Philostratus of Lemnos ( grc-gre, Φιλόστρατος ὁ Λήμνιος; c. 190 – c. 230 AD), also known as Philostratus the Elder to distinguish him from

Philostratus the Younger Philostratus the Younger ( grc-gre, Φιλόστρατος ὁ Νεώτερος; fl. 3rd century AD), also known as Philostratus of Lemnos, was a Greek sophist of the Roman imperial period. He was author of the second series of '' Imagines'', which ...

who was also from

Lemnos Lemnos or Limnos ( el, Λήμνος; grc, Λῆμνος) is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos regional unit, which is part of the North Aegean region. The p ...

, was a Greek

sophist A sophist ( el, σοφιστής, sophistes) was a teacher in ancient Greece in the fifth and fourth centuries BC. Sophists specialized in one or more subject areas, such as philosophy, rhetoric, music, athletics, and mathematics. They taught ' ...

of the

Roman imperial period The Roman imperial period is the expansion of political and cultural influence of the Roman Empire. The period begins with the reign of Augustus (), and it is taken to end variously between the late 3rd and the late 4th century, with the beginning ...

. He was probably a nephew of the sophist

Philostratus of Athens Philostratus or Lucius Flavius Philostratus (; grc-gre, Φιλόστρατος ; c. 170 – 247/250 AD), called "the Athenian", was a Greek sophist of the Roman imperial period. His father was a minor sophist of the same name. He was born probab ...

, and is credited with two books formerly attributed to his uncle.

Works

'' Eikones'' (, ''Images'' or ''Imagines'') is ostensibly a description of 64 pictures in a Neapolitan gallery.

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...

, Welcker, Brunn, E. Bertrand and Helbig, among others, have held that the descriptions are of actually existing works of art, while Heyne and Friederichs deny this. In any case they are interesting as showing the way in which ancient artists treated mythological and other subjects, and are written with artistic knowledge and in attractive language. A second series of ''Imagines'' was produced by his

grandson Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

certainly wrote the 2nd series of ''Eikones'' and in the foreword, thanked Philostratus the Elder for the 1st series so eventually attributed to him instead of Philostratus of Athens as previously attributed. '' Heroicus'', or ''On Heroes'', is a popular disquisition on the heroes of the

Trojan War In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and ...

. Written in the form of a conversation between a

Thracian The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied ...

vine-dresser on the shore of the Hellespont and a

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...

n merchant who derives his knowledge from the hero

Protesilaus In Greek mythology, Protesilaus (; Ancient Greek: Πρωτεσίλᾱος ''Prōtesilāos'') was a hero in the '' Iliad'' who was venerated at cult sites in Thessaly and Thrace. Protesilaus was the son of Iphiclus, a "lord of many sheep"; ...

, Palamedes is exalted at the expense of Odysseus, and

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a 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. Homer is considered one of the ...

's unfairness to him is attacked. It has been suggested that Philostratus is here describing a series of heroic paintings in the palace of

Julia Domna Julia Domna (; – 217 AD) was Roman empress from 193 to 211 as the wife of Emperor Septimius Severus. She was the first empress of the Severan dynasty. Domna was born in Emesa (present-day Homs) in Roman Syria to an Arab family of priests ...

. The work ''Heroicus'' traditionally attributed to Philostratus of Athens, but is now more commonly attributed to this Philostratus.

References

Sources

* Côté, Dominique. "La figure d’Eschine dans les Vies des sophistes de Philostrate", ''Cahiers des études anciennes'' 42 (2005), p. 389-420. * Côté, Dominique. "Les deux sophistiques de Philostrate", ''Rhetorica'' 24 (2006), 1-35. *

External links

*
Online Text: Philostratus III, ''On Heroes''
modern translation by Ellen Bradshaw Aitken and Jennifer K. Berenson Maclean (at Center for Hellenic Studies, Harvard University) *''Flavii Philostrati opera'', C. L. Kayser (edit.), 2 voll., Lipsiae, in aedibus B. G. Teubneri, 1870–71
vol. 2 pp. 294-389
*''Philostratus: Imagines. Callistratus: Descriptiones'', Arthur Fairbanks (edit.), London: William Heinemann LTD, New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1931
pp. 1-274
*
Philostratus Maior: Imagines
', O. Benndorf - C. Schenkel (ed.), Lipsiae, in aedibus B. G. Teubneri, 1893. *''Philostratorum et Callistrati opera, Eunapii vitae sophistarum, Himerii sophistae declamationes'', A. Westermann, Jo. Fr. Boissoade, Fr. Dübner (ed.), Parisiis, editore Ambrosio Firmin Didot, 1849
pp. 339-392
{{DEFAULTSORT:Philostratus Of Lemnos Roman-era Sophists Roman-era philosophers in Athens Roman-era Athenian rhetoricians