Jump to content

Pseudo-Probus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pseudo-Probus was a 4th-century AD grammarian of Latin.[1] He wrote a number of books on the subject.[2][3] All are misattributed to Marcus Valerius Probus, including:

  1. Catholica Probi, on the declension of nouns, the conjugation of verbs, and the rhythmic endings of sentences. This is now generally regarded as the work of the grammarian Marius Plotius Sacerdos (3rd century).
  2. Instituta artium, on the eight parts of speech, also called Ars vaticana (after the Vatican, where it was found). As mention is made in it of the Baths of Diocletian, it cannot be earlier than the 4th century. It is possibly by a later Probus, whose existence is, however, problematical.
  3. Appendix Probi, dealing with the noun, the use of cases, rules of orthography (valuable in reference to the pronunciation of Latin at the time), and a table of Differentiae. As the author has evidently used the Institute, it also must be assigned to a late date.
  4. De nomine excerpta, a compilation from various grammatical works.[4]
  5. De ultimis syllabis ad Caelestinum, a work explaining the quantities and other features of word-endings in the Latin language.

He also wrote at least one text on the author Vergil.[5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ History of Linguistics 2014
    "At the beginning of his Catholica, pseudo-Probus(c. 305 AD) deals with the five declensions of Latin nouns as based on the genitive singular endings and taking into account even the gender of the nouns.
  2. ^ The Cambridge Companion to Latin Love Elegy
  3. ^ Grammar and Philosophy in Late Antiquity: A study of Priscian's sources
    The position of the adjective continues to be unstable in the early fourth century, from which period our earliest full treatment of the noun survives, namely the Institutio of PSeudo-Probus.
  4. ^  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Probus, Marcus Valerius". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 408.
  5. ^ Virgil's Georgics: A New Interpretation