Tyrannion ( grc-gre, Τυραννίων, ''Tyranníōn''; la, Tyrannio; 1st century BC) was a Greek

grammar In linguistics, the grammar of a natural language is its set of structural constraints on speakers' or writers' composition of clauses, phrases, and words. The term can also refer to the study of such constraints, a field that includes doma ...

ian brought to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

as a war captive and slave. He is also known as Tyrannion the Elder, in order to distinguish him from his pupil who is known as Tyrannion the Younger. Tyrannion was a native of

Amisus Samsun, historically known as Sampsounta ( gr, Σαμψούντα) and Amisos ( Ancient Greek: Αμισός), is a city on the north coast of Turkey and is a major Black Sea port. In 2021, Samsun recorded a population of 710,000 people. The ci ...

Pontus Pontus or Pontos may refer to: * Short Latin name for the Pontus Euxinus, the Greek name for the Black Sea (aka the Euxine sea) * Pontus (mythology), a sea god in Greek mythology * Pontus (region), on the southern coast of the Black Sea, in modern ...

, the son of Epicratides, or according to some accounts, of Corymbus. His mother was Lindia. He was a pupil of Hestiaeus of Amisus, and was originally called Theophrastus, but received from his instructor the name of Tyrannion ("the tyrant") on account of his domineering behaviour to his fellow disciples. He afterwards studied under Dionysius the Thracian at

Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the S ...

. In 72 BC he was taken captive by

Lucullus Lucius Licinius Lucullus (; 118–57/56 BC) was a Roman general and statesman, closely connected with Lucius Cornelius Sulla. In culmination of over 20 years of almost continuous military and government service, he conquered the eastern kingd ...

, who carried him to

. At the request of Lucius Licinius Murena, Tyrannion was handed over to him, upon which he emancipated him, an act with which

Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for hi ...

finds fault, as the emancipation involved a recognition of his having been a

slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

, which does not seem to have been the light in which Lucullus regarded him. At Rome, Tyrannion occupied himself in teaching. He was also employed in arranging the library of Apellicon, which

Sulla Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force. Sulla had t ...

brought to Rome.

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...

employed him in a similar manner, and speaks in the highest terms of the learning and ability which Tyrannion exhibited in these labours. Cicero also availed himself of his services in the instruction of his nephew Quintus.

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called " Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could s ...

speaks of having received instruction from Tyrannion. The geographical knowledge of Tyrannion seems to have been considerable; at any rate Cicero thought highly of it. Tyrannion amassed considerable wealth, and, according to the scarcely credible statement of the

Suda The ''Suda'' or ''Souda'' (; grc-x-medieval, Σοῦδα, Soûda; la, Suidae Lexicon) is a large 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia of the ancient Mediterranean world, formerly attributed to an author called Soudas (Σούδας) or Souida ...

, collected himself a library of 30,000 volumes. Cicero alludes to a small work of his,Cicero, ''Ad Atticum'', xii. 6 but we do not learn the subject of it. Tyrannion died at a very advanced age of a paralytic

stroke A stroke is a disease, medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemorr ...

References

* {{authority control 1st-century BC Greek people 1st-century BC Romans Ancient Greek grammarians Ancient Greek slaves and freedmen