Tyrannion

(Τυραννίων).

1. A Greek grammarian, a native of Amisus in Pontus, the son of Epicratides, or, according to some accounts, of Corymbus. He was a pupil of Hestiaeus of Amisus, and was originally called Theophrastus, but received from his instructor the name of Tyrannion on account of his domineering behaviour to his fellow disciples. He afterwards studied under Dionysius the Thracian at Rhodes. In B. C. 72 he was taken captive by Lucullus, who carried him to Rome. At the request of Murena Tyrannion was handed over to him, upon which he emancipated him, an act with which Plutarch (Lucullus, 19) finds fault, as the emancipation involved a recognition of his having been a slave, which does not seem to have been the light in which Lucullus regarded him. At Rome Tyrannion occupied himself in teaching. He was also employed in arranging the library of Apellicon, which Sulla brought to Rome. (Plut. Sull. 26.) Cicero employed him in a similar manner, and speaks in the highest terms of the learning and ability which Tyrannon exhibited in these labours. (Cic. Att. 4.4, b. 1. 8, a. 2). Cicero also availed himself of his services in the instruction of his nephew Quintus (ad Quint. Fratr. 2.4.2; comp. ad Att. 2.6.1, 12.6.1, 2.2, 7.2, ad Quint. Fr. 3.4.5). Strabo (xii. p.548) speaks of having received instruction from Tyrannion. The geographical knowledge of Tyrannion seems to have been considerable; at any rate Cicero thought highly of it. (Cic. Att. 2.6.) Tyrannion amassed considerable wealth, and according to the scarcely credible statement of Suidas (s. v.) collected himself a library of 30,000 volumes. Tyrannion died at a very advanced age of a paralytic stroke. Works

Cicero alludes to a small work of his (ad Att. 12.6), but we do not learn the subject of it.

2. A native of Phoenicia, the son of Artemidorus, and a disciple of the preceding. His original name was Diocles. He was taken captive in the war between Antonius and Octavianus, and was purchased by Dymas, a freedman of the emperor. By him he was presented to Terentia, the wife of Cicero, who manumitted him. He taught at Rome, and according to Suidas, wrote 68 works. The following are mentioned : -1. Περὶ τῆς Ὁμηρικῆς προσῳδίας. 2. Περὶ τῶν μερῶν τοῦ λόγου. 3. Περὶ τῆς Ῥωμαἴκῆς διαλέκτου showing that the Latin language is derived from the Greek. 4. Τοῦ Ἀντιγένους ἡ Ῥωμαϊκὴ διάλεκτος. 5. Ὅτι διαφωνοῦσιν οἱ νεώτεροι ποιηταὶ πρὸς Ὅμηρον. 6. Ἐξήγησις τοῦ Τυραννίωνος μερισμον͂. 7. Διόρθωσις Ὁμηρική. 8. Ὀρθογραφία. Tyrannion is mentioned in the scholia on Homer (Schol. Marc. ad II. β́. 92, 155, 169).

3. Suidas mentions a third writer of the name of Tyrannion, a Messenian, who wrote a work on augury (οἰωνοσκοπικά) in tree books, and some other works.

A work Περὶ τοῦ σκολιοῦ μέτρου is ascribed by Suidas (s. v. σκολιόν) to a writer named Tyrannion, and stated to have been written at the suggestion of Caius Caesar. If this notice is correct, and the Tyrannrion meant is the second of that name, he must have reached a very advanced age when he commenced this treatise, even supposing him to have been young when he was brought to Rome. [C.P.M]

(Τυραννίων). (1) A Greek grammarian, a native of Amisus in Pontus, was taken captive by Lucullus, and carried to Rome, B.C. 72. He was given by Lucullus to Murena, who manumitted him. At Rome Tyrannion occupied himself in teaching. He was also employed in arranging the library of Apellicon, which Sulla brought to Rome, and which contained the writings of Aristotle. Cicero speaks in the highest terms of his learning and ability (Ad Att. ii. 6; iv. 4). See Planer, De Tyrannione Grammatico (1852).

(2) A native of Phoenicia, the son of Artemidorus, and a pupil of the preceding. He was for some time a slave of Terentia, the wife of Cicero, who manumitted him. He taught at Rome and wrote a number of works now lost.