaughter of a sister of Augustus. It is,
N
by whom he is named in terms of high commenda- therefore, not impossible that Sex. Appuleius may
tion in the 82nd Norell, on account of the excel- have married one of the Marcellae, the two daughters
lent discharge of his legal duties as the assessor of of Octavia, by her first husband Marcellus; but
Marcellus. On his appointment, A. D. 539, as there is no authority for this marriage.
communis omnium, or major juder, with jurisdiction APPULEIUS or APULEIUS (inscriptions
next to the emperor's praefects (ápxovtes), he is and the oldest MSS. generally exhibit the double
said by Justinian to have acquired a high character, consonant, see Cren. Animad. Phil. P. xi. sub. init;
not only legal, but general. He was previously Oudendorp, ad Apul. Asin. not. p. 1), chiefly cele-
advocatus fisci, an office to which was attached the brated as the author of the Golden Ass, was born
title spectabilis. His name appears as consul a. D. in the early part of the second century in Africa,
539.
[J. T. G. ] at Madaura, which was originally attached to the
A'PPIUS CLAU'DIUS. [CLAUDIUS. ] kingdom of Syphax, was transferred to Masinissa
A'PPIUS SILANUS. (SILANUS. ]
at the close of the second Punic war, and having
APPULEIA or APULEIA GENS, plebeian. been eventually colonized by a detachment of Ro-
The cognomens of this gens are DECIANUS, Pansa, man veterans, attained to considerable splendour.
and SATURNINUS: those who bear no cognomen are This town was situated far inland on the border
given under APPULEIUS. The first of the Appu- line between Numidia and Gaetulia, and hence
leii
, who obtained the consulship, was Q. Appuleius Appuleius styles himself Seminumida et Semigae-
Pansa, B. c. 300.
tulus, declaring at the same time, that he had no
APPULEIA VARI’LIA. (APPULEIUS, No. 9. ] more reason to feel ashamed of his hybrid origin
APPULEIUS or APULEIUS. 1. L. Ap than the elder Cyrus, who in like manner might be
PULEIUS, tribune of the plebs, B. C. 391, impeached termed Semimedus ac Semipersa. (Apolog. pp. 443,
Camillus for having secreted part of the spoils of | 444, ed. Florid. ) His father was a man of high
Veii. (Liv. v. 32; Plut. Cam. 12. )
respectability, who having filled the office of
2. L. APPULEIUS, one of the Roman ambassadors duumvir and enjoyed all the other dignities of his
sent in B. c. 156 to examine into the state of affairs native town, bequeathed at his death the sum of
between Attalus and Prusias. (Polyb. xxxii. 26. ) nearly two millions of sesterces to his two sons.
3. APPULEIUS, proquaestor, to whom Cicero (Apolog. p. 442. ) Appuleius received the first
addresses two letters (ad Fumi. xiii. 45, 46), was rudiments of education at Carthage, renowned at
perhaps the proquaestor of Q. Philippus, the pro- I that period as a school of literature (Florida, iv.
consul, in Asia B. C. 55.
p. 20), and afterwards proceeded to Aibens, where
## p. 249 (#269) ############################################
APPULEIUS.
249
APPULEIUS.
he became warmly attached to the tenets of the circumstances recorded in almost all the biographies
Platonic philosophy, and, prosecuting his researches prefixed to his works. Thus we are told that his
in many different departments, laid the founda- praenomen was Lucius ; that the name of his father
tions of that copious stock of various and profound was Theseus ; that his mother was called Salvia,
learning by which he was subsequently so distin- was of Thessalian extraction, and a descendant of
guished. He next travelled extensively, visiting, Plutarch; that when he visited Rome he was en-
it would appear, Italy, Greece, and Asia, acquiring tirely ignorant of the Latin language, which he
a knowledge of a vast number of religious opinions acquired without the aid of an instructor, by his
and modes of worship, and becoming initiated in own exertions; and that, having dissipated his
the greater number of the mysteries and secret fortune, he was reduced at one time to such abject
fraternities so numerous in that age. (De Mundo, poverty, that he was compelled to sell the clothes
p. 729 ; Apolog. p. 494. ) Not long after his re- which he wore, in order to pay the fees of admis
turn home, although he had in some degree sion into the mysteries of Osiris. These and other
diminished his patrimony by his long-continued details as well as a minute portrait of his person,
course of study, by his protracted residence in depend upon the untenable supposition, that Appu-
foreign countries, and by various acts of generosity leius is to be identified with Lucius the hero of his
towards his friends and old instructors (Apolog. romance. That production being avowedly a work
p. 442), he set out upon a new journey to Alex of fiction, it is difficult to comprehend upon what
andria. (Apolog. p. 518. ) On his way thither principle any portion of it could be held as supply-
be was taken ill at the town of Oea, and was ing authentic materials for the life of its author,
hospitably received into the house of a young man, more especially when some of the facts so extracted
Sicinius Pontianus, with whom he had lived are at variance with those deduced from more
upon terms of close intimacy, a few years pre- trustworthy sources; as, for example, the assertion
viously, at Athens. (Apolog. l. c. ) The mo that he was at one time reduced to beggary, which
ther of Pontianus, Pudentilla by name, was is directly contradicted by a passage in the Apolo-
a very rich widow whose fortune was at her own gia referred to above, where he states that his for-
disposal. With the full consent, or rather in com- tune had been merely “modice imminutum" by
pliance with the earnest solicitation of her son, the various expenses. In one instance only does he
young philosopher agreed to marry her. (Apolog. appear to forget himself (Met. xi. p. 260), where
p. 518. ) Meanwhile Pontianus himself was united Lucius is spoken of as a native of Madaura, but
to the daughter of a certain Herennius Rufinus, no valid conclusion can be drawn from this, which
who being indignant that so much wealth should is probably an oversight, unless we are at the same
pass out of the family, instigated his son-in-law, time prepared to go as far as Saint Augustine, who
together with a younger brother, Sicinius Pudens, hesitates whether we ought not to believe the ac-
a mere boy, and their paternal uncle, Sicinius count given of the transformation of Lucius, that
Aemilianus, to join him in impeaching Appuleius is, Appuleius, into an ass to be a true narrative.
upon the charge, that he had gained the affections of It is to this fanciful identification, coupled with
Pudentilla by charms and magic spells. (Apolog. the charges preferred by the relations of Pudentillan
pp. 401, 451, 521, 522, &c. ) The accusation and his acknowledged predilection for mystical
seems to have been in itself sufficiently ridiculous. solemnities, that we must attribute the belief,
The alleged culprit was young, highly accomplish- which soon became current in the ancient world,
ed, eloquent, popular, and by no means careless in that he really possessed the supernatural powers
the matters of dress and personal adornment, al- attributed to him by his enemies. The early
though, according to his own account, he was wom pagan controversialists, as we leam from Lactan-
and wan from intense application. (Apolog. p. lius, were wont to rank the marvels said to have
-406, seqq. 421, compare p. 547. ) The lady was been wrought by him along with those ascribed to
nearly old enough to be his mother; she had been Apollonius of Tyana, and to appeal to these as
a widow for fourteen years, and owned to forty, equal to, or more wonderful than, the miracles of
while her enemies called her sixty; in addition to Christ
. (Lactant. Div. Inst. v. 3. ) A generation
which she was by no means attractive in her ap- later, the belief continued so preralent, that St.
pearance, and had, it was well known, been for Augustine was requested to draw up a serious refu-
some time desirous again to enter the married tation—a task which that renowned prelate exe-
state. (Apolog. pp. 450, 514, 520, 535, 546, 541, cuted in the most satisfactory manner, by simply
547. ) The cause was heard at Sabrata before referring to the oration of Appuleius himself
.
(Mar-
Claudius Maximus, proconsul of Africa (Apolog. cellin. Ep. iv. ad Augustin. and Augustin. Ep. v.
pp. 400, 445, 501), and the spirited and triumph- ad Marcellin. )
ant defence spoken by Appuleius is still extant. No one can peruse a few pages of Appuleius
of his subsequent career we know little. Judging without being at once impressed with his conspi-
from the voluminous catalogue of works attributed cuous excellences and glaring defects. We find
to his pen, he must have devoted himself most everywhere an exuberant play of fancy, liveliness,
assiduously to literature; he occasionally declaimed humour, wit, learning, acuteness, and not unfre
in public with great applause ; he had the charge quently, real eloquence. On the other hand, no
of exhibiting gladiatorial shows and wild beast style can be more vicious. It is in the highest
bunts in the province, and statues were erected in degree unnatural, both in its general tone and also
his honour by the senate of Carthage and of other in the phraseology employed. The former is dis-
states. (Apolog. pp. 445, 494; Florid. iji. n. 16; figured by the constant recurrence of ingenious but
Augustin. Ep. v. )
forced and tumid conceits and studied prettinesses,
Nearly the whole of the above particulars are while the latter is remarkable for the multitude of
derived from the statements contained in the writ-obsolete words ostentatiously paraded in almost
ings of Appuleius, especially the Apologia ; but in every sentence. The greater number of these are
addition to these, we find a considerable number of to be found in the extant compositions of the oldes:
:
## p. 250 (#270) ############################################
250
APPULEIUS.
APPULEIUS.
dramatic writers, and in quotations preserved by registered, from time to time, such ideas and forms
the grammarians; and those for which no author of expression as he thought worth preserving, with
rity can be produced were in all probability drawn a view to their insertion in sone continuous com-
from the same source, and not arbitrarily coined to position. This notion, although adopted by Ou-
answer the purpose of the moment, as some critics dendorp, bas not found many supporters. It is
have imagined. The least faulty, perhaps, of all wonderful that it should ever have been seriously
his pieces is the Apologia. Here he spoke from propounded.
deep feeling, and although we may in many places 111. De Deo Socratis Liber. This treatise has
detect the inveterate affectation of the rhetorician, been roughly attacked by Si. Augustine.
yet there is often a bold, manly, straight-forward IV. De Dogmate Platonis Libri tres. The first
heartiness and truth which we seek in vain in book contains some account of the speculative doo
those compositions where his feelings were less trines of Plato, the second of his moruis, the third
touched.
of his logic.
We do not know the year in which our author was V. Le Mundo Liber. A translation of the work
born, nor that in which he died. But the names tepl koouov, at one time ascribed to Aristotle.
of Lollius Urbicus, Scipio Orfitus, Severianus, VI. Apologa sive De Magia Liber. The ora-
Lollianus Avitus, and others who are incidentally tion described above, delivered before Claudius
mentioned by him as his contemporaries, and who Maximus.
from other sources are known to have held high VII. Hermetis Trismegisti De Natura Deorum
offices under the Antonines, enable us to determine Dialogus. Scholars are at variance with regard
the epoch when he flourished.
to the authenticity of this translation of the Ascle
The extant works of Appuleius are : I. Meta- pian dialogue. As to the original, see Fabric.
morphoseon seu de Asino Aureo Libri XI. This Bibl. Graec. i. 8.
celebrated romance, which, together with the ovos Besides these a number of works now lost are
of Lucian, is said to bave been founded upon a mentioned incidentally by Appuleius himself, and
work bearing the same title by a certain Lucius of many others belonging to some Appuleius are cited
Patrae (Photius, Bibl. cod. cxxix. p. 165) belonged by the grammarians. He proſesses to be the au-
to the class of tales distinguished by the ancients thor of " poemata omne genus apta rirgae, lyrue,
under the title of Milesiae fubulae. It seems to bave succo, cothurno, item satiras ac griphos, item hwtorius
been intended simply as a satire upon the hypocrisy varius rerum nec non orationes lawatus disertis nec
and debauchery of certain orders of priests, the frauds non dialogos laudatos philosophis," both in Greek
of juggling pretenders to supernatural powers, and and Latin (Florid. ii. 9, iii. 18, 20, iv. 24); and
the general profligacy of public morals. There are we find especial mention made of a collection of
some however who discover a more recondite mean- poems on playful and amatory themes, entitled
ing, and especially the author of the Divine Legation Ludicra, from which a few fragments are quoted
of Moses, who has at great length endeavoured to in the Apologia. (pp. 408, 409, 414; compare
prove, that the Golden Ass was written with the 538. )
view of recommending the Pagan religion in oppo- The Editio Princeps was printed at Rome, by
sition to Christianity, which was at that time Sweynheym and Pannartz, in the year 1469, edited
making rapid progress, and especially of inculcating by Andrew, bishop of Aleria. It is excessively
the importance of initiation into the purer myste rare, and is considered valuable in a critical point
ries. (Div. Leg. bk. ii. sect. iv. ) The epithet of view, because it contains a genuine text honestly
Aureus is generally supposed to have been be copied from MSS. , and free from the multitude of
stowed in consequence of the admiration in which conjectural emendations by which nearly all the
the tale was held, for being considered as the most rest of the earlier editions are corrupted. It is,
excellent composition of its kind, it was compared moreover, the only old edition which escaped mu-
to the most excellent of metals, just as the apoph- tilation by the Inquisition.
thegma of Pythagoras were distinguished as xpuga An excellent edition of the Asinus appeared at
čan. Warburton, however, ingeniously contends Leyden in the year 1786, printed in 410, and
that aureus was the common epithet bestowed edited by Oudendorp and Ruhnken. Two addi-
upon all Milesian tales, because they were such as tional volumes, containing the remaining works,
strollers used to rehearse for a piece of money to appeared at Leyden in 1823, edited by Boscha.
the rabble in a circle, after the fashion of oriental A new and very elaborate edition of the whole
story-tellers. He founds his conjecture upon an works of Appuleius has been published at Leipzig,
expression in one of Pliny's Epistles (ii. 20), 1842, by G. F. Hildebrand.
assem para, et accipe auream fabulam, which A great number of translations of the Golden
seems, however, rather to mean “ give me a piece Ass are to be found in all the principal European
of copper and receive in return a story worth a languages. The last English version is that by
piece of gold, or, precious as gold,” which brings Thomas Taylor, in one volume 8vo. , London,
us back to the old explanation. The well-known i 1822, which contains also the tract De Deo
and exquisitely beautiful episode of Cupid and Socratis.
[W. R. ]
Psyche is introduced in the 4th, 5th, and 6th L. APPULEIUS, commonly called APPULEIUS
books. This, whatever opinion we may form of BARBARUS, a botanical writer of whose life no par-
the principal narrative, is evidently an allegory, ticulars are known, and whose date is rather uncer-
and is generally understood to shadow forth the wain. He has somtimes been identified with Appu-
progress of the soul to perfection.
leius, the author of the “Golden Ass," and some-
ii. Floridorum Libri IV. An dvboxoyla, con- times with Appuleius Celsus (Celsus, APPULEIUS),
taining select extracts from various orations and but his work is evidently written later than the time
dissertations, collected probably by some admirer. of either of those persons, and probably cannot be
It has, however, been imagined that we have here placed earlier than the fourth century after Christ.
a sort of common-place-book, in which Appuleius | It is written in Latin, and entitled İlerbarium, seu
## p. 251 (#271) ############################################
APRONIUS.
251
APSINES.
9
de Medicaminibus Herbarui ; it consists of one 3. L. APRONIUS, consul suffectus in A. D. 8
hundred and twenty-cight chapters, and is mostly (Fast. Cumil. ), belonged to the military staff of
taken from Dioscorides and Pliny. It was first Drusus (cohors Drusi), when the latter was sent to
published at Rome by Jo. Phil. de Lignamine, quell the revolt of the army in Germany, A. D. 14.
4to. , without date, but before 1484. It was re- | Apronius was sent to Rome with two others to
printed three times in the sixteenth century, be carry the demands of the mutineers ; and on his
sides being included in two collections of medical return to Germany he served under Germanicus,
writers, and in several editions of the works of and is mentioned as one of the Roman generals in
Appuleius of Madaura. The last and best edition the campaign of A. D. 15. On account of his ser-
is that by Ackermann in his Parabilium Medica- vices in this war he obtained the honour of the
mentorum Scriptores Antiqui, Norimb. 1788, 8vo. triumphal ornaments. (Tac. Ann. i. 29, 56, 72. )
A short work, “ De Ponderibus et Mensuris,” He was in Rome in the following year, a. D. 16
bearing the name of Appuleius, is to be found at ii. 32); and four years afterwards (A. D. 20), he
the end of several editions of Mesue's works. succeeded Camillus, as proconsul, in the government
(Haller, Biblioth. Botan. ; Choulant, Handbuch der of Africa. He carried on the war against Tacfari-
Bücherkunde für die Allere Medicin. ) [W. A. G. ) nas, and enforced military discipline with great
APPULEIUS, L. CAECI'LICUS MINU- severity. (iii. 21. ) He was subsequently the pro-
TIA’NUS, the author of a work de Orthographia, praetor of lower Germany, when the Frivii re-
of which considerable fragments were first published volted, and seems to have lost his life in the war
by A. Mai in “ Juris Civilis Ante-Justinianei Reli- against them. (iv. 73, compared with xi. 19. )
quiae, &c. ,” Rome, 1823. They were republished Apronius had two daughters: one of whom was
by Osann, Darmstadt, 1826, with two other gram- married to Plautius Silvanus, and was murdered
matical works, de Nota Aspirationis and de Diph by her husband (iv. 22); the other was married
thongis, which also bear the name of Appuleius. to Lentulus Gaetulicus, consul in a. D. 26. (vi.
Madvig has shewn (de Apuleii Fragm. de Orthogr. , 30. ) He had a son, L. Apronius Caesianus, who
Hafniae, 1829), that the treatise de Orthographia accompanied his father to Africa in a. D. 20 (iii.
is the work a literary impostor of the fifteenth 21), and who was consul for six months with Cali-
century. The two other grammatical treatises gula in A. D. 39. (Dion Cass. lix. 13. )
above mentioned were probably written in the APRONIA'NUS. 1. C. VIPSTANUS APRO-
tenth century of our aera.
NIANUS, was proconsul of Africa at the accession
A'PRIES ('Arpins, 'Arplas), a king of Egypt of Vespasian, A. D. 70. (Tac. Hist. i. 76. ) He
the 8th of the 26th (Saïte) dynasty, the Pharaoh- is probably the same Apronianus as the consul of
Hophra of Scripture (lxx. Ojappri), the Vaphres that name in A. D. 59.
of Manetho, succeeded his father Psammuthis, B. C. 2. Cassius APRONIANUS, the father of Dion
596. The commencement of his reign was distin- Cassins, the historian, was governor of Dalmatia
guished by great success in war. He conquered and Cilicia at different periods. Dion Cassius was
Palestine and Phoenicia, and for a short time re with his father in Cilicia.
A'PPIAS, a nymph of the Appian well, which victories he had gained in that country. (Dion
was situated not far from the temple of Venus Cass. li. 20; Fust. Capitol. )
Genitrix in the forum of Julius Caesar. It was 8. M. APPULEIUS SEX. F. Sex. N. , consul in
surrounded by statues of nymphs, who were called B. C. 20, may possibly be the same person as No.
Appiades. (Ov. Rem. Am. 659, Ars Am. i. 81, 5. (Dion Cass. liv. 7. )
in. 451. ) Cicero (ad Fam. iii. 1) flatters Appias 9. Sex. APPULEJUS Sex. F. Sex. No, probably
Pulcher by applying the name Appias to a statue a son of No. 7, consul in A. D. 14, the year in
of Minerva. In modern times, statues of nymphs which Augustus died. (Dion Cass. lvi. 29; Suet.
have been found on the spot where the Appian well Aug. 100 ; Tac. Ann. i. 7 ; Vell. Pat. ii. 123. )
existed in ancient times, and they are considered He is called in two passages of Dion Cassius (l. c.
to be statues of the Appiades. (Visconti, in Mus. and liv. 30) a relation of Augustus. Tacitus
Pio-Clem. i. p. 216, ed. Mediolan. ) [L. S. ) (Ann. ii. 50) speaks of Appuleia Varilia, who was
APPION (APION. ]
accused of adultery and treason in A. D. 17, as a
APPION, a jurist, contemporary with Justinian, granddaughter of a sister of Augustus. It is,
N
by whom he is named in terms of high commenda- therefore, not impossible that Sex. Appuleius may
tion in the 82nd Norell, on account of the excel- have married one of the Marcellae, the two daughters
lent discharge of his legal duties as the assessor of of Octavia, by her first husband Marcellus; but
Marcellus. On his appointment, A. D. 539, as there is no authority for this marriage.
communis omnium, or major juder, with jurisdiction APPULEIUS or APULEIUS (inscriptions
next to the emperor's praefects (ápxovtes), he is and the oldest MSS. generally exhibit the double
said by Justinian to have acquired a high character, consonant, see Cren. Animad. Phil. P. xi. sub. init;
not only legal, but general. He was previously Oudendorp, ad Apul. Asin. not. p. 1), chiefly cele-
advocatus fisci, an office to which was attached the brated as the author of the Golden Ass, was born
title spectabilis. His name appears as consul a. D. in the early part of the second century in Africa,
539.
[J. T. G. ] at Madaura, which was originally attached to the
A'PPIUS CLAU'DIUS. [CLAUDIUS. ] kingdom of Syphax, was transferred to Masinissa
A'PPIUS SILANUS. (SILANUS. ]
at the close of the second Punic war, and having
APPULEIA or APULEIA GENS, plebeian. been eventually colonized by a detachment of Ro-
The cognomens of this gens are DECIANUS, Pansa, man veterans, attained to considerable splendour.
and SATURNINUS: those who bear no cognomen are This town was situated far inland on the border
given under APPULEIUS. The first of the Appu- line between Numidia and Gaetulia, and hence
leii
, who obtained the consulship, was Q. Appuleius Appuleius styles himself Seminumida et Semigae-
Pansa, B. c. 300.
tulus, declaring at the same time, that he had no
APPULEIA VARI’LIA. (APPULEIUS, No. 9. ] more reason to feel ashamed of his hybrid origin
APPULEIUS or APULEIUS. 1. L. Ap than the elder Cyrus, who in like manner might be
PULEIUS, tribune of the plebs, B. C. 391, impeached termed Semimedus ac Semipersa. (Apolog. pp. 443,
Camillus for having secreted part of the spoils of | 444, ed. Florid. ) His father was a man of high
Veii. (Liv. v. 32; Plut. Cam. 12. )
respectability, who having filled the office of
2. L. APPULEIUS, one of the Roman ambassadors duumvir and enjoyed all the other dignities of his
sent in B. c. 156 to examine into the state of affairs native town, bequeathed at his death the sum of
between Attalus and Prusias. (Polyb. xxxii. 26. ) nearly two millions of sesterces to his two sons.
3. APPULEIUS, proquaestor, to whom Cicero (Apolog. p. 442. ) Appuleius received the first
addresses two letters (ad Fumi. xiii. 45, 46), was rudiments of education at Carthage, renowned at
perhaps the proquaestor of Q. Philippus, the pro- I that period as a school of literature (Florida, iv.
consul, in Asia B. C. 55.
p. 20), and afterwards proceeded to Aibens, where
## p. 249 (#269) ############################################
APPULEIUS.
249
APPULEIUS.
he became warmly attached to the tenets of the circumstances recorded in almost all the biographies
Platonic philosophy, and, prosecuting his researches prefixed to his works. Thus we are told that his
in many different departments, laid the founda- praenomen was Lucius ; that the name of his father
tions of that copious stock of various and profound was Theseus ; that his mother was called Salvia,
learning by which he was subsequently so distin- was of Thessalian extraction, and a descendant of
guished. He next travelled extensively, visiting, Plutarch; that when he visited Rome he was en-
it would appear, Italy, Greece, and Asia, acquiring tirely ignorant of the Latin language, which he
a knowledge of a vast number of religious opinions acquired without the aid of an instructor, by his
and modes of worship, and becoming initiated in own exertions; and that, having dissipated his
the greater number of the mysteries and secret fortune, he was reduced at one time to such abject
fraternities so numerous in that age. (De Mundo, poverty, that he was compelled to sell the clothes
p. 729 ; Apolog. p. 494. ) Not long after his re- which he wore, in order to pay the fees of admis
turn home, although he had in some degree sion into the mysteries of Osiris. These and other
diminished his patrimony by his long-continued details as well as a minute portrait of his person,
course of study, by his protracted residence in depend upon the untenable supposition, that Appu-
foreign countries, and by various acts of generosity leius is to be identified with Lucius the hero of his
towards his friends and old instructors (Apolog. romance. That production being avowedly a work
p. 442), he set out upon a new journey to Alex of fiction, it is difficult to comprehend upon what
andria. (Apolog. p. 518. ) On his way thither principle any portion of it could be held as supply-
be was taken ill at the town of Oea, and was ing authentic materials for the life of its author,
hospitably received into the house of a young man, more especially when some of the facts so extracted
Sicinius Pontianus, with whom he had lived are at variance with those deduced from more
upon terms of close intimacy, a few years pre- trustworthy sources; as, for example, the assertion
viously, at Athens. (Apolog. l. c. ) The mo that he was at one time reduced to beggary, which
ther of Pontianus, Pudentilla by name, was is directly contradicted by a passage in the Apolo-
a very rich widow whose fortune was at her own gia referred to above, where he states that his for-
disposal. With the full consent, or rather in com- tune had been merely “modice imminutum" by
pliance with the earnest solicitation of her son, the various expenses. In one instance only does he
young philosopher agreed to marry her. (Apolog. appear to forget himself (Met. xi. p. 260), where
p. 518. ) Meanwhile Pontianus himself was united Lucius is spoken of as a native of Madaura, but
to the daughter of a certain Herennius Rufinus, no valid conclusion can be drawn from this, which
who being indignant that so much wealth should is probably an oversight, unless we are at the same
pass out of the family, instigated his son-in-law, time prepared to go as far as Saint Augustine, who
together with a younger brother, Sicinius Pudens, hesitates whether we ought not to believe the ac-
a mere boy, and their paternal uncle, Sicinius count given of the transformation of Lucius, that
Aemilianus, to join him in impeaching Appuleius is, Appuleius, into an ass to be a true narrative.
upon the charge, that he had gained the affections of It is to this fanciful identification, coupled with
Pudentilla by charms and magic spells. (Apolog. the charges preferred by the relations of Pudentillan
pp. 401, 451, 521, 522, &c. ) The accusation and his acknowledged predilection for mystical
seems to have been in itself sufficiently ridiculous. solemnities, that we must attribute the belief,
The alleged culprit was young, highly accomplish- which soon became current in the ancient world,
ed, eloquent, popular, and by no means careless in that he really possessed the supernatural powers
the matters of dress and personal adornment, al- attributed to him by his enemies. The early
though, according to his own account, he was wom pagan controversialists, as we leam from Lactan-
and wan from intense application. (Apolog. p. lius, were wont to rank the marvels said to have
-406, seqq. 421, compare p. 547. ) The lady was been wrought by him along with those ascribed to
nearly old enough to be his mother; she had been Apollonius of Tyana, and to appeal to these as
a widow for fourteen years, and owned to forty, equal to, or more wonderful than, the miracles of
while her enemies called her sixty; in addition to Christ
. (Lactant. Div. Inst. v. 3. ) A generation
which she was by no means attractive in her ap- later, the belief continued so preralent, that St.
pearance, and had, it was well known, been for Augustine was requested to draw up a serious refu-
some time desirous again to enter the married tation—a task which that renowned prelate exe-
state. (Apolog. pp. 450, 514, 520, 535, 546, 541, cuted in the most satisfactory manner, by simply
547. ) The cause was heard at Sabrata before referring to the oration of Appuleius himself
.
(Mar-
Claudius Maximus, proconsul of Africa (Apolog. cellin. Ep. iv. ad Augustin. and Augustin. Ep. v.
pp. 400, 445, 501), and the spirited and triumph- ad Marcellin. )
ant defence spoken by Appuleius is still extant. No one can peruse a few pages of Appuleius
of his subsequent career we know little. Judging without being at once impressed with his conspi-
from the voluminous catalogue of works attributed cuous excellences and glaring defects. We find
to his pen, he must have devoted himself most everywhere an exuberant play of fancy, liveliness,
assiduously to literature; he occasionally declaimed humour, wit, learning, acuteness, and not unfre
in public with great applause ; he had the charge quently, real eloquence. On the other hand, no
of exhibiting gladiatorial shows and wild beast style can be more vicious. It is in the highest
bunts in the province, and statues were erected in degree unnatural, both in its general tone and also
his honour by the senate of Carthage and of other in the phraseology employed. The former is dis-
states. (Apolog. pp. 445, 494; Florid. iji. n. 16; figured by the constant recurrence of ingenious but
Augustin. Ep. v. )
forced and tumid conceits and studied prettinesses,
Nearly the whole of the above particulars are while the latter is remarkable for the multitude of
derived from the statements contained in the writ-obsolete words ostentatiously paraded in almost
ings of Appuleius, especially the Apologia ; but in every sentence. The greater number of these are
addition to these, we find a considerable number of to be found in the extant compositions of the oldes:
:
## p. 250 (#270) ############################################
250
APPULEIUS.
APPULEIUS.
dramatic writers, and in quotations preserved by registered, from time to time, such ideas and forms
the grammarians; and those for which no author of expression as he thought worth preserving, with
rity can be produced were in all probability drawn a view to their insertion in sone continuous com-
from the same source, and not arbitrarily coined to position. This notion, although adopted by Ou-
answer the purpose of the moment, as some critics dendorp, bas not found many supporters. It is
have imagined. The least faulty, perhaps, of all wonderful that it should ever have been seriously
his pieces is the Apologia. Here he spoke from propounded.
deep feeling, and although we may in many places 111. De Deo Socratis Liber. This treatise has
detect the inveterate affectation of the rhetorician, been roughly attacked by Si. Augustine.
yet there is often a bold, manly, straight-forward IV. De Dogmate Platonis Libri tres. The first
heartiness and truth which we seek in vain in book contains some account of the speculative doo
those compositions where his feelings were less trines of Plato, the second of his moruis, the third
touched.
of his logic.
We do not know the year in which our author was V. Le Mundo Liber. A translation of the work
born, nor that in which he died. But the names tepl koouov, at one time ascribed to Aristotle.
of Lollius Urbicus, Scipio Orfitus, Severianus, VI. Apologa sive De Magia Liber. The ora-
Lollianus Avitus, and others who are incidentally tion described above, delivered before Claudius
mentioned by him as his contemporaries, and who Maximus.
from other sources are known to have held high VII. Hermetis Trismegisti De Natura Deorum
offices under the Antonines, enable us to determine Dialogus. Scholars are at variance with regard
the epoch when he flourished.
to the authenticity of this translation of the Ascle
The extant works of Appuleius are : I. Meta- pian dialogue. As to the original, see Fabric.
morphoseon seu de Asino Aureo Libri XI. This Bibl. Graec. i. 8.
celebrated romance, which, together with the ovos Besides these a number of works now lost are
of Lucian, is said to bave been founded upon a mentioned incidentally by Appuleius himself, and
work bearing the same title by a certain Lucius of many others belonging to some Appuleius are cited
Patrae (Photius, Bibl. cod. cxxix. p. 165) belonged by the grammarians. He proſesses to be the au-
to the class of tales distinguished by the ancients thor of " poemata omne genus apta rirgae, lyrue,
under the title of Milesiae fubulae. It seems to bave succo, cothurno, item satiras ac griphos, item hwtorius
been intended simply as a satire upon the hypocrisy varius rerum nec non orationes lawatus disertis nec
and debauchery of certain orders of priests, the frauds non dialogos laudatos philosophis," both in Greek
of juggling pretenders to supernatural powers, and and Latin (Florid. ii. 9, iii. 18, 20, iv. 24); and
the general profligacy of public morals. There are we find especial mention made of a collection of
some however who discover a more recondite mean- poems on playful and amatory themes, entitled
ing, and especially the author of the Divine Legation Ludicra, from which a few fragments are quoted
of Moses, who has at great length endeavoured to in the Apologia. (pp. 408, 409, 414; compare
prove, that the Golden Ass was written with the 538. )
view of recommending the Pagan religion in oppo- The Editio Princeps was printed at Rome, by
sition to Christianity, which was at that time Sweynheym and Pannartz, in the year 1469, edited
making rapid progress, and especially of inculcating by Andrew, bishop of Aleria. It is excessively
the importance of initiation into the purer myste rare, and is considered valuable in a critical point
ries. (Div. Leg. bk. ii. sect. iv. ) The epithet of view, because it contains a genuine text honestly
Aureus is generally supposed to have been be copied from MSS. , and free from the multitude of
stowed in consequence of the admiration in which conjectural emendations by which nearly all the
the tale was held, for being considered as the most rest of the earlier editions are corrupted. It is,
excellent composition of its kind, it was compared moreover, the only old edition which escaped mu-
to the most excellent of metals, just as the apoph- tilation by the Inquisition.
thegma of Pythagoras were distinguished as xpuga An excellent edition of the Asinus appeared at
čan. Warburton, however, ingeniously contends Leyden in the year 1786, printed in 410, and
that aureus was the common epithet bestowed edited by Oudendorp and Ruhnken. Two addi-
upon all Milesian tales, because they were such as tional volumes, containing the remaining works,
strollers used to rehearse for a piece of money to appeared at Leyden in 1823, edited by Boscha.
the rabble in a circle, after the fashion of oriental A new and very elaborate edition of the whole
story-tellers. He founds his conjecture upon an works of Appuleius has been published at Leipzig,
expression in one of Pliny's Epistles (ii. 20), 1842, by G. F. Hildebrand.
assem para, et accipe auream fabulam, which A great number of translations of the Golden
seems, however, rather to mean “ give me a piece Ass are to be found in all the principal European
of copper and receive in return a story worth a languages. The last English version is that by
piece of gold, or, precious as gold,” which brings Thomas Taylor, in one volume 8vo. , London,
us back to the old explanation. The well-known i 1822, which contains also the tract De Deo
and exquisitely beautiful episode of Cupid and Socratis.
[W. R. ]
Psyche is introduced in the 4th, 5th, and 6th L. APPULEIUS, commonly called APPULEIUS
books. This, whatever opinion we may form of BARBARUS, a botanical writer of whose life no par-
the principal narrative, is evidently an allegory, ticulars are known, and whose date is rather uncer-
and is generally understood to shadow forth the wain. He has somtimes been identified with Appu-
progress of the soul to perfection.
leius, the author of the “Golden Ass," and some-
ii. Floridorum Libri IV. An dvboxoyla, con- times with Appuleius Celsus (Celsus, APPULEIUS),
taining select extracts from various orations and but his work is evidently written later than the time
dissertations, collected probably by some admirer. of either of those persons, and probably cannot be
It has, however, been imagined that we have here placed earlier than the fourth century after Christ.
a sort of common-place-book, in which Appuleius | It is written in Latin, and entitled İlerbarium, seu
## p. 251 (#271) ############################################
APRONIUS.
251
APSINES.
9
de Medicaminibus Herbarui ; it consists of one 3. L. APRONIUS, consul suffectus in A. D. 8
hundred and twenty-cight chapters, and is mostly (Fast. Cumil. ), belonged to the military staff of
taken from Dioscorides and Pliny. It was first Drusus (cohors Drusi), when the latter was sent to
published at Rome by Jo. Phil. de Lignamine, quell the revolt of the army in Germany, A. D. 14.
4to. , without date, but before 1484. It was re- | Apronius was sent to Rome with two others to
printed three times in the sixteenth century, be carry the demands of the mutineers ; and on his
sides being included in two collections of medical return to Germany he served under Germanicus,
writers, and in several editions of the works of and is mentioned as one of the Roman generals in
Appuleius of Madaura. The last and best edition the campaign of A. D. 15. On account of his ser-
is that by Ackermann in his Parabilium Medica- vices in this war he obtained the honour of the
mentorum Scriptores Antiqui, Norimb. 1788, 8vo. triumphal ornaments. (Tac. Ann. i. 29, 56, 72. )
A short work, “ De Ponderibus et Mensuris,” He was in Rome in the following year, a. D. 16
bearing the name of Appuleius, is to be found at ii. 32); and four years afterwards (A. D. 20), he
the end of several editions of Mesue's works. succeeded Camillus, as proconsul, in the government
(Haller, Biblioth. Botan. ; Choulant, Handbuch der of Africa. He carried on the war against Tacfari-
Bücherkunde für die Allere Medicin. ) [W. A. G. ) nas, and enforced military discipline with great
APPULEIUS, L. CAECI'LICUS MINU- severity. (iii. 21. ) He was subsequently the pro-
TIA’NUS, the author of a work de Orthographia, praetor of lower Germany, when the Frivii re-
of which considerable fragments were first published volted, and seems to have lost his life in the war
by A. Mai in “ Juris Civilis Ante-Justinianei Reli- against them. (iv. 73, compared with xi. 19. )
quiae, &c. ,” Rome, 1823. They were republished Apronius had two daughters: one of whom was
by Osann, Darmstadt, 1826, with two other gram- married to Plautius Silvanus, and was murdered
matical works, de Nota Aspirationis and de Diph by her husband (iv. 22); the other was married
thongis, which also bear the name of Appuleius. to Lentulus Gaetulicus, consul in a. D. 26. (vi.
Madvig has shewn (de Apuleii Fragm. de Orthogr. , 30. ) He had a son, L. Apronius Caesianus, who
Hafniae, 1829), that the treatise de Orthographia accompanied his father to Africa in a. D. 20 (iii.
is the work a literary impostor of the fifteenth 21), and who was consul for six months with Cali-
century. The two other grammatical treatises gula in A. D. 39. (Dion Cass. lix. 13. )
above mentioned were probably written in the APRONIA'NUS. 1. C. VIPSTANUS APRO-
tenth century of our aera.
NIANUS, was proconsul of Africa at the accession
A'PRIES ('Arpins, 'Arplas), a king of Egypt of Vespasian, A. D. 70. (Tac. Hist. i. 76. ) He
the 8th of the 26th (Saïte) dynasty, the Pharaoh- is probably the same Apronianus as the consul of
Hophra of Scripture (lxx. Ojappri), the Vaphres that name in A. D. 59.
of Manetho, succeeded his father Psammuthis, B. C. 2. Cassius APRONIANUS, the father of Dion
596. The commencement of his reign was distin- Cassins, the historian, was governor of Dalmatia
guished by great success in war. He conquered and Cilicia at different periods. Dion Cassius was
Palestine and Phoenicia, and for a short time re with his father in Cilicia.
