To him also we may suppose mitted, in his preface to the work, that he had
the account to refer, that an impostor, who re- made certain additions from the advice of a religious
sembled him in features, attempted to personate father to his son, electa quaedam religiosi parentis
him, and thus to obtain possession of his honours ad filium.
the account to refer, that an impostor, who re- made certain additions from the advice of a religious
sembled him in features, attempted to personate father to his son, electa quaedam religiosi parentis
him, and thus to obtain possession of his honours ad filium.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - c
de Orat.
quired Cornificius, who was a partizan of the
ii. 3).
senate, to evacuate his province. Upon the refusal
6. Sextilius, a legatus of L. Lucullus, in the of the latter, Sextius marched against him. He
Mithridatic war, was sent to attack Tigranocerta. was at first unsuccessful, but eventually defeated
(Appian, Mithr. 84. )
and slew Cornificius, and thus obtained possession
7. Sextilius, a praetor carried off by the pirates, of both provinces (Dion Cass. xlvii. 21; Appian,
shortly before Pompey was appointed to the com- B. C. üi. 85, iv. 53–56 ; Liv. Epit. 123). In
mand of the war against them. (Plut. Pomp. 24 ; the new division of the Roman provinces after the
comp. Appian, Mithr. 99 ; Cic. pro Leg. Manil. 12. ) battle of Philippi, B. C. 42, Octavian obtained New
8. A. Sextilius, spoken of in Cicero's oration Africa ; and Sextius was therefore ordered by L.
for Flaccus (c. 15) as “ homo improbus," appears. Antonius to hand over this province to C. Fango,
## p. 811 (#827) ############################################
SEXTUS.
811
SEXTUS.
the legate of Octavian. He obeyed, but still re- by the emperor Pertinax. Suidas ascribes to our
mained in Old Africa, hoping that the present Sextus two works, 'Hord, Ethica, and 'ETIOKETTIKS,
harmony between Octavian and Antony would not Bibaía déka, Episcepticu (for which some propose
be of long continuance. He had not to wait long; to read EXETTIKÁ, Sceptica, or T1 EXENTIKÁ), Libris
for on the breaking out of the Perusinian war, decem. Menage (vid. Kuster, Not. in Suil. ) sus
soon afterwards, Fulvia and L. Antonius urged pects that the mention of the second work has been
him to take possession of New Africa. He accord- inserted by some transcriber, who confounded the
ingly marched against Fango, whom he defeated two Sexti above mentioned; but the mistake (if
and drove into the hills, where he put an end to such it be) is probably to be attributed to Suidas
his life (Fango). Thus Sextius again obtained himself or the authority from whom he took it,
the command of both provinces, but he was unable for we find it also in the lonia of the empress
to keep them long ; since Lepidus, after the con. Eudocia But it is not impossible that one,
clusion of the Perusinian war, received both Old perhaps both of these titles, were intended to
and New Africa as his share of the Roman world, apply to certain Alanéters, Disserlationes, written
and landed in the country with an army of six in the Doric dialect, and which Fabricius describes
legions. Sextius could not resist this force, and as Dissertationes Antiscepticae. They are five in
accordingly resigned the government to the trium- number, and very short. The subjects are :-).
vir. (Dion Cass. xlviii. 22–24; Appian, B. C. Nepl dyabou Kal Kakov, De Bono et Malo. 2. Tepl
v. 12, 26, 75. )
καλου και αισχρού, De Honesto d Turpi. 3. Περί
8. Sextius Naso, B. C. 44. (Naso. ]
δικαίου και άδικού, De Justo t Injusto. 4. Περί
9. Q. Sextius, one of the conspirators against aanbelas kal yeúdous, De Veritate et Falsitate.
Q. Cassius Longinus, quaestor of Further Spain, 5. An Virtus et Sapientia doceri possint. These
in B. C. 48. On the suppression of the conspiracy, were published by Hen. Stephanus (Henri Etienne),
he purchased his life from Longinus, by giving among the Fragmenta Pythagoraeorum, without an
him a sum of money (Hirt. B. Alex. 55). He is author's name ; and appeared, still anonymously,
called M. Silius by Valerius Maximus (ix. 4. § 2). but with a Latin version and notes, by John North,
10. Q. Sextius, a contemporary of Julius Caesar, in the Opuscula Mythologica, Physica, Ethica, of
and a Stoic philosopher, whose praises are fre Gale, 8vo. Cambridge, 1670, and Amst. 1688.
quently celebrated by Seneca. The latter parti: John North, in his first note, asserts that the
cularly admired one of bis works (Senec. Ep. 64). author's name was Mimas, founding his assertion
For further information respecting him see Senec. on a passage in the fourth Dissertatio, of which the
Ep. 73, 98, de Ira, iii. 36, and Sextus, No. 11. reading has since been corrected. They were again
SE'XTIUS PACONIA NUS. (PACONIANUS. ) printed, with North's version, but without his
SEXTUS (ZÉETOS), Greek writers. 1. Afri- notes, by Fabricius (Biblioth. Graec. vol. xii. p.
CANUS or LIBYcus (Albus), a philosopher mentioned 617, ed. vet. ). These dissertations, it has been
by Suidas and Eudocia (s. v. ), who ascribe to him conjectured, were written by Sextus of Chaeroneia :
Σκεπτικά ένα βιβλίοις ί', Soption in Libris decem, και but whether the conjecture is well founded, and
Tluppúvera, Pyrrhonia, thus evidently confounding if so, whether they are the 'Hound or the 'Endokér-
him with Sextus Empiricus ; or, which is more Tiká of Suidas, is altogether uncertain. (Fabric.
probable, speaking altogether of Empiricus, but Bibl. Graec. vol. v. p. 528, note ba, ed. Harles ;
under an unusual and probably inaccurate name. Idem, Notae in Testimonia praefixa Operibus Sex.
[Sextus EMPIRICUS. )
Empirici. )
2. AFRICAN U8. [AFRICANUS, Sextus JULIUS. ] 4. CHRISTIANUA, a CHRISTIAN writer of the
3. Of Chaeroneia, a Stoic philosopher, nephew reign of Severus who wrote a work Nepl åvaotá-
of Plutarch, and one of the instructors of the em- Oews, De Resurrectione, which has long been lost.
peror Marcus Aurelius (Jul. Capitolin. Vita M. An- (Euseb. H. E. v. 27 ; Hieron. De Viris Mustrib.
ionin. Philos. ; Suid. s. v. Mápkos ; comp. Antonin. c. 50; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. vi. p. 746, ed.
De Rebus suis, i. 9). According to Suidas it was Harles, and vol. xii. p. 615, ed. vet. )
during the reign, and indeed in the latter part of 5. EMPIRICUS. [See below, Sextos EMPIRI-
the reign of Marcus, and when Sextus was teach-cus. ]
ing at Rome, that the emperor attended his in- 6. GRAMMATICUS, a Greek grammarian, other.
structions. He is perhaps the “ Sextus the Phi- wise unknown, cited by the scholiast on Homer,
losopher," mentioned by Syncellus as flourishing 11. 155, p. 270, ed. Villoison.
under the reign of Hadrian. Suidas (s. v. Déctos 7. JULIUS AFRICANUS. (AFRICANUS, Sex.
Xaipwvevs) confounds the nephew of Plutarch with JULIUS. ]
a contemporary or nearly contemporary philosopher, 8. LIBYCUS. [No. 1 ; and Sextus EMPIRICUS,
Sextus Empiricus (Sextus EMPIRICUS] : and this below. )
confusion, into which several modern critics have 9. MEDICUS. (See below, Sextus EMPIRICUS. )
also fallen, makes it difficult to determine to which 10. PLATONICUS. [PLACITUS. ]
of the two the particulars mentioned by him in the 11. PYTHAGORAEUS ; otherwise Sextius, Six-
article are to be referred. When he states that tUs, or Xystus. There is extant a little book of
Sextus was the disciple of Herodotus of Philadel moral and religious aphorisms, translated by Rufi-
phia, and was so high in the favour of the emperor nus into Latin, and probably interpolated by the
Marcus Aurelius, that he was invited to share with translator, who is known to have been sufficiently
him the judgment-seat, it is probable that our unscrupulous in such matters, and who has ad-
Sextus is spoken of.
To him also we may suppose mitted, in his preface to the work, that he had
the account to refer, that an impostor, who re- made certain additions from the advice of a religious
sembled him in features, attempted to personate father to his son, electa quaedam religiosi parentis
him, and thus to obtain possession of his honours ad filium. ” The author is called by Rufinus in
and property. The impostor is said to have been the preface, Sixtus ; and Rufinus adds that he was
discovered, through his ignorance of Greek learning, I identified by some persons with Sixtus, bishop of
66
## p. 812 (#828) ############################################
812
SEXTUS.
SEXTUS.
a
9
Rome and martyr ; but it is to be observed that Rufinus, was taken, perhaps without examination, hy
finus does not express any opinion of his own as to Augustin. Modern critics have been divided;
their identity. Whether he meant Sixtus I. , who some (e. g. Siberus) retain the opinion which iden-
was bishop early in the second century, and whose tifies the author with Pope Sixtus 11. ; others (e. g. "
martyrdom is doubtful, or Sixtus II. , who lived | Lequien, Not. ad Damascen. l. c. ) regard the author
about the middle of the third century, and was as at any rate a Christian : but Gale, Mosheiin,
certainly a martyr, is not clear. Origen, however, Brucker (llist. Philos. period ii. pars i. lib. i. cap.
twice (Contra Celsum, lib. viii. c. 30, and In Mutt. i. sect. ii. $ 34), Fontanini (Ilist. Litt. Aquileiensis,
tom. xv. 3, vol. i. p. 763, vol. iii. p. 654, ed. De- p. 302, &c. ), to whom we have been much indebted,
larue) cites the Gnomae 8. Sententiae of Sextus and Fabricius, identify the author with the elder
(I'vwua. Létou), as a work well known among Quintus Sextius (Quinti Sextii Patris), a Roman
Christians ; but he does not mention either the philosopher, mentioned with great encomiums by Se-
episcopal rank or the martyrdom of the writer, neca (Epistol. 64, c. 2). Seneca delighted much
whom, therefore, we can hardly identify with in a work of this Sextius, the title of which he does
Sixtus I. And as Origen makes no reference to not give, but which he praises as written with
his being a contemporary writer, and speaks of his great power, " Quantus in illo, Dii boni, vigor
book as already in extensive circulation, it is diffi- est, quantum animi! Hoc non in omnibus philo
cult to suppose him to hare been Sixtus II. , whose sophis invenies. Quorumdam scripta clarum habent
elevation to the episcopate and martyrdom were a tantum nomen, caetera exsanguia sunt. Instituunt,
few years subsequent to Origen's own death. It disputant, cavillantur, non faciunt animum quia non
is not clear whether Origen regarded Sextus as a habent. Quum legeris Sextium dices, Vivit, viget,
Christian. Jerome cites the Sententiae of Xystus liber est, supra hominem est; dimittit me plenum in-
(as he writes the name, Adv. Jovinian. lib. i. c. gentis fiduciae. In quacunque positione mentis sim,
49, and In Ezekiel. c. xviii. vg. 5, 6, seq. ), enume- quum hunc lego, fatebor tibi, libet omnes casus pro-
rating him in one place among writers, all the rest vocare, libet exclamare, Quid cessas, Fortuna ? con-
of whom are heathens, and in the other place gredere ! paratum vides” (ibid. ). It is observable
he expressly calls him a Pythagorean.
In two that Seneca speaks of Sextius as a Stoic in reality
other places he charges Rufinus with prefixing the but not in name. From other Epistles of Seneca
name of a martyr and bishop to the productions of (lix. 6, lxiii. 11, 13, xcviii. 13, cviii. 17, and from his
“a Christ-less and heathenish” (absque Christo et De Ira, ii. 36, iii. 36) we learn that Sextius, though
ethnici), and in another place, a “most heathenish' born of an illustrious family, had declined the dig-
(gentilissimi) man (Hieron. In Jerem. c. xxii. vs. nity of senator when offered him by Julius Caesar;
24, 25, &c. , and Ad Ctesiphont. c. 3, Epist. 43, ed. that he abstained from animal food, though for
Benedict. , 133, ed. Vallars. ). Augustin, who had diffesent reasons than those ascribed to Pythagoras;
at first admitted the identity of the author of the that he subjected himself to a scrupulous self-ex-
Sententiae with one of the Sixti, bishops of Rome, amination at the close of each day ; and that his
afterwards retracted his opinion (comp. De Natura | philosophy, though expressed in the Greek language,
et Gratia, c. 77, and Retractat. lib. ii. c. 42). Pe- was of Roman severity :-
:-“ Sextium ecce . . . virum
lagius (apud August. Retractat. I. c. ) appears to acrem, Graecis verbis, Romanis moribus, philoso-
have admitted the identity, and a Syriac version, phantem. ” It appears that Sextius attempted, buit
perhaps made from the Latin of Rufinus, which in vain, to found a school of philosophy combining
appears to have been extant in the time of Ebed- some features of the Pythagoreans with others of
Jesu, A. D. 1300 (Assemani, Bibl. Orient. vol. i. p. the Stoics ; and which was consequently classed
429), still bears the name of “ Mar Xystus Epis- sometimes with one, and sometimes with the other
Maximus the Confessor, in the of those sects. Seneca (Natur. Quaest. vii. 32) says,
seventh century (Schol. ad Dionys. Areop. Mysticam Sextiorum nova et Romani roboris secta, inter
Theologiam, cap. 5, apud Opp. Dionys. vol. ii. p. 55, initia sua, quum magno impetu coepisset, exstincta
ed. Antwerp, 1634), applies to our Sextus the epithet est. ” “ Xystus Pythagoricus philosophus” is re-
εκκλησιαστικός φιλόσοφος, " Ecclesiasticus Philo- corded in Jerome's version of the Chronicon of
sophus ;” and Damascenus, in the eighth century Eusebius as flourishing at the time of Christ's
(Sacra Parallela, Opera, vol. ii. p. 362, ed. Lequien), birth. He is also mentioned by Plutarch (De Pro-
calls him Zéstou 'Pwu. , Zestus of Rome. Genna- fect. Virtut. Sentent. Opp. vol. vi. p. 288, ed. Reiske),
dins (De Viris Illustrib. c. 17) merely calls the and by the elder Pliny (H. Nat. xviii. 68, alibi).
work “ Xysti Sententiae. ” In the Decretum ascribed The contents of the Sententiae harmonize, on the
to Pope Gelasius the work is mentioned as re- whole, sufficiently well with this supposition of their
puted to be by Saint Xy'stus, but is declared to authorship; the portions which seem to approxi-
be spurious, and to have been written by heretics. mate most closely to the morality of the Christian
In the anonymous Appendix to the De Scriptorib. religion, may perhaps have been interpolated or
Ecclesiasticis of Ildefonsus of Toledo, it is as altered by Rufinus. The question of authorship,
cribed to Sixtus of Rome without hesitation. The however, cannot be regarded as settled. There is
testimony of the ancients as to the authorship is difficulty in believing that a work once established
thus doubtful. An opinion mentioned by, and in reputation as the work of a heathen writer, could
therefore older than, Rufinus (who was unjustly have come to be so generally regarded as of
charged with fraud in the matter by his bitter Christian origin ; though perhaps the difficulty
enemy Jerome, and the charge has been repeated would be somewhat diminished by the suggestion,
from age to age), ascribed it to Pope Sixtus, and that the work in its present form is not an original
the opinion was held by some persons, perhaps by work of Sextius, but a selection of apophthegms
inost, in subsequent ages. Jerome appears to have culled from his writings, and that possibly by a
first ascribed it to a heathen author; and Jerome's Christian. The MSS. of the work vary very much
opinion, which would have had more weighs but for both in the number and order of the apliorisins.
his eagerness to fasten a charge of fraud upon Ru- The first edition of the Sententiue is that of Sym-
copus Romae. "
## p. 813 (#829) ############################################
SEXTUS.
813
SEXTUS.
phonanus Champerius, 4to. Lyon, 1507, under the stated to be the place of publication: it is probablo
title of Enchiridion Sixti Philosophi Pythagorici. that some copies were printed with Paris' on the
The volume contains various pieces, of which the title page, and others with Genera. The second
first is the work of Champerius, de Quadruplici Vita. edition was that of J. A. Fabricius, Leipzig, 1718,
This edition is incorrectly described by Fabricius fol. which contains the Latin version and some
as entitled Sixti s. Xysti Annulus. The title An- emendations ; but the text has not yet been revised
nulus was given to the work by Rufinus, as equi- with sufficient care. The edition of J. G. Mund
valent to the Greek Enchiridion (IIand-book), is a reprint of the text of Fabricius, with a com-
because it should be always " in manibus," in (or mentary ; but only one part has appeared, which
on) the hands. The text of Champerius is said by contains the text of the Hypotyposes, Halle, 1796,
Fontanini to be from one of the best MSS. The Sen-
4to. Buble translated the Hypolyposes, Lemgo,
tentine were again printed at Wittenberg, 4to. 1514, 1801, 8vo. There is a French translation of the
with the Aurea Curmina of Pythagoras ; and again 1ypotyposes, in 1725, 12mo. , which was probably
with various other pieces, by Beatus Rhenanuis, 4to. published at Amsterdam. The anonymous trans-
Basil. 1516, under the title of Xysli Pythugorici lator is said to be the Sicur Huart, a teacher of
Sententiac. Various cditions followed, but they mathematics ; but the translation is not highly
omitted Rufinus's Prologue. The work was also spoken of.
comprehended in the various editions of De la None of the medical works of Sextus are extant,
Bigne's Bibliotheca Patrum, where it appears as though it appears from his own writings that he
the work of Pope Sixtus, down to the Lyon edition did write on medical subjects.
of 1677. It was included, still without the Pro- Sextus is the only Greek sceptic whose complete
logue, in the Opuscula Mythologica, Ethica, et Phy-works we possess ; and we may probably assume
sica of Gale, 12mo. Cambridge, 1670, 8vo. Amster- that he has collected all that could be said against
uam, 1688. The text of Rhenanus was reprinted, the Dogmatici, and all that the Sceptici had to say
with Observationes, designed to vindicate the title for themselves. He does not present what he say's
of Pope Sixtus II. to the authorship, by Urbanus as his own, but as the exposition of the sceptical
Godofredus Siberus, 4to.
ii. 3).
senate, to evacuate his province. Upon the refusal
6. Sextilius, a legatus of L. Lucullus, in the of the latter, Sextius marched against him. He
Mithridatic war, was sent to attack Tigranocerta. was at first unsuccessful, but eventually defeated
(Appian, Mithr. 84. )
and slew Cornificius, and thus obtained possession
7. Sextilius, a praetor carried off by the pirates, of both provinces (Dion Cass. xlvii. 21; Appian,
shortly before Pompey was appointed to the com- B. C. üi. 85, iv. 53–56 ; Liv. Epit. 123). In
mand of the war against them. (Plut. Pomp. 24 ; the new division of the Roman provinces after the
comp. Appian, Mithr. 99 ; Cic. pro Leg. Manil. 12. ) battle of Philippi, B. C. 42, Octavian obtained New
8. A. Sextilius, spoken of in Cicero's oration Africa ; and Sextius was therefore ordered by L.
for Flaccus (c. 15) as “ homo improbus," appears. Antonius to hand over this province to C. Fango,
## p. 811 (#827) ############################################
SEXTUS.
811
SEXTUS.
the legate of Octavian. He obeyed, but still re- by the emperor Pertinax. Suidas ascribes to our
mained in Old Africa, hoping that the present Sextus two works, 'Hord, Ethica, and 'ETIOKETTIKS,
harmony between Octavian and Antony would not Bibaía déka, Episcepticu (for which some propose
be of long continuance. He had not to wait long; to read EXETTIKÁ, Sceptica, or T1 EXENTIKÁ), Libris
for on the breaking out of the Perusinian war, decem. Menage (vid. Kuster, Not. in Suil. ) sus
soon afterwards, Fulvia and L. Antonius urged pects that the mention of the second work has been
him to take possession of New Africa. He accord- inserted by some transcriber, who confounded the
ingly marched against Fango, whom he defeated two Sexti above mentioned; but the mistake (if
and drove into the hills, where he put an end to such it be) is probably to be attributed to Suidas
his life (Fango). Thus Sextius again obtained himself or the authority from whom he took it,
the command of both provinces, but he was unable for we find it also in the lonia of the empress
to keep them long ; since Lepidus, after the con. Eudocia But it is not impossible that one,
clusion of the Perusinian war, received both Old perhaps both of these titles, were intended to
and New Africa as his share of the Roman world, apply to certain Alanéters, Disserlationes, written
and landed in the country with an army of six in the Doric dialect, and which Fabricius describes
legions. Sextius could not resist this force, and as Dissertationes Antiscepticae. They are five in
accordingly resigned the government to the trium- number, and very short. The subjects are :-).
vir. (Dion Cass. xlviii. 22–24; Appian, B. C. Nepl dyabou Kal Kakov, De Bono et Malo. 2. Tepl
v. 12, 26, 75. )
καλου και αισχρού, De Honesto d Turpi. 3. Περί
8. Sextius Naso, B. C. 44. (Naso. ]
δικαίου και άδικού, De Justo t Injusto. 4. Περί
9. Q. Sextius, one of the conspirators against aanbelas kal yeúdous, De Veritate et Falsitate.
Q. Cassius Longinus, quaestor of Further Spain, 5. An Virtus et Sapientia doceri possint. These
in B. C. 48. On the suppression of the conspiracy, were published by Hen. Stephanus (Henri Etienne),
he purchased his life from Longinus, by giving among the Fragmenta Pythagoraeorum, without an
him a sum of money (Hirt. B. Alex. 55). He is author's name ; and appeared, still anonymously,
called M. Silius by Valerius Maximus (ix. 4. § 2). but with a Latin version and notes, by John North,
10. Q. Sextius, a contemporary of Julius Caesar, in the Opuscula Mythologica, Physica, Ethica, of
and a Stoic philosopher, whose praises are fre Gale, 8vo. Cambridge, 1670, and Amst. 1688.
quently celebrated by Seneca. The latter parti: John North, in his first note, asserts that the
cularly admired one of bis works (Senec. Ep. 64). author's name was Mimas, founding his assertion
For further information respecting him see Senec. on a passage in the fourth Dissertatio, of which the
Ep. 73, 98, de Ira, iii. 36, and Sextus, No. 11. reading has since been corrected. They were again
SE'XTIUS PACONIA NUS. (PACONIANUS. ) printed, with North's version, but without his
SEXTUS (ZÉETOS), Greek writers. 1. Afri- notes, by Fabricius (Biblioth. Graec. vol. xii. p.
CANUS or LIBYcus (Albus), a philosopher mentioned 617, ed. vet. ). These dissertations, it has been
by Suidas and Eudocia (s. v. ), who ascribe to him conjectured, were written by Sextus of Chaeroneia :
Σκεπτικά ένα βιβλίοις ί', Soption in Libris decem, και but whether the conjecture is well founded, and
Tluppúvera, Pyrrhonia, thus evidently confounding if so, whether they are the 'Hound or the 'Endokér-
him with Sextus Empiricus ; or, which is more Tiká of Suidas, is altogether uncertain. (Fabric.
probable, speaking altogether of Empiricus, but Bibl. Graec. vol. v. p. 528, note ba, ed. Harles ;
under an unusual and probably inaccurate name. Idem, Notae in Testimonia praefixa Operibus Sex.
[Sextus EMPIRICUS. )
Empirici. )
2. AFRICAN U8. [AFRICANUS, Sextus JULIUS. ] 4. CHRISTIANUA, a CHRISTIAN writer of the
3. Of Chaeroneia, a Stoic philosopher, nephew reign of Severus who wrote a work Nepl åvaotá-
of Plutarch, and one of the instructors of the em- Oews, De Resurrectione, which has long been lost.
peror Marcus Aurelius (Jul. Capitolin. Vita M. An- (Euseb. H. E. v. 27 ; Hieron. De Viris Mustrib.
ionin. Philos. ; Suid. s. v. Mápkos ; comp. Antonin. c. 50; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. vi. p. 746, ed.
De Rebus suis, i. 9). According to Suidas it was Harles, and vol. xii. p. 615, ed. vet. )
during the reign, and indeed in the latter part of 5. EMPIRICUS. [See below, Sextos EMPIRI-
the reign of Marcus, and when Sextus was teach-cus. ]
ing at Rome, that the emperor attended his in- 6. GRAMMATICUS, a Greek grammarian, other.
structions. He is perhaps the “ Sextus the Phi- wise unknown, cited by the scholiast on Homer,
losopher," mentioned by Syncellus as flourishing 11. 155, p. 270, ed. Villoison.
under the reign of Hadrian. Suidas (s. v. Déctos 7. JULIUS AFRICANUS. (AFRICANUS, Sex.
Xaipwvevs) confounds the nephew of Plutarch with JULIUS. ]
a contemporary or nearly contemporary philosopher, 8. LIBYCUS. [No. 1 ; and Sextus EMPIRICUS,
Sextus Empiricus (Sextus EMPIRICUS] : and this below. )
confusion, into which several modern critics have 9. MEDICUS. (See below, Sextus EMPIRICUS. )
also fallen, makes it difficult to determine to which 10. PLATONICUS. [PLACITUS. ]
of the two the particulars mentioned by him in the 11. PYTHAGORAEUS ; otherwise Sextius, Six-
article are to be referred. When he states that tUs, or Xystus. There is extant a little book of
Sextus was the disciple of Herodotus of Philadel moral and religious aphorisms, translated by Rufi-
phia, and was so high in the favour of the emperor nus into Latin, and probably interpolated by the
Marcus Aurelius, that he was invited to share with translator, who is known to have been sufficiently
him the judgment-seat, it is probable that our unscrupulous in such matters, and who has ad-
Sextus is spoken of.
To him also we may suppose mitted, in his preface to the work, that he had
the account to refer, that an impostor, who re- made certain additions from the advice of a religious
sembled him in features, attempted to personate father to his son, electa quaedam religiosi parentis
him, and thus to obtain possession of his honours ad filium. ” The author is called by Rufinus in
and property. The impostor is said to have been the preface, Sixtus ; and Rufinus adds that he was
discovered, through his ignorance of Greek learning, I identified by some persons with Sixtus, bishop of
66
## p. 812 (#828) ############################################
812
SEXTUS.
SEXTUS.
a
9
Rome and martyr ; but it is to be observed that Rufinus, was taken, perhaps without examination, hy
finus does not express any opinion of his own as to Augustin. Modern critics have been divided;
their identity. Whether he meant Sixtus I. , who some (e. g. Siberus) retain the opinion which iden-
was bishop early in the second century, and whose tifies the author with Pope Sixtus 11. ; others (e. g. "
martyrdom is doubtful, or Sixtus II. , who lived | Lequien, Not. ad Damascen. l. c. ) regard the author
about the middle of the third century, and was as at any rate a Christian : but Gale, Mosheiin,
certainly a martyr, is not clear. Origen, however, Brucker (llist. Philos. period ii. pars i. lib. i. cap.
twice (Contra Celsum, lib. viii. c. 30, and In Mutt. i. sect. ii. $ 34), Fontanini (Ilist. Litt. Aquileiensis,
tom. xv. 3, vol. i. p. 763, vol. iii. p. 654, ed. De- p. 302, &c. ), to whom we have been much indebted,
larue) cites the Gnomae 8. Sententiae of Sextus and Fabricius, identify the author with the elder
(I'vwua. Létou), as a work well known among Quintus Sextius (Quinti Sextii Patris), a Roman
Christians ; but he does not mention either the philosopher, mentioned with great encomiums by Se-
episcopal rank or the martyrdom of the writer, neca (Epistol. 64, c. 2). Seneca delighted much
whom, therefore, we can hardly identify with in a work of this Sextius, the title of which he does
Sixtus I. And as Origen makes no reference to not give, but which he praises as written with
his being a contemporary writer, and speaks of his great power, " Quantus in illo, Dii boni, vigor
book as already in extensive circulation, it is diffi- est, quantum animi! Hoc non in omnibus philo
cult to suppose him to hare been Sixtus II. , whose sophis invenies. Quorumdam scripta clarum habent
elevation to the episcopate and martyrdom were a tantum nomen, caetera exsanguia sunt. Instituunt,
few years subsequent to Origen's own death. It disputant, cavillantur, non faciunt animum quia non
is not clear whether Origen regarded Sextus as a habent. Quum legeris Sextium dices, Vivit, viget,
Christian. Jerome cites the Sententiae of Xystus liber est, supra hominem est; dimittit me plenum in-
(as he writes the name, Adv. Jovinian. lib. i. c. gentis fiduciae. In quacunque positione mentis sim,
49, and In Ezekiel. c. xviii. vg. 5, 6, seq. ), enume- quum hunc lego, fatebor tibi, libet omnes casus pro-
rating him in one place among writers, all the rest vocare, libet exclamare, Quid cessas, Fortuna ? con-
of whom are heathens, and in the other place gredere ! paratum vides” (ibid. ). It is observable
he expressly calls him a Pythagorean.
In two that Seneca speaks of Sextius as a Stoic in reality
other places he charges Rufinus with prefixing the but not in name. From other Epistles of Seneca
name of a martyr and bishop to the productions of (lix. 6, lxiii. 11, 13, xcviii. 13, cviii. 17, and from his
“a Christ-less and heathenish” (absque Christo et De Ira, ii. 36, iii. 36) we learn that Sextius, though
ethnici), and in another place, a “most heathenish' born of an illustrious family, had declined the dig-
(gentilissimi) man (Hieron. In Jerem. c. xxii. vs. nity of senator when offered him by Julius Caesar;
24, 25, &c. , and Ad Ctesiphont. c. 3, Epist. 43, ed. that he abstained from animal food, though for
Benedict. , 133, ed. Vallars. ). Augustin, who had diffesent reasons than those ascribed to Pythagoras;
at first admitted the identity of the author of the that he subjected himself to a scrupulous self-ex-
Sententiae with one of the Sixti, bishops of Rome, amination at the close of each day ; and that his
afterwards retracted his opinion (comp. De Natura | philosophy, though expressed in the Greek language,
et Gratia, c. 77, and Retractat. lib. ii. c. 42). Pe- was of Roman severity :-
:-“ Sextium ecce . . . virum
lagius (apud August. Retractat. I. c. ) appears to acrem, Graecis verbis, Romanis moribus, philoso-
have admitted the identity, and a Syriac version, phantem. ” It appears that Sextius attempted, buit
perhaps made from the Latin of Rufinus, which in vain, to found a school of philosophy combining
appears to have been extant in the time of Ebed- some features of the Pythagoreans with others of
Jesu, A. D. 1300 (Assemani, Bibl. Orient. vol. i. p. the Stoics ; and which was consequently classed
429), still bears the name of “ Mar Xystus Epis- sometimes with one, and sometimes with the other
Maximus the Confessor, in the of those sects. Seneca (Natur. Quaest. vii. 32) says,
seventh century (Schol. ad Dionys. Areop. Mysticam Sextiorum nova et Romani roboris secta, inter
Theologiam, cap. 5, apud Opp. Dionys. vol. ii. p. 55, initia sua, quum magno impetu coepisset, exstincta
ed. Antwerp, 1634), applies to our Sextus the epithet est. ” “ Xystus Pythagoricus philosophus” is re-
εκκλησιαστικός φιλόσοφος, " Ecclesiasticus Philo- corded in Jerome's version of the Chronicon of
sophus ;” and Damascenus, in the eighth century Eusebius as flourishing at the time of Christ's
(Sacra Parallela, Opera, vol. ii. p. 362, ed. Lequien), birth. He is also mentioned by Plutarch (De Pro-
calls him Zéstou 'Pwu. , Zestus of Rome. Genna- fect. Virtut. Sentent. Opp. vol. vi. p. 288, ed. Reiske),
dins (De Viris Illustrib. c. 17) merely calls the and by the elder Pliny (H. Nat. xviii. 68, alibi).
work “ Xysti Sententiae. ” In the Decretum ascribed The contents of the Sententiae harmonize, on the
to Pope Gelasius the work is mentioned as re- whole, sufficiently well with this supposition of their
puted to be by Saint Xy'stus, but is declared to authorship; the portions which seem to approxi-
be spurious, and to have been written by heretics. mate most closely to the morality of the Christian
In the anonymous Appendix to the De Scriptorib. religion, may perhaps have been interpolated or
Ecclesiasticis of Ildefonsus of Toledo, it is as altered by Rufinus. The question of authorship,
cribed to Sixtus of Rome without hesitation. The however, cannot be regarded as settled. There is
testimony of the ancients as to the authorship is difficulty in believing that a work once established
thus doubtful. An opinion mentioned by, and in reputation as the work of a heathen writer, could
therefore older than, Rufinus (who was unjustly have come to be so generally regarded as of
charged with fraud in the matter by his bitter Christian origin ; though perhaps the difficulty
enemy Jerome, and the charge has been repeated would be somewhat diminished by the suggestion,
from age to age), ascribed it to Pope Sixtus, and that the work in its present form is not an original
the opinion was held by some persons, perhaps by work of Sextius, but a selection of apophthegms
inost, in subsequent ages. Jerome appears to have culled from his writings, and that possibly by a
first ascribed it to a heathen author; and Jerome's Christian. The MSS. of the work vary very much
opinion, which would have had more weighs but for both in the number and order of the apliorisins.
his eagerness to fasten a charge of fraud upon Ru- The first edition of the Sententiue is that of Sym-
copus Romae. "
## p. 813 (#829) ############################################
SEXTUS.
813
SEXTUS.
phonanus Champerius, 4to. Lyon, 1507, under the stated to be the place of publication: it is probablo
title of Enchiridion Sixti Philosophi Pythagorici. that some copies were printed with Paris' on the
The volume contains various pieces, of which the title page, and others with Genera. The second
first is the work of Champerius, de Quadruplici Vita. edition was that of J. A. Fabricius, Leipzig, 1718,
This edition is incorrectly described by Fabricius fol. which contains the Latin version and some
as entitled Sixti s. Xysti Annulus. The title An- emendations ; but the text has not yet been revised
nulus was given to the work by Rufinus, as equi- with sufficient care. The edition of J. G. Mund
valent to the Greek Enchiridion (IIand-book), is a reprint of the text of Fabricius, with a com-
because it should be always " in manibus," in (or mentary ; but only one part has appeared, which
on) the hands. The text of Champerius is said by contains the text of the Hypotyposes, Halle, 1796,
Fontanini to be from one of the best MSS. The Sen-
4to. Buble translated the Hypolyposes, Lemgo,
tentine were again printed at Wittenberg, 4to. 1514, 1801, 8vo. There is a French translation of the
with the Aurea Curmina of Pythagoras ; and again 1ypotyposes, in 1725, 12mo. , which was probably
with various other pieces, by Beatus Rhenanuis, 4to. published at Amsterdam. The anonymous trans-
Basil. 1516, under the title of Xysli Pythugorici lator is said to be the Sicur Huart, a teacher of
Sententiac. Various cditions followed, but they mathematics ; but the translation is not highly
omitted Rufinus's Prologue. The work was also spoken of.
comprehended in the various editions of De la None of the medical works of Sextus are extant,
Bigne's Bibliotheca Patrum, where it appears as though it appears from his own writings that he
the work of Pope Sixtus, down to the Lyon edition did write on medical subjects.
of 1677. It was included, still without the Pro- Sextus is the only Greek sceptic whose complete
logue, in the Opuscula Mythologica, Ethica, et Phy-works we possess ; and we may probably assume
sica of Gale, 12mo. Cambridge, 1670, 8vo. Amster- that he has collected all that could be said against
uam, 1688. The text of Rhenanus was reprinted, the Dogmatici, and all that the Sceptici had to say
with Observationes, designed to vindicate the title for themselves. He does not present what he say's
of Pope Sixtus II. to the authorship, by Urbanus as his own, but as the exposition of the sceptical
Godofredus Siberus, 4to.
