POLYGENUS, the name of many famous men recorded in ancient writers. Among them was Julius Polyenus, of whom we have some Greek epigrams extant.
Polyenus tant in the first book of the Anthologia. The Polyæ-
Polyanthus nus whom it most concerns us to know about, is the
author of the eight books of the Stratagems of Illustrious
Commanders in War. He was probably a Macedo-
nian, and perhaps a soldier in the early part of his life;
but of this there is no certainty. He was undoubtedly
a rhetorician and a pleader of causes; and appears,
from the dedication of his work to the emperors Anto-
ninus and Verus, to have lived towards the latter part
of the second century. The Stratagemata were published
in Greek by Isaac Casaubon, with notes, in 1589,
12mo; but no good edition of them appeared till that of
Leyden, 1690, in 8vo. The title page runs thus: Po-
lyæni Stratagematum libri octo, Iusto Vulpeo interprete,
Pancretius Mansevicus recensuit, Isaac Casauboni nec non
suas notas adjecit.
We have in this work the various stratagems of above
300 captains and generals of armies, chiefly Greeks and
barbarians; for the Romans seldom used such finesse;
and Polyænus has shown further, that he was not well
versed in Roman affairs. A great number of these stra-
tagems appear to us to be ridiculous or impracticable;
and neither the generals, or even common soldiers of
our days, would be found simple enough to be caught
by them. Few of this order are capable of reading
Polyænus's Stratagems; and if they were, they would
reap little benefit from it. The book is useful to such
as study the Greek language and antiquity; for many
things will be found in it, illustrating the customs and
opinions of ancient times. The sixth and seventh books
are imperfect.
Polyænus composed other works besides the Stratage-
mata. Stobæus has produced some passages out of a
book De Republica Macedonum; and Suædas mentions a
piece concerning the Thebans, and three books of Ta-
citus. If death had not prevented, he would have writ-
ten Memorabilia of the Emperors Antoninus and Verus:
for he makes a promise of this in the preface to his
sixth book of Stratagems. Casaubon, in the dedication
of Polyænus to Mœræus, calls him an elegant, acute,
and learned writer.