Greek writer and sophist of the 2nd–3rd century AD, Philostratus of Athens is celebrated for his Life of Apollonius of Tyana and his Lives of the Sophists. He moved in the literary circle of Empress Julia Domna in Rome.
Philostratus of Athens(300 — ?)
Philostratos of Athens
8 min read
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born around 170 AD in Athens or on Lemnos
- Member of the intellectual circle of Empress Julia Domna in Rome
- Author of the Life of Apollonius of Tyana, a novelistic biography of a Neopythagorean philosopher
- Wrote the Lives of the Sophists, a major source on the Second Sophistic movement
- Died around 244–249 AD
Works & Achievements
A novelistic biography of the Neo-Pythagorean philosopher Apollonius, portrayed as a wise miracle-worker travelling from Greece to India. This work in eight books is Philostratus's most celebrated and an essential source on religion and philosophy in the 3rd century AD.
A biographical collection of the greatest Greek orators and rhetoricians from the 5th century BC to the 3rd century AD. In it, Philostratus coins the term "Second Sophistic," still used by modern historians.
A dialogue in which a vinedresser recounts his conversations with the shade of the hero Protesilaus, offering an alternative vision of the heroes of Troy. A foundational text for understanding the hero cult and popular religion under the Roman Empire.
Descriptions of sixty-four paintings seen in a villa near Naples, a masterpiece of ancient *ekphrasis*. This work influenced generations of artists and writers from the Renaissance onwards.
Seventy-three letters, many of them love epistles in the sophistic tradition, showcasing Philostratus's command of every register of Greek prose.
A treatise on athletic training and the Games, blending history, medicine, and philosophy. A valuable record of the place of sport in Greek culture under the Roman Empire.
Anecdotes
The empress Julia Domna, wife of Septimius Severus and great patron of letters, entrusted Philostratus with a singular mission: to write the biography of the philosopher Apollonius of Tyana from secret memoirs composed by a disciple named Damis of Nineveh. Philostratus spent many years compiling these notes, traveling to verify the places where Apollonius had lived, before delivering a work in eight books that would captivate Late Antiquity.
The Life of Apollonius of Tyana portrays a Pythagorean philosopher capable of miracles, prophecies, and journeys as far as India and Ethiopia. Some historians have seen in this work a deliberate response to the Gospels: the Roman Empire may have been seeking a Greek sage with powers comparable to those attributed to Jesus, to counterbalance the rising tide of Christianity.
Philostratus belonged to a true literary dynasty: his uncle had already written descriptions of works of art, and his son-in-law Callistratus carried on this tradition of ekphrasis. In his own Imagines, Philostratus describes with astonishing precision sixty-four paintings glimpsed in a villa in Naples, almost single-handedly inventing a literary genre.
In his Lives of the Sophists, Philostratus coined the phrase 'Second Sophistic' to describe the great renewal of Greek rhetoric under the Roman Empire. This term, which he invented, is still used today by all historians of ancient literature to designate an entire cultural era — a remarkable terminological legacy.
Some sophists of the era drew crowds like modern celebrities: Philostratus recounts that Polemon of Smyrna declaimed before thousands of listeners, and ships were held in port so that people could hear him. Philostratus himself, moving in these imperial circles, was at the heart of an unprecedented Greco-Roman intellectual ferment.
Primary Sources
Julia Domna handed me the memoirs of Damis of Nineveh, who had followed Apollonius everywhere as his disciple... She asked me to revise these notes with care, for Damis wrote plainly, without art.
Ancient philosophy debated the gods, nature, and the origin of all things in the form of philosophical disputations. The ancient sophistic addressed these same subjects, but through declamatory improvisation... The new sophistic, for its part, discusses the poor, the rich, the noble, and tyrants.
A vine-dresser of the Chersonese claims to have spoken with the shade of Protesilaus, the first Greek to fall at Troy, who revealed to him secrets about the heroes of the Iliad that differed from what Homer had written.
I was in Naples when an art lover showed me his collection of paintings. I spoke to the young men gathered around me, and it was for their sake that I described these paintings, so as to initiate them into the interpretation of works of art.
Key Places
The intellectual hub of the Roman Empire, Athens was the cultural reference city where Philostratus received his training as a sophist. He returned there regularly and celebrated it in his works as the eternal cradle of philosophy and rhetoric.
It was in Rome, within the literary circle of Empress Julia Domna, that Philostratus spent the most fruitful years of his life. This imperial salon brought together philosophers, rhetoricians, jurists, and scholars from across the Empire.
The ancestral home of the Philostratus family, Lemnos maintained an ancient literary and philosophical tradition. Several members of the Philostratus family practiced their art as sophists there, making the island a center of Greek *paideia*.
The birthplace of Apollonius, the central figure in Philostratus's biography. Tyana became a place of pilgrimage after the publication of the *Vita Apollonii*, and Empress Julia Mamaea had a temple erected there in honor of the sage.
It was in a Neapolitan villa that Philostratus claims to have discovered the collection of paintings he describes in his *Imagines*. Naples was at the time a thriving center of Greek culture, a refuge for many Hellenizing intellectuals.
Typical Objects
The main writing medium of Antiquity, the volumen was the indispensable tool Philostratus used to draft and revise his works. He copied the memoirs of Damis and his own compositions onto these fragile rolls imported from Egypt.
Used for drafts and quick notes during literary discussions, the wax tablet allowed easy erasing and rewriting. Philostratus used it during the sessions of Julia Domna's literary circle to jot down ideas on the fly.
Essential for working at night, the lamp lit the scriptorium of Roman scholars. Like all intellectuals of his time, Philostratus often extended his reading and writing long after sunset.
At philosophical banquets, the shallow wine cup was the symbol of intellectual exchange in the Greek tradition. Sophists like Philostratus kept alive the tradition of the symposium as a place for debate and rhetorical sparring.
Portraits of the philosopher Apollonius circulated throughout the Roman Empire; Philostratus mentions them in his biography. These images contributed to the quasi-religious cult that developed around the sage of Tyana, whom the empress herself venerated.
To reconstruct Apollonius's fabulous journey from Greece to India, Philostratus consulted geographical descriptions and maps. These documents allowed him to lend plausibility to the adventures of his philosopher-hero.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Tags
Daily Life
Morning
Philostratus rose at dawn to make the most of natural light and work on his manuscripts. He would begin by reviewing the previous day's notes on his wax tablet, then dictate to a scribe or copy onto papyrus himself. The morning was devoted to research and writing in the relative quiet of his personal library.
Afternoon
The afternoon was often given over to social and intellectual obligations: visits to other scholars, sessions at Julia Domna's circle, or public declamations that sometimes drew considerable crowds. Like any accomplished sophist, Philostratus regularly practiced oratorical improvisation to keep his skills sharp.
Evening
Evenings were frequently spent at philosophical banquets (*symposia*) where scholars, rhetoricians, and nobles discussed literature, religion, and politics over a meal. Wine flowed in moderation, following Greek custom, and conversations could stretch well into the night by the flickering light of oil lamps.
Food
Like many intellectuals shaped by the Pythagoreanism he describes in the *Life of Apollonius*, Philostratus likely ate little meat. His diet would have included vegetables, legumes, cheese, fish, wheat bread, figs, olives, and grapes. Wine diluted with water was the staple drink at meals and *symposia*.
Clothing
Philostratus wore the typical dress of a high-ranking Greek sophist: a white or undyed *himation* draped over a tunic (*chiton* or Roman *tunica*), of fine quality to signal his social standing. During public declamations, immaculate dress was a mark of prestige; several celebrated sophists he describes wore cloaks of silk or purple.
Housing
In Rome, Philostratus most likely lived in a prosperous district, close to the homes of the aristocrats and intellectuals he moved among. His dwelling would have included a *tablinum* (study), a personal library housing his precious scrolls, and a *triclinium* for entertaining guests. In Athens and Lemnos, he presumably had family homes inherited from his line of sophists.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Visual Style
Portrait d'un sophiste grec à la cour romaine des Sévères : réalisme du portrait romain tardif, himation blanc, bibliothèque de rouleaux, lumière chaude de lampes à huile et accents orientaux.
Sound Ambience
Ambiance feutrée et studieuse du cercle littéraire impérial romain : froissement de papyrus, débats philosophiques en grec, banquets intellectuels aux sons de la lyre et du vent marin.
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Vie d'Apollonios de Tyane (Vita Apollonii)
v. 217-238 ap. J.-C.
Vies des sophistes (Vitae Sophistarum)
v. 231-237 ap. J.-C.
Sur les héros (Heroicus)
v. 217-222 ap. J.-C.
Les Imagines (Eikones)
v. 200-220 ap. J.-C.
Lettres
v. 200-247 ap. J.-C.
Gymnastique (Peri Gymnastikes)
v. 220-230 ap. J.-C.
