HYGINUS

Gaius Iulius. A Roman scholar, a native of Spain, and a freedman of Augustus, who appointed him librarian of the Palatine Library. His versatility as an author reminds us of Varro, for works of his are mentioned bearing on historical, antiquarian, geographical, theological, and agricultural subjects. Under the name of Hyginus we possess two schoolbooks of mythology; both are the production of the same author, but it is somewhat doubtful whether they are really written by the Roman scholar, or are only extracts from the genuine works or fresh versions of them. They are; (a) the Fabularum Liber, a collection of 277 legends, which are not without value for the mythology and history of the Greek drama, as the author has made use of the tragedians in his compilation; (b) an incomplete work, De Astronomia, in four books, commonly called Poetica Astronomieu, consisting of the elements of astronomy with an account of the constellations and the myths relating to them, mainly after Eratosthenes.