Favori'nus(Φαβωρῖνος.)
1. A philosopher and sophist of the time of the emperor Hadrian. He was a native of Arles,
in the south of Gaul, and is said to have been born an Hermaphrodite or an eunuch. (Philostr.
Vit. Soph. 1.8.1; Lucian, Eunuch. 7; Gel. 2.22.) On one occasion, however, a Roman of rank brought a charge
of adultery against him. He appears to have visited Rome and Greece at an early age, and he
acquired an intimate acquaintance of the Greek and Latin languages and literature. These
attainments combined with great philosophical knowledge, very extensive learning, and
considerable oratorical power, raised him to high distinctions both at Rome and in Greece. For
a time he enjoyed the friendship and favour of the emperor Hadrian, but on one occasion he
offended the emperor in a dispute with him, and fell into disgrace, whereupon the Athenians,
to please the emperor, destroyed the bronze statue which they had previously erected to
Favorinus. He used to boast of three things: that being a eunuch lie had been charged with
adultery, that although a native of Gaul he spoke and wrote Greek, and that he continued to
live although he had offended the emperor. (Philostr. l.c.;
D. C. 69.3; Spartian. Hadr. 16.) Favorinus
was connected by intimate friendship with Demetrius of Alexandria, Demetrius the Cynic,
Cornelius Fronto, and especially with Plutarch, who dedicated to him his treatise on the
principle of cold (περὶ τον͂ πρώτου Ψυχρον͂), and among
whose lost works we have mention of a letter on friendship, addressed to Favorinus. Herodes
Atticus, who was likewise on intimate terms with him, looked up to him with great esteem, and
Favorinus bequeathed to him his library and his house at Rome. Favorinus for some time resided
in Asia Minor; and as he was highly honoured by the Ephesians, he excited the envy and
hostility of Polemon, then the most famous sophist at Smyrna. The two sophists attacked each
other in their declamations with great bitterness and animosity. The oratory of Favorinus was
of a lively, and in his earlier years of a very passionate kind. He was very fond of
displaying his learning in his speeches, and was always particularly anxious to please his
audience.
Works
Favorinius' extensive knowledge is further attested by his numerous works, and the variety
of subjects on which he wrote. None of his works, however, has come down to us, unless we
suppose with Emperius, the late editor of Dion Chrysostomus (in a dissertation de Oratione Corinthiaca falso Dioni Chrys. adscripta,
p. 10, &c. Brunsvig. 1832), that the oration on Corinth, commonly printed
among those of Dion Chrysostomus, is the work of Favorinus.
The following are the titles of the principal works ascribed to him:
1.
Περὶ τῆς καταληπτικῆς ΦαντασίαςΠερὶ τῆς καταληπτικῆς Φαντασίας, probably
consisting of three books, which were dedicated respectively to Hadrian, Dryson, and
Aristarchus. (Galen, vol. i. p. 6.)
2.
Ἀλκιβιάο͂ηςἈλκιβιάο͂ης. (Galen, iv. p. 367.)
3. A work addressed to Epictetus.
A work addressed to Epictetus, which called forth a reply from Galen (iv. p. 367).
4. A work on Socrates.
A work on Socrates, which was likewise attacked by Galen (iv. p. 368).
5.
Πλούταρχος ἢ περὶ τῆς Ἀκαδημικῆς
ΔιαθέσεωςΠλούταρχος ἢ περὶ τῆς Ἀκαδημικῆς Διαθέσεως.
(Galen, i. p. 6.)
6.
Περὶ πλάτωνοςΠερὶ πλάτωνος. (Suidas.)
7.
Περὶ τῆς Ὅμήρου ΦιλοσοφίαςΠερὶ τῆς Ὅμήρου Φιλοσοφίας. (Snidas.)
8.
Πυρρώνειοι τρόποιΠυρρώνειοι τρόποι, in ten books, seems to have been
his principal work. (Philostr. Vit. Solh. 1.8.4; Gel. 11.5.) Favorinus in this work showed that the philosophy of Pyrrhon was usefil
to those who devoted themselves to pleading in the courts of justice.
9.
Παντοδαπὴ ἹστορίαΠαντοδαπὴ Ἱστορία, consisting of at least eight
books, probably contained historical, geographical, and other kinds of information. (D. L. 3.24, 8.12, 47.)
10.
ἈπομνημονεύματαἈπομνημονεύματα, of which the third hook is quoted.
(D. L. 3.40.)
11.
ΓνωμολογικάΓνωμολογικά. A work about proverbs.
Other works
Philostratus (comp. Gel. 17.12) mentions several orations, but
we have no means of judging of their merit.
Further Information
Besides the two principal sources, Philostratus and Suidas, see J. F. Gregor, Commentatio de Favorino, Laub. 1755, 4to; Forsmann, Dissertatio de Favorino, Abo, 1789, 4to.