and Sappho published in 1789 by Fred. G. Born, of Leipsick, this editor endeavours to defend Anacreon against the charges of inebriety and unnatural lust, and with considerable success. These imputations, however, have been cast on his memory by the majority of writers, except, perhaps, Ælian. How long Anacreon continued at Samos is uncertain, but it is probable he remained there during the greatest part of the reign of Polycrates; for Herodotus assures us, that Anacreon was with that prince in his chamber, when he received a message from Orætes governor of Sardis, by whose treachery Polycrates was soon after betrayed and inhumanly crucified. It seems to have been a little before this, that Anacreon left Samos and removed to Athens; having been invited thither by Hipparchus the eldest son of Pisistratus, one of the most virtuous and learned princes of his time; who, as Plato assures us, sent au obliging letter, with a vessel of fifty oars to convey him over the Egean sea. After Hipparchus was slain by the conspiracy of Harmodius and Aristogiton, Anacreon returned to Teos, where he remained till the revolt of Histiæus, when he was obliged once more to remove to Abdera, where he died. The manner of his death is said to have been very extraordinary; for they tell us he was choaked with a grape-stone, which he swallowed as he was drinking some new wine. A small part only of Anacreon's works remain. Besides odes and epigrams, he composed elegies, hymns, and iambics: the poems which are extant consist chiefly of bacchanalian songs and lovesonnets; and with respect to such subjects, they have been long regarded as standards of excellence. They are distinguished by their native elegance and grace from every other kind of poetical composition: and the voluptuous gaiety of all his songs is so characteristic, that his style and manner have produced innumerable imitations, called Anacreontics, Little can be said, however, of the moral purity of his sentiments, and it is to be feared that the fascinations of the Anacreontic school have been most destructive to the morals and prudence of the young and gay,

The editions of Anacreon are too numerous to be specified here. They were printed for the first time by Henry Stephens, Paris, 1554, 4to, who had found the eleventh ode on the cover of an old book. Until then we had nothing of Anacreon but what was in Aulus Gellius, or the Antho

logy. Stephens, however, had the good fortune to meet with two manuscripts, which he compared with scrupulous care. These were the only MSS. known for a long period; but as Stephens, who some time before his death fell into mental decay, neglected to communicate to any person where they were, they are supposed to have been destroyed with many other valuable originals. This circumstance was the cause of some suspicion attaching to the Editio Princeps as deficient in authenticity. It was, however, generally followed in the subsequent editions, of which those of Madame Dacier and Barnes were long esteemed the best. But the most singular and magnificent edition of modern times is that of Joseph Spaletti, which was printed at Rome in 1781, in imperial quarto, with 35 fine plates, exclusive of 16 plates in fac-simile. In the preface, the editor remarks, that some hyper-critics, as Le Fevre, Dacier, and Baxter, had doubted the authenticity of Anacreon and that Cornelius Pau had even suspected his odes to have been productions of the sixteenth century. To confute this, Spaletti now published the poems of Anacreon in fac-simile, from a MS. in the Vatican, of the tenth century, as is palpable, from its calligraphy, to any person acquainted with Greek archæology. The Latin translation by Spaletti is said to be much more accurate than any other. There are many English translations of Anacreon, who has ever been a favourite with young poets. Cowley is thought to have been the first successful translator. The French also have many translations, and some of them faithful and spirited. '

ANANIA, or AGŇANY (JOHN D'), was a lawyer of much reputation in the fifteenth century. His origin was obscure, and on that account, it is said, he took the name of Anania, a town of the ancient Latium, instead of that of his family. He became afterwards professor of civil and canon law at Bologna, and archdeacon, and was highly esteemed for piety and learning. His "Commentaries on the fifth Book of the Decretals," a volume of "Consultations," and his treatise on feudal rights, "De revocatione feudi alienati," Leyden, 1546, 4to, are among his principal works. It is rather suprizing that a man of his learning and sense, should have also written on the subject of

1 Gen. Dict.-Barnes's Anacreon.Biog. Universelle, Vossius.→Fabric. Bibl. Græc.

magic and demons, "De magia et maleficiis, Leyden, 1669, 4to; if indeed this belongs to him, and not to the subject of the following article. He died in 1458, at an advanced age.

1

ANANIA (JOHN LORENZO D'), a native of Taverna in Calabria, lived about the end of the sixteenth century. He wrote a book of geography in Italian; and a work in Latin, entitled "De natura Dæmonum," which was printed at Venice in 1582, 8vo. The other work bears the title "Cosmographia, overo l'universale Fabrica del Mondo," and was published at Venice in 1576, 4to. This author is not mentioned by Vossius in his catalogue of geographers.

ANASTASIUS BIBLIOTHECARIUS, so called because he was librarian of the church of Rome, was a native of Greece, and one of the most learned men of his age. He flourished about the middle of the ninth century, and was abbot of St. Mary's trans Tiberim. His chief work, the "Liber Pontificalis," or the lives of the Popes from St. Peter to Nicholas I. is of a doubtful character: Blondel and Salmasius bestow great encomiums on it, while Halling, a Roman catholic writer of note, depreciates it as much. To the last edition of this book is joined Ciampinius's examination of the validity of the facts therein mentioned; and from this we learn that he wrote only the lives of Gregory IV. Sergius II. Leo IV. Benedict III. and Nicholas I. and that the lives of the other popes in that book were done by different authors. Anastasius is said to have assisted at the eighth general council held at Constantinople in the year 869, of which he translated the acts and canons from Greek into Latin. The time of his death is a disputed point, as indeed are many particulars relating to him. Bayle has a very elaborate article on his history, which Cave had previously examined, and Blondel, in his "Familier eclaircissement," and Boecler in his " Bibl. critica," have likewise entered deeply into the controversy. He wrote a great number of translations, more valued for their fidelity than elegance, yet they have all been admitted into the popish collections of ecclesiastical memoirs and antiquities. The first edition of the "Liber Pontificalis" was printed at Mentz, 1602, 4to, and two more editions appeared in the last century, one in four vols. fol. by Francis and Joseph Bian1 Biog. Universelle,

2 Gen. Dict.

chini, 1718—1735, and the other in three vols. 4to, by the abbe Vignoli, 1724-1753, besides an edition by Muratori, in his collection of Italian writers, enlarged by learned dissertations, from which it would appear that Anastasius was rather the translator, or compiler of those lives, and that he took them from the ancient catalogues of the popes, the acts of the martyrs, and other documents preserved among the archives of the Roman church. The Vatican library then consisted of little else, although it appears that there was before his time a person honoured with the title of librarian.1

ANASTASIUS, called the SINAITE, because he was a monk of mount Sinai, flourished in the seventh century. We have several writings of this recluse: 1. "Odegos, or the Guide on the true way, in Gr. and Lat. Ingoldstadt, 1606, 4to. 2. "Contemplationes in Hexameron," GræcoLat. Londini, 1682, 4to, published by Allix. 66 'Cinq livres dogmatiques de Theologie." 4. "Some sermons." His works were published at Ingolstadt, 1606, 4to, by the jesuit Gretser, and inserted in the Biblioth. PP.2

3.

ANATOLIUS, Sr. born at Alexandria, bishop of Laodicea in Syria, in 269, cultivated successfully arithmetic, geometry, grammar, and rhetoric. Some works of his are still remaining; among others, a tract on Easter, printed in the Doctrina temporum of Bucherius, Antwerp, 1634, folio. 3

ANAXAGORAS, of Clazomene, one of the most eminent of the ancient philosophers, was born in the first year of the seventieth olympiad, B. C. 500, and was a disciple of Anaximenes. He inherited from his parents a patrimony which might have secured him independence and distinction at home; but such was his thirst after knowledge, that, about the twentieth year of his age, he left his country, without taking proper precautions concerning his estate, and went to reside at Athens. Here he diligently applied himself to the study of eloquence and poetry, and was particularly conversant with the works of Homer, whom he admired as the best preceptor, not only in style, but in morals. Engaging afterwards in speculations concerning nature, the fame of the Milesian school induced him to leave

1 Gen. Dict.-Biog. Universelle.-Ginguene Hist. Litt. d'Italie, vol. I, p. 100. Saxii Onomasticon.

2 Moreri.-Cave.-Fabr. Bibl, Gr.-Saxii Onomasticon. 3 Gen. Dict.-Cave.

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Athens, that he might attend upon the public instructions of Anaximenes. Under him he became acquainted with his doctrines, and those of his predecessors, concerning natural bodies, and the origin of things. So ardently did he engage in these inquiries, that he said concerning himself that he was born to contemplate the heavens. Visiting his native city, he found that, whilst he had been busy in the pursuit of knowledge, his estate had run to waste, and remarked, that to this ruin he owed his prosperity. One of his fellow-citizens complaining that he, who was so well qualified, both by rank and ability, for public offices, had shown so little regard for his country, he replied, "My first care is for my country," pointing to heaven. After remaining for some years at Miletus, he returned to Athens, and there taught philosophy in private. Among his pupils were several eminent men, particularly the tragedian Euripides, and the orator and statesman Pericles; to whom some add Socrates and Themistocles.

The reputation which he acquired, at length excited the jealousy and envy of his contemporaries, and brought upon him a cruel persecution. It is generally agreed, that he was thrown into prison, and condemned to death; and that it was with difficulty that Pericles obtained from his judges the milder sentence of fine and banishment; but the nature of the charge alleged against him is variously represented. The most probable account of the matter is, that his offence was, the propagation of new opinions concerning the gods, and particularly, teaching that the sun is an inanimate fiery substance, and consequently not a proper object of worship. As he was indefatigable in his researches into nature, on many occasions he might contradict the vulgar opinions and superstitions. It is related that he ridiculed the Athenian priests, for predicting an unfortunate event from the unusual appearance of a ram which had but one horn; and that, to convince the people that there was nothing unnatural in the affair, he opened the head of the animal, and showed them, that it was so constructed, as necessarily to prevent the growth of the other horn.

After his banishment, Anaxagoras passed the remainder of his days at Lampsacus, where he employed himself in instructing youth, and obtained great respect and influence among the magistrates and citizens. Through his whole life he appears to have supported the character of a true philosopher. Superior to motives of avarice and ambition,