an officer of Alexander, who received Cilicia at the general division of the provinces. ——A son of Ptolemy, who was given to Pelopidas as an hostage. ——A dithyrambic poet of Cythera. He enjoyed the favour of Dionysius tyrant of Sicily for some time, till he offended him by seducing one of his female fingers. During his confinement Philoxenus composed an allegorical poem called Cyclops; in which he had delineated the character of the tyrant under the name of Polyphemus, and represented his mistress under the name of Galatea, and himself under that of Ulysses. The tyrant, who was fond of writing poetry, and of being applauded, removed Philoxenus from his dungeon; but the poet refused to purchase his liberty by saying things unworthy of himself, and applauding the wretched verses of Dionysius, and therefore he was sent to the quarries. Being set at liberty, he some time after was asked his opinion at a feast about some verses which Dionysius had just repeated, and which the courtiers had received with the greatest applause. Philoxenus gave no answer, but he ordered the guards that surrounded the tyrant's table to take him back to the quarries. Dionysius was pleased with his pleasantry and with his firmness, and immediately forgave him. Philoxenus died at Ephesus about 380 years before Christ.