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Grammarian, honoured by his association with Syrianus[1] and also by their innate similarity in character and physique -- in Homer's words, 'in appearance and stature and nature most similar';[2] for each of them was physically handsome and large. Furthermore, their health and strength did not in any way fall short of their other natural gifts, either in whole or in any part. Their souls were eager for the best in the same way. But Syrianus was the more pious, and a genuine philosopher; the other was devoted to the art that is founded on the exegesis of poets and the correction of Greek diction. It was this Ammonianus who happened to acquire an ass as an audience for his wisdom.[3]

*)ammwniano/s, grammatiko/s, kosmou/menos th=| suggenei/a| *surianou= kai\ a(/ma th=| sumfu/tw| o(moio/thti tw=n te h)qw=n kai\ tou= sw/matos, kata\ to\n *(/omhron ei)=do/s te me/geqo/s te fuh/n t' a)/gxista e)w/|kei. to/ te ga\r sw=ma kalo/s te kai\ me/gas h)=n e(ka/teros. kai\ e)/ti prosh=n u(gei/a kai\ i)sxu\s ou)de\n a)pode/ousa th=s a)/llhs eu)fui/+as tou= te o(/lou kai\ tw=n merw=n: h(/ te yuxh\ e)/rrwto pro\s to\ be/ltiston au)toi=s to\ o(moio/tropon. a)ll' o( me\n qeofile/steros h)=n o( *suriano\s kai\ tw=| o)/nti filo/sofos: o( de\ h)ga/pa th\n e)pi\ poihtw=n e)chgh/sei kai\ diorqw/sei th=s *(ellhnikh=s le/cews kaqhme/nhn te/xnhn. ou(=tos h)=n *)ammwniano/s, w(=| kekth=sqai sumbe/bhken o)/non sofi/as a)kroath/n.

Damascius Life of Isidore fr. 111 Zintzen. See RE Ammonianos(2); PLRE II Ammonianus.
[1] [sigma 1662] Syrianus.
[2] Homer, Iliad 2.58.
[4] cf. [omicron 391] o)/nos lu/ras. Photius, Bibliotheca cod. 242, 339a: "it was this Ammonianus who happened to acquire an ass which (they say) often neglected its feed to listen to lessons on poetry, even when it had deliberately been made to go hungry; such was the extent of the ass's desire for knowledge about poetry."

David Whitehead (added keywords; cosmetics) on 17 July 2002@11:47:36.
Catharine Roth (cosmetics, keyword) on 15 September 2010@23:35:28.
David Whitehead (more keywords) on 16 September 2010@02:55:07.
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