the author of the Argonautics and sur- named the Rhodian, from the place of his residence, is supposed to have been a native of Alexandria, where he is said to have recited some portion of his poem while he was yet a youth. Finding ill received by his countrymen, he retired to Rhodes, where he is conjectured to have polished and completed his work, supporting himself by the profession of rhetoric, and receiving from the Rhodians the freedom of their city. He at length returned with considerable honour to the place of his birth, succeeding Eratosthenes in the care of the Alexandrian library in the reign of Ptolemy Euergetes, who ascended the throne of Egypt in the year before Christ 246. That prince had been educated by the famous Aristarchus, and rivalled the preceding sovereigns of his liberal family in the munificent encouragement of learning. Apollonius was a disciple of the poet Callimachus; but their connection ended in the most violent enmity, which was probably owing to some degree of contempt expressed by Apollonius for the light compositions of his master. The learned have vainly endeavoured to discover the particulars of their quarrel. The only work of Apollonius which has descended to modern times is his poem above mentioned, in four books, on the Argonautic expedition. Both Longinus and Quintilian have assigned to this work the mortifying character of mediocrity. It was published for the first time at Florence in 1496, with the ancient Greek Scholia, in a 4to volume, now exceedingly rare. There is an excellent edition by Brunck, published in 1780, and another by Beck, published in 1797; but the best is that of Professor Schäfer, printed at Leipsic in 2 vols. 8vo, in 1810–13.

a Pythagorean philosopher, born at Tyana in Cappadocia about the beginning of the first century. At 16 years of age he became a strict observer of Pythagoras's rules, renouncing wine and all sorts of flesh; not wearing shoes, letting his hair grow, and wearing nothing but linen. He soon after set up for a reformer of mankind, and chose his habitation in a temple of Æsculapius, where he is said to have performed many wonderful cures. Philostratus has written the life of Apollonius, in which there are numberless fabulous stories recounted of him. We are told that he went five years without speaking, and yet during that time stopped many seditions in Cilicia and Pamphylia; that he travelled, and set up for a legislator; that he gave out he understood all languages without having ever learned them; and that he could tell the thoughts of men, and understood the oracles which birds gave by their singing. The heathens were fond of opposing the pretended miracles of this man to those of our Saviour; and by a treatise which Eusebius wrote against one Heracles, we find that the object of the latter, in the treatise which Eusebius refutes, seems to have been to draw a parallel between Jesus Christ and Apollonius, in which he gives the preference to this philosopher. M. Dupin wrote a confutation of Philostratus's life of Apollonius.

Apollonius wrote four books of Judicial Astrology; a Treatise upon the Sacrifices, showing what was proper to be offered to each deity; and a great number of Letters; all of which are now lost.

APOLLO, in Scripture History, a Jew of Alexandria, who came to Ephesus during the absence of St Paul, who was gone to Jerusalem. (Acts xviii. 24.) Apollo was an eloquent man, and well versed in the Scriptures; and as he spoke with zeal and fervour, he taught diligently the things of God: but knowing only the baptism of John, he was no more than a catechumen, or one of the lowest order of Christians, and did not as yet distinctly know the mysteries of the Christian doctrine. However, he knew that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, and declared himself openly to be his disciple. When, therefore, he came to Ephesus, he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, and to show that Jesus was the Christ. Aquila and Priscilla having heard him, took him home with them, instructed him more fully in the ways of God, and baptized him, probably in the name of Jesus Christ.

Some time after this he had a mind to go into Asia; and the brethren having exhorted him to undertake this journey, they wrote to the disciples, desiring them to receive him. He arrived at Corinth, and was there very useful in convincing the Jews out of the Scriptures, and demonstrating to them that Jesus was the Christ. Thus he watered what St Paul had planted in this city. (1 Cor. iii. 6.) But the great affection which his disciples entertained for him threatened to produce a schism, some saying I am of Paul, others I am of Apollos, I am of Cephas. However, this division, which St Paul speaks of in the chapter last quoted, did not prevent that apostle and Apollos from being closely united by the bonds of charity. Apollos hearing that the apostle was at Ephesus, went to meet him, and was there when St Paul wrote the first epistle to the Corinthians; wherein he testifies that he had earnestly entreated Apollos to return to Corinth, but hitherto had not been able to prevail with him; that nevertheless he gave him room to hope that he would go when he had an opportunity. St Jerome says that Apollos was so dissatisfied with the division which had happened upon his account at Corinth, that he retired into Crete with Zena, a doctor of the law; and that this disturbance having been appeased by the letter which St Paul wrote to the Corinthians, Apollos returned to this city, and was bishop thereof. The Greeks make him bishop of Dura, others say he was bishop of Iconium in Phrygia, and others that he was bishop of Caesarea.