Aelius Aristides

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Statue of Aelius Aristides (copy from the 2nd century) in the Vatican Museum

Publius Aelius Aristides Theodorus ( Greek Πόπλιος Αἴλιος Ἀριστείδης Θεόδωρος even Ailios Aristides , * 26 November 117 in Hadrianutherai or Hadrianoi in Mysia ; † probably 181) was a Greek orator and writer and a member of the so-called " Second Sophistic ".

Life

Eudaimon, the father of Aristides, was a priest in the temple of Zeus on Mysian Olympos . It is believed that Eudaimon and Aristides were given Roman citizenship together when Emperor Hadrian granted his birthplace city rights in 123 while traveling through Mysia. According to the custom of the time, Aristides adopted the emperor's praenomen and nomen gentile , i.e. Publius Aelius .

Aristides received his training in different places of the Roman Empire , so in Smyrna and Athens (among others with Herodes Atticus ). He made a trip to Egypt and in late 142 to Rome . There in the spring of the following year he gave a speech “on Rome” to the Emperor Antoninus Pius , in which he celebrated the Roman rule over the Mediterranean region as beneficial and peaceable.

Because of a chronic illness that had broken out during his stay in Rome, Aristides stayed temporarily in the Asklepieion of Pergamon and in the Allianoi spa ; he believed in Asclepius as his personal patron god. From 147 onwards, Aristides lived mainly in Smyrna. He refused to take on public offices, but gave numerous speeches in praise of cities, at festivals and to the gods. Aristides probably met with Emperor Mark Aurel and his son Commodus . He died on his estate.

plant

Aelius Aristides, speeches (with scholias ) in a manuscript written in the 13th century by the Byzantine princess Theodora Palaeologina Rhaulaena. Rome, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana , Vaticanus graecus 1899, fol. 116r

Aristides is counted as part of the "Second Sophistry", which tried in the 2nd century AD under the conditions of the Roman Empire to return to the Greek culture of the classical period. Although he had Roman citizenship , he wrote in the Greek language . In contrast to other representatives of the "Second Sophistics", Aristides wrote his speeches and writings in a strictly Atticistic style and only made occasional concessions to the more splendid Asianism .

Only a few of the numerous works of Aristides have survived: epideictic speeches (given on festive occasions), twelve declamations of guilt, the six "holy" speeches about his illness and poems. Inauthentic writings have also come down to us.

Epideictic speeches

The epideictic speeches given on a festive occasion included ten prose hymns, five city speeches, eight speeches of aggression and justification, and ten speeches for special occasions.

  • Παναθηναικός ( Panathenaikos ; speech in praise of Athens) from the year 155. Papyrus fragment from the 5th / 6th centuries. Century. Transmitted in part in Antinoopolis papyri III 144 (Chronique d'Égypte 50, 1975 pp. 197-1201) and Papyrus Michigan inv. 6651 (around 600), in Codex Parisinus graecus 2951 and Codex Laurentianus Plut. 60.6) Greek-English edition by JH Oliver (Philadelphia 1968).
  • Εἰς Ῥώμην ( Eis Rómen ; Romrede) from 155. Narrated in Codex Laurentianus Plut. 60.3 (anthology with speeches by Aristides, 10th century); Translation by E. Hepner. Breslau 1824. Greek-German by R. Klein. Darmstadt 1981–1983. With comment.
    The "Romrede", after describing the greatness of Rome and the Roman Empire, compares the rule of Rome with older great empires ( Persian Empire , Hellenistic Empire) and the Greek city-states of the classical period. Aristides emphasizes that the Romans treat the subjugated better and let them participate in their own rule. He then describes how the Roman army protects the empire (implicitly, he thereby sets himself apart from an imperialist policy such as that recently pursued by Trajan ). Aristides extols the virtues of the Roman constitution. It ends with a prayer in which he implores the protection of the gods for the emperor and the empire.
  • Σμυρναικός Smyrnaikós ; Talk to Smyrna. Welcome speech for the governor of the province of Asia. Manuscript from the 10th century (Parisinus graecus 2951) Translated by A. Schwarz. Horn 1885.
  • Ὑπὲρ ῥητορικῆς Hypér rhētorikés ; Defense of rhetoric against Plato's criticism. From the year 147. Manuscript from the 10th century (Parisinus graecus 2951)
  • Ὑπὲρ τῶν τεττάρων Hypér tōn tettárōn ; Defense of the four (the politicians Miltiades, Kimon, Themistocles and Pericles attacked by Plato in Gorgias). Between 161 and 165. Partially handed down in Antinoopolis papyri III 182 from the 7th century and in Codex Parisinus graecus 2951.
  • Ἐπὶ Σμύρνῃ μονωδία Epí Smyrnēi monōidía ; Lament over Smyrna, destroyed by an earthquake. From the years 177 or 178. Manuscript from the 10th century (Parisinus graecus 2951). Translated by A. Schwarz. Horn 1885.
  • Ἐπιστολὴ περὶ Σμύρνης πρὸς τοὺς βασιλέας Epistolé perí Smýrnes pros tus basiléas ; Petition for the reconstruction of Smyrna. From the year 177. Manuscript from the 10th century (Parisinus graecus 2951). Translated by A. Schwarz. Horn 1885.
  • Παλινῳδία ἐπὶ Σμύρνῃ Palinodía epí Smýrne ; About the reconstruction of Smyrna. From the year 178. Manuscript from the 10th century (Parisinus graecus 2951) Translated by A. Schwarz. Horn 1885.
  • Σμυρναικός Smyrnaikós ; Talk about the rebuilt Smyrna. From 179. Manuscript from the 10th century (Parisinus graecus 2951) Translated by A. Schwarz. Horn 1885.
  • Ἐλευσίνιος Eleusinios ; Lament over the destroyed Eleusis. Manuscript from the 10th century (Parisinus gr. 2951). Greek-German by A. Humbel. Vienna 1994 with commentary.
  • Περὶ ὁμονοίας ταῖς πόλεσιν Perí homonoías tais pólesin ; To the cities about unity. From the years 163 or 167. Manuscript from the 10th century (Parisinus gr 2951)
  • Ῥοδίοις περὶ ὁμονοίας Rhodíois perí homonoías ; To the Rhodians about unity. Around 149. Reported in Codex Laurentianus Plut.60.3 from the 10th century.
  • Περὶ τοῦ παραφθέγματος Perí tu paraphtégmatos ; About an impromptu contribution in a speech. Narrated in Codex Laurentianus pl. 60.3.
  • Περὶ τοῦ μὴ δεῖν κομῳδεῖν Perí tu me deín komoideín ; Criticism of the comedy. Between 157 and 165. Recorded in the Codex Laurentianus Plut. 60.3.
  • Ἐπὶ ᾿Αλεξάνδρῳ ἐπιτάφιος Epí Alexándroi epitaphios ; Funerary oration for the teacher Alexandros, around 150. Narrated in the Vaticanus graecus 1297. It was added there in the 15th or 16th century.
  • Πρὸς τοὺς αἰτιουμένους ὅτι μὴ μελετῴη Pros tus aitiuménus hóti mé meletóie ; Against those who accuse him of not giving speeches. From the year 166. Narrated in the Vaticanus graecus 1298. Translated by A. Schwarz. Horn 1885.
  • Κατὰ τῶν ἐξορχουμένων} Katá ton exorchumenon ; Against those who parody the mysteries of speech. From the year 170. Narrated in the Vaticanus graecus 1298.
  • Αἰγύπτιος Aigyptios ; About the sources of the Nile. Between 147 and 149. Narrated in Codex Laurentianus Plut. 60.3.
  • Μαντευτοί Manteutoí ; Speeches prescribed by the oracle with hymns to gods, heroes and places. Between 145 and 177. Transmitted partly in the Codex Laurentianus Plut. 60.3, partly in the Bodleianus Canonicus gr. 84 B. Some of it became J. Amann. Stuttgart 1931 (with commentary) and by A. Höfler. Stuttgart 1935 translated with commentary. Partly Greek-German by G. Joehrens. Bonn 1981. With comment.

Debt claims

Πρεσβευτικὸς πρὸς Ἀχιλλέα Presbeutikòs pròs Achilléa ; Declamation of guilt. Manuscript from the 10th century (Parisinus graecus 2951)

"Holy Speeches"

Ἱεροὶ λόγοι Hieroí lógoi ; Reports of the saint. Report on the stay in the Asklepieion in Pergamon from 170/171. Handed down in part in the papyrus Bingen 24 from the 5th century and in the Codex Bodleianus Canonicus graecus 84. Translated by Heinrich Otto Schröder .

Ascribed

Τέχναι ῥητορικαί Technaí rherorikaí ; Treatises on rhetoric. The authenticity is doubted.

expenditure

The fundamental older editions come from Wilhelm Dindorf (1829) and Bruno Keil (1898, only Volume 2: Reden 17–53; reprinted Berlin 1958). A new edition by Charles Allison Behr and Friedrich Walter Lenz has been published since 1976 (Volume 1: Reden 1–16). There are also numerous individual editions.

The entire work was translated into English by CA Behr: Aelius Aristides. The complete works . 2 volumes, Brill, Leiden 1981, 1986 (previously planned as a complete edition in the Loeb Classical Library , 4 volumes, London 1973-; only volume 1 was published).

Translation of the Hieroí lógoi :

literature

  • Paul Andersson, Bengt-Arne Roos: On the Psychology of Aelius Aristides . In: Eranos 95, 1997, pp. 26-38.
  • Charles A. Behr: Studies on the biography of Aelius Aristides . In: Rise and Fall of the Roman World . Volume II, 34, 2 (1994), pp. 1140-1233, ISBN 3-11-010390-7
  • Jochen Bleicken : The price of Aelius Aristides on the Roman Empire (or. 26 K) . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1966.
  • Ewen Bowie : Aristeides [3]. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 1, Metzler, Stuttgart 1996, ISBN 3-476-01471-1 , Sp. 1096-1100.
  • William V. Harris, Brooke Holmes (Eds.): Aelius Aristides between Greece, Rome, and the gods . Brill, Leiden, Boston 2008, ISBN 978-90-04-17204-3 (Columbia studies in the classical tradition).
  • Richard Klein: The Rome speech of Aelius Aristides. Introduction . Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 1981, ISBN 3-534-08059-9 .
  • James H. Oliver : The ruling power. A study of the Roman Empire in the second century after Christ through the Roman Oration of Aelius Aristides . Philadelphia 1953.
  • James H. Oliver: The civilizing power. A study of the Panathenaic Discourse of Aelius Aristides against the background of literature and cultural conflict. With text, translation, and commentary . Philadelphia 1968
  • Laurent Pernot: Aristide (P. Aelius) . In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques , Volume 1, CNRS, Paris 1989, ISBN 2-222-04042-6 , pp. 358-366
  • Laurent Pernot, Giancarlo Abbamonte, Mario Lamagna (eds.): Aelius Aristide écrivain. (= Recherches sur les rhétoriques religieuses, 19). Brepols Publishers, Turnhout 2016, ISBN 9782503567839 . - Review by Michael Trapp, Bryn Mawr Classical Review 06/11/2017 .
  • Jessica Wißmann: Ailios Aristeides. In: Manfred Landfester (ed.): History of ancient texts. Lexicon of authors and works (= Der Neue Pauly . Supplements. Volume 2). Metzler, Stuttgart / Weimar 2007, ISBN 978-3-476-02030-7 , pp. 9-14 (list of works, tradition and list of editions).

Web links

Wikisource: Συγγραφέας: Αίλιος Αριστείδης  - full texts of the works (Greek)

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Schröder: Holy Reports. Heidelberg 1986, p. 9
  2. ↑ Loeb Vol. 1. General introduction
personal data
SURNAME Aristides, Aelius
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ailios Aristeides; Publius Aelius Aristides Theodorus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek rhetorician and writer
DATE OF BIRTH November 26th, 117
PLACE OF BIRTH Hadrianutherai or Hadrianoi , Mysia
DATE OF DEATH at 181