No More Learning

)
import. (Senec. De Clement. 14. ) It was given to FELIX, BULLA, a celebrated robber chief,
the dictator Sulla, and became a frequent addition who, having collected a band of 600 followers, ra-
to the imperial titles, being probably borrowed vaged Italy for the space of two years, during the
from the formula “felix faustum. " (W. B. D. ] reign of Septimius Severus, setting at defance all
FELIX, ANTONIUS, procurator of Judaea, the efforts of the imperial officers to effect his cap-
was a brother of the freedman Pallas, and was ture, till at length he was betrayed by a mistress,
himself a freedman of the emperor Claudius I. taken prisoner, and thrown to wild beasts. Dion
Suidas (s. v. Klaúdios) calls him Claudius Felix ; Cassius (lxxvi. 21) has preserved several curious
and it is probable that he was known by his pa anecdotes of his exploits, which were characterised
tron's name as well as by that which marked his by a combination of reckless daring and consum-
relation to the empress's mother, Antonian by mate prudence.
(W. R]
whom he may have been manumitted. The date FELIX, CA'SSIUS. [CASSIUS IATROSO
of his appointment by Claudius to the government PHISTA. ]
of Judaea is uncertain. It would seem from the FELIX CLAU'DIUS. (Felix, ANTONIUS. )
account of Tacitus (Ann. xii. 54), that he and FELIX, FLAVIUS, an African who flourished
Ventidius Cumanus were for some time joint pro- towards the close of the fifth century, the author of
curators, Galilee being held by Cumanus, and five short pieces in the Latin Anthology. Of these
Samaria by Felix ; that both of them connived at the first four celebrate the magnificence and utility
the acts of violence and robbery mutually committed of the “ Thermae Alianae," constructed in - the
by their respective subjects, and enriched them- vicinity of Carthage by King Thrasimund, within
selves by the spoils which each party brought back the space of a single year ; the fifth is a whining
from their incursions ; that Quadratus, who com- petition for an ecclesiastical appointment, addressed
manded in Syria, was commissioned to take cogni- to Victorianus, the chief secretary of the Vandal
zance of these proceedings, and to try both the monarch. (Anthol. Lat. iii. 34—37, vi. 86, ed.
provincials and their governors ; and that, while Burmann, or n. 291—295, ed. Meyer. ) (W. R. ]
he condemned Cumanus, be saved Felix by placing FELIX, LA E’LIUS. A jurist, named Laelius,
him openly among the judges and thus deterring flourished in the time of Hadrian ; for it appears
his accusers. But, if we follow Josephus, we must from a fragment of Paulus, in Dig. 5. tit. 4. s. 3,
believe that Cumanus was sole procurator during that Laelius, in one of his works, mentions having
the disturbances in question, and that, when he seen in the palace a free woman, who was brought
was condemned and deposed, Felix was sent from from Alexandria, in Egypt, in order to be exhibited
Rome as his successor, probably about A. D. 51, to Hadrian, with five children, four of whom were
and with an authority extending over Judaea, brought into the world at one birth, and the fifth
Samaria, Galilee, and Petraea (Joseph. Ant. xx. forty days afterwards. Gaius (Dig. 34. tit. 5. s. 7)
5—7, Bell. Jud. ii. 12; Euseb. Hist. Eccl. ii. 19; tells the same story, without mentioning the in-
Vales. ad loc. ). In his private and his public cha- terval of forty days ; and we find from him that
racter alike Felix was unscrupulous and profligate, the name of the woman was Serapia. (Compare
nor is he unjustly described in the killing words of also Julianus, in Dig. 46. tit. 3. s. 36 ; Capitolin,
Tacitus (Hist. v. 9), “per omnem saevitiam et Anton. Pius, 9 ; Phlegon, de Rebus Mirab. 29. )
libidinem jus regium servili ingenio exercuit. " | Indeed, the learned Ant. Augustinus, without
Having fallen in love with Drusilla, daughter of sufficient reason, suspects that Gaius was no other
Agrippa I. , and wife of Azizus, king of Emesa, he than Laelius, designated by his praenomen. Laelius
induced her to leave her husband, and she was is cited by Paulus in another passage (Dig. 5.
still living with him in A. D. 60, when St. Paul tit. 3. s. 43), which also relates to the law of he-
preached before him “of righteousness, temper reditas.
ance, and judgment to come. " (Joseph. Ant. xx. 7. The Laelius of the Digest is, by most writers
$ 2; Acts, xxiv. 25. ) Jonathan, the high priest, upon the subject (e. g. Guil
. Grotius, Heineccius,
having become obnoxious to him by unpalatable and Bach), identified with Laelius Felix, who
advice, he procured his assassination. (Joseph. wrote notes upon Q. Mucius Scaevola (librum ad
art. xx. 8. § 5, Bell. Jud. ii. 13. $ 3; Euseb. IR. Mucium), from which Gellius (xv, 27) makes
ULLA. (SriLL)
ver, or rather the
ree sanctuate at
celebrated of shida
id was on the area,
onuments of Marias,
: of the ricus longos
'ere dedicated stich
1. Val. Mar. Ü.
e Nat. Deor. in. 95 ;
e worship of this di
accounted for by the
: place was visited by
sent day. [LS]
Ć Italian divinity, to
try was sacred, for in
nth great and gereal
were celebrated, weich
sidered to produce ie
as beasts. Hence the
so sacred to Juna, the
she was therefore sur
liis. (Fest. s. t. Felro
The name Februus is
to purify), and fétrane
le L. L. vi. 13;0. Faso
ure in the character of this
.
ntimately connected with
is, that he was also it
wer world, for the festival
ras likewise celebrated in
i. 4, 13; 0r. Fast. ü. 535,
J. Lrdum, de Messi
ruus in Etruscan signified
orld (Karaydóros). Hezret
1 with Pluta. When the


## p. 144 (#160) ############################################

144
FELIX.
FELIX.
some interesting extracts, explaining the distinctions | value in a theological point of view is not very
between the different kinds of comitia In this great, since the various topics are touched upon
work Felix cites Labeo. Zimmern (R. R. G. i. lightly, the end in view being evidently to furnish
$ 89), after Conradi and Bynkerschoek, moved by a ready reply to the most common popular objec-
the archaic style of the extracts in Gellius, thinks tions. The censure of Dupin, who imagined that
it not improbable that the Laelius Felix of that he could detect a tendency to materialism, seems
author was more ancient than the Laelius of the to have been founded upon a misapprehension of
Digest, and that he may even be the same person the real import of the passages whose orthodoxy he
with the preceptor of Varro. If this be the case, impugns.
the Labeo he cites must be Q. Antistius Labeo, the It is remarkable that the Octavius was for a long
father. Che preceptor of Varro, however, who is period believed to belong to Arnobius, and was
stated by Gellius (xvi. 8) to have written an essay printed repeatedly as the eighth book of his treat-
on oratorical introductions (Commentarium de Pró ise Adversus Gentes, notwithstanding the express
loquiis), is, according to a different reading, not testimony of St. Jerome, whose words (de Viris
Laelius, but L. Aelius, and was perhaps the gram- 14. 58) are so clear as to leave no room for hesi-
marian, L. Aelius Stilo. In Pliny (H. N. xiv. tation.
13) it is doubtful whether the name mentioned in The time, however, at which Minucius Felix
connection with Scaevola and Capito should be lived is very uncertain. By some he is placed as
read Laelius, or L. Aelius. (Dirksen, Bruchstücke early as the reign of M. Aurelius ; by some as low
aus den Schriflen der Römischen Juristen, p. 101 ; as Diocletian ; while others have fixed upon
Maiansius, ad XXX. Ictorum Fragm. Comment various points intermediate between these two
vol. ii. p. 208–217. )
[J. T. G. ] extremes. The critics who, with Van Hoven,
FELIX MAGNIS, a fellow-student and cor- carry him back as far as the middle of the second
respondent of Sidonius Apollinaris, and conse- century, rest their opinion chiefly on the purity of
quently lived between A. D. 430—480. Felix was his diction, upon the indications afforded by allu-
of the family of the Philagrii (Sidon. Propempt. ad sions to the state of the Church, both as to its
Libell. 90, Ep. ii. 3), and was, raised to the rank internal constitution, and to the attention which it
of patrician (Ep. ii. 3). The letters of Sidonius to attracted from without, upon the strong resem-
Felix are curiously illustrative of the distress and blance which the piece bears to those Apologies
dismemberment of the Roman provinces north of which confessedly belong to the period in question,
the Alps in the fifth century, A. D.
and upon the probability that the Fronto twice
A poem (Carm. ix. ) and five letters (ii. 3, iii. named in the course of the colloquy is the same
4, 7, iv. 5, 10) are addressed by Sidonius to with the rhetorician, M. Cornelius Fronto, so
Felix.
(W. B. D. ] celebrated under the Antonines. But this posi-
FELIX, M. MINU'CIUS, a distinguished tion, although defended with great learning, can
Roman lawyer, the author of a dialogue entitled scarcely be maintained against the positive eri-
Octavius, which occupies a conspicuous place among dence afforded by St. Jerome, who, in his account
the early Apologies for Christianity.
The speakers of illustrious men, where the individuals men-
are Caecilius Natalis, a Pagan, and Octavius Janu- tioned succeed each other in regular chronological
arius, a true believer, who, while rambling along order, sets down Minucius Felix after Tertullian
the shore near Ostia during the holidays of the and before Cyprian, an arrangement confirmed by
vintage with their common friend Minucius, are a paragraph in the Epistola ad Magnum, and not
led into a discussion in consequence of an act of contradicted by another in the Apologia ad Pan-
homage paid by Caecilius to a statue of Serapis, a machium, where Tertullian, Cyprian, and Felix,
proceeding which calls forth severe, although indi- are grouped together in the same clause. The cir-
rect animadversions from Octavius. Irritated by cumstance that certain sentences in the Octarius and
these remarks, Caecilius commences a lengthened in the De Idolorum Vanitate are word for word the
discourse, in which he combines a formal defence same, although it proves that one writer copied
of his own practice with an attack upon the prin- from the other, leads to no inference as to which
ciples of his companion. His arguments are of a was the original. We may therefore acquiesce in
twofold character. On the one hand he assails re- the conclusion that our author flourished about
vealed religion in general, and on the other the A. D. 230. That he was a lawyer, and attained to
Christian religion specially. Octavius replies to eminence in pleading, is distinctly asserted both by
all his objections with great force and eloquence ; St. Jerome and Lactantius ; but beyond this we
and when he concludes, Caecilius, feeling himself know nothing of his personal history, except in so
defeated, freely acknowledges his errors, and de far as we are led by his own words to believe that
clares himself a convert to the truth.
he was by birth a Gentile, and that his conversion
The tone of this production is throughout earnest did not take place until he had attained to man-
and impressive ; the arguments are well selected, hood. We are further told (Hieron. I. c. ) that a
and stated with precision ; the style is for the book entitled De Fato, or Contra Mathematicas,
most part terse and pregnant, and the diction is was circulated under his name, but that, although
extremely pure ; but it frequently wears the aspect evidently the work of an accomplished man, it
of a cento in which a number of choice phrases was so different in style and general character from
have been culled from various sources. There is, the Octarius, that they could scarcely have pro-
moreover, occasionally a want of simplicity, and ceeded from the same pen.
some of the sentiments are expressed in language It has already been remarked that this dialogue
which borders upon declamatory inflation. But was long supposed to form a part of the treatise of
these blemishes are not so numerous as to affect Arnobius, Adversus Gentes. It was first assigned
seriously our favourable estimate of the work as a to its rightful owner, and printed in an indepen-
whole, which, in the opinion of many, entitles the dent form, by Balduinus (Heidelberg. 1560), who
author to rank not much below Lactantius. Its prefixed a dissertation, in which he proved his
a


## p. 145 (#161) ############################################

FENESTELLA.
FEROX.
145
a
FELIX.
cal point of view is not rery
jous topics are touched upon
ew being evidently to furnish
most common popular objeto
of Dupin, who imagined that
ndency to materialism, seems
i upon a misapprehension of
massages whose orthodony be
the Octarius was for a long
ing to Amobius, and was
e eighth book of his treate
twithstanding the express
e, whose words (de ling
to leare no room for les
;
which Minucius Felir
By some he is placed as
urelius; by some as low
hers hare fixed upon
te between these 170
0, with Van Horen,
e middle of the second
hiefly on the purity of
tions afforded by allo-
'burch, both as to its
he attention which it
the strong resci-
to those Apologies
e period in question
it the Fronto twice
olloquy is the same
rnelius Fronta, s
Ps. But this posi-
Teat learning, co
the positive eri-
ho, in his account
individuals nens
alar chronological
after Tertulian
ent confirmed by
lagnum, and Dot
point so indisputably, that we are surprised that | i. 6; Hieron. in Euseb. Chron. Ol. cxcix; Diomedes,
such an error should have escaped the keen eyes of p. 361. ed. Putsch ; Non. Marcell
. ii. s. v. Prae-
Erasmus and other great scholars. Since that sente, iii. s. v. Reticulum, iv. s. o. Rumor; Madrig.
time a vast number of editions have been pub de Ascon. Ped. &c. p. 64. )
(W. R. )
lished, a full account of which will be found in FE'NIUS RUFUS. (Rupus)
Funccius, Schönemann, and Bähr. For general FERE'TRIUS, a surname of Jupiter, which is
purposes, that of Jac. Gronovius (8vo. Lug. Bat. probably derived from ferire, to strike; for persons
1707) forming one of the series of Variorum who took an oath called upon Jupiter, if they
Classics ; that of Lindner (8vo. Longosal. 1760) swore falsely, to strike them as they struck the
reprinted, with a preface by Ernesti (ibid. 1773) ; victim they sacrificed to him. (Fest. s. r. Lapidem
and that of Muralto, with a preface, by Orelli Silicem. ) Others derived it from ferre, because he
(8vo. Turic. 1836), will be found the most useful. was the giver of peace, or because people dedicated
The German translations by J. G. Russwurm (4to. (fercbant) to him spolia opima. (Fest. s. v. Fere-
Hamb. 1824), and by J. H. B. Lübkert (8vo. irius ; Liv. i. 10 ; Propert. iv. 10. 46 ; comp.
Leip. 1836), may be consulted with advantage. JUPITER. )
(L. S. )
In illustration, we may read the essay of Bal- FEROʻNIA, an ancient Italian divinity, who
duinus, which is appended to the edition of Gro originally belonged to the Sabines and Faliscans,
novius ; J. D. Van Hoven, Epistola ad Gerh. and was introduced by them among the Romans.
Meermann, 4to. Camp. 1766, reprinted in Lind-Greek writers, as usual, describe her as of Greek
ner's edition of 1773; H. Meier, Comment. de origin. Dionysius (ii. 49) thus relates, that the
Mirucio Felice (8vo. Turic. 1824); and the re- Lacedaemonians who emigrated at the time of
marks prefixed to the translation of Russwurm. Lycurgus, after long wanderings (pepóuevos), at
(Hieronym. de Viris Il. 58, Ep. ad Magnum, length landed in Italy, where they founded a town
Apolog. ad Pammach. , Epitaph. Nepot. ; Lactant. Feronia, and built a temple to the goddess Fero-
Dio. Instit. i. 9, v. l. ; Dupin, Bibl. Eccles. vol. i. p. nia. But, however this may be, it is extremely
117; Funccius, de L. L. Vegeta Senectute, x. & 10– difficult to form a definite notion of the nature of
16 ; Le Nourry, Apparat. ad Bibl. Patr. vol. ii. diss. this goddess. Some consider her to have been
i. ; Schröck, Kirchengescht. vol. iï. p. 417; Schöne- the goddess of liberty, because at Terracina slaves
mann, Bibl. Patr. Lat. ii. & 2; Bähr, Gesch. der were emancipated in her temple (Serv. ad Aen.
Römisch. Litt. Suppl. Band ü. Abtheil. § 18 - viii. 465), and because on one occasion the freed-
21. )
(W. R. ] men at Rome collected a sum of money for the
FELIX, SEXTI’LIUS, was stationed, a. d. 70, purpose of offering it to her as a donation. (Liv.
on the frontiers of Raetia by Antonius Primus to xxii. 1. ) Others look upon her as the goddess of
watch the movements of Porcius Septiminus, pro- commerce and traffic, because these things were
curator of that province under Vitellius. Felix carried on to a great extent during the festival
remained in Raetia until the following year, when which was celebrated in honour of her in the town
he assisted in quelling an insurrection of the Tre of Feronia, at the foot of mount Soracte. But
viri. (Tac. Hist. iii. 5, iv. 70. ) [W. B. D. ] commerce was carried on at all festivals at which
FENESTELLA, a Roman historian, of con- many people met, and must be looked upon as a
siderable celebrity, who flourished during the reign natural result of such meetings rather than as their
of Augustus, and died, according to the Eusebian cause. (Dionys. iii. 32 ; Strab. v. p. 226 ; Liv.
Chronicle, a. D. 21, in the 70th year of his age. xxvi. 11, xxvii. 4 ; Sil. Ital. xii. 84. ) Others
His great work, entitled Annales, frequently quoted again regard her as a goddess of the earth or the
by Asconius, Pliny, A. Gellius, and others, ex- lower world, and as akin to Mania and Tellus,
tended to at least twenty-two books, as appears partly because she is said to have given to her son
from a reference in Nonius, and seems to have three souls, so that Evander had to kill him thrice
contained very minute, but not always perfectly before he was dead (Virg. Acn. iii. 564), and
accurate, information with regard to the internal partly on account of her connection with Soranus,
affairs of the city. The few fragments preserved whose worship strongly resembled that of Feronia.
relate almost exclusively to events subsequent to [SORANUS. ] Besides the sanctuaries at Terracina
the Carthaginian wars; but whether the narrative and near mount Soracte, she had others at Trebula,
Teached from the foundation of Rome to the down in the country of the Sabines, and at Luna in
fall of the republic, or comprehended only a portion Etruria. (Comp. Serv. ad Aen.