Caecilius, Longinus, and Photius

The main sources of Photius’ essays on the ten orators (codices 259-68) are [Plutarch] Lives of the Ten Orators and, for Demosthenes, Libanius’ hypotheses. A residue of material remains which cannot be assigned to any extant source. It has been suggested that significant sections of this residue are derived, directly or indirectly, from Caecilius of Caleacte. This paper argues: (i) Photius’ unidentified source is an author who cited Caecilius, but who was also willing to comment on and criticise his opinions. Only those passages in which Caecilius is named (485b14-36, 489b13-15) can safely be included among his fragments. (ii) The later author who cited, commented on and criticised Caecilius was the third-century critic Cassius Longinus. (iii) We do not know how material from Longinus reached Photius, or with what degree of adaptation; and we cannot be sure to what extent Photius himself rearranged, abbreviated, paraphrased and added to this material.