Dexippus

• a Greek proper name, Cic. Fam. 14, 3, 3.

(Δέξιππος), a Lacedaemonian, was residing at Gela when Sicily was invaded for the second time by the Carthaginians under Hannibal, the grandson of Ilamilcar, in B. C. 406. At the request of the Agrigentines, on whom the storm first fell, he came to their aid with a body of mercenaries which he had collected for the purpose ; but he did not escape the charge of corruption and treachery which proved fatal to four of the Agrigentine generals. When the defence of Agrigentum became hopeless, Dexippus returned to Gela, the protection of that place having been assigned him by the Syracusans, who formed the main stay of the Grecian interest in the island. Not long after, he was dismissed from Sicily by Dionysius, whose objects in Gela he had refused to aid. (Diod. 13.85, 87, 88, 93, 9(.) [E.E]

(Δέξιππος), a comic poet of Athens, respecting whom no particulars are known. Suidas (s. v. Κωρυκαῖος) mentions one of his plays entitled Θησυρός, and Eudocia (p. 132) has preserved the titles of four others, viz. Ἀντιπορνοβοσκός, Φιλάργυρος, Ἱστοριογράφος, and ΔιαδικαΖόμενοι. Meineke in his Hist. Crit. Com. Graec. has overlooked this poet. [L.S]

(Δέξιππος), a commentator on Plato and Aristotle, was a disciple of the Neo-Platonic philosopher Iamblichus, and lived in the middle of the fourth century of the Christian era. Works on the Categories of Aristotle

We still possess a commentary of Dexippus on the Categories of Aristotle, in the form of a dialogue. The Greek title in the Madrid Codex is, Δεξίππου φιλοσόφου Πλατωνικοῦ τῶν εἰς τὰς Ἀροστοτέλους Κατηγορίας Ἀποριῶν τε καὶ Λύσεων κεφάλαια μ́.

In this work the author explains to one Seleucus the Aristotelian Categories, and endeavors at the same time to refute the objections of Plotinus. (Plotin. Ennead. 6.1, 2, 3; comp. Simplic. ad Arist. Categ. fol. 1, a.; Tzetzes, Chiliad. ix. Hist. 274.) Edition

This, however, is printed only in a Latin translation. It appeared at Paris, 1549, 8vo., under the title of " Quaestionum in Categorias libri tres, interprete J. Bernardo Feliciano," and again at Venice, 1546, fo., after the work of Porphyry In Praedicam. Other works still extant in MSS

Specimens of the Greek text are to be found in Iriarte, Cod. Bibl. Matrit. Catalog. pp. 135, 274, &c., and from these we learn that there are other dialogues of Dexippus on similar subjects still extant in manuscript. Further Information

Fabric. Bibl. Gr. iii. pp. 254. 486, v. pp. 697, 740. [A.S]

(Δέξιππος), called also Dioxippus, a physician of Cos, who was one of the pupils of the celebrated Hippocrates, and lived in the fourth century B. C. (Suid. s. v. Δέξιππος.) Hecatomnus, prince of Caria (B. C. 385-377), sent for him to cure his sons, Mausolus and Pixodarus, of a dangerous illness, which he undertook to do upon condition that Hecatomnus should cease from waging war against his country. (Suid. ibid.) He wrote some medical works, of which nothing but the titles remain. He was blamed by Erasistratus for his excessive severity in restricting the quantity of drink allowed to his patients. (Galen, De Secta Opt. 100.14, vol. i. p. 144; Comment. I. in Hippocr. "De Rat. Vict. in Morb. Acut." 100.24, Comment. l.c. 38 and Comment. IV. 100.5. vol. xv. pp. 478, 703, 744; De Venae Sect. adv. Erasistr. 100.9, vol. xi. p. 182.) IIe is quoted by Plutarch (Sympos. 7.1) and Aulus Gellius (17.11) in the controversv that awas maintained among some of the ancient physicians as to whether the drink passed down the windpipe or the gullet. [W.A.G]

a Greek rhetorician and historian, was a son of Ptolemaeus and born in the Attic demos of Herms. (Böckh, Corp. Inscript. i. n. 380, p. 439, &c.) He lived in the third century after Christ, in the reigns of Claudius Gothicus, Tacitus, Aurelian, and Probus, till about A. D. 280. (Eunap. Vit. Porphyr. p. 21.) He was regarded by his contemporaries and later writers as a man of most extensive learning; and we learn from the inscription just referred to, that he was honoured at Athens with the highest offices that existed in his native city. In A. D. 262. when the Goths penetrated into Greece and ravaged several towns, Dexippus proved that he was no less great as a general and a man of business than as a scholar, for, after the capture of Athens, he gathered around him a number of bold and courageous Athenians, and took up a strong position on the neighbouring hills. Though the city itself was taken by the barbarians, and Dexippus with his band was cut off from it, he made an unexpected descent upon Peiraeeus and took vengeance upon the enemy. (Dexipp. Exc. de Bell. Scyth. p. 26, &c.; Trebell. Poll. Gallien. 13.) Works

We are not informed whether Dexippus wrote any rhetorical works; he is known to us only as an historical author. Photius (Bibl. Cod. 82) has preserved some account of three historical works of Dexippus. 1. Τὰ μετὰ Ἀλέξανδρον, in four books.

It was a history of Macedonia from the time of Alexander, and by way of introduction the author prefixed a sketch of the preceding history, from the time of Caranus to Alexander. (Comp. Euseb. Chron. 1.) 2. Σύντομον ἱστορία

Σύντομον ἱστορία or as Eunapius (p. 58) calls it, χρονικὴ ἱστορία, was a chronological history from the mythical ages down to the accession of Claudius Gothicus, A. D. 268. It consisted probably of twelve books, the twelfth being quoted by Stephanus of Byzantium (s. v. Ἔλουροι), and it is frequently referred to by the writers of the Augustan history. (Lamprid. Alex. Sev. 49; Capitolin. Maximin. Jun. 6, Tres Gord. 2, 9, Maxim. et Balbin. 1; Treb. Poll. Gallien. 15, Trig. Tyr. 32, Claud. 12; comp. Evagrius, Hist. Eccles. 5.24.) 3. Σκυθικά

Σκυθικά, that is, an account of the war of the Goths or Scythians, in which Dexippus himself had fought. It commenced in the reign of Decius, and was brought to a close by Aurelian. Assessment

Photius praises the style and diction of Dexippus, especially in the third work, and looks upon him as a second Thucydides ; but this praise is highly exaggerated, and the fragments still extant shew, that his style has all the faults of the late Greek rhetoricians. Editions

The fragments of Dexippus, which have been considerably increased in modern times by the discoveries of A. Mai (Collect. Script. Vet. ii. p. 319, &c.), have been collected by I. Bekker and Niebuhr in the first volume of the Scriptores Historiae Byzantinae, Bonn, 1829, 8vo. [L.S]

(Δέξιππος). (1) P. Herennius, a Greek historian and rhetorician, born in Attica in the third century A.D. He held high office in Athens, and in the year 262, when the Goths invaded Greece, distinguished himself against them. He died about A.D. 280. Photius gives some account of three historical works by Dexippus—a history of Macedonia from the time of Alexander the Great; a general chronological history from the earliest times down to the year A.D. 268; and, finally, an account of the wars with the Goths in which Dexippus had himself fought. The fragments of these works, which are fairly numerous, are included in the collection of Scriptores Historiae Byzantinae.

(2) A student of the philosopher Iamblichus, who wrote (about A.D. 350) a commentary on the Categories of Aristotle in the form of a dialogue, which is edited by Spengel (Munich, 1859).