III. Grammarians named Ptolemy
Ptolemaeus.
9. Of Alexandria, surnamed Pindarion, was the son of Oroandrus, and the disciple of Aristarchus (Suid.
s. v.).
Works
Suidas mentions the following as his works :--
Ὁμηρικῶν ὑποδειγμάτων βιβλια γ́, περὶ τοῦ Ὁμηρικοῦ χαρακτῆρος, πρὸς Νεοθαλίδην περὶ λέξεως, περὶ τοῦ παρ Ὁμήρῳ Οὔτιδος, περὶ Ἀστεροπαίου τοῦ παρ᾽ Ὁμήρῳ μνημονενομένου, and others.
Further Information
Fabric.
Bibl. Graec. vol. i. p. 520, vol. vi. p. 378.
Ptolemaeus.
10. Another disciple of Aristarchus, on account of his close adherence to whom he was called
Ἐπίθετος or
Ἐπιθέτης.
He was also a hearer of the grammarian Hellanicus.
Works
He wrote upon the
Wounds mentioned by Homer (
περὶ τῶν παρ᾽ Ὁμήρῳ πληγῶν), and a Commentary on the
Odyssey.
Further Information
Suid. s.v. Fabric.
Bibl. Graec. II. cc..
Ptolemaeus.
11. The father of the grammarian Aristonicus, was himself also a grammarian. Both father and son were distinguished as teachers at Rome.
Works
The following were his works :--
τὰ ὁμοίως εἰρημένα τοῖς τραγικοῖς, εἰς Ὅμηρον βιβλία ν́, τὰ παρὰ τῷ ποιητῆ ξένως ἱστορμηένα, τὰ περὶ Μουσῶν καὶ Νηρηίδων
Further Information
Suid.
s. v.; Fabric.
ll. cc.).
Ptolemaeus.
12. Of Ascalon, taught at Rome.
Works
His works were,
προσῳδία Ὁμηρική, περὶ Ἑλληνισμοῦ ἤτοι ὐρθοεπίας βιβλία ιέ, περὶ μέτρων, περὶ τῆς ἐν Ὀδυσσείᾳ Ἀριστάρχου διορθώσεως, περὶ διαφορᾶς λέξεων, and other grammatical works.
The most important of these works was that
περὶ διαφορᾶς λέξεων, which formed the foundation of the similar work of Ammonius.
Editions
It is still extant, and it is printed in the Bibliotheca Graeca of Fabricius (vol. vi. pp. 156-163, comp. vol. i. p. 52).
Ptolemaeus.
13. Of Alexandria, surnamed Chennus, flourished under Trajan and Hadrian.
Works
His works were,
περὶ παραδόξου ἱστορίας; an historical drama, entitled
Σφίγξ; an epic poem, in twenty-four rhapsodies, entitled
Άνθόμηρος, and some others. (Suid.
s. v.) We still possess in the
Bibliotheca of Photius (
Phot. Bibl. 190) an epitome of the work of Ptolemy,
περὶ τῆς εἰς πολυμαθίαν καινῆς ἱστορίας, in seven books, which there can be little doubt is the same work as that which Suidas mentions by the title
περὶ παραδόξου ἱστορίας. Photius commends the work as containing in a small space information which a whole life might be spent in collecting from other books; but he adds, that it contains many things which are marvellous and absurd, and badly put together.
It is in fact a farrago of the most heterogeneous materials.
It is addressed to a certain learned lady named Tertulla.
Suidas and Photius speak of Ptolemy as
ὁ Ἡφαιστίωνος, which is naturally interpreted the
son of Hephaestion; but there is some doubt whether it ought not rather to be understood as meaning the
fawer or
teacher of Hephaestion (see Ionsius, de Script. Hist. Philos. 1.2.5, and Villoison,
Proleg. ad Apollon. Lex. Hom. p. iv.). Tzetzes calls him Ptolemy Hephaestion.
Confusion with Ptolemy of Cythera
Suidas mentions a Ptolemy of Cythera. an epic poet, who wrote a poem about the virtues of the plant called
psalacantha ; but this statement is perhaps the result of some confusion, since the work of Ptolemy Chennus contains various marvellous statements respecting that very plant.
Editions
The work of Ptolemy has been edited, with commentaries, by And. Schottus and Dav. Hoeschelits in Gale's Historiae Poeticae Scriptores, p. 303, &c. Paris, 1675, 8vo., with a dissertation upon Ptolemy;
by L. H. Teucher, with Conon and Parthenius, Lips. 1794, 8vo.; and
by Westermann, in his Mythographi, p. 182, &c. Brunsv. 1843, 8vo.
Further Information
Vossius,
de Hist. Graec. p. 256, ed. Westermann ; Fabric.
Bibl. Graec. vol. v. pp. 295, 296, vol. vi. pp. 377, 378).
Ptolemaeus.
13. A heretic, of the sect of the Valentinians (Iren.
ad v. Haeres. Praef.).
Works
Letter to Flora
His
Letter to Flora is preserved by Epiphanius (30.7).
Editions
It is printed in Grabe's
Spicilegium Patrum.
Further Information
Dodwell,
Dissert. ad Iren. pp. 318, foll.; Fabric.
Bibl. Graec. vol. v. p. 296.
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