Dio Chrysostom
Encyclopedia
Dio Chrysostom Dion of Prusa or Dio Cocceianus (ca. 40 – ca. 120) was a Greek
orator, writer, philosopher and historian of the Roman Empire
in the 1st century. Eighty of his Discourses (or Orations) are extant, as well as a few Letters and a funny mock essay In Praise of Hair, as well as a few other fragments. His surname Chrysostom comes from the Greek
chrysostomos, which literally means "golden-mouthed". He should not be confused with the Roman historian Cassius Dio, nor with the 4th-century bishop John Chrysostom
of Constantinople.
(now part of northwestern Turkey
). His father, Pasicrates, seems to have bestowed great care on his son Dio's education and the early training of his mind. At first he occupied himself in his native place, where he held important offices, with the composition of speeches and other rhetorical and sophistical
essays, but he later devoted himself with great zeal to the study of philosophy
. He did not, however, confine himself to any particular sect or school, nor did he give himself up to any profound speculations, his object being rather to apply the doctrines of philosophy to the purposes of practical life, and more especially to the administration of public affairs, and thus to bring about a better state of things. The Stoic
and Platonist
philosophies, however, appear to have had the greatest charms for him.
He went to Rome
during Vespasian
's reign (69-79), by which time he seems to have got married and had a child. He became a critic of the Emperor Domitian
, who banished him from Rome, Italy
, and Bithynia in 82 for advising one of the Emperor's conspiring relatives. On the advice of the Delphic oracle, he put on the clothes of a beggar, and with nothing in his pocket but a copy of Plato
's Phaedo
and Demosthenes
's oration on the Embassy, he lived the life of a Cynic philosopher, undertaking a journey to the countries in the north and east of the Roman empire
. He thus visited Thrace
, Mysia
, Scythia
, and the country of the Getae
, and owing to the power and wisdom of his orations, he met everywhere with a kindly reception, and did much good. He was a friend of Nerva
, and when Domitian was murdered in 96 AD, Dio used his influence with the army
stationed on the frontier in favour of Nerva. Under Emperor Nerva's reign, his exile was ended, and he was able to return home to Prusa. He adopted the surname Cocceianus in later life to honour the support given to him by the emperor, whose full name was Marcus Cocceius Nerva. Nerva's successor, Trajan
, entertained the highest esteem for Dio, and showed him the most marked favour. His kindly disposition gained him many eminent friends, such as Apollonius of Tyana
and Euphrates of Tyre
, and his oratory the admiration of all. In his later life Dio had considerable status in Prusa, and there are records of him being involved in an urban renewal lawsuit about 111. He probably died a few years later.
school of Greek philosophers which reached its peak in the early 2nd century. He was considered as one of the most eminent of the Greek rhetoric
ians and sophists by the ancients who wrote about him, such as Philostratus
, Synesius
, and Photius. This is confirmed by the eighty orations of his which are still extant, and which were the only ones known in the time of Photius. These orations appear to be written versions of his oral teaching, and are like essays on political, moral, and philosophical subjects. They include four orations on Kingship addressed to Trajan
on the virtues of a sovereign
; four on the character of Diogenes of Sinope
, on the troubles to which men expose themselves by deserting the path of Nature
, and on the difficulties which a sovereign has to encounter; essays on slavery
and freedom; on the means of attaining eminence as an orator; political discourses addressed to various town
s which he sometimes praises and sometimes blames, but always with moderation and wisdom; on subjects of ethics
and practical philosophy, which he treats in a popular and attractive manner; and lastly, orations on mythical subjects and show-speeches. He argued strongly against permitting prostitution
. He also claimed that the epics of Homer
were known in India
; this is unlikely to be true, and there may have been confusion with the Mahabarata and the Ramayana
, of which there are some parallels in subject matter. Two orations of his (37 and 64) are now assigned to Favorinus
. Besides the eighty orations we have fragments of fifteen others, and there are extant also five letters under Dio's name.
He wrote many other philosophical and historical works, none of which survive. One of these works, Getica
, was on the Getae
, which the Suda
incorrectly attributes to Dio Cassius
.
Describing Olympic chariot racing
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
orator, writer, philosopher and historian of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
in the 1st century. Eighty of his Discourses (or Orations) are extant, as well as a few Letters and a funny mock essay In Praise of Hair, as well as a few other fragments. His surname Chrysostom comes from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
chrysostomos, which literally means "golden-mouthed". He should not be confused with the Roman historian Cassius Dio, nor with the 4th-century bishop John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom , Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic...
of Constantinople.
Life
He was born at Prusa (now Bursa) in the Roman province of BithyniaBithynia
Bithynia was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor, adjoining the Propontis, the Thracian Bosporus and the Euxine .-Description:...
(now part of northwestern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
). His father, Pasicrates, seems to have bestowed great care on his son Dio's education and the early training of his mind. At first he occupied himself in his native place, where he held important offices, with the composition of speeches and other rhetorical and sophistical
Sophism
Sophism in the modern definition is a specious argument used for deceiving someone. In ancient Greece, sophists were a category of teachers who specialized in using the tools of philosophy and rhetoric for the purpose of teaching aretê — excellence, or virtue — predominantly to young statesmen and...
essays, but he later devoted himself with great zeal to the study of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He did not, however, confine himself to any particular sect or school, nor did he give himself up to any profound speculations, his object being rather to apply the doctrines of philosophy to the purposes of practical life, and more especially to the administration of public affairs, and thus to bring about a better state of things. The Stoic
STOIC
STOIC was a variant of Forth.It started out at the MIT and Harvard Biomedical Engineering Centre in Boston, and was written in the mid 1970s by Jonathan Sachs...
and Platonist
Middle Platonism
Middle Platonism is the modern name given to a stage in the development of Plato's philosophy, lasting from about 90 BC, when Antiochus of Ascalon rejected the scepticism of the New Academy, until the development of Neoplatonism under Plotinus in the 3rd century. Middle Platonism absorbed many...
philosophies, however, appear to have had the greatest charms for him.
He went to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
during Vespasian
Vespasian
Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
's reign (69-79), by which time he seems to have got married and had a child. He became a critic of the Emperor Domitian
Domitian
Domitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War...
, who banished him from Rome, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Bithynia in 82 for advising one of the Emperor's conspiring relatives. On the advice of the Delphic oracle, he put on the clothes of a beggar, and with nothing in his pocket but a copy of Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
's Phaedo
Phaedo
Plato's Phaedo is one of the great dialogues of his middle period, along with the Republic and the Symposium. The Phaedo, which depicts the death of Socrates, is also Plato's seventh and last dialogue to detail the philosopher's final days .In the dialogue, Socrates...
and Demosthenes
Demosthenes
Demosthenes was a prominent Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide an insight into the politics and culture of ancient Greece during the 4th century BC. Demosthenes learned rhetoric by...
's oration on the Embassy, he lived the life of a Cynic philosopher, undertaking a journey to the countries in the north and east of the Roman empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. He thus visited Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
, Mysia
Mysia
Mysia was a region in the northwest of ancient Asia Minor or Anatolia . It was located on the south coast of the Sea of Marmara. It was bounded by Bithynia on the east, Phrygia on the southeast, Lydia on the south, Aeolis on the southwest, Troad on the west and by the Propontis on the north...
, Scythia
Scythia
In antiquity, Scythian or Scyths were terms used by the Greeks to refer to certain Iranian groups of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists who dwelt on the Pontic-Caspian steppe...
, and the country of the Getae
Getae
The Getae was the name given by the Greeks to several Thracian tribes that occupied the regions south of the Lower Danube, in what is today northern Bulgaria, and north of the Lower Danube, in Romania...
, and owing to the power and wisdom of his orations, he met everywhere with a kindly reception, and did much good. He was a friend of Nerva
Nerva
Nerva , was Roman Emperor from 96 to 98. Nerva became Emperor at the age of sixty-five, after a lifetime of imperial service under Nero and the rulers of the Flavian dynasty. Under Nero, he was a member of the imperial entourage and played a vital part in exposing the Pisonian conspiracy of 65...
, and when Domitian was murdered in 96 AD, Dio used his influence with the army
Roman army
The Roman army is the generic term for the terrestrial armed forces deployed by the kingdom of Rome , the Roman Republic , the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine empire...
stationed on the frontier in favour of Nerva. Under Emperor Nerva's reign, his exile was ended, and he was able to return home to Prusa. He adopted the surname Cocceianus in later life to honour the support given to him by the emperor, whose full name was Marcus Cocceius Nerva. Nerva's successor, Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
, entertained the highest esteem for Dio, and showed him the most marked favour. His kindly disposition gained him many eminent friends, such as Apollonius of Tyana
Apollonius of Tyana
Apollonius of Tyana was a Greek Neopythagorean philosopher from the town of Tyana in the Roman province of Cappadocia in Asia Minor. Little is certainly known about him...
and Euphrates of Tyre
Euphrates the Stoic
Euphrates , was an eminent Stoic philosopher, who lived c. 35-118 AD.According to Philostratus, he was a native of Tyre, and according to Stephanus of Byzantium, of Epiphania in Syria; whereas Eunapius calls him an Egyptian. At the time when Pliny the Younger served in Syria , he became acquainted...
, and his oratory the admiration of all. In his later life Dio had considerable status in Prusa, and there are records of him being involved in an urban renewal lawsuit about 111. He probably died a few years later.
Writings
Dio Chrysostom was part of the Second SophisticSecond Sophistic
The Second Sophistic is a literary-historical term referring to the Greek writers who flourished from the reign of Nero until c. 230 AD and who were catalogued and celebrated by Philostratus in his Lives of the Sophists...
school of Greek philosophers which reached its peak in the early 2nd century. He was considered as one of the most eminent of the Greek rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
ians and sophists by the ancients who wrote about him, such as Philostratus
Philostratus
Philostratus or Lucius Flavius Philostratus , , called "the Athenian", was a Greek sophist of the Roman imperial period. His father was a minor sophist of the same name. He was born probably around 172, and is said by the Suda to have been living in the reign of emperor Philip the Arab . His death...
, Synesius
Synesius
Synesius , a Greek bishop of Ptolemais in the Libyan Pentapolis after 410, was born of wealthy parents, who claimed descent from Spartan kings, at Balagrae near Cyrene between 370 and 375.-Life:...
, and Photius. This is confirmed by the eighty orations of his which are still extant, and which were the only ones known in the time of Photius. These orations appear to be written versions of his oral teaching, and are like essays on political, moral, and philosophical subjects. They include four orations on Kingship addressed to Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
on the virtues of a sovereign
Sovereign
A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority within its jurisdiction.Sovereign may also refer to:*Monarch, the sovereign of a monarchy*Sovereign Bank, banking institution in the United States*Sovereign...
; four on the character of Diogenes of Sinope
Diogenes of Sinope
Diogenes the Cynic was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynic philosophy. Also known as Diogenes of Sinope , he was born in Sinope , an Ionian colony on the Black Sea , in 412 or 404 BCE and died at Corinth in 323 BCE.Diogenes of Sinope was a controversial figure...
, on the troubles to which men expose themselves by deserting the path of Nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
, and on the difficulties which a sovereign has to encounter; essays on slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
and freedom; on the means of attaining eminence as an orator; political discourses addressed to various town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
s which he sometimes praises and sometimes blames, but always with moderation and wisdom; on subjects of ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
and practical philosophy, which he treats in a popular and attractive manner; and lastly, orations on mythical subjects and show-speeches. He argued strongly against permitting prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
. He also claimed that the epics of Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
were known in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
; this is unlikely to be true, and there may have been confusion with the Mahabarata and the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, of which there are some parallels in subject matter. Two orations of his (37 and 64) are now assigned to Favorinus
Favorinus
Favorinus of Arelata was a Roman sophist and philosopher who flourished during the reign of Hadrian.He was of Gaulish ancestry, born in Arelate . He is described as a hermaphrodite by birth...
. Besides the eighty orations we have fragments of fifteen others, and there are extant also five letters under Dio's name.
He wrote many other philosophical and historical works, none of which survive. One of these works, Getica
Getica (Dio)
Getica was a historical book about the Getae tribes of Thrace which Suidas, Jordanes, and Freculphus attribute to Cassius Dio, while Philostratus sees Dio Chrysostom as its author. The book no longer exists....
, was on the Getae
Getae
The Getae was the name given by the Greeks to several Thracian tribes that occupied the regions south of the Lower Danube, in what is today northern Bulgaria, and north of the Lower Danube, in Romania...
, which the Suda
Suda
The Suda or Souda is a massive 10th century Byzantine encyclopedia of the ancient Mediterranean world, formerly attributed to an author called Suidas. It is an encyclopedic lexicon, written in Greek, with 30,000 entries, many drawing from ancient sources that have since been lost, and often...
incorrectly attributes to Dio Cassius
Dio Cassius
Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus , known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was a Roman consul and a noted historian writing in Greek...
.
Quotes
“Who can describe your shouts, the commotion and the agony, the bodily contortions and groans, the awful curses you utter? The horses won’t go any slower if you behave with decorum.”Describing Olympic chariot racing
Further reading
- E. Amato, Xenophontis imitator fidelissimus. Studi su tradizione e fortuna erudite di Dione Crisostomo tra XVI e XIX secolo, Alessandria: Edizioni dell'Orso, 2011.
- Dio von Prusa. Der Philosoph und sein Bild [Discourses 54-55, 70-72], ed. by H.-G. Nesselrath, introduction, critical edition, commentary, translation, and essays by E. Amato et al., Tübingen 2009.
- T. Bekker-Nielsen, Urban Life and Local Politics in Roman Bithynia: The Small World of Dion Chrysostomos, 2008.
- Trans. J. W. Cohoon, Dio Chrysostom, I, Discourses 1-11, 1932. Harvard University Press, Loeb Classical Library:
- Trans. J. W. Cohoon, Dio Chrysostom, II, Discourses 12-30, 1939.
- Trans. J. W. Cohoon & H. Lamar Crosby, Dio Chrysostom, III, Discourses 31-36, 1940.
- Trans. H. *Lamar Crosby, Dio Chrysostom, IV, Discourses 37-60, 1946.
- Trans. H. Lamar Crosby, Dio Chrysostom, V, Discourses 61-80. Fragments. Letters, 1951.
- B.F. Harris, "Dio of Prusa", in: Aufstieg und Niedergang der Römischen Welt 2.33.5 (1991) 3853-3881
- C.P. Jones, The Roman World of Dio Chrysostom (1978)
- Simon Swain, Hellenism and Empire. Language, Classicism, and Power in the Greek World, AD 50-250 (1996), pp. 187–241.
Texts of Dio
- Complete works at LacusCurtiusLacusCurtiusLacusCurtius is a website specializing in ancient Rome, currently hosted on a server at the University of Chicago. It went online on August 26, 1997; in January 2008 it had "2786 pages, 690 photos, 675 drawings & engravings, 118 plans, 66 maps." The site is the...
(English translation complete; some items in Greek also)
Secondary material
- Dio of Prusa at Livius.Org
- Introduction to the Loeb translation at LacusCurtius