Apollonius Molon or Molo of Rhodes (or simply Molon; ), was a Greek

rhetoric Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. It is one of the three ancient arts of discourse ( trivium) along with grammar and logic/ dialectic. As an academic discipline within the humanities, rhetoric aims to study the techniques that speakers or w ...

ian. He was a native of Alabanda, a pupil of Menecles, and settled at

Rhodes Rhodes (; ) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Administratively, the island forms a separ ...

, where he opened a school of rhetoric. Prior to that, he twice visited

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

as an ambassador from Rhodes. This cites: * C. Müller, ''Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum'', iii. * Emil Schürer, ''Story of the Jewish People'', iii. (Eng. tr. 1886). Marcus Tullius Cicero studied with him during his trip to Greece in 79–77 BC, as did Gaius Julius Caesar a few years later. Perhaps it is at least partially due to Apollonius Molon's instruction that Caesar, and Cicero especially, achieved fame as orators in the Roman Republic. Molon is reputed to have quoted

Demosthenes Demosthenes (; ; ; 384 – 12 October 322 BC) was a Greek statesman and orator in ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide insight into the politics and cu ...

in telling his pupils that the first three elements in rhetoric were "Delivery, Delivery and Delivery." He had a stellar reputation in Roman Law courts, and was even invited to address the Roman Senate in Greek – an honor not usually bestowed upon foreign ambassadors. Molon wrote on

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

and endeavored to moderate the florid

Asiatic style The Asiatic style or Asianism (, Cicero, '' Brutus'' 325) refers to an Ancient Greek rhetorical tendency (though not an organized school) that arose in the third century BC, which, although of minimal relevance at the time, briefly became an i ...

of rhetoric. According to

Josephus Flavius Josephus (; , ; ), born Yosef ben Mattityahu (), was a Roman–Jewish historian and military leader. Best known for writing '' The Jewish War'', he was born in Jerusalem—then part of the Roman province of Judea—to a father of pr ...

, in '' Against Apion'', Apollonius Molon slandered the

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

s.Louis H. Feldman, Gōhei Hata ''Josephus, Judaism and Christianity'' 1987 p18 "Of this group,

Manetho Manetho (; ''Manéthōn'', ''gen''.: Μανέθωνος, ''fl''. 290–260 BCE) was an Egyptian priest of the Ptolemaic Kingdom who lived in the early third century BCE, at the very beginning of the Hellenistic period. Little is certain about his ...

, Lysimachus, Chaeremon, Apion, Posidonius, and Apollonius Molon (the last two are providers of material for Apion) are severely criticized in Josephus' ''Against Apion'' because they slandered and attacked Moses and the Jews by asserting that 1) the ancestors of the Jews were Egyptians... 10) Moses was a fraud and a charlatan whose commandments teach only evil, no virtue (Apollonius Molon, Lysimachus)."

Notes

Ancient Greek rhetoricians 1st-century BC Rhodians Roman-era Rhodians Roman Caria Year of death unknown Year of birth unknown {{AncientGreece-writer-stub