Philargyrius Junius
or PHILARGYRUS, or JUNILIUS FLAGRIUS, for the name appears in different MSS. under these varying forms, was an early commentator upon Virgil.
Works
Commenatry on the Bucolics and Georgics
His observations, which are confined to the Bucolics and Georgics, are less elaborate than those of Servius, and have descended to us in a very imperfect and mutilated condition, but possess considerable interest, in consequence of containing a number of quotations from ancient writers whose works have perished. The period when he flourished is altogether uncertain, for it cannot be proved that the Valentinianus whom he addresses is Valentinianus Augustus.
Editions
These scholia were first published by Fulvius Ursinus, in his remarks on Cato, Varro, and Columella, 8vo, Rom. 1587, having been discovered by him in a very ancient MS. of a fiagment of Servius, and also on the margin of a MS. of Virgil, where they had been noted down by Angelus Politianus. They have been frequently reprinted, and will be found subjoined to the text of Virgil, in the editions of Masvicius and Burmann.
Further Information
Fabric. Bibl. Lat. 1.12.5; Burmann, Praef. ad Virg.; Heyne, de Antiquis Virgilii Interpretibus, subjoined to his notices De Virgilii Editionibus; Suringar, Historia Critica Scholiast. Latt.; Bihr, Geschichte der Röm. Litterat. § 76, 3rd edit.
From William Smith (ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Text provided under a CC BY-SA license by Perseus Digital Library, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu, with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Tufts University. Data accessed from https://github.com/PerseusDL/canonical-pdlrefwk/ on 17 October 2026.