Phlegon of Tralles ( grc, Φλέγων ὁ Τραλλιανός ''Flegon o Trallianos'') was a Greek writer and freedman of the emperor Hadrian, who lived in the 2nd century AD.

Works

His chief work was the ''Olympiads'', an historical compendium in sixteen books, from the 1st down to the 229th Olympiad (776 BC to AD 137), of which several chapters are preserved in

Eusebius Eusebius of Caesarea (; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος ; 260/265 – 30 May 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilus (from the grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος τοῦ Παμφίλου), was a Greek historian of Christianity, exegete, and Chris ...

' ''Chronicle'', Photius, and George Syncellus. Two short works by him are extant. ''On Marvels'' consists of "anecdotes culled from sources as diverse as the Greek poet

Hesiod Hesiod (; grc-gre, Ἡσίοδος ''Hēsíodos'') was an ancient Greek poet generally thought to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer. He is generally regarded by western authors as 'the first written poet i ...

and the Roman natural historian

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic ' ...

. Each... recounts a fantastical or paranormal event." ''On Long-Lived Persons'' contains a list of Italians who had passed the age of 100, taken from the censuses of the Roman Empire. Other works ascribed to Phlegon in 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 ...

'' are a description of

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, a work on the Roman festivals in three books, and a topography of

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 ...

: :"Phlegon of Tralles, freedman of Augustus Caesar, but some say of Hadrian: historian. He wrote Olympiads in 16 books. Up to the 229th Olympiad they contain what was done everywhere. And these in 8 books: ''Description of Sicily''; ''On long-lived and marvelous persons'', ''On the feasts of the Romans'' 3 books, ''On the places in Rome and by what names they are called'', ''Epitome of Olympic victors'' in 2 books, and other things. :"Of this Phlegon, as Philostorgius says, to relate fully in detail what befell with the Jews, while Phlegon and Dio mentioned hese eventsbriefly and made them an appendix to their own narrative. Since this man does not exhibit at all prudently those who would lead to piety and other virtues, as those others do not either. Josephus, on the contrary, is like one who fears and takes care not to offend the c.paganGreeks."

Reference to Jesus

Origen of Alexandria Origen of Alexandria, ''Ōrigénēs''; Origen's Greek name ''Ōrigénēs'' () probably means "child of Horus" (from , "Horus", and , "born"). ( 185 – 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an early Christian scholar, ascetic, and the ...

(182-254 AD), in ''

Against Celsus ''Against Celsus'' (Greek: Κατὰ Κέλσου ''Kata Kelsou''; Latin: ''Contra Celsum''), preserved entirely in Greek, is a major apologetics work by the Church Father Origen of Alexandria, written in around 248 AD, countering the writings ...

'' (Book II, Chap. XIV), wrote that Phlegon, in his ''Chronicles'', mentions Jesus: "Now Phlegon, in the thirteenth or fourteenth book, I think, of his Chronicles, not only ascribed to Jesus a knowledge of future events (although falling into confusion about some things which refer to Peter, as if they referred to Jesus), but also testified that the result corresponded to His predictions." He referred to a description by Phlegon of an eclipse accompanied by earthquakes during the reign of Tiberius: that there was "the greatest eclipse of the sun" and that "it became night in the sixth hour of the day . e., noonso that stars even appeared in the heavens. There was a great earthquake in

Bithynia Bithynia (; Koine Greek: , ''Bithynía'') was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwe ...

, and many things were overturned in

Nicaea Nicaea, also known as Nicea or Nikaia (; ; grc-gre, Νίκαια, ) was an ancient Greek city in Bithynia, where located in northwestern Anatolia and is primarily known as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea (the first and s ...

." However,

, in book 2 of Chronicle ( Chronicon, quoted by

Jerome Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is co ...

), actually quotes Phlegon, with no mention of Jesus or a three hour darkness. "In the 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was a great eclipse of the Sun, greater than had ever been known before, for at the sixth hour the day was changed into night, and the stars were seen in the heavens. An earthquake occurred in Bythinia and overthrew a great part of the city of Nicæa." Phlegon may have been recording an eclipse that happened in November, 29 AD, the 1st year of the 202nd Olympiad.http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsearch/SEsearchmap.php?Ecl=00291124

References

* Emma Southon: "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". ''

History Today ''History Today'' is an illustrated history magazine. Published monthly in London since January 1951, it presents serious and authoritative history to as wide a public as possible. The magazine covers all periods and geographical regions and pub ...

'', June 2018, p. 15.

Bibliography

* Karl Wilhelm Ludwig Müller, ''Frag. hist. graec.'', iii * Otto Keller, ''Rerum naturalium scriptores'', i. (1877) *H Diels, "Phlegons Androgynenorakel" in ''Sibyllinische Bücher'' (1890). *''Phlegon of Tralles' Book of Marvels''. Translated with an introduction and commentary by William Hansen. University of Exeter Press (1996) pp.xvi + 215
Review

External links

- the entry on Phlegon's ''Chronicles'' and ''List of Olympic Victors''.
The Suda entry for Phlegon
- Greek, English and commentary.

- Greek/Latin and English.

- bitmap and scanned text with list of works {{Authority control Ancient Greek writers 2nd-century Greek people 2nd-century Romans 2nd-century writers Historians from Roman Anatolia Emperor's slaves and freedmen Ancient Olympic Games People from Tralles