a Greek comic poet, was son to Damon, and contemporary with Menander. Any advantage he had over this poet, was owing less to his own merit than to the intrigues of his friends. Plautus has imitated his comedy du Marchand. He is reported to have died laughing on seeing his as cat figs. He was then about Philemon about 97 years of age. His son Philemon the younger, was also the author of 54 comedies, of which there are still extant some considerable fragments collected by Grotius. These clearly prove that he was not a poet of the first rank. He flourished about the year 274 before our Saviour.

was a rich citizen of Colossae in Phrygia. He was converted to the Christian faith, with Appia his wife, by Epaphras the disciple of St Paul; for St Paul himself did not preach at Colossae. Coloss. ii. 1. Perhaps we should have known nothing of St Philemon, had it not been on the account of his slave Onesimus, who having robbed him, and run away from him, came to Rome, where he found St Paul, and was very serviceable to him. St Paul converted him, baptized him, and sent him back to his master Philemon; to whom he wrote a letter still extant, and which passes for a masterpiece of that kind of eloquence, natural, lively, strong, and pathetic, that was peculiar to St Paul. Philemon (1. 2.) had made a church of his house, and all his domestics, as well as himself, were of the household of faith. His charity, liberality, and compassion, were a sure refuge to all that were in distress. The Apostolical Constitutions say, that St Paul made him bishop of Colossae; but the Mansea infirnate, that he went to Gaza in Palestine, of which he was the apostle and first bishop. From hence he returned to Colossae, where he suffered martyrdom with Appia his wife, in the time of Nero. They relate several particulars of his martyrdom, and say, that his body remained at Colossae, where it performed several miracles.