Apollo'nius

Apollo'nius. (1) APOLLONIUS OF RHODES (born in Alexandria about 240 B.C., but long resident in Rhodes) wrote many works on grammar, and an epic poem entitled the Argonautica, marked rather by learning and industry than by poetical genius, though it contains some truly artistic passages, such as those exhibiting the growth of Medea's love. It was greatly admired by the Romans, was translated into Latin by Publius Terentius Varro, and was imitated in a wholesale manner by Valerius Flaccus. There are editions by Merkel (1854) and Seaton (1888).—(2) APOLLONIUS OF PERGA, who flourished 250–220 B.C., is classed with Euclid, Archimedes, and Diophantus, among the founders of the mathematical sciences. His work on conic sections has been preserved, partly in the original Greek, partly in an Arabic translation. He not merely summed up all that was then known on the subject, but made many valuable discoveries.—(3) APOLLONIUS OF TY'ANA in Cappadocia, born three or four years before the Christian era, was, according to Philostratus, a zealous teacher of the neo-Pythagorean doctrines, who claimed a commission from heaven to teach a pure and reformed religion. He soon collected a considerable number of disciples, travelled through a great part of Asia Minor, and ultimately made his way to India, in order to become acquainted with the doctrine of the Brahmins. On this journey he stayed for a time in Babylon, was introduced to the Magi, and at last reaching the court of King Phraortes, in India, made the acquaintance of the most notable Brahmins. When he returned from this pilgrimage, his fame as a wise man was greatly increased; the people regarded him as a worker of miracles and a divine being, and princes were glad to entertain him at their courts. He himself seems to have claimed insight into futurity, rather than the power of working miracles. He was patronised by Vespasian, and followed him to Egypt. After extensive travels in Spain, Italy, and Greece, he was accused of having conspired with Nerva against Domitian. Ultimately, he appears to have settled in Ephesus, where he opened a neo-Pythagorean school, and continued his teaching until he died, nearly one hundred years old. His history was not written till more than a hundred years after his death, by Philostratus (q.v.). It contains a mass of absurd- ities and fables, through which an outline of historical facts and the real character of the man are perhaps discernible. After his death, he was worshipped with divine honours, temples were built to him, coins struck in memory of him. The notorious English freethinker Blount, and Voltaire, wrote to prove the similarity or superiority of Apollonius to Christ. Baur's theory is, that Philostratus invented most of the story of Apollonius as a heathen saviour, simply to be a counterpart and rival to Christ. See Froude's Short Studies (vol. iv.); and the work by Pettersch (Berl. 1879).—(4) APOLLONIUS, surnamed DYSCOLOS (or 'ill-tempered'), of Alexandria, lived in the 2d century. Some of his grammatical works were edited by Bekker. He was the first who reduced grammar to a system. His reputation was so high, that Priscian calls him grammaticorum princeps (the prince of grammarians), and follows him somewhat closely.