Hypochondria and Epiphany: The Strange Case of Aelius Aristides
Publius Ælius Aristides Theodorus (117-181 CE) was a top-tier sophistic orator. He is more famous nowadays, however, as the best surviving witness to ancient incubation-cult as a lived practice.
Primary Sources
Lucian, Libanius, Severus Alexandrinus, Aelius Aristides and Pseudo-Nonnos (Cambridge, University Library, MS Dd.11.54)
This collection functions as both a mirror and a guillotine for human vanity. It juxtaposes the cynical, humorous critiques of Lucian with serious theological and rhetorical exercises from later classical thinkers. The text demands that we strip away the illusions of wealth and status to examine the
Life of Apollonius of Tyana, vol. 1
Philostratus writes to vindicate Apollonius, presenting him as a divine sage rather than a common sorcerer. He follows a man who rejects the comforts of luxury for a life of wandering, silence, and intellectual rigor. The text tracks his encounters with kings and his refusal to be silenced by the au
Life of Apollonius of Tyana, vol. 2
This volume moves beyond simple biography to capture the life of a man who claimed wisdom was a weapon against both charlatanism and political violence. Philostratus records the debates of an ancient world where Egyptian, Indian, and Greek thinkers vied for the definition of truth. Apollonius emerge
Lives of the Sophists (Philostratus and Eunapius)
Philostratus and Eunapius present a world where language was the ultimate currency. These biographies reveal how public speaking morphed from a civic duty into a high-stakes performance art that granted men wealth, immunity from taxes, and direct access to emperors. The narrative captures the volati
Dio's Roman History, Vol. 8
This volume moves through the darkest chapters of Roman history, where political survival often depended on a well-placed poison or an assassin’s blade. Dio Cassius provides a front-row seat to the transition from the chaotic tyranny of Nero to the disciplined governance of the Flavians and Antonine