Ausonius

• a distinguished poet, rhetorician, and grammarian of the fourth century, teacher of the emperor Gratian; cf. Bähr, Lit. Gesch. p. 227 sq.; Teuffel, Röm. Lit. § 414.

who in the oldest MSS. is entitled Decimus Magnus Ausonius, although the first two names are found neither in his own poems, nor in the epistle addressed to him by Symmachus, nor in the works of any ancient author, was born at Bourdeaux in the early part of the fourth century. His father, Julius Ausonius, who followed the profession of medicine, appears to have been a person of high consideration, since he was at one period invested with the honorary title of praefect of Illyricum; but there is no ground for the assertion of Scaliger, frequently repeated even in the most recent works, that he acted as physician in ordinary to the emperor Valentinian. If we can trust the picture of the parent drawn by the hand of the son, he must have been a very wonder of genius, wisdom, and virtue. (Idyll. ii. passim ; Parental. 1.9, &c.) The maternal grandfather of our poet, Caecilius Argicius Arborius, being skilled in judicial astrology, erected a scheme of the nativity of young Ausonius, and the horoscope was found to promise high fame and advancement. (Parental. 4.17, &c.) The prediction was, in all probability, in some degree the cause of its own accomplishment. The whole of his kindred took a deep interest in the boy whose career was to prove so brilliant. His infant years were sedulously watched by his grandmother, Aemilia Corinthia Maura, wife to Caecilius Arborius, and by his maternal aunts, Aemilia Hilaria and Aemilia Dryadia, the former of whom was a holy woman, devoted to God and chastity. (Parental. vi. and xxv.) he received the first rudiments of the Greek and Latin languages from the most distinguished masters of his native town, and his education was completed under the superintendence of Aemilius Magnus Arborius, his mother's brother, who taught rhetoric publicly at Toulouse, and who is named as the author of an elegy still extant, Ad Nympham nimis cultam. (Profess. 8.12, &c., 10.16, 3.1, 1.11; Parental. 3.12, &c.; Wernsdorf, Poct. Lat. Minores, vol. iii. p. 217.) Upon his return to Bourdeaux he practised for a while at the bar ; but at the age of thirty began to give instructions as a grammarian, and not long after was promoted to be professor of rhetoric. The duties of this office were discharged by him for many years, and with such high reputation that he was summoned to court in order that he might act as the tutor of Gratian, son of the emperor Valentinian. (Praef. ad Syayr. 15, &c.) Judging from the honours which were now rapidly showered down upon him, he must have acquitted himself in his important charge to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. He received the title of count (comes) and the post of quaestor from Valentinian, after whose death he was appointed by his pupil praefectus of Latium, of Libya, and of Gaul, and at length, in the year 379, was elevated to the consulship, thus verifying to the letter, as Bayle has observed, the apophthegm of Juvenal: si fortuna volet fies de rhetore consul.

The letter of Gratian, conferring the dignity, and the grateful reply of Ausonius, are both extant. After the death of Gratian he retired from public life, and ended his days in a country retreat at no great distance from his native city (Epist. xxiv.), without losing, however, his court favour, for we have direct evidence that he was patronised by Theodosius. (Praefatiuncula, i.)

The precise dates of the birth and of the death of Ausonius are alike unknown. That he was born about the beginning of the fourth century, as stated above, is evident from the fact, that he speaks of himself as far advanced in years when invested with the consulship (Grat. Act.), and he was certainly alive in 388, since he refers to the victory of Theodosius over Maximus, and the death of the " Rutupian robber." (Clar. Urb. vii.)

Judging from the fond terms in which Ausonius speaks of his relations, the kindly feeling which appears to have been maintained between himself and several of his pupils, and the warm gratitude expressed by him towards his benefactors, we should be led to conclude that he was gentle, warm-hearted, and affectionate; but it is so very easy to be amiable upon paper, that we have perhaps no right to form any decided opinion upon his character. His religious faith has been the subject of keen controversy, but there seems to be little difficulty in determining the question. From his cradle he was surrounded by Christian relatives, he was selected by a Christian emperor to guide the studies of his Christian son, and he openly professes Christianity in several of his poems. It is objected -- 1. That his friend and quondam disciple, Pontius Paullinus, the famous bishop of Nola, frequently upbraids him on account of his aversion to the pure faith. 2. That several of his pieces are grossly impure. 3. That his works contain frequent allusions to Pagan mythology, without any distinct declaration of disbelief. 4. That he was the intimate friend of Symmachus, who was notorious for his hostility to Christianity. 5. That the compositions in which he professes Christianity are spurious. To which arguments we may briefly reply, that the first falls to the ground, because the assertion, on which it rests, is entirely false; that if we admit the validity of the second and third, we might demonstrate half the poets who have lived since the revival of letters to be infidels; that the fourth proves nothing, and that the fifth, the rest being set aside, amounts to a petitio principal, since it is supported by no independent evidence external or internal. His poetical powers have been variously estimated. While some refuse to allow him any merit whatever, others contend that had he lived in the age of Augustus, he would have successfully disputed the palm with the brightest luminaries of that epoch. Without stopping to consider what he might have become under a totally different combination of circumstances, a sort of discussion which can never lead to any satisfactory result, we may pronounce with some confidence, that of all the higher attributes of a poet Ausonius possesses not one. Considerable neatness of expression may be discerned in several of his epigrams, many of which are evidently translations from the Greek; we have a very favourable specimen of his descriptive powers in the Mosella, perhaps the mest pleasing of all his pieces; and some of his epistles, especially that to Paullinus (xxiv.) are by no means deficient in grace and dignity. But even in his happiest efforts we discover a total want of taste both in matter and manner, a disposition to introduce on all occasions, without judgment, the thoughts and language of preceding writers, while no praise except that of misapplied ingenuity can be conceded to the great bulk of his minor effusions, which are for the most part sad trash. His style is frequently harsh, and in latinity and versification he is far inferior to Claudian. Works

His extant works are-- 1. Epigrammatum Liber

Epigrammatum Liber, a collection of 150 epigrams. 2. Ephemeris

Ephemeris, containing an account of the business and proceedings of a day. 3. Parentalia,

Parentalia, a series of short poems addressed to friends and relations on their decease. From these Vinet has extracted a very complete catalogue of the kindred of Ausonius, and constructed a genealogical tree. 4. Professores

Professores, notices of the Professors of Bourdeaux, or of those who being natives of Bourdeaux gave instructions elsewhere. 5. Epitaphia Heroum

Epitaphia Heroum, epitaphs on the heroes who fell in the Trojan war and a few others. 6. The Twelve Caesars

A metrical catalogue of the first twelve Caesars, the period during which each reigned, and the manner of his death. 7. Tetrasticha

Tetrasticha, on the Caesars from Julius to Elagabalus. 8. Clarae Urbes

Clarae Urbes, the praises of fourteen illustrious cities. 9. Ludus Septem Sapientum,

Ludus Septem Sapientum, the doctrines of the seven sages expounded by each in his own person. 10. Idyllia

Idyllia, a collection of twenty poems on different subjects, to several of which dedications in prose are prefixed. The most remarkable are, Epicedion in patrem Julium Antonium; Ausonii Villula; Cupido cruci affixus; Mosella; and the too celebrated Cento Nuptialis. 11. Eclogarium

Eclogarium, short poems connected with the Calendar and with some matters of domestic computation. 12. Epistolae

Epistolae, twenty-five letters, some in verse, some in prose, some partly in verse and partly in prose, addressed to various friends. 13. Gratiarum Actio pro Consulatu

Gratiarum Actio pro Consulatu, in prose, addressed to the emperor Gratian. 14. Periochae,

Periochae short arguments to each book of the Iliad and Odyssey. 15. Tres Praefatiunculae,

Tres Praefatiunculae one of them addressed to the emperor Theodosius. Editions

The Editio Princeps of Ausonius appeared at Venice in folio, without a printer's name, in a volume bearing the date 1472, and containing Probae Centones, the eclogues of Calpurnius, in addition to which some copies have the Epistle on the death of Drusus and some opuscula of Publius Gregorius Tifernus. It is extremely scarce. The first edition, in which Ausonius is found separately, is that edited by J. A. Ferrarius, fol. Mediolan. 1490, printed by Ulderic Scinzenzeller. The first edition, in which the whole of the extant works are collected in a complete form, is that of Tadaeus Ugoletus, printed by his brother Angelus, at Parma, 4to. 1499. The first edition, which exhibits a tolerable text, is that of Phil. Junta, 8vo. Florent. 1517; and the best edition is the Variorum of Tollius, 8vo. Amstel. 1671. [W.R]

an eminent physician, who, however, is chiefly known by his being the father of the poet of the same name, from whose works almost all the events of his life are to be learned. He was a native of Cossio Vasatum (the modern Bazas), but removed to Burdigala (Bourdeaux). He married Aemilia Aeonia, with whom he lived thirty-six years, and by whom he had four children, two sons, Decius Magnus Ausonius and Avitianus, and two daughters, Aemilia Melania and Julia Dryadia. He was appointed praefect of Illyricum by the emperor Valentinian. (A. D. 364-375.) He died at the age either of eighty-eight (Auson. Parent. 1.4) or ninety (Id. Epiced. 5.61), after having enjoyed perfect health both of body and mind. If he at all resembled the description given of him by his son, he must have been a most remarkable man, as almost every intellectual and moral excellence is attributed to him. He wrote some medical works, which are not now extant. Further Information

Fabric. Biblioth. Gr. vol. xiii. p. 96, ed. vet.; Scaliger, Vita Auson.; Ausonius, Parent. i. and Epiced. [W.A.G]

Magnus . The most remarkable Latin poet of the fourth century a.d.; born about 310 at Burdigala (Bordeaux). He was son of the private physician of Valentinian I. and afterwards prefect of Illyria. Educated thoroughly in grammar, rhetoric, and law, he practised as an advocate in his native city, where he afterwards became professor of grammar and rhetoric. He was then invited by Valentinian to undertake the education of his son Gratian, who, after he had ascended the throne, conferred upon him the consulship and other distinctions. After the assassination of Gratian he retired to his estate near Burdigala, where he continued to reside, in full literary activity, till 390. He became a Christian, probably on accepting the office of tutor to the prince. Besides composing a turgid address of thanks to Gratian, delivered at Trèves, Ausonius wrote a series of poems, including verses in memory of deceased relatives (Parentalia), verses commemorating his colleagues (Commemoratio Professorum Burdigalensium), Epitaphia, Eclogae, Epistulae, Epigrammata, and a number of miscellaneous pieces, one of which (Mosella) is the narrative of a tour from Bingen on the Rhine to Berncastel (Tabernae) on the Moselle, and then up the Moselle past Neumagen (Noviomagum) to Trèves. Its subject has secured the poem some renown.

Ausonius is not a real poet, but he tries to make up for lack of genius by dexterity in metre, by the manipulation of words, and by ornaments of learning and rhetoric. The consequence is that his style is generally neither simple nor natural.

The editio princeps of Ausonius was published in Venice (1472 foll.). There are separate editions of the Mosella by Böcking, with notes (Berlin, 1828); a variorum (Bonn, 1842), this with a German translation; and by Schenkl (Berlin, 1883). There is an English translation by C. T. Brooks, in Waring's Bride of the Rhine (Boston, 1878). The other poems may be found in the editions by Schenkl (Berlin, 1883) and Peiper (Leipzig, 1886).