Lexicon of Attic Wards

ThomasMagister

(Θωμᾶς).

1. Magister, a rhetorician and grammarian, who flourished about A. D. 1310.

He appears to have been a native of Thessalonica, and to have lived at the court of the emperor Andronicus Palaeologus I., and to have held the offices of marshal (Magister Officiorum) and keeper of the archives (Chartophylax); but he afterwards retired to a monastery, where he assumed the name of Theodidulus, and devoted himself to the study of the ancient Greek authors.

Works

Lexicon of Attic Wards (κατὰ Ἀλφάβητον ὀνομάτων Ἀττικῶν Ἐκλογαί

His chief work was a Lexicon of Attic Wards (κατὰ Ἀλφάβητον ὀνομάτων Ἀττικῶν Ἐκλογαί, compiled from the works of the elder grammarians, such as Phrynichus, Ammonius, Herodian, and Moeris; but with very little judgment. The work has some value on account of its containing much from the elder grammarians, which would otherwise have been lost ; but, when Thomas deserts his guides, he often falls into the most serious errors.

Editions

His Attic Lexicon was first published by Zach. Caliergus, Rom. 1517; and soon after by Fr. Asulanus, who had not seen the former edition, in the Aldine collection of Greek Lexicographers, entitled Dictionarium Graecum, Venet. 1524, fol. ; reprinted 1525, fol.; then by Michael Vascosanus, with the Attic Lexicons of Phrynichus and Moschopulus, Lutet. 1532, 8vo.; the next edition was that of Nicolas Blancard, who made many rash changes in the text; a very excellent edition, enriched with a body of notes by Dan. Heinsius, J. Chr. Wolf, and many other scholars, was published by Johan. Steph. Bernard, Lugd. Bat. 1757, 8vo.; and, lastly, the work has been recently reedited by Ritschl, with valuable Prolegomena, under the following title :--Tomaic Magistri sive Theoduli Montachi Eeloga Vocum Atlicarum Ex Recensione et cum Prolegomenis Friderici Ritschelii. Halis Sax. 1831, 1832, 8vo.

Scholia

He wrote Scholia upon Pindar, Euripides, and Aristophanes, the remains of which are merged in the collections of ancient scholia, and also lives of those authors, which are prefixed to some of the editions of their works.

Letters and Orations

His other writings consist of letters and orations, the latter being partly scholastic essays in imitation of the ancient orators, partly encomniums on the great men of former days, such as that upon Gregory of Nazianzus, partly laudatory addresses to his contemporaries, and partly relating to passing events.

Editions

An edition of the Orations and Epistles, which were then known, was published in Greek and Latin, Upsal. 1693, 4to., by Laurentius Norrmann, who had edited the Laudatio Gregori alone two years before, Upsal. 1691, 4to.; and two other orations, namely that to Andronicus Palaeologus de Regis Officiis, and the to it, de Subditorum erga Regem Officiis, have been published in the Nova Collectio Veterum Scriptorumn of Angelo Maio (vol. iii. pp. 145, foll., pp. 173, foll. 1827, 4to.), who gives the titles of several unedited letters and orations of Thomas, which he promises to publish. Some Excerpta from Thomas Magister are printed in the Anecdota of L. Bachmann, vol. 2.1828, 8vo.

Further Information

Cave, Hist. Litt. s. a. 1311, Appendix, p. 15, ed. Basil.; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. vi. pp. 181, Schröckh, Christl. Kirchengesch. vol. xxx. p. 298; Schöll, Gesch. d. Griech. Litt. vol. iii. pp. 152, 207; Hoffmann, Lex. Bibliogr. Script. Graec.