More than fifty orations and literary discourses survive from the career of Publius Aelius Aristides Theodorus, a prominent figure of the Second Sophistic. Flourishing during the reigns of Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius, he established himself as a master of carefully prepared rhetoric, distinguishing his work from the common practice of extempore speaking favored by his contemporaries.
Early Education and Travels
Born at Hadrianoi in 117 AD, Aristides belonged to a wealthy landowning family in Mysia. His foundational education was conducted at Smyrna under Alexander of Cotyaeum, later a tutor to Marcus Aurelius. To refine his skills, he pursued further studies in Athens and Alexandria, eventually undertaking an expedition to Egypt in 141 AD to locate the source of the Nile.
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His professional ambitions in Rome were curtailed by persistent illness, leading him to seek treatment at the temple of Asclepius in Pergamum. Adopting the practice of incubation, he recorded his experiences in his Sacred Tales, documenting decades of dreams and subsequent prescribed remedies, such as bloodletting and dietary adjustments, while under the god's care.
Oratorical Success and Civic Influence
Resuming his public life by 154 AD, he gained renown for his precise, non-extemporaneous delivery. He achieved significant political influence with his Roman Oration, which praised the Pax Romana. Following a devastating 177 AD earthquake in Smyrna, his written appeal to Marcus Aurelius proved critical in securing imperial rebuilding funds, an act that earned him a bronze statue in the city marketplace.
Philosophical and Literary Legacy
Aristides died in 181 AD, having spent his final years in seclusion. His output included polemical essays and prose hymns that bridged various intellectual traditions. Philostratus acknowledged his deep mastery of the rhetorical arts, while contemporaries like the physician Galen noted the physical toll his lifelong commitment to speaking and teaching exacted on his constitution.
Fast facts
- Born: 117 AD, Hadrianoi
- Died: 181 AD
- Citizenship: Ancient Rome
- Key Field: Second Sophistic
- Language: Ancient Greek
- Most famous work: Roman Oration
- Famous student: Damianus
Questions readers ask
How did Aristides view extempore speaking?
He disliked the practice, preferring to prepare his speeches thoroughly rather than vomiting them out on the spot.
What was the significance of the Sacred Tales?
It served as a detailed record of the omens and medical prescriptions he received from Asclepius through dreams over thirty years.
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