Pollux (Pollux)

Pollux, Julius; Pollux, gr. Polydeukes, Navkratisav of Egypt, the second half of II in. n. e., Greek rhetorician and lexicographer. He taught rhetoric in Athens, where he remained until the end of life. From his works survived only (not in the original version, but only in later processing) lexicon entitled Onomasticon in 10 books, each of which were preceded by a message to the Emperor Commodus. He represented a kind of encyclopedia, compiled on a substantive basis (not alphabetical), sometimes resembling a textbook rhetoric (he leads 52 expression, serving to praise the ruler, and 33 curses at tax collector). Lexicon contains many quotations from earlier writers, as well as a wealth of information from different areas of life. Of particular value are: book. IV, an important source for the study of Greek music and theater, and Prince. VIII, telling about the Athenian courts and officials. P. drew their information from the writings of Aristophanes of Byzantium, Eratosthenes, Pamphilus, etc.