Flavius Philostratus
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Philostratus or Lucius Flavius Philostratus (; ; 170s – 240s AD), called "the Athenian", was a Greek
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 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 beginnin ...
. His father was a minor sophist of the same name. He flourished during the reign of
Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus (; ; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through cursus honorum, the ...
(193–211) and died during that of
Philip the Arab Philip I (; – September 249), commonly known as Philip the Arab, was Roman emperor from 244 to 249. After the death of Gordian III in February 244, Philip, who had been Praetorian prefect, rose to power. He quickly negotiated peace with the S ...
(244–249), probably in Tyre.


Name and life

Some ambiguity surrounds his name. The nomen ''Flavius'' is given in ''The Lives of the Sophists'' and
Tzetzes John Tzetzes (; , Constantinople – 1180, Constantinople) was a Byzantine poet and grammarian who lived at Constantinople in the 12th century. He is known for making significant contributions in preserving much valuable information from ancien ...
. Eunapius and
Synesius Synesius of Cyrene (; ; c. 373 – c. 414) was a Greek bishop of Ptolemais in ancient Libya, a part of the Western Pentapolis of Cyrenaica after 410. He was born of wealthy parents at Balagrae (now Bayda, Libya) near Cyrene between 370 and 3 ...
call him a Lemnian;
Photius Photius I of Constantinople (, ''Phōtios''; 815 – 6 February 893), also spelled ''Photius''Fr. Justin Taylor, essay "Canon Law in the Age of the Fathers" (published in Jordan Hite, T.O.R., and Daniel J. Ward, O.S.B., "Readings, Cases, Mate ...
a Tyrian; his letters refer to him as an Athenian. His
praenomen The praenomen (; plural: praenomina) was a first name chosen by the parents of a Ancient Rome, Roman child. It was first bestowed on the ''dies lustricus'' (day of lustration), the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the ...
was probably ''Lucius'', although this is not entirely confirmed. It is probable that he was born in
Lemnos Lemnos ( ) or Limnos ( ) is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos (regional unit), Lemnos regional unit, which is part of the North Aegean modern regions of Greece ...
, studied and taught at
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 ...
, and then settled in Rome (where he would naturally be called ''Atheniensis'') as a member of the learned circle with which empress
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 ...
surrounded herself.


Works attributed to Philostratus

Historians agree that Philostratus authored at least five works: '' Life of Apollonius of Tyana'' (Τὰ ἐς τὸν Τυανέα Ἀπολλώνιον; ), ''Lives of the Sophists'' (, ), '' Gymnasticus'' (Γυμναστικός), '' Heroicus'' (Ἡρωικός) and '' Epistolae'' (Ἐπιστολαί). Another work, '' Imagines'' (Εἰκόνες), is usually assigned to his son-in-law Philostratus of Lemnos. ''Heroicus'' (''On Heroes'', 213–214 AD) is in the form of a dialogue between a Phoenician traveler and a vine-tender or groundskeeper (ἀμπελουργός ''ampelourgos''), regarding
Protesilaus In Greek mythology, Protesilaus (; ) was a Greek hero, hero in the ''Iliad'' who was venerated at Temenos, cult sites in Thessaly and Thrace. Protesilaus was the son of Iphiclus (mythology), Iphiclus, a "lord of many sheep"; as grandson of the e ...
(or "Protosilaos"), the first Achaean warrior to be killed at the siege of
Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...
, as described in the ''
Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; , ; ) is one of two major Ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odyssey'', the poem is divided into 24 books and ...
.'' The dialogue extends into a discussion and critique of
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 ...
's presentation of heroes and gods, based on the greater authority of the dead Protosileus, who lives after death and communicates with the ''ampelourgos''. Heroicus includes Achilles' "Ode to Echo".Sophia Papaioannou, ''Redesigning Achilles: 'Recycling' the Epic Cycle in the 'Little Iliad' (
Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...
,
Metamorphoses The ''Metamorphoses'' (, , ) is a Latin Narrative poetry, narrative poem from 8 Common Era, CE by the Ancient Rome, Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''Masterpiece, magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the world from its Cre ...
12.1-13.622).'' Berlin/New York. Paul, George M. (1982)'' - 2007 Page 153 "Nagy's article comments on an interesting but little known literary reception of Achilles, namely his representation as a lyric poet and lyre-player, singing a song to Echo (a code name for the Muse) in the company of Helen of Troy. ... and the two heroes, now souls distanced from their epic lives/roles, have become bards who sing of their own deeds. Cf. Maclean and Aitken above for a translation of the ''Heroicus'', including Achilles' 'Ode to Echo'."
''Life of Apollonius of Tyana'', written between 217 and 238 AD, tells the story of
Apollonius of Tyana Apollonius of Tyana (; ; ) was a Greek philosopher and religious leader from the town of Tyana, Cappadocia in Roman Anatolia, who spent his life travelling and teaching in the Middle East, North Africa and India. He is a central figure in Ne ...
(c. 40 – c. 120 AD), a Pythagorean philosopher and teacher. Philostratus wrote the book for
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 ...
, wife of
Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus (; ; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through cursus honorum, the ...
and mother of
Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname Caracalla (; ), was Roman emperor from 198 to 217 AD, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father and then r ...
. The book was completed after her death. ''Lives of the Sophists'', written between 231 and 237 AD, is a semi-biographical history of the Greek sophists. The book is dedicated to a consul Antonius Gordianus, perhaps one of the two Gordians who were killed in 238. The work is divided into two parts: the first dealing with the ancient Sophists, e.g.
Gorgias Gorgias ( ; ; – ) was an ancient Greek sophist, pre-Socratic philosopher, and rhetorician who was a native of Leontinoi in Sicily. Several doxographers report that he was a pupil of Empedocles, although he would only have been a few years ...
, the second with the later school, e.g. Herodes Atticus. The ''Lives'' are not in the true sense biographical, but rather picturesque impressions of leading representatives of an attitude of mind full of curiosity, alert and versatile, but lacking scientific method, preferring the external excellence of style and manner to the solid achievements of serious writing. The
philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
, as he says, investigates truth; the sophist embellishes it, and takes it for granted. ''Gymnasticus'', written after 220 AD, contains accounts concerning the
Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...
and athletic contests in general. ''Epistolae'', or ''Love Letters'', breathe the spirit of the New Comedy and the Alexandrine
poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
s; portions of Letter 33 are almost literally translated in
Ben Jonson Benjamin Jonson ( 11 June 1572 – ) was an English playwright, poet and actor. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence on English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for the satire, satirical ...
's ''Song to Celia'', "
Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes "Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes" is a popular old song, the lyrics of which are the poem "wikisource:To Celia (Jonson), To Celia" by the English playwright Ben Jonson (1572–1637), first published in 1616. Lyrics After this song had been pop ...
." The letters are mainly of an erotic character. Their publication date is unknown.


Translations

*Alciphron, Aelian, and Philostratus, ''The Letters''. Translated by A. R. Benner, F. H. Fobes. 1949. Loeb Classical Library. *Philostratus, ''Lives of the Sophists''. Eunapius, ''Lives of the Philosophers and Sophists''. Translated by Wilmer C. Wright. 1921. Loeb Classical Library. *Philostratus, ''Apollonius of Tyana''. 3 volumes. Translated by Christopher P. Jones. 2005–6. Loeb Classical Library. , , and *Philostratus, ''Heroicus; Gymnasticus; Discourses 1 and 2''. Edited and translated by Jeffrey Rusten and Jason König. Loeb Classical Library. (Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, England, 2014). *Philostratos, ''Leben der Sophisten''. Greek and German by Kai Brodersen. Wiesbaden: Marix 2014, *Philostratos, ''Sport in der Antike (Peri Gymnastikes)''. Greek and German by Kai Brodersen. Wiesbaden: Marix, 2015, .


Notes


References

*


Further reading

* Aitken, Ellen Bradshaw, and Jennifer Kay Berenson MacLean, eds. 2004. ''Philostratus’s “Heroikos”: Religion and Cultural Identity in the Third Century C.E.'' Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature. * Bowie, Ewen L., and Jaś Elsner, eds. 2009. ''Philostratus.'' Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ. Press. * Bryson, Norman. 1994. "Philostratus and the Imaginary Museum." In ''Art and Text in Ancient Greek Culture.'' Edited by Simon Goldhill and Robin Osborne, 255–283. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ. Press. * Elsner, Jaś. 2009. "Beyond Compare: Pagan Saint and Christian God in Late Antiquity." ''Critical Inquiry'' 35:655–683. * Eshleman, Kendra Joy. 2008. "Defining the Circle of Sophists: Philostratus and the Construction of the Second Sophistic." ''Classical Philology'' 103:395–413. * Demoen, K., and Danny Praet, eds. 2009. ''Theios Sophistes: Essays on Flavius Philostratus’ “Vita Apollonii.”'' Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. * Kemezis, Adam M. 2014. ''Greek Narratives of the Roman Empire under the Severans: Cassius Dio, Philostratus and Herodian.'' Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ. Press. * König, Jason. 2014. "Images of Elite Communities in Philostratus: Re-Reading the Preface to the “Lives of the Sophists.”" In ''Roman Rule in Greek and Latin Writing: Double Vision.'' Edited by Jesper Majbom Madsen and Roger Rees, 246–270. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. * * Potter, David. 2011. ''The Victor’s Crown: A History of Ancient Sport from Homer to Byzantium.'' Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press. * Walker, Andrew. 1992. "Eros and the Eye in the Love-Letters of Philostratus." ''Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society'' 38:132–148.


External links


Livius
Updates the subsequent article with some ninety years of more recent research.
Online Text: Philostratus, ''On Heroes''
(''Heroicus'') translated by Ellen Bradshaw Aitken and Jennifer K. Berenson Maclean.
Online Text: Philostratus, ''Life of Apollonius of Tyana''
translated by F. C. Conybeare
Flavius Philostratus
entry in historical sourcebook wit

of excerpts from the ''Life of Apollonius'' by Mahlon H. Smith

* * *''Flavii Philostrati opera'', C. L. Kayser (edit.), 2 voll., Lipsiae, in aedibus B. G. Teubneri, 1870-71: ** Life of Apollonius
vol. 1 pp. 1-344
**Lives of the sophists
vol. 2 pp. 1-127
**Heroicus
vol. 2 pp. 128-219
**Epistolae
vol. 2 pp. 225-260
**Gymnasticus
vol. 2 pp. 261-293
*''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. 1-194
(Life of Apollonius)
pp. 195-265
(Lives of the Sophists)
pp. 267-319
(Heroicus)
pp. 320-338
(Epistolae). {{DEFAULTSORT:Philostratus Roman-era Sophists Roman-era philosophers in Athens Roman-era Athenian rhetoricians Flavii 2nd-century Romans 3rd-century Romans 2nd-century Athenians 3rd-century Greek writers People from Lemnos 170s births 250s deaths Year of birth uncertain Year of death uncertain