of the
Sarilian
ed.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - b
A short time before the death action the Greeks were commanded by Romanus
of Basil, young Leo narrowly escaped the punish- Lecapenus, who became emperor during the mino-
ment of a parricide, a crime, however, of which he rity of Constantine VII. Porphyrogenitus. Leo
was not guilty, but of which he was accused by died in the same year, 911, either on the 11th of
the minister, Santabaren, the knavish favourite of May or on the 11th of July, of a chronical dysen-
the emperor. As soon as Leo ascended the throne tery. His successor was his infant son, Constantine
he prepared for revenge. He began by deposing Porphyrogenitus, whom he had by his fourth wife,
the notorious patriarch Photius, who was the chief Zoe; and his younger brother, Alexander, who
support of Santabaren ; and having got rid of that had nominally reigned with Leo since the death of
dangerous intriguer, he had the minister arrested, their father, Basil, but who, preferring luxury and
deprived him of his eyes, and banished him to one idleness to business, had abandoned his share in
of the remotest corners of Asia Minor. The reign the government to his elder brother Leo. Leo was
of Leo presents an uninterrupted series of wars married four times ; in consequence of which he
and conspiracies. In 887 and 888 the Arabs in- was excluded from the communion with the faith-
vaded Asia Minor, landed in Italy and Sicily, and ful by the patriarch Nicolaus, as the Greek church
plundered Samos and other islands in the Archi- only tolerated a second marriage : it censured a
pelago: it was only in 891 that the emperor's third, and it condemned a fourth as an atrocious
authority was re-established in his Italian domi- sin. The first wife of Leo was Theophano, the
nions. Stylianus, Leo's father-in-law, and prime daughter of Constantinus Martinacius ; the second
minister, gave occasion to a bloody war with the Zoe, the widow of Theodorus Guniatzita, and the
Bulgarians. At that period these people were no daughter of the minister Stylianus, who, after the
longer so barbarous as in former centuries, and marriage of Zoe, received from his son-in-law the
they carried on a considerable trade with the unusual title of basileopator, or father of the en-
Byzantine empire, having their principal factories peror; the third was Eudoxia, a woman of rare
at Thessalonica, where they enjoyed great privi- beauty; and the fourth was Zoc Carbonopsina,
leges. These privileges Stylianus disregarded, and / who survived her husband.
;
:
3 8 2
## p. 740 (#756) ############################################
740
LEO.
LEO.
It is difficult to understand how the exalted , Civile, a Constantino Porphyrogenito in LX. libros
name of Philosophus could be given to a man like redactum, G. Herveto interprete. Accessit Liber
Leo, and one would feel inclined to take it ironi- LX. , Jacobo Cujiacio interprete. Cum Pracſatione
cally, were it not for the impudent flattery of the D. Gothofredi," Hanovine, 1606, fol. Previous to
later Greeks. Gibbon, with a few striking words, this edition, Joannes Leunclavius published, with
gives the following character of this emperor: - notes and commentary, “LX. Libri Baordinav, id
- The name of Leo VI. has been dignified with the est, Universi Juris Romani, &c. , Ecloga sive Syn-
title of philosopher ; and the union of the prince opsis ; accessit Novellarum antehac ineditarum
and the sage, of the active and speculative virtues, Liber," Basel, 1575, fol. All these are incomplete
would indeed constitute the perfection of human editions of Latin versions. The Greek text, with
nature. But the claims of Leo are far short of this a revised Latin version, of 36 complete, 6 incom-
ideal excellence. Did he reduce his passions and plete books, and fragments of the remaining 18
appetites under the dominion of reason? His life books, was first published by Fabrot, Paris, 1647,
was spent in the pomp of the palace, in the society | 7 vols. fol. Four of the deficient books, viz. 49–
of his wives and concubincs; and even the clemency 52, were afterwards discovered in MS. , and pub-
which he showed, and the peace which he strove lished, with a Latin version by G. O. Reitz, by the
to preserve, must be iinputed to the softness and Dutch jurist Meermann, in the 5th rol. of his
indolence of his character. Did he subdue his Nov. Thesaur. Juris Civ. et Can. A scparate re-
prejudices, and those of his subjects? His mind print of these four books was published in London
was tinged with the most puerile superstition ; the 1765, fol. , as a supplement to Fabrot's edition. As
influence of the clergy, and the errors of the people, long ago as 1830 the brothers lleimbach, in Ger-
were consecrated by his laws; and the oracles of many, began a new critical edition of the whole
Leo, which reveal in prophetic style the fates of collection, of which the first volume appeared in
the empire, are founded on the arts of astrology 1833, but which is not yet finished. The law of
and divination. If we still inquire the reason of the Basilica is by no means a mere matter of anti-
his sage appellation, it can only be replied, that the quity : it is the groundwork of the legislation of
son of Basil was less ignorant than the greater part the modern Greeks in Turkey as well as in the
of his contemporaries in church and state ; that his kingdom of Greece, and also that of the legislation
education had been directed by the learned Pho. of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia ;
tius ; and that several books of profane and eccle- and a closer investigation of the laws of Russia
siastical science were composed by the pen, or in would perhaps trace the influence of the Basilica
the name of the imperial philosopher. ”
upon the history of the civilisation of that country
In speaking of Leo's literary merits, we must also. (Montreuil, Histoire du Droit Byzantin ;
first say a few words of his legislation.
C. W. E. Heimbach, De Basilicorum Origine, Leip-
In his time the Latin language had long since zig, 1825, 8vo. ; Haubold, Manuale Basilicorun,
ceased to be the official language of the Eastern Leipzig, 1819, 4to. )
empire, and bad gradually fallen into such disuse The principal works written, or supposed to be
as to be only known to a few scholars, merchants, written, by the emperor Leo VI. are: -
or navigators. The earlier laws being all written 1. Των εν πολέμοις τακτικών σύντομος παρά-
in Latin, opposed a serious obstacle to a fair and doors, commonly called “ Tactica,” an essay on the
quick administration of justice ; and the emperor art of warfare in the author's time, which is cele-
Basil I. , the father of Leo, formed and partly brated in military history. Leo perused freely the
executed the plan of issuing an authorised version works of earlier writers on the subject, but it would
of the Code and Digest. This plan was carried be unjust to charge him with plagiarism : there is
out by Leo, who was ably assisted by Sabathius, a great deal of his own in the work, especially on
the commander of the imperial lifeguards. The the policy to be observed in warfare, but it betrays
new Greek version is known under the title of no genius. The editio princeps, but only in a
Bacialal Alatáčets, or shortly, BaciAikal; in Latin version, is by Joannes Checus (John Cheke),
Latin, Busilica, which means “ Imperial Constitu- of Cambridge, and was published at Basel, 1554,
tions," or " Laws. " It is divided into sixty books, 12mo. : it is dedicated to king Henry VIII. , and
subdivided into titles, and contains the whole of was consequently composed previously to the death
Justinian's legislation, viz. , the Institutes, the of that king, in 1547. The Greek text, together
Digest, the Codex, and the Novellae ; as also such with the translation of Cheke, revised by Jo.
constitutions as were issued by the successors of Meursius, was first published at Leyden, 1612,
Justinian down to Leo VI. There are, however, 4to. ; the same in the 6th vol. of Meursii Opera,
many laws of the Digest omitted in the Basilica, edited by Lami, Florence, 1745, fol. ; the same,
which contain, on the other hand, a considerable together with Aelian's Tactica, Leyden, 1613, 4to.
number of laws or extracts from ancient jurists The importance of the work caused it to be trans-
which are not in the Digest. The Basilica like-lated into several modern languages. The best
wise give many early constitutions which are not version is the one in French, entitled, “ Institutions
contained in Justinian's Codex. They were after- Militaires de l'Empereur Léon le Philosophe,
wards revised by the son of Leo, Constantine Por- traduites du Grec par M. Joly de Mezeray,”
phyrogenitus. Editions : Hervet published a Paris, 1771, 2 vols. 8vo. , with engravings. The
Latin translation of the books 28-30, 45–48, best German translation is entitled “ Kaiser
Paris, 1557, fol. Cujacius, who made the Basilica Leo's des Philosophen Strategie und Taktik,
a special subject of his studies, and published the übersetzt von einem MS. in der Kaiserlichen
criminal part of them at Lyon, 1566, fol. , estimated Bibliothek zn Wien bei J. W. von Bourscheid,"
the translation of Hervet but little, and accordingly Vienna, 1771–1781, 5 vols. 8ro, with notes and
published a revised edition under the title “Libri engravings. The notes are very good, but the
VIII. Baoli Alatáčewv, id est, Imperialium version resembles much more the French trans-
Constitutionum in quibus continentur totum Jus lation by Mezeray than the Greek text.
## p. 741 (#757) ############################################
LEO.
741
LEO.
a
2. Navuaxıé. Some passages extracted from torem Leonem Sapientem quem ordinem hubeant
the Tactica, and given by Fabricius, led to the throni Ecclesiarum Patriarchuc Constantinopolitano
supposition that they are quotations from, and con- subjectarum, Greek and Latin, by J. Leunclavius,
sequently fragments of, a separate work of Leo on in Jus Graeco- Romanum ; by Jac. Goar, ad calcem
naval warfare.
Codini, Paris, 1648, fol.
3. XVII. Oracula, written in Greek iambic 10. Eis Td Movoue piou, In Spectaculum Unius
rerses, and accompanied by marginal drawings, on Dci, an epigram of little value, with notes by Bro-
the fate of the future emperors and patriarchs of daeus and Opsopaeus, in Epigrum. Libri 1'İl. , ed.
Constantinople, showing the superstition of Leo if Wechel, Frankfort, 1600. Among other produc-
lie believed in his divination, and that of the people tions ascribed to Leo, and of which the reader will
if they had faith in the absurd predictions. The find an account in the sources cited below, we
17th Oracle, on the Restoration of Constantinople, mention only two books on falconry, extant in
was published in Greek and Latin by Joan. Leun- MS. in a Munich MS. , which seems to be different
clavius ad Calcem Const. Manassic, Basel, 1573, from a Turin MS. entitled 'Opveod opIOTIKÒV, since
Bro. Janus Rutgersius edited the other sixteen, the first treats on falconry exclusively, and the
with a Latin version hy Georg. Dousa, Leyden, latter on various birds, though on falcons more than
1618, 4to. Other editions: · Espositione delli others: the first may be an extract of the second.
Oracoli di Leone iniperatore," by T. Patricius, (Zonar, vol. ii. p. 174, dc. ; Cedren. p. 591, &c. ;
Brixen, 1596 ; by Petrus Lambecius, with a re- Joel, p. 179; Manass. p. 108, &c. ; Glycas, p. 296,
vised text from an Amsterdam Codex, with notes &c. ; Genes. p. 61, &c. ; Codin. p. 63, &c. ; Fabric,
and a new translation, Paris, 1655, fol. ad Calcem Bibl. Graec. vol. vii. p. 693, &c. ; Hamberger.
Codini. A German translation by John and Theo- Nachrichten von Gelehrlen Männern ; Cave, Hist.
dore de Bry appeared in “Vita, &c. Muhammedis," Lit. ; Hankius, Script. Byzant. ; Oudin, Com-
quoted above; and a Latin one by the same trans- ment, de SS. Eccl. , vol. ii. p. 394, &c. ) [W. P. ]
lators, Frankfort, 1597, 4to. ; the same year in LEO, or LEON (newr), Greek writers. 1.
which the German version was published. It is Academicus, called by Justin the historian and
doubtful whether Leo is or not the author of the Suidas LEONIDES (1ewvídns), was apparently a
Oracles. Fabricius gives a learned disquisition on native of Heracleia in Pontus, and a disciple of
the subject.
Plato. He was one of the conspirators who, with their
4. Orationes XXXIII. , mostly on theological leader, Chion, in the reign of Ochus, king of Persia,
subjects. One of them appeared in a Latin version B. C. 353, or, according to Orelli, B. c. 351, assassi-
hy F. Metius, in Baronius, Annales ; nine others nated Clearchus, tyrant of Heracleia. [Cuon,
by Gretserus, in the 14th vol. of his Opera, Ingol-CLEARCH US. ) The greater part of the conspirators
stadt, 1600, 4to. ; three others, together with seven were killed on the spot by the tyrant's guards ;
of those published by Gretserus, by Combéfis, in others were afterwards taken and put to a cruel
the first vol. of bis Biblioth. PP. Graeco-Lat. death ; but which fate befel Leo is not mentioned.
Auctar. Nov. , Paris, 1648, fol. ; Oratio de Sto. Nicias of Nicaea (apud Athen. xi. p. 506, ed. Casau-
Niculo, Greek and Latin, by Petrus Possinus, Tou- bon), and Favorinus (Diog. Laert. iii. 37) ascribed to
louse, 1054, 410. ; Oratio de Sto. Chrysostomo, a certain Leo the Academic the dialogue Alcyon
restored from the life of that father by Georgius ('Alkuv), which was, in the time of Athenaeus, by
Alexandrinus, in the 8th vol.
of the Sarilian ed. some ascribed to Plato ; and has in modern times
of St. Chrysostomus, Antwerp, 1614, fol. ; some been printed among the works of Lucian, by whom
others in Combéfis, Biblioth. Concionatoria, in the it was certainly not written ; and from the general
Biblioth. Patrum Lugdun. , and dispersed in other character of whose writings the subject (the power
works ; Leonis Imp. Homilia nunc primum vulgula of God displayed in his works) is altogether alien.
Graece et Latine, ejusdemque qua Photiana est, Con- Fabricius identifies the author of the Dialogue
futatio, a Scipione Maffei, Padua, 1751, 8vo. with the accomplice of Chion; but we know not
5. Epistola ad Omarum Saracenum de Fidci on what ground. (Memnon, apud Phot. Bibl. cod.
Christianae Veritate et Saracenorum Erroribus, in 221, sub init. ; Justin. xvi. 5 ; Suidas, s. v. Ké
Latin, Lyon, 1509, by Champerius, who translated apxos; Athen. l. c. ; Diog. Laert. l. c. ; Lucian,
a Chaldacan version of the Greek original, which Opera, vol. i. p. 128, ed. Bipont; Fabric. Bibl.
seems to be lost ; the same in the different Biblioth. Gr. vol. iii. pp. 108, 173, 178. )
Patrum, and separately by Professor Schwarz, in 2. Of Achris ('Axpis), or Achridia (now
the Program of the University of Leipzig, of the Okhrida in Albania), was so called because he held
the dignity of archbishop of the Greek church among
6. Canticum Compunctionis ex Meditatione ex- the Bulgarians; and the seat of the archbishopric
tremi Judicii, Greek and Latin, by Jac. Pontanus, was commonly fixed at Achris. He joined about
Ingolstadt, 1603, 4to. ; and in the various Bibli- A. D. 1053 with Michael Cerularius, patriarch of
oth. Patr.
Constantinople, in writing a very bitter letter
7. Carmen iambicum de misero Graeciae Statu, against the pope, which they sent to Joannes,
with a Latin version by F. Lucidus, edited by archbishop of Trani in Apulia, to be distributed
Leo Allatius in his “ De Consensu vtriusque Ec- among the members of the Latin church, prelates,
clesiae. "
monks, and laity. A translation of this letter is
8. XXII. Versus Retrogradi (Kapvikol), pub- given by Baronius. (Annal. Eccles. ad Ann. 1053,
lished by Leo Allatius in Excerpt. Graec. Rhetor. , xxii. &c. ) The pope, Leo IX. , replied in a long
Rome, 1641, 8vo. Different hymns of Leo are letter, which is given in the Conciliu, vol. ix. col.
extant in MS. in various libraries.
949, &c. , ed. Labbe ; vol. vi. col. 927, ed. Hardouin ;
9. 'H yeyovvia OratúrWois tapd Toll Baoinews vol. xix. col. 635, ed. Mansi ; and the following
Λεόντος του Σοφού, όπως έχουσι τάξεως οι θρόνοι year both Cerularius and Leo of Achris were ex-
των Εκκλησιών, των υποκειμένων τα Πατριάρχη communicated by cardinal Humbert, the papal
RwvotarTivovaóews Dispositio facta per Impera- legate. (Baronius, ad Ann. 1054, xxv. ) Leo
year 1786.
3 B 3
## p. 742 (#758) ############################################
742
LEO.
LEO.
wrote many other letters, which are extant in MS. | following works, now lost: 1. Kapinov B. bala 8',
in various European libraries, and are cited by De rebus Curiue Libri quatuor ; 2. Avrard év
Allatius in his De Consensu Eccles. Orient. et Occi- Bienious B', De rebus Lycice, Libri duo; 3. iepds
dent. ; by Beveridge in his Colex Cunonum ; by TÓNeuos Þwwéwv xal Boiwtwv, Bcllum Sacrum inter
Alexis Aristenus in his Synopsis Epistolarum Phocenscs et Bocotos ; 4. Téxvn, Ars (sc. Rheto-
Canonicarum; and by Nic. Comnenus l'apadopoli rica); and 5. ſlepi ordoewv, De Stutibus, or De
in his Praenotiones Myslagogicae. (Fabric. Bill. Seditionibus. In Villoison's edition of Eudocia
Gr. vol. vii. p. 715; Cave, Hist. Litt. vol. ii. p. the last two works are mentioned i18 one, the title
138, ed. Oxon, 1740; Oudin, De Scriptorib. et of which is Téxum teplotácEwv, Ars de Stutibus.
Scriptis Eccles. vol. ii. col. 603. )
If the above list of the works of Leo be correct, we
3. A EGYPTIUS, or the EGYPTIAN. The early may conjecture that he lived not far from the time
Christian writers, in their controversy with thic of Alexander the Great, that is, after the close of
heathens, refer not unfrequently to a Leo or the Sacred War, of which he wrote the history ;
Leon as having admitted that the deities of the and before the local history of Caria and Lycia
antient gentile world had been originally men, had lost its interest by the absorption of those pro-
agreeing in this respect with Evernerus [EVEM K vinces in the Syrian and Pergamenian kingdoms,
RUS], with whom he was contemporary, or perhaps and subsequently in the Roman empire. It is to
rather earlier. Augustin (De Consensu ljvangel. be observed, however, that the authority of the
i. 33, and De Civ. Dei, viii. 5), who is most ex- Sacred War and of the work Dc Statibus is doubt-
plicit in his notice of him, says he was an Egyptian ful, as Suidas and Eudocia enumerate works under
priest of high rank, “ magnus antistes," and ex. those titles among those of Leo of Byzantium.
pounded the popular mythology to Alexander the (No. 7. ] Vossius supposes that either Leo of
Great, in a manner which, though differing from Alabanda or Lco of Byzantium is the writer re-
those rationalistic explanations received in Greece, ferred to by Hyginus (Astron. Poctic. c. 20), as
accorded with them in making the gods (including having written a work on the history of Egypt.
even the dii majorum gentium) to have been [See No. 3. ) (Suidas, s. v. Aéww 'Alabavõeús ;
originally men. Augustin refers to an account of Endocia, Violetum, s. v. Aéwv 'Alabavo eús ; Fabric
the statements of Leo contained in a letter of Alex-Bibl. Graec. vol. vi. p. 122, vol. vii. p. 713; Voss.
ander to his mother. It is to be observed, that de Hist. Graec. Lib. iii. p. 179. )
although Leon was high in his priestly rank at the 5. Asinus ('Aowus). [No. 15. ]
time when Alexander was in Egypt (B. C. 332- 6. Of BulgaRIA. (See No. 2. )
331), his name is Greek; and Arnobius (Adv. 7. Of BYZANTIUM, a rhetorician and historical
Gentes, iv. 29) calls him Leo Pellaeus, Leo of Pella, writer of the age of Philip, and perhaps of Alex-
an epithet which Fabricius does not satisfactorily ander the Grent. Philostratus says he was a dis-
explain. Worth (Not. ad Tatian. p. 96, ed. Ox- ciple of Plato ; but according to Suidas and Eudocia
ford, 1700) would identify our Leo with Leo of some statements made him the disciple of Aristotle;
Lampsacus, the husband of Themista or Themisto, and both Suidas and Eudocia call him a Peripa-
the female Epicurean (Diog. Laert. x. 5. 25). But | tetic. He appears to have occupied a leading
the husband of Themista was more correctly called position in the Byzantine commonwealth at the
Leonteus, while the Egyptian is never called by time it was attacked by Philip of Macedon. Ac-
any other name than Leo. Arnobius speaks in cording to Hesychius of Miletus, he was strategos or
such a way as to lead us to think that in his general of the Byzantines. Philostratus has recorded
days the writings of Leon on the human origin a
a curious anecdote in reference to this in rasion. Leo
of the gods were extant and accessible ; but it sent to demand of Philip the reason of the inva-
is possible that he refers, like Augustin, to Alex- sion ; and when Philip replied that the beauty of
ander's letter. The reference to Leon in Clemens the city had made him fall in love with it, and
Alexandrinus is not more explicit. (Stromata, i. 21. that he came as a suitor, Leo retorted, that weapons
§ 106. p. 139, ed. Sylburg. p. 382, ed. Pott. vol. ii.
of Basil, young Leo narrowly escaped the punish- Lecapenus, who became emperor during the mino-
ment of a parricide, a crime, however, of which he rity of Constantine VII. Porphyrogenitus. Leo
was not guilty, but of which he was accused by died in the same year, 911, either on the 11th of
the minister, Santabaren, the knavish favourite of May or on the 11th of July, of a chronical dysen-
the emperor. As soon as Leo ascended the throne tery. His successor was his infant son, Constantine
he prepared for revenge. He began by deposing Porphyrogenitus, whom he had by his fourth wife,
the notorious patriarch Photius, who was the chief Zoe; and his younger brother, Alexander, who
support of Santabaren ; and having got rid of that had nominally reigned with Leo since the death of
dangerous intriguer, he had the minister arrested, their father, Basil, but who, preferring luxury and
deprived him of his eyes, and banished him to one idleness to business, had abandoned his share in
of the remotest corners of Asia Minor. The reign the government to his elder brother Leo. Leo was
of Leo presents an uninterrupted series of wars married four times ; in consequence of which he
and conspiracies. In 887 and 888 the Arabs in- was excluded from the communion with the faith-
vaded Asia Minor, landed in Italy and Sicily, and ful by the patriarch Nicolaus, as the Greek church
plundered Samos and other islands in the Archi- only tolerated a second marriage : it censured a
pelago: it was only in 891 that the emperor's third, and it condemned a fourth as an atrocious
authority was re-established in his Italian domi- sin. The first wife of Leo was Theophano, the
nions. Stylianus, Leo's father-in-law, and prime daughter of Constantinus Martinacius ; the second
minister, gave occasion to a bloody war with the Zoe, the widow of Theodorus Guniatzita, and the
Bulgarians. At that period these people were no daughter of the minister Stylianus, who, after the
longer so barbarous as in former centuries, and marriage of Zoe, received from his son-in-law the
they carried on a considerable trade with the unusual title of basileopator, or father of the en-
Byzantine empire, having their principal factories peror; the third was Eudoxia, a woman of rare
at Thessalonica, where they enjoyed great privi- beauty; and the fourth was Zoc Carbonopsina,
leges. These privileges Stylianus disregarded, and / who survived her husband.
;
:
3 8 2
## p. 740 (#756) ############################################
740
LEO.
LEO.
It is difficult to understand how the exalted , Civile, a Constantino Porphyrogenito in LX. libros
name of Philosophus could be given to a man like redactum, G. Herveto interprete. Accessit Liber
Leo, and one would feel inclined to take it ironi- LX. , Jacobo Cujiacio interprete. Cum Pracſatione
cally, were it not for the impudent flattery of the D. Gothofredi," Hanovine, 1606, fol. Previous to
later Greeks. Gibbon, with a few striking words, this edition, Joannes Leunclavius published, with
gives the following character of this emperor: - notes and commentary, “LX. Libri Baordinav, id
- The name of Leo VI. has been dignified with the est, Universi Juris Romani, &c. , Ecloga sive Syn-
title of philosopher ; and the union of the prince opsis ; accessit Novellarum antehac ineditarum
and the sage, of the active and speculative virtues, Liber," Basel, 1575, fol. All these are incomplete
would indeed constitute the perfection of human editions of Latin versions. The Greek text, with
nature. But the claims of Leo are far short of this a revised Latin version, of 36 complete, 6 incom-
ideal excellence. Did he reduce his passions and plete books, and fragments of the remaining 18
appetites under the dominion of reason? His life books, was first published by Fabrot, Paris, 1647,
was spent in the pomp of the palace, in the society | 7 vols. fol. Four of the deficient books, viz. 49–
of his wives and concubincs; and even the clemency 52, were afterwards discovered in MS. , and pub-
which he showed, and the peace which he strove lished, with a Latin version by G. O. Reitz, by the
to preserve, must be iinputed to the softness and Dutch jurist Meermann, in the 5th rol. of his
indolence of his character. Did he subdue his Nov. Thesaur. Juris Civ. et Can. A scparate re-
prejudices, and those of his subjects? His mind print of these four books was published in London
was tinged with the most puerile superstition ; the 1765, fol. , as a supplement to Fabrot's edition. As
influence of the clergy, and the errors of the people, long ago as 1830 the brothers lleimbach, in Ger-
were consecrated by his laws; and the oracles of many, began a new critical edition of the whole
Leo, which reveal in prophetic style the fates of collection, of which the first volume appeared in
the empire, are founded on the arts of astrology 1833, but which is not yet finished. The law of
and divination. If we still inquire the reason of the Basilica is by no means a mere matter of anti-
his sage appellation, it can only be replied, that the quity : it is the groundwork of the legislation of
son of Basil was less ignorant than the greater part the modern Greeks in Turkey as well as in the
of his contemporaries in church and state ; that his kingdom of Greece, and also that of the legislation
education had been directed by the learned Pho. of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia ;
tius ; and that several books of profane and eccle- and a closer investigation of the laws of Russia
siastical science were composed by the pen, or in would perhaps trace the influence of the Basilica
the name of the imperial philosopher. ”
upon the history of the civilisation of that country
In speaking of Leo's literary merits, we must also. (Montreuil, Histoire du Droit Byzantin ;
first say a few words of his legislation.
C. W. E. Heimbach, De Basilicorum Origine, Leip-
In his time the Latin language had long since zig, 1825, 8vo. ; Haubold, Manuale Basilicorun,
ceased to be the official language of the Eastern Leipzig, 1819, 4to. )
empire, and bad gradually fallen into such disuse The principal works written, or supposed to be
as to be only known to a few scholars, merchants, written, by the emperor Leo VI. are: -
or navigators. The earlier laws being all written 1. Των εν πολέμοις τακτικών σύντομος παρά-
in Latin, opposed a serious obstacle to a fair and doors, commonly called “ Tactica,” an essay on the
quick administration of justice ; and the emperor art of warfare in the author's time, which is cele-
Basil I. , the father of Leo, formed and partly brated in military history. Leo perused freely the
executed the plan of issuing an authorised version works of earlier writers on the subject, but it would
of the Code and Digest. This plan was carried be unjust to charge him with plagiarism : there is
out by Leo, who was ably assisted by Sabathius, a great deal of his own in the work, especially on
the commander of the imperial lifeguards. The the policy to be observed in warfare, but it betrays
new Greek version is known under the title of no genius. The editio princeps, but only in a
Bacialal Alatáčets, or shortly, BaciAikal; in Latin version, is by Joannes Checus (John Cheke),
Latin, Busilica, which means “ Imperial Constitu- of Cambridge, and was published at Basel, 1554,
tions," or " Laws. " It is divided into sixty books, 12mo. : it is dedicated to king Henry VIII. , and
subdivided into titles, and contains the whole of was consequently composed previously to the death
Justinian's legislation, viz. , the Institutes, the of that king, in 1547. The Greek text, together
Digest, the Codex, and the Novellae ; as also such with the translation of Cheke, revised by Jo.
constitutions as were issued by the successors of Meursius, was first published at Leyden, 1612,
Justinian down to Leo VI. There are, however, 4to. ; the same in the 6th vol. of Meursii Opera,
many laws of the Digest omitted in the Basilica, edited by Lami, Florence, 1745, fol. ; the same,
which contain, on the other hand, a considerable together with Aelian's Tactica, Leyden, 1613, 4to.
number of laws or extracts from ancient jurists The importance of the work caused it to be trans-
which are not in the Digest. The Basilica like-lated into several modern languages. The best
wise give many early constitutions which are not version is the one in French, entitled, “ Institutions
contained in Justinian's Codex. They were after- Militaires de l'Empereur Léon le Philosophe,
wards revised by the son of Leo, Constantine Por- traduites du Grec par M. Joly de Mezeray,”
phyrogenitus. Editions : Hervet published a Paris, 1771, 2 vols. 8vo. , with engravings. The
Latin translation of the books 28-30, 45–48, best German translation is entitled “ Kaiser
Paris, 1557, fol. Cujacius, who made the Basilica Leo's des Philosophen Strategie und Taktik,
a special subject of his studies, and published the übersetzt von einem MS. in der Kaiserlichen
criminal part of them at Lyon, 1566, fol. , estimated Bibliothek zn Wien bei J. W. von Bourscheid,"
the translation of Hervet but little, and accordingly Vienna, 1771–1781, 5 vols. 8ro, with notes and
published a revised edition under the title “Libri engravings. The notes are very good, but the
VIII. Baoli Alatáčewv, id est, Imperialium version resembles much more the French trans-
Constitutionum in quibus continentur totum Jus lation by Mezeray than the Greek text.
## p. 741 (#757) ############################################
LEO.
741
LEO.
a
2. Navuaxıé. Some passages extracted from torem Leonem Sapientem quem ordinem hubeant
the Tactica, and given by Fabricius, led to the throni Ecclesiarum Patriarchuc Constantinopolitano
supposition that they are quotations from, and con- subjectarum, Greek and Latin, by J. Leunclavius,
sequently fragments of, a separate work of Leo on in Jus Graeco- Romanum ; by Jac. Goar, ad calcem
naval warfare.
Codini, Paris, 1648, fol.
3. XVII. Oracula, written in Greek iambic 10. Eis Td Movoue piou, In Spectaculum Unius
rerses, and accompanied by marginal drawings, on Dci, an epigram of little value, with notes by Bro-
the fate of the future emperors and patriarchs of daeus and Opsopaeus, in Epigrum. Libri 1'İl. , ed.
Constantinople, showing the superstition of Leo if Wechel, Frankfort, 1600. Among other produc-
lie believed in his divination, and that of the people tions ascribed to Leo, and of which the reader will
if they had faith in the absurd predictions. The find an account in the sources cited below, we
17th Oracle, on the Restoration of Constantinople, mention only two books on falconry, extant in
was published in Greek and Latin by Joan. Leun- MS. in a Munich MS. , which seems to be different
clavius ad Calcem Const. Manassic, Basel, 1573, from a Turin MS. entitled 'Opveod opIOTIKÒV, since
Bro. Janus Rutgersius edited the other sixteen, the first treats on falconry exclusively, and the
with a Latin version hy Georg. Dousa, Leyden, latter on various birds, though on falcons more than
1618, 4to. Other editions: · Espositione delli others: the first may be an extract of the second.
Oracoli di Leone iniperatore," by T. Patricius, (Zonar, vol. ii. p. 174, dc. ; Cedren. p. 591, &c. ;
Brixen, 1596 ; by Petrus Lambecius, with a re- Joel, p. 179; Manass. p. 108, &c. ; Glycas, p. 296,
vised text from an Amsterdam Codex, with notes &c. ; Genes. p. 61, &c. ; Codin. p. 63, &c. ; Fabric,
and a new translation, Paris, 1655, fol. ad Calcem Bibl. Graec. vol. vii. p. 693, &c. ; Hamberger.
Codini. A German translation by John and Theo- Nachrichten von Gelehrlen Männern ; Cave, Hist.
dore de Bry appeared in “Vita, &c. Muhammedis," Lit. ; Hankius, Script. Byzant. ; Oudin, Com-
quoted above; and a Latin one by the same trans- ment, de SS. Eccl. , vol. ii. p. 394, &c. ) [W. P. ]
lators, Frankfort, 1597, 4to. ; the same year in LEO, or LEON (newr), Greek writers. 1.
which the German version was published. It is Academicus, called by Justin the historian and
doubtful whether Leo is or not the author of the Suidas LEONIDES (1ewvídns), was apparently a
Oracles. Fabricius gives a learned disquisition on native of Heracleia in Pontus, and a disciple of
the subject.
Plato. He was one of the conspirators who, with their
4. Orationes XXXIII. , mostly on theological leader, Chion, in the reign of Ochus, king of Persia,
subjects. One of them appeared in a Latin version B. C. 353, or, according to Orelli, B. c. 351, assassi-
hy F. Metius, in Baronius, Annales ; nine others nated Clearchus, tyrant of Heracleia. [Cuon,
by Gretserus, in the 14th vol. of his Opera, Ingol-CLEARCH US. ) The greater part of the conspirators
stadt, 1600, 4to. ; three others, together with seven were killed on the spot by the tyrant's guards ;
of those published by Gretserus, by Combéfis, in others were afterwards taken and put to a cruel
the first vol. of bis Biblioth. PP. Graeco-Lat. death ; but which fate befel Leo is not mentioned.
Auctar. Nov. , Paris, 1648, fol. ; Oratio de Sto. Nicias of Nicaea (apud Athen. xi. p. 506, ed. Casau-
Niculo, Greek and Latin, by Petrus Possinus, Tou- bon), and Favorinus (Diog. Laert. iii. 37) ascribed to
louse, 1054, 410. ; Oratio de Sto. Chrysostomo, a certain Leo the Academic the dialogue Alcyon
restored from the life of that father by Georgius ('Alkuv), which was, in the time of Athenaeus, by
Alexandrinus, in the 8th vol.
of the Sarilian ed. some ascribed to Plato ; and has in modern times
of St. Chrysostomus, Antwerp, 1614, fol. ; some been printed among the works of Lucian, by whom
others in Combéfis, Biblioth. Concionatoria, in the it was certainly not written ; and from the general
Biblioth. Patrum Lugdun. , and dispersed in other character of whose writings the subject (the power
works ; Leonis Imp. Homilia nunc primum vulgula of God displayed in his works) is altogether alien.
Graece et Latine, ejusdemque qua Photiana est, Con- Fabricius identifies the author of the Dialogue
futatio, a Scipione Maffei, Padua, 1751, 8vo. with the accomplice of Chion; but we know not
5. Epistola ad Omarum Saracenum de Fidci on what ground. (Memnon, apud Phot. Bibl. cod.
Christianae Veritate et Saracenorum Erroribus, in 221, sub init. ; Justin. xvi. 5 ; Suidas, s. v. Ké
Latin, Lyon, 1509, by Champerius, who translated apxos; Athen. l. c. ; Diog. Laert. l. c. ; Lucian,
a Chaldacan version of the Greek original, which Opera, vol. i. p. 128, ed. Bipont; Fabric. Bibl.
seems to be lost ; the same in the different Biblioth. Gr. vol. iii. pp. 108, 173, 178. )
Patrum, and separately by Professor Schwarz, in 2. Of Achris ('Axpis), or Achridia (now
the Program of the University of Leipzig, of the Okhrida in Albania), was so called because he held
the dignity of archbishop of the Greek church among
6. Canticum Compunctionis ex Meditatione ex- the Bulgarians; and the seat of the archbishopric
tremi Judicii, Greek and Latin, by Jac. Pontanus, was commonly fixed at Achris. He joined about
Ingolstadt, 1603, 4to. ; and in the various Bibli- A. D. 1053 with Michael Cerularius, patriarch of
oth. Patr.
Constantinople, in writing a very bitter letter
7. Carmen iambicum de misero Graeciae Statu, against the pope, which they sent to Joannes,
with a Latin version by F. Lucidus, edited by archbishop of Trani in Apulia, to be distributed
Leo Allatius in his “ De Consensu vtriusque Ec- among the members of the Latin church, prelates,
clesiae. "
monks, and laity. A translation of this letter is
8. XXII. Versus Retrogradi (Kapvikol), pub- given by Baronius. (Annal. Eccles. ad Ann. 1053,
lished by Leo Allatius in Excerpt. Graec. Rhetor. , xxii. &c. ) The pope, Leo IX. , replied in a long
Rome, 1641, 8vo. Different hymns of Leo are letter, which is given in the Conciliu, vol. ix. col.
extant in MS. in various libraries.
949, &c. , ed. Labbe ; vol. vi. col. 927, ed. Hardouin ;
9. 'H yeyovvia OratúrWois tapd Toll Baoinews vol. xix. col. 635, ed. Mansi ; and the following
Λεόντος του Σοφού, όπως έχουσι τάξεως οι θρόνοι year both Cerularius and Leo of Achris were ex-
των Εκκλησιών, των υποκειμένων τα Πατριάρχη communicated by cardinal Humbert, the papal
RwvotarTivovaóews Dispositio facta per Impera- legate. (Baronius, ad Ann. 1054, xxv. ) Leo
year 1786.
3 B 3
## p. 742 (#758) ############################################
742
LEO.
LEO.
wrote many other letters, which are extant in MS. | following works, now lost: 1. Kapinov B. bala 8',
in various European libraries, and are cited by De rebus Curiue Libri quatuor ; 2. Avrard év
Allatius in his De Consensu Eccles. Orient. et Occi- Bienious B', De rebus Lycice, Libri duo; 3. iepds
dent. ; by Beveridge in his Colex Cunonum ; by TÓNeuos Þwwéwv xal Boiwtwv, Bcllum Sacrum inter
Alexis Aristenus in his Synopsis Epistolarum Phocenscs et Bocotos ; 4. Téxvn, Ars (sc. Rheto-
Canonicarum; and by Nic. Comnenus l'apadopoli rica); and 5. ſlepi ordoewv, De Stutibus, or De
in his Praenotiones Myslagogicae. (Fabric. Bill. Seditionibus. In Villoison's edition of Eudocia
Gr. vol. vii. p. 715; Cave, Hist. Litt. vol. ii. p. the last two works are mentioned i18 one, the title
138, ed. Oxon, 1740; Oudin, De Scriptorib. et of which is Téxum teplotácEwv, Ars de Stutibus.
Scriptis Eccles. vol. ii. col. 603. )
If the above list of the works of Leo be correct, we
3. A EGYPTIUS, or the EGYPTIAN. The early may conjecture that he lived not far from the time
Christian writers, in their controversy with thic of Alexander the Great, that is, after the close of
heathens, refer not unfrequently to a Leo or the Sacred War, of which he wrote the history ;
Leon as having admitted that the deities of the and before the local history of Caria and Lycia
antient gentile world had been originally men, had lost its interest by the absorption of those pro-
agreeing in this respect with Evernerus [EVEM K vinces in the Syrian and Pergamenian kingdoms,
RUS], with whom he was contemporary, or perhaps and subsequently in the Roman empire. It is to
rather earlier. Augustin (De Consensu ljvangel. be observed, however, that the authority of the
i. 33, and De Civ. Dei, viii. 5), who is most ex- Sacred War and of the work Dc Statibus is doubt-
plicit in his notice of him, says he was an Egyptian ful, as Suidas and Eudocia enumerate works under
priest of high rank, “ magnus antistes," and ex. those titles among those of Leo of Byzantium.
pounded the popular mythology to Alexander the (No. 7. ] Vossius supposes that either Leo of
Great, in a manner which, though differing from Alabanda or Lco of Byzantium is the writer re-
those rationalistic explanations received in Greece, ferred to by Hyginus (Astron. Poctic. c. 20), as
accorded with them in making the gods (including having written a work on the history of Egypt.
even the dii majorum gentium) to have been [See No. 3. ) (Suidas, s. v. Aéww 'Alabavõeús ;
originally men. Augustin refers to an account of Endocia, Violetum, s. v. Aéwv 'Alabavo eús ; Fabric
the statements of Leo contained in a letter of Alex-Bibl. Graec. vol. vi. p. 122, vol. vii. p. 713; Voss.
ander to his mother. It is to be observed, that de Hist. Graec. Lib. iii. p. 179. )
although Leon was high in his priestly rank at the 5. Asinus ('Aowus). [No. 15. ]
time when Alexander was in Egypt (B. C. 332- 6. Of BulgaRIA. (See No. 2. )
331), his name is Greek; and Arnobius (Adv. 7. Of BYZANTIUM, a rhetorician and historical
Gentes, iv. 29) calls him Leo Pellaeus, Leo of Pella, writer of the age of Philip, and perhaps of Alex-
an epithet which Fabricius does not satisfactorily ander the Grent. Philostratus says he was a dis-
explain. Worth (Not. ad Tatian. p. 96, ed. Ox- ciple of Plato ; but according to Suidas and Eudocia
ford, 1700) would identify our Leo with Leo of some statements made him the disciple of Aristotle;
Lampsacus, the husband of Themista or Themisto, and both Suidas and Eudocia call him a Peripa-
the female Epicurean (Diog. Laert. x. 5. 25). But | tetic. He appears to have occupied a leading
the husband of Themista was more correctly called position in the Byzantine commonwealth at the
Leonteus, while the Egyptian is never called by time it was attacked by Philip of Macedon. Ac-
any other name than Leo. Arnobius speaks in cording to Hesychius of Miletus, he was strategos or
such a way as to lead us to think that in his general of the Byzantines. Philostratus has recorded
days the writings of Leon on the human origin a
a curious anecdote in reference to this in rasion. Leo
of the gods were extant and accessible ; but it sent to demand of Philip the reason of the inva-
is possible that he refers, like Augustin, to Alex- sion ; and when Philip replied that the beauty of
ander's letter. The reference to Leon in Clemens the city had made him fall in love with it, and
Alexandrinus is not more explicit. (Stromata, i. 21. that he came as a suitor, Leo retorted, that weapons
§ 106. p. 139, ed. Sylburg. p. 382, ed. Pott. vol. ii.
