Theophanes of Mytilene () was an intellectual and historian from the town of

Mytilene Mytilene (; ) is the capital city, capital of the Greece, Greek island of Lesbos, and its port. It is also the capital and administrative center of the North Aegean Region, and hosts the headquarters of the University of the Aegean. It was fo ...

on the island of Lesbos who lived in the middle of the 1st century BC. He was a friend of

Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey ( ) or Pompey the Great, was a Roman general and statesman who was prominent in the last decades of the Roman Republic. ...

and wrote an adulatory history of the latter's expedition to Asia. According to

Plutarch Plutarch (; , ''Ploútarchos'', ; – 120s) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''Parallel Lives'', ...

, Pompey granted privileges to Mytilene for Theophanes' sake. The people of Mytilene commemorated him as a hero after his death.

Early life

Theophanes was from the town of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos and lived in the middle of the 1st century BC. He played a leading role in resisting Mithridates VI of Pontus on Lesbos in the 80s BC. He met Pompey, the successful, young, Roman general who was nicknamed "the Great" (''Magnus''), when the latter was using Mytilene as a naval base against pirates in 67BC, and became a member of his retinue.

Pompey's protégé

Theophanes was one of the most intimate friends of Pompey, whom he accompanied in many of his campaigns, and who frequently followed his advice on public as well as private matters. Pompey held Theopanes in such high esteem that he presented him with Roman citizenship in the presence of his army, after a speech he eulogising his merits. Theopanes was appointed ''praefectus fabrum'', or chief-of-staff, to Pompey. Around 62 BC Theophanes took the name of Pompeius after his patron. Such was his influence with Pompey that, in the course of the same year, he obtained for his native city the privileges of a free state, although it had espoused the cause of Mithridates VI of Pontus, and had given up the Roman general, Manlius Aquillius, to Pontus. Pompey the Great

Theophanes came to Rome with Pompey after the conclusion of the wars in the east. There he adopted Lucius Cornelius Balbus, of Gades, a favourite of his patron. He continued to live in Pompey's household on close terms, and we see from

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

's letters that his society was courted by many of the Roman nobles, on account of his well-known influence with Pompey. When the civil war broke out he accompanied Pompey to Greece, where Pompey appointed him commander of the Fabri, and consulted him and Lucceius on all important matters in the war, much to the indignation of the Roman nobles. After the Battle of Pharsalus Theophanes fled with Pompey from Greece, and it was owing to his advice that Pompey went to Egypt, where he was killed. After the death of Pompey, Theophanes took refuge in Italy. He was pardoned by

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

, and was still alive in 44 BC, as evidenced by one of Cicero's letters.

History of Pompey's campaigns

Theophanes wrote the history of Pompey's campaigns. He represented the exploits of his hero in the most favourable light, and did not hesitate, as Plutarch more than hints, to invent a false tale for the purpose of injuring the reputation of an enemy of the Pompeian family.

Death

Theophanes died in Rome, some time after 44BC. After his death the Lesbians paid divine honours to his memory. Theophanes left behind him a son, Marcus Pompeius Theophanes, whom Augustus sent to Asia in the capacity of procurator, and at the time that

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 "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

wrote the younger Theophanes was one of the friends of Tiberius. The latter emperor, however, put his descendants to death towards the end of his reign, in AD 33, because their ancestor had been one of Pompey's friends, and had received after his death divine honours from the Lesbians.Strabo xiii. p. 617; Tacitus, ''Annales'', vi. 18; cf. Wilhelm Drumann, ''Geschichte Roms'', vol. iv. pp. 551–553; Vossius, ''de Hist. Graec.'' pp. 190, 191, ed. Westermann. The people of Mytilene commemorated Theophanes as a hero after his death and put his portrait on their bronze coins. From the likeness a marble portrait of the man has been identified as well as dozens of his images in relief on the bottom of special bowls perhaps made to celebrate his posthumous status. Excavations both in the Castle of Mytilene and elsewhere in the town have uncovered a variety of them.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * Caroline Williams, Late Hellenistic Portrait Bowls from Mytilene, Echos du monde classique/Classical Views 42 (N.S. 17) pp. 321–336 {{DEFAULTSORT:Theophanes Of Mytilene 1st-century BC Greek politicians 1st-century BC historians Ancient Mytileneans Greek-language historians from the Roman Empire Ancient Greeks in Rome Recipients of ancient Roman pardons People of the Mithridatic Wars