ALYPIUS of Antioch, a geographer of the fourth century. He was sent deputy-governor by the emperor Julian into Britain; and after he remained in this situation for some time, he received orders from the emperor to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem. Ammianus Marcellinus, the Roman historian, informs us, that during the progress of the work, whilst it was proceeding with great rapidity, huge balls of fire issued forth in the vicinity of the foundations, which interrupted the men at their labour, and even sometimes consumed them with its violence. Thus the place being rendered inaccessible, they were reluctantly constrained to desist from their undertaking. Different sentiments have been entertained of this phenomenon; but the reader may consult, for his own satisfaction, what has been written by Lardner and Gibbon concerning it. In the evening of his life, after he had retired from the service of the public, Alypius, in conjunction with several other persons, was formally accused of the crime of practising magic. In consequence of which, he was punished with banishment and confiscation of property, and Hierocles his son was condemned to capital punishment. Ammianus Marcellinus, whilst he mentions that the crime for which they suffered, was that of administering poison to others, at the same time freely delivers his opinion, that they were the victims of the general injustice and oppression which reigned at that period, and extended their sway even to the most retired habitations. The emperor Julian himself honoured Alypius with his confidence, and speaks of him with great respect. "As to your conduct in public affairs (says the emperor), it gives me pleasure to observe the assiduity and humanity which appear in all your transactions; for so to temper lenity and moderation with firmness and fortitude, that the good may experience the benefit of the former, and the bad may be corrected by the latter, requires no small share of ability and virtue." Alypius composed a geographical work which is said to have gained the approbation of the emperor, but this work has shared the same fate as many other productions of antiquity. Some have ascribed the work which Godfrey published under the title of "A Description of the Old World;" printed in 4to, at Geneva, to Alypius; but since that author speaks of Britain, not merely from report, but his own observation; this, together with the testimony of some writers, leads to the conclusion, that this "Description" is an anonymous work published in the reigns of Constantius and Constans. (Gen. Biog.).

Alypius, one of the seven Greek writers on music, which Meibomius hath industriously collected and published, with a commentary and explanatory notes. The time in which he flourished cannot be precisely ascertained. He is said to have wrote before Euclid and Ptolemy; and Cassidorus arranges his work, entitled "Introduction to Music," between that of Nicomachus and Gaudentius. In this work is to be found the most complete nomenclature of all the sounds of the different scales and modes of the ancient Greek music, which have escaped the wreck of time. So complex was the science of music in Greece at this period, that the characters used for sounds were 1620 in number. The 24 letters of the alphabet furnished these notes, sometimes in an entire, sometimes in a mutilated, and sometimes in an altered form; and numerous discriminations of these took place by means of the accents and varied positions of letters.

From the MS. of Joseph Scaliger, Meursius first published this tract in 1616; but according to the testimony of Fabricius, it is by no means correct. Extracts have been published from Alypius, by Kircher, in his Musurgia, 1650, alleging that he translated the whole into Latin; but this table of ancient musical notations is so inaccurate, which he has inserted from him, that Meibomius, who consulted not only the Greek MS. of Scaliger, but that of Belejanus, Barocus, Barberriti, and Selden, affirms, that he found in it more than 200 errors. The learned Meibomius, with incredible industry, decyphered those characters, which previous to his time were so much confounded, disfigured, and corrupted, either through the ignorance or inattention of the transcribers of ancient MSS. This advantage resulted to the science of music, chiefly by his commentaries on Greek musicians, and particularly on the works of Alypius.

Alypius of Tagasta, a Christian divine who flourished in the fourth century. In the year 388, he was baptized along with Augustine, and, in consequence of a similarity of dispositions and religious sentiments, they became strongly attached to each other. In quest of information and improvement, he took a journey into Palestine; and returning home, he soon acquired such general esteem, that he was appointed bishop of his native city. He had adopted in the early part of his life the opinions of the Manichees: but in consequence of farther information and matured experience, he became a powerful advocate for the Catholic faith. The Donatists flourished about this period, and arrogantly claimed the exclusive honour of being the true church; but he, along with his friend Augustine, united his exertions in opposing the tenets of that sect. In the council of Carthage in the year 403, the erudition and talents of Alypius, along with several other eminent divines, were unsuccessfully employed in endeavouring to reclaim them, and to bring them again into the bosom of the church. In 411 Alypius was one of the seven who held a friendly and theological conference with seven of the Donatist bishops. But all the eloquence and strength of argument made use of by these divines, although seconded by the penal degrees of the emperor Honorius, were unsuccessful in producing a recantation of their errors, or a peaceful union with their brethren. In support of the Catholic faith, Alypius appears to have vigorously ex- Alypius exerted his talents; and it is much to be regretted that the means he employed for that purpose were not at all times the most honourable; for in the violence of his zeal he went as deputy from the churches of Africa to the emperor Honorius, in order to obtain severe decrees against the sect of the Pelagians. Although Alypius failed in his attempts to reclaim the Donatists from error, yet he was successful with the emperor in obtaining penal decrees against the Pelagians; in consequence of which their ministers were banished, their churches demolished, and their assemblies discontinued. Alypius died about the year 439, and his dispositions appear to have participated more of the violence of zeal, than of the meekness of charity. (Gen. Biog.).