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AVIANUS

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Originally appearing in Volume V03, Page 60 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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AVIANUS , a Latin writer of fables, placed by some critics in the See also:

age of the Antonines, by others as See also:late as the 6th See also:century A.D. He appears to have lived at See also:Rome and to have been a See also:heathen. The 42 fables which See also:bear his name are dedicated to a certain See also:Theodosius, whose learning is spoken of in most flattering terms. He may possibly be See also:Macrobius Theodosius, the author of the Saturnalia ; some think he may be the See also:emperor of that name. Nearly all the fables are to be found in See also:Babrius, who was probably Avianus's source of See also:inspiration, but as Babrius wrote in See also:Greek, and Avianus speaks of having made an elegiac version from a rough Latin copy, probably a See also:prose See also:paraphrase, he was not indebted to the See also:original. The See also:language and See also:metre are on the whole correct, in spite of deviations from classical usage, chiefly in the management of the See also:pentameter. The fables soon became popular as a school-See also:book. Promythia and epimythia (introductions and morals) and paraphrases, and imitations were frequent, such as the Novus Avianus of See also:Alexander See also:Neckam (12th century). EDIrloxs.—Cannegieter (1731), See also:Lachmann (1845), Frohner (1862), Bahrens in Poetae See also:Latini Minores, See also:Ellis (1887). See See also:Muller, De Phaedri et Aviani Fabulis (1875) ; Unrein, De Aviani Aetate (1885) ; Hervieux, See also:Les Fabulistes latins (1894) ; The Fables of Avian translated into Englyshie . . . by See also:William See also:Caxton at Westmynstre (1483).

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AVIARY (from Lat. avis, a bird)

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