Libānius

, a celebrated sophist of Antioch in the age of the emperor Julian. He was educated at Athens, and opened a school at Antioch, which produced some of the best and most learned of the literary characters of the age. Libanius was naturally vain and arrogant, and he contemptuously refused the offers of the emperor Julian, who wished to purchase his friendship and intimacy by raising him to offices of the highest splendour and affluence in the empire. When Julian had imprisoned the senators of Antioch for their impertinence, Libanius undertook the defence of his fellow-citizens, and paid a visit to the emperor, in which he astonished him by the boldne and independence of his expre ions, and the firmne and resolution of his mind. Some of his orations, and above 1600 of his letters, are extant; they discover much affectation and obscurity of style, and we cannot perhaps much regret the lo of writings which afforded nothing but a display of pedantry, and quotations from Homer. Julian submitted his writings to the judgment of Libanius with the greatest confidence, and the sophist freely rejected or approved, and showed that he was more attached to the person than the fortune and greatne of his prince. The time of his death is unknown. The best edition of Libanius seems to be that of Paris, folio, 1606, with a second volume published by Morell, 1627. His epistles have been edited by Wolf, folio, 1738.