638 FOUKTH PEEIOD. A. D. 590-1049.
most important is by an anonymous Constantinopolitan author of the first half of the seventh century, who in fifteen books presented testimonies in favor of Christianity by different Greek, Persian, Thracian, Egyptian, Babylonian, Chaldean and Jewish scholars.
Unique and invaluable as the Library is, it has been criticized because more attention is given to some minor works than to other important ones; the criticisms are not always fair or worthy ; the works spoken of are really few, while a much larger anthology might have been made; and again there is no order or method in the selection. It is, however, to be borne in mintf that the object of the work was to mention only those books which had been read in the circle to which he and his brother belonged, during the absence of the latter ; that it was hastily prepared, and was to have been followed by a second.1 Taking these facts into consideration there is nothing but praise to be given to the great scholar who in a wholly undesigned fashion has laid posterity under heavy obligation by jotting down his criticisms upon or making excerpts of the more im portant works which came under his observation during a com paratively short space of time.
Among the Greek fathers, he esteems most highly Athanasius, Chrysostom, Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, Epiphanius, Ephraem, Cyril of Alexandria, the fictitious Dionysius the Areopagite, and Maximus ; among the Latin fathers, Leo. I. and Gregory I. He recognizes also Ambrose, Augustin, and Jerome as fathers, but often disputes their views. Of the ante-Nicene writers he has a rather low opinion, because they did not come up to his standard of orthodoxy; he charges Origen with blasphemous errors, and Eusebius with Arianism.
One of the earlier works of Photius, perhaps his earliest, was his Greek Lexicon? which he began in his youth and com-
1 Hergenrother, p. 14, 28-31.
2 Best edition, by Dobr6e, Quriov Mgeuv avvayuyfj. Photii Lexicon e codice
\ 145. PIIOTIUS, PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE. G39
pletcd before the Library, although he revised it from time to time. He made use of the glossaries and lexica of former workers, whose names he has preserved in his Library, and lias been in turn used by later lexicographers, e. y. Suidas (ninth century). Photius designed to remove the difficulties in the reading of the earlier and classic Greek profane and sacred lite rature. To this end he paid particular attention to the expla nation of the old Attic expressions and figures of speech.
The most important of the theological works of Photius is the Amphilochian Questions1 — so called because these questions had been asked by his friend, Amphilochius, metropolitan of Lyzikus. The work consists of three hundred and twenty-four discussions, mostly in biblical exegesis, but also dogmatical, philosophical, mythological, grammatical, historical, medical, and scientific. Like the other works of Photius it displays rare learning and ability. It was composed during his first exile, and contains many complaints of lack of books and ex cerpts. It has no plan, is very disjointed, unequal, and evi dently was written at different times. Many of the answers are taken literally from the works of others. The same question is sometimes repeatedly discussed in different ways.2
Although it is doubtful whether Photius composed a complete commentary on any book of the Old Testament, it is very likely that he wrote on the Gospels and on Romans, Corinthians and Hebrews, since in the printed and unprinted catena: upon these books there are found many citations of Photius.3 ^so such commentary as a unit, however, now exists.
Two canonical works are attributed to Photius, "A Collection
Galeano descnpsit R. Porsonm. London, 1822, 2 vols. ; reprinted 1823 in Leipzig.
1 Miffne, CI. col. 45-1172.
2 Ilergenrother (vol. iii., pp. 31 sqq.) tells at length the curious story of the pingnlar way in which the Amphilochia has gradually come to the knowledge of modern scholars.
8 Collected in Migne, I c. col. 1189-1253