Adrianus of Tyre (

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

: , c. 113 – 193 AD), also written as Hadrian and Hadrianos, was a

sophist A sophist () was a teacher in ancient Greece in the fifth and fourth centuries BCE. Sophists specialized in one or more subject areas, such as philosophy, rhetoric, music, athletics and mathematics. They taught ''arete'', "virtue" or "excellen ...

of ancient

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

who flourished under the emperors

Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius Antoninus ( ; ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and a Stoicism, Stoic philosopher. He was a member of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty, the last of the rulers later known as the Five Good Emperors ...

and

Commodus Commodus (; ; 31 August 161 – 31 December 192) was Roman emperor from 177 to 192, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father Marcus Aurelius and then ruling alone from 180. Commodus's sole reign is commonly thought to mark the end o ...

. Adrianus was the pupil of Herodes Atticus, and obtained the chair of philosophy at

during the lifetime of his master, which does not seem to have impaired their mutual regard; Herodes declared that the unfinished speeches of his scholar were "the fragments of a colossus," and Adrianus showed his gratitude by a funeral

oration Public speaking, is the practice of delivering speeches to a live audience. Throughout history, public speaking has held significant cultural, religious, and political importance, emphasizing the necessity of effective rhetorical skills. It all ...

which he pronounced over the ashes of his master.

Philostratus Philostratus or Lucius Flavius Philostratus (; ; 170s – 240s AD), called "the Athenian", was a Greek sophist of the Roman imperial period. His father was a minor sophist of the same name. He flourished during the reign of Septimius Severus ...

recounts a story of Adrianus' trial and acquittal for the murder of a begging sophist who had insulted him: Adrianus had retorted by styling such insults , but his pupils were not content with weapons of ridicule.

met Adrianus on a visit to Athens, invited him to Rome, and honored with his friendship: the emperor even condescended to set the thesis of a declamation for him. After the death of Aurelius he became the private secretary of

. His died at

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, ...

at the age of 80, not later than 192 AD, if Philostratus' account is true that Commodus (who was assassinated at the end of that year) sent him a letter on his death-bed.

Suda The ''Suda'' or ''Souda'' (; ; ) is a large 10th-century Byzantine Empire, Byzantine encyclopedia of the History of the Mediterranean region, ancient Mediterranean world, formerly attributed to an author called Soudas () or Souidas (). It is an ...

''s.v.'' The ''

'' lists Adrianus' works as ''Declamations'', ''Metamorphoses'' (7 books), ''On Types of Style'' (5 books), ''On Distinctive Features in the Issues'' (3 books), letters, epideictic speeches, ''Phalaris'', and ''Consolation to Celer''. Of these works only three declamations are extant.

Footnotes

Other sources

, ''Lives of the Sophists'' * S. Rothe, ''Kommentar zu ausgewahlten Sophistenviten des Philostratos'' (Heidelberg 1988) 87–126. {{DEFAULTSORT:Adrianus 2nd-century Greek philosophers 110s births 193 deaths Roman-era Athenian philosophers Roman-era Athenian rhetoricians Roman-era philosophers in Rome Roman-era Sophists People from Tyre, Lebanon