Suetonius remarks that Hyginus fell into great poverty in his old age and was supported by the historian Clodius Licinus. Hyginus was a voluminous author: his works included topographical and biographical treatises, commentaries on Helvius Cinna and the poems of Virgil, and disquisitions on agriculture and bee-keeping. All these are lost.[2]
Under the name of Hyginus there are extant what are probably two sets of school notes abbreviating his treatises on mythology; one is a collection of Fabulae ("stories"), the other a "Poetical Astronomy".
The Fabulae consists of some three hundred very brief and plainly, even crudely, told myths (such as Agnodice) and celestial genealogies,[3] made by an author who was characterized by his modern editor, H. J. Rose, as adulescentem imperitum, semidoctum, stultum—"an ignorant youth, semi-learned, stupid"—but valuable for the use made of works of Greek writers of tragedy that are now lost. Arthur L. Keith, reviewing H. J. Rose's edition (1934) of Hygini Fabulae,[4] wondered "at the caprices of Fortune who has allowed many of the plays of an Aeschylus, the larger portion of Livy's histories, and other priceless treasures to perish, while this school-boy's exercise has survived to become the pabulum of scholarly effort." Hyginus' compilation represents in primitive form what every educated Roman in the age of the Antonines was expected to know of Greek myth, at the simplest level. The Fabulae are a mine of information today, when so many more nuanced versions of the myths have been lost.
In fact the text of the Fabulae was all but lost: a single surviving manuscript from the abbey of Freising,[5] in a Beneventan script datable c. 900, formed the material for the first printed edition, negligently and uncritically[6] transcribed by Jacob Micyllus, 1535, who may have supplied it with the title we know it by. In the course of printing, following the usual practice, by which the manuscripts printed in the 15th and 16th centuries have rarely survived their treatment at the printshop, the manuscript was pulled apart: only two small fragments of it have turned up, significantly as stiffening in book bindings.[7] Another fragmentary text, dating from the 5th century is in the Vatican Library.[8]
Among Hyginus' sources are the scholia on Apollonius of Rhodes' Argonautica, which were dated to about the time of Tiberius by Apollonius' editor R. Merkel, in the preface to his edition of Apollonius (Leipzig, 1854).[9]
De Astronomica was first published, with accompanying figures, by Erhard Ratdolt in Venice, 1482, under the title Clarissimi uiri Hyginii Poeticon astronomicon opus utilissimum. This "Poetic astronomy by the most renowned Hyginus, a most useful work," chiefly tells us the myths connected with the constellations, in versions that are chiefly based on Catasterismi, a work that was traditionally attributed to Eratosthenes.
Like the Fabulae, the Astronomica is a collection of abridgements. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, the style and level of Latin competence and the elementary mistakes (especially in the rendering of the Greek originals) were held to prove that they cannot have been the work of "so distinguished" a scholar as C. Julius Hyginus. It was further suggested that these treatises are an abridgment made in the latter half of the 2nd century of the Genealogiae of Hyginus by an unknown adapter, who added a complete treatise on mythology.[2] The star lists in the Astronomica are in exactly the same order as in Ptolemy's Almagest, reinforcing the idea of a 2nd-century compilation.[10]
Legacy
The lunar crater Hyginus and the minor planet 12155 Hyginus are named after him.
The English author Sir Thomas Browne opens his discourse The Garden of Cyrus (1658) with a Creation myth sourced from the Fabulae of Hyginus.
Notes
^Not everyone is sure that the Hyginus of Fabulae was this freedman of Augustus; for one, Edward Fitch, reviewing Herbert J. Rose, Hygini Fabulae in The American Journal of Philology56,4 (1935), p. 422.
^"the Fabulae (more correctly Genealogiae) of Hyginus", according to H. J. Rose, "Second Thoughts on Hyginus" Mnemosyne, Fourth Series, 11.1 (1958:42–48) p. 42; the article is in the way of a set of marginalia to Rose's edition of Fabulae.
^A.L. Keith, in The Classical Journal31.1 (October 1935) p. 53.
^A Codex Freisingensis, noted by Fitch, reviewing Rose, Hygini Fabulae 1934:421.
^A. H. F. Griffin, "Hyginus, Fabula 89 (Laomedon)" The Classical Quarterly New Series, 36.2 (1986), p. 541 note.
^One was discovered at Regensburg in 1864, another in Munich, 1942. Both fragments are conserved in Munich. See M.D. Reeve on Hyginus, Fabulae in L.D. Reynolds, ed., Texts and Transmission (Oxford) 1983, pp 189f.
^Review by Wilfred E. Major of P.K. Marshall, Hyginus: Fabulae. Editio altera. 2002
Rose, Herbert Jennings (ed.), Hygini Fabulae (Leiden: A.W. Sijthoff, 1934 [2nd ed. 1963]). The standard text, in Latin.
Smith, R. Scott & Trzaskoma, Stephen M. (transl.), Apollodorus' Library and Hyginus' Fabulae: Two Handbooks of Greek Mythology (Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing, 2007), ISBN978-0-87220-821-6.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Hyginus, Gaius Julius". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 14 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 175.
External links
Wikisource has original works by or about: Gaius Julius Hyginus
Online Text: Hyginus, Fabulae translated by Mary Grant
Online Text: Hyginus, Astronomica translated by Mary Grant
Online Text of Hyginus. excerpted (in Latin)
Online Digital copy of the first Latin edition by Jacob Micyllus (Basel, 1535)
gaius, julius, hyginus, hyginus, redirects, here, other, uses, hyginus, disambiguation, latin, author, pupil, scholar, alexander, polyhistor, freedman, caesar, augustus, elected, superintendent, palatine, library, augustus, according, suetonius, grammaticis, c. Hyginus redirects here For other uses see Hyginus disambiguation Gaius Julius Hyginus h ɪ ˈ dʒ aɪ n e s c 64 BC AD 17 was a Latin author a pupil of the scholar Alexander Polyhistor and a freedman of Caesar Augustus He was elected superintendent of the Palatine library by Augustus according to Suetonius De Grammaticis 20 1 It is not clear whether Hyginus was a native of the Iberian Peninsula or of Alexandria Suetonius remarks that Hyginus fell into great poverty in his old age and was supported by the historian Clodius Licinus Hyginus was a voluminous author his works included topographical and biographical treatises commentaries on Helvius Cinna and the poems of Virgil and disquisitions on agriculture and bee keeping All these are lost 2 Under the name of Hyginus there are extant what are probably two sets of school notes abbreviating his treatises on mythology one is a collection of Fabulae stories the other a Poetical Astronomy Contents 1 Fabulae 2 De Astronomica or Poeticon Astronomicon 3 Legacy 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksFabulae EditThe Fabulae consists of some three hundred very brief and plainly even crudely told myths such as Agnodice and celestial genealogies 3 made by an author who was characterized by his modern editor H J Rose as adulescentem imperitum semidoctum stultum an ignorant youth semi learned stupid but valuable for the use made of works of Greek writers of tragedy that are now lost Arthur L Keith reviewing H J Rose s edition 1934 of Hygini Fabulae 4 wondered at the caprices of Fortune who has allowed many of the plays of an Aeschylus the larger portion of Livy s histories and other priceless treasures to perish while this school boy s exercise has survived to become the pabulum of scholarly effort Hyginus compilation represents in primitive form what every educated Roman in the age of the Antonines was expected to know of Greek myth at the simplest level The Fabulae are a mine of information today when so many more nuanced versions of the myths have been lost In fact the text of the Fabulae was all but lost a single surviving manuscript from the abbey of Freising 5 in a Beneventan script datable c 900 formed the material for the first printed edition negligently and uncritically 6 transcribed by Jacob Micyllus 1535 who may have supplied it with the title we know it by In the course of printing following the usual practice by which the manuscripts printed in the 15th and 16th centuries have rarely survived their treatment at the printshop the manuscript was pulled apart only two small fragments of it have turned up significantly as stiffening in book bindings 7 Another fragmentary text dating from the 5th century is in the Vatican Library 8 Among Hyginus sources are the scholia on Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica which were dated to about the time of Tiberius by Apollonius editor R Merkel in the preface to his edition of Apollonius Leipzig 1854 9 De Astronomica or Poeticon Astronomicon EditMain article De Astronomica De Astronomica was first published with accompanying figures by Erhard Ratdolt in Venice 1482 under the title Clarissimi uiri Hyginii Poeticon astronomicon opus utilissimum This Poetic astronomy by the most renowned Hyginus a most useful work chiefly tells us the myths connected with the constellations in versions that are chiefly based on Catasterismi a work that was traditionally attributed to Eratosthenes Like the Fabulae the Astronomica is a collection of abridgements According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica Eleventh Edition the style and level of Latin competence and the elementary mistakes especially in the rendering of the Greek originals were held to prove that they cannot have been the work of so distinguished a scholar as C Julius Hyginus It was further suggested that these treatises are an abridgment made in the latter half of the 2nd century of the Genealogiae of Hyginus by an unknown adapter who added a complete treatise on mythology 2 The star lists in the Astronomica are in exactly the same order as in Ptolemy s Almagest reinforcing the idea of a 2nd century compilation 10 Legacy EditThe lunar crater Hyginus and the minor planet 12155 Hyginus are named after him The English author Sir Thomas Browne opens his discourse The Garden of Cyrus 1658 with a Creation myth sourced from the Fabulae of Hyginus Notes Edit Not everyone is sure that the Hyginus of Fabulae was this freedman of Augustus for one Edward Fitch reviewing Herbert J Rose Hygini Fabulae in The American Journal of Philology 56 4 1935 p 422 a b Chisholm 1911 the Fabulae more correctly Genealogiae of Hyginus according to H J Rose Second Thoughts on Hyginus Mnemosyne Fourth Series 11 1 1958 42 48 p 42 the article is in the way of a set of marginalia to Rose s edition of Fabulae A L Keith in The Classical Journal 31 1 October 1935 p 53 A Codex Freisingensis noted by Fitch reviewing Rose Hygini Fabulae 1934 421 A H F Griffin Hyginus Fabula 89 Laomedon The Classical Quarterly New Series 36 2 1986 p 541 note One was discovered at Regensburg in 1864 another in Munich 1942 Both fragments are conserved in Munich See M D Reeve on Hyginus Fabulae in L D Reynolds ed Texts and Transmission Oxford 1983 pp 189f Review by Wilfred E Major of P K Marshall Hyginus Fabulae Editio altera 2002 Noted by Rose 1958 42 note 3 Julius Hyginus Poeticon Astronomicon Retrieved 2019 01 18 References EditGrant Mary transl The Myths of Hyginus Lawrence University of Kansas Press 1960 Marshall P K ed Hyginus Fabulae Munich Saur 1993 corr ed 2002 Rose Herbert Jennings ed Hygini Fabulae Leiden A W Sijthoff 1934 2nd ed 1963 The standard text in Latin Smith R Scott amp Trzaskoma Stephen M transl Apollodorus Library and Hyginus Fabulae Two Handbooks of Greek Mythology Indianapolis Cambridge Hackett Publishing 2007 ISBN 978 0 87220 821 6 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Hyginus Gaius Julius Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 14 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 175 External links Edit Wikisource has original works by or about Gaius Julius Hyginus Online Text Hyginus Fabulae translated by Mary Grant Online Text Hyginus Astronomica translated by Mary Grant Online Text of Hyginus excerpted in Latin Online Digital copy of the first Latin edition by Jacob Micyllus Basel 1535 Poeticon Astronomicon 1482 Full digital facsimile Linda Hall Library De Mundi et Sphere 1512 Full digital facsimile Linda Hall Library Online Galleries History of Science Collections University of Oklahoma Libraries High resolution images of works by Hermes Trismegistus in JPEG and TIFF formats Grammaticae Romanae Fragmenta Gino Funaioli a cura di Lipsiae in aedibus B G Teubneri 1907 vol 1 pagg 525 sgg Historicorum Romanorum reliquiae Hermann Peter ed Lipsiae in aedibus B G Teubneri vol 1 1906 pp 72 77 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gaius Julius Hyginus amp oldid 1124437653, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
