apollonius of tyana - f.c. conybeare (by sacred texts)

8/10/2019 Apollonius of Tyana - F.C. Conybeare (by Sacred Texts)

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The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, by Philostratus, tr. F.C. Conybeare, [1912], atsacredte!ts.co"

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[1912]

Proofed and for"atted at sacredte!ts, 3une 2445. This te!t is in the publicdo"ain in the (nited &tates because it 6as published prior to 3anuary 1st, 1927.These files "ay be used for any nonco""ercial purpose, pro8ided this notice of


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attribution is left intact in all copies.

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T#) Life of Apollonius of Tyana has only been once translated in its entirety into)n:lish, as lon: a:o as the year 1?11, by an $rish cler:y"an of the na"e of ).-er6ic. $t is to be hoped therefore that the present translation 6ill beacceptable to the )n:lish readin: public@ for there is in it "uch that is 8ery:ood readin:, and it is li:htly 6ritten. %f its author, Philostratus, 6e do notno6 "uch apart fro" his o6n 6ors, fro" 6hich 6e "ay :ather that he 6as born inthe island of Le"nos about the year 152 of our era, that he 6ent to Athens as ayoun: "an to study rhetoric, and later on to 'o"e. #ere he acuired a reputationas a sophist, and 6as dra6n into 6hat 6e "ay call the salon of the literary andphilosophic )"press 3ulia o"na, the 6ife of &epti"ius &e8erus. &he put into hishands certain "e"oirs of Apollonius, the sa:e of Tyana, 6ho had died in e!tre"eold a:e nearly

[p. 8iii]

[para:raph continues] 144 years before durin: the rei:n of the )"peror *er8a, andshe be::ed hi" to use the" for the co"position of a literary life of the sa:e inuestion. These "e"oirs had been co"posed by a disciple and co"panion ofApollonius na"ed a"is, a nati8e of the city of *ine8eh, 6hose style, Philostratussays, lie that of "ost &yrian /rees, 6as hea8y and 6antin: in polish. -esidesthese "e"oirs Philostratus used for his 6or a history of the career of Apolloniusat Ae:ae, 6ritten by an ad"irer of the na"e of 0a!i"us. #e also used the "anyletters of Apollonius 6hich 6ere in circulation. #is collection of these a:reedpartly, but not 6holly, 6ith those 6hich are preser8ed to us and translated belo6.#e tells us further that the )"peror #adrian had a collection of these letters inhis 8illa at Antiu". Philostratus also possessed 8arious treatises of Apollonius

6hich ha8e not co"e do6n to us. -eside "ain: use of the 6ritten sources hereenu"erated Philostratus had tra8elled about, not only to Tyana, 6here there 6as ate"ple specially dedicated to the cult of Apollonius, but to other cities 6herethe sa:eBs "e"ory 6as held in honour, in order to collect such traditions of thesa:e as he found still current. Fro" these sources then the 6or before us 6asdra6n, for althou:h Philostratus

[p. i!]

also ne6 the four boos of a certain 0oera:enes upon Apollonius, he tells us hepaid no attention to the", because they displayed an i:norance of "any thin:s


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6hich concerned the sa:e. The learned )"press see"s ne8er to ha8e li8ed to readthe 6or of Philostratus, for it is not dedicated to her and cannot ha8e beenpublished before the year 215.

$t has been ar:ued that the 6or of a"is ne8er really e!isted, and that he 6as a"ere "an of stra6 in8ented by Philostratus. This 8ie6 6as adopted as recently asthe year 1914 by Professor -i::, in his history of the ori:ins of Christianity.-ut it see"s unnecessarily sceptical. $t is uite true that Philostratus puts into

the "outh of the sa:e, on the authority of a"is, con8ersations and ideas 6hich,as they recur in the Li8es of the &ophists of Philostratus, can hardly ha8e beenreported by a"is. -ut because he resorted to this literary tric, it by no "eansfollo6s that all the episodes 6hich he reports on the authority of a"is arefictitious, for "any of the" possess :reat 8erisi"ilitude and can hardly ha8e beenin8ented as late as the year 215, 6hen the life 6as co"pleted and :i8en to theliterary 6orld. $t is rather to be supposed that a"is hi"self 6as not alto:ethera credible 6riter, but one 6ho, lie the socalled

[p. !]

aretalo:i of that a:e, set hi"self to e"bellish the life of his "aster, toe!a::erate his 6isdo" and his supernatural po6ers@ if so, "ore than one of the

striin: stories told by Philostratus "ay ha8e already stood in the pa:es ofa"is.

#o6e8er this be, the e8ident ai" of Philostratus is to rehabilitate the reputationof Apollonius, and defend hi" fro" the char:e of ha8in: been a charlatan or 6iardaddicted to e8il "a:ical practices. This accusation had been le8elled a:ainst thesa:e durin: his lifeti"e by a ri8al sophist )uphrates, and not lon: after hisdeath by the author already "entioned, 0oera:enes. (nfortunately the orations of)uphrates ha8e perished, and 6e no6 little of the 6or of 0oera:enes. %ri:en, theChristian father, in his 6or a:ainst Celsus, 6ritten about the year 2D4, infor"sus that he had read it, and that it attaced Apollonius as a "a:ician addicted tosinister practices. $t is certain also that the accusations of )uphrates 6ere ofsi"ilar tendency, and 6e only need to read a 8ery fe6 pa:es of this 6or of

Philostratus to see that his chief interest is to pro8e to the 6orld that theseaccusations 6ere illfounded, and that Apollonius 6as a di8inelyinspired sa:e andprophet, and a refor"er alon: Pytha:orean lines of the Pa:an

[p. !i]

reli:ion. $t is possible that so"e of the stories told by -yantine 6riters ofApollonius, notably by 3ohn Tetes, deri8e fro" 0oera:enes.

The story of the life of Apollonius as narrated by Philostratus is briefly asfollo6s. #e 6as born to6ards the be:innin: of the Christian era at Tyana, inCappadocia, and his birth 6as attended accordin: to popular tradition 6ith"iracles and portents. At the a:e of si!teen he set hi"self to obser8e in the "ost

ri:id fashion the al"ost "onastic rule ascribed to Pytha:oras, renouncin: 6ine,reEectin: the "arried estate, refusin: to eat any sort of flesh, and in particularconde"nin: the sacrifice of ani"als to the :ods, 6hich in the ancient 6orldfurnished the occasion, at any rate for the poor people, of eatin: "eat. For 6e"ust not for:et that in antiuity hardly any "eat 6as eaten 6hich had notpre8iously been consecrated by sacrifice to a :od, and that conseuently thepriest 6as the butcher of a 8illa:e and the butcher the priest. Lie other8otaries of the *eoPytha:orean philosophy or discipline, Apollonius 6ent 6ithoutshoes or only 6ore shoes of bar, he allo6ed his hair to :ro6 lon:, and ne8er leta raor touch his chin, and he too care to 6ear on his person nothin: but linen,for it 6as accounted by hi", as by -rah"ans, an i"purity to allo6 any


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[p. !ii]

dress "ade of the sin of dead ani"als to touch the person. -efore lon: he sethi"self up as a refor"er, and betain: hi"self to the to6n of Ae:ae, he too uphis abode in the te"ple of Aesculapius, 6here he rapidly acuired such areputation for sanctity that sic people floced to hi" asin: hi" to heal the".%n attainin: his "aEority, at the death of his father and "other, he :a8e up the

:reater part of his patri"ony to his elder brother, and 6hat 6as left to his poorrelations. #e then set hi"self to spend fi8e years in co"plete silence,tra8ersin:, it 6ould see", Asia 0inor, in all directions, but ne8er openin: hislips. The "ore than Trappist 8o6 of silence 6hich he thus enforced upon hi"selfsee"s to ha8e further enhanced his reputation for holiness, and his "ereappearance on the scene 6as enou:h to hush the noise of 6arrin: factions in thecities of Cilicia and Pa"phylia. $f 6e "ay belie8e his bio:rapher he professed tono6 all lan:ua:es 6ithout e8er ha8in: learned the", to no6 the in"ost thou:htsof "en, to understand the lan:ua:e of birds and ani"als, and to ha8e the po6er ofpredictin: the future. #e also re"e"bered his for"er incarnation, for he sharedthe Pytha:orean belief of the "i:rations of hu"an souls fro" body to body, both ofani"als and of hu"an bein:s. #e preached

[p. !iii]

a ri:id asceticis", and conde"ned all dancin: and other di8ersions of the ind@ he6ould carry no "oney on his person and reco""ended others to spend their "oney inthe relief of the poorer classes. #e 8isited Persia and $ndia, 6here he consorted6ith the -rah"ans@ he subseuently 8isited ):ypt, and 6ent up the *ile in order toacuaint hi"self 6ith those precursors of the "ons of the Thebaid called in thosedays the /y"nosophists or naed philosophers. #e 8isited the cataracts of the*ile, and returnin: to Ale!andria held lon: con8ersations 6ith espasian and Titussoon after the sie:e and capture of 3erusale" by the latter. #e had a fe6 yearsbefore, in the course of a 8isit to 'o"e, incurred the 6rath of *ero, 6hose"inister Ti:ellinus ho6e8er 6as so inti"idated by hi" as to set hi" at liberty.After the death of Titus he 6as a:ain arrested, this ti"e by the )"peror o"itian,

as a fo"enter of sedition, but 6as apparently acuitted. #e died at an ad8anceda:e in the rei:n of *er8a, 6ho befriended hi"@ and accordin: to popular traditionhe ascended bodily to hea8en, appearin: after death to certain persons 6hoentertained doubts about a future life.

To6ards the end of the third century 6hen the stru::le bet6een Christianity anddecadent Pa:anis"

[p. !i8]

had reached its last and bitterest sta:e, it occurred to so"e of the ene"ies ofthe ne6 reli:ion to set up Apollonius, to 6ho" te"ples and shrines had beenerected in 8arious parts of Asia 0inor, as a ri8al to the founder of Christianity.

The "any "iracles 6hich 6ere recorded of Apollonius, and in particular his e"inentpo6er o8er e8il spirits or de"ons, "ade hi" a for"idable ri8al in the "inds ofPa:ans to 3esus Christ. And a certain #ierocles, 6ho 6as a pro8incial :o8ernorunder the )"peror iocletian, 6rote a boo to sho6 that Apollonius had been as:reat a sa:e, as re"arable a 6orer of "iracles, and as potent an e!orcist as3esus Christ. #is 6or :a8e :reat offence to the "issionaries of the Christianreli:ion, and )usebius the Christian historian 6rote a treatise in ans6er, in6hich he alle:es that Apollonius 6as a "ere charlatan, and if a "a:ician at all,then one of 8ery inferior po6ers@ he also ar:ues that if he did achie8e anyre"arable results, it 6as thans to the e8il spirits 6ith 6ho" he 6as in lea:ue.)usebius is careful, ho6e8er, to point out that before #ierocles, no anti


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Christian 6riter had thou:ht of puttin: for6ard Apollonius as the ri8al and eualof 3esus of *aareth. $t is possible of course that #ierocles too his cue fro"the )"peror Ale!ander &e8erus , 6ho instead of settin: up

[p. !8]

i"a:es of the :ods in his pri8ate shrine, established therein, as obEects of his8eneration, statues of Ale!ander the /reat, %rpheus, Apollonius of Tyana, Abraha",

and Christ. This story ho6e8er in no 6ay contradicts the state"ent of )usebius,and it is a pity that this si:nificant caution of the latter has been disre:ardedby Christian 6riters of the last three centuries, 6ho ha8e al"ost unani"ouslyadopted a 8ie6 that is utterly un6arrantable, na"ely, that Philostratus intendedhis life of Apollonius as a counterblast to that of the Christian :ospel. The bestscholars of the present :eneration are opposed to this 8ie6, for they realise thatde"oniac possession 6as a co""on feature in the ancient landscape, and that thee!orcist dri8in: de"ons out of afflicted hu"an bein:s by use of threats andin8ocations of "ysterious na"es 6as as fa"iliar a fi:ure in old Pa:an society ashe 6as in the early church.

e read that 6here8er Apollonius tra8elled, he 8isited the te"ples, and undertooto refor" the cults 6hich he there found in 8o:ue. #is refor" see"s to ha8e

consisted in this, that he denounced as dero:atory to the :ods the practice ofsacrificin: to the" ani"al 8icti"s and tried to persuade the priests to abandonit. $n this respect he prepared the :round for Christianity and 6as 6orin: alon:

[p. !8i]

the sa"e lines as "any of the Christian "issionaries. $n the third centuryPorphyry the philosopher and ene"y of Christianity 6as as ealous in hisconde"nation of bloodofferin:s, as Apollonius had been in the first.(nuestionably the neoPytha:orean propa:anda did "uch to discredit ancientpa:anis", and Apollonius and its other "issionaries 6ere all un6ittin:ly 6orin:for that ideal of bloodless sacrifice 6hich, after the destruction of the 3e6ishTe"ple, by an ine!orable lo:ic i"posed itself on the Christian Church.

$t is 6ell to conclude this all too brief notice of Apollonius 6ith a passa:ecited by )usebius [G1] fro" his lost 6or concernin: sacrifice. There is no :oodreason for doubtin: its authenticity, and it is an apt su""ary of his reli:iousbelief;

H$n no other "anner, $ belie8e, can one e!hibit a fittin: respect for the di8inebein:, beyond any other "en "ae sure of bein: sin:led out as an obEect of hisfa8our and :ood6ill, than by refusin: to offer to /od 6ho" 6e ter"ed First, 6hois %ne and separate fro" all, as subordinate to 6ho" 6e "ust reco:nise all therest, any 8icti" at ail@ to #i" 6e "ust not indle fire or "ae pro"ise unto hi"of any sensible

[p. 8ii]

obEect 6hatsoe8er. For #e needs nothin: e8en fro" bein:s hi:her than oursel8es.*or is there any plant or ani"al 6hich earth sends up or nourishes, to 6hich so"epollution is not incident. e should "ae use in relation to hi" solely of thehi:her speech, $ "ean of that 6hich issues not by the lips@ and fro" the noblestof bein:s 6e "ust as for blessin:s by the noblest faculty 6e possess, and thatfaculty is intelli:ence, 6hich needs no or:an. %n these principles then 6e ou:htnot on any account to sacrifice 8icti"s to the "i:hty and supre"e /od.H


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The te!t follo6ed by the translator is that of C. L. Iayser, issued by -. /.Teubner, at Leipic in 1?54.

Footnotes

J!8i;1 )usebius, %n the Preparation for the /ospel, -. i8. Ch. 17.


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[p. 2] [p. 7]

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T#) 8otaries of Pytha:oras of &a"os ha8e this story to tell of hi", that he 6asnot an $onian at all, but that, once on a ti"e in Troy, he had been )uphorbus, andthat he had co"e to life after death, but had died as the son:s of #o"er relate.And they say that he declined to 6ear apparel "ade fro" dead ani"al products and,to :uard his purity, abstained fro" all flesh diet, and fro" the offerin: ofani"als in sacrifice. For that he 6ould not stain the altars 6ith blood@ nay,rather the honeycae and franincense and the hy"n of praise, these they say 6erethe offerin:s "ade to the /ods by this "an, 6ho realied that they 6elco"e suchtribute "ore than they do the hecato"bs and the nife laid upon the sacrificialbaset. For they say that he had of a certainty social intercourse 6ith the :ods,

and learnt fro" the" the conditions under 6hich they tae pleasure in "en or aredis:usted, and on this intercourse he based his account of nature. For he saidthat, 6hereas other "en only "ae conEectures about di8inity and "ae :uesses that

[p. D] [p. ]

contradict one another concernin: it,in his o6n case he said that Apollo hadco"e to hi" acno6led:in: that he 6as the :od in person@ and that Athena and the0uses and other :ods, 6hose for"s and na"es "en did not yet no6, had alsoconsorted 6ith hi" thou:h 6ithout "ain: such acno6led:"ent. And the follo6ers ofPytha:oras accepted as la6 any decisions co""unicated by hi", and honored hi" as


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an e"issary fro" Keus, but i"posed, out of respect for their di8ine character, aritual silence on the"sel8es. For "any 6ere the di8ine and ineffable secrets 6hichthey had heard, but 6hich it 6as difficult for any to eep 6ho had not pre8iouslylearnt that silence also is a "ode of speech.

0oreo8er they declare that )"pedocles of Acra:as had trodden this 6ay of 6isdo"6hen he 6rote the line

H'eEoice ye, for $ a" unto you an i""ortal /od, and no "ore "ortal.H

[para:raph continues] And this also;

HFor ere6hile, $ already beca"e both :irl and boy.H

And the story that he "ade at %ly"pia a bull of pastry and sacrificed it to the:od also sho6s that he appro8ed of the senti"ents of Pytha:oras. And there is "uchelse that they tell of those sa:es 6ho obser8e the rule of Pytha:oras@ but $ "ustnot no6 enter upon such points, but hurry on to the 6or 6hich $ ha8e set "yselfto co"plete.

[p. ] [p. 5]

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F%' uite ain to theirs 6as the ideal 6hich Apollonius pursued, and "ore di8inelythan Pytha:oras he 6ooed 6isdo" and soared abo8e tyrants@ and he li8ed in ti"esnot lon: :one by nor uite of our o6n day, yet "en no6 hi" not because of thetrue 6isdo", 6hich he practiced as sa:e and sanely@ but one "an sin:les out onefeature for praise in hi" and another another@ 6hile so"e, because he hadinter8ie6s 6ith the 6iards of -abylon and 6ith the -rah"ans of $ndia, and 6ith

the nude ascetics of ):ypt, put hi" do6n as a 6iard, and spread the calu"ny thathe 6as a sa:e of an ille:iti"ate ind, Eud:in: of hi" ill. For )"pedocles andPytha:oras hi"self and e"ocritus consorted 6ith 6iards and uttered "anysupernatural truths, yet ne8er stooped to the blac art@ and Plato 6ent to ):yptand "in:led 6ith his o6n discourses "uch of 6hat he heard fro" the prophets andpriests there@ and thou:h, lie a painter, he laid his o6n colors on to theirrou:h setches, yet he ne8er passed for a 6iard, althou:h en8ied abo8e all"anind for his 6isdo". For the circu"stance that Apollonius foresa6 and forene6so "any thin:s does not in the least Eustify us in i"putin: to hi" this ind of6isdo"@ 6e "i:ht as 6ell accuse &ocrates of the sa"e, because, thans to hisfa"iliar spirit, he ne6 thin:s beforehand, and 6e "i:ht also accuse Ana!a:orasbecause of the "any thin:s 6hich he foretold. And indeed 6ho does not no6 thestory of ho6 Ana!a:oras at %ly"pia in a season 6hen least rain falls ca"e for6ard

6earin: a fleece into the stadiu", by 6ay of predictin: rain, and of ho6 he

[p. ?] [p. 9]

foretold the fall of the house,and truly, for it did fall@ and of ho6 he saidthat day 6ould be turned into ni:ht, and stones 6ould be dischar:ed fro" hea8enround Ae:ospota"i, and of ho6 his predictions 6ere fulfilled= *o6 these feats areset do6n to the 6isdo" of Ana!a:oras by the sa"e people 6ho 6ould rob Apolloniusof the credit of ha8in: predicted thin:s by dint of 6isdo", and say that heachie8ed these results by art of 6iardry.


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$t see"s to "e then that $ ou:ht not to condone or acuiesce in the :enerali:norance, but 6rite a true account of the "an, detailin: the e!act ti"es at 6hichhe said or did this or that, as also the habits and te"per of 6isdo" by "eans of6hich he succeeded in bein: considered a supernatural and di8ine bein:.

And $ ha8e :athered "y infor"ation partly fro" the "any cities 6here he 6as lo8ed,and partly fro" the te"ples 6hose lon:ne:lected and decayed rites he restored,and partly fro" the accounts left of hi" by others and partly fro" his o6n

letters. For he addressed these to in:s, sophists, philosophers, to "en of )lis,of elphi, to $ndians, and )thiopians@ and in his letters he dealt 6ith thesubEects of the :ods, of custo"s, of "oral principles, of la6s, and in all thesedepart"ents he corrected the errors into 6hich "en had fallen. -ut the "oreprecise details 6hich $ ha8e collected are as follo6s.

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T#)') 6as a "an, a"is, by no "eans stupid, 6ho for"erly d6elt in the ancient city

of *ine8eh. #e resorted to Apollonius in order to study 6isdo", and ha8in: shared,by his o6n account, his

[p. 14] [p. 11]

6anderin:s abroad, 6rote an account of the". And he records his opinions anddiscourses and all his prophecies. And a certain ins"en of a"is dre6 theattention of the e"press 3ulia to the docu"ents containin: these docu"entshitherto unno6n. *o6 $ belon:ed to the circle of the e"press, for she 6as ade8oted ad"irer of all rhetorical e!ercises@ and she co""anded "e to recast andedit these essays, at the sa"e ti"e payin: "ore attention to the style and dictionof the"@ for the "an of *ine8eh had told his story clearly enou:h, yet so"e6hata66ardly. And $ also read the boo of 0a!i"us of Ae:ae, 6hich co"prised all the

life of Apollonius in Ae:ae@ and further"ore a 6ill 6as co"posed by Apollonius,fro" 6hich one can learn ho6 rapturous and inspired a sa:e he really 6as. For 6e"ust not pay attention anyho6 to 0oera:enes, 6ho co"posed four boos aboutApollonius, and yet 6as i:norant of "any circu"stances of his life. That then $co"bined these scattered sources to:ether and too trouble o8er "y co"position, $ha8e said@ but let "y 6or, $ pray, redound to the honor of the "an 6ho is thesubEect of "y co"pilation, and also be of use to those 6ho lo8e learnin:. Forassuredly, they 6ill here learn thin:s of 6hich as yet they 6ere i:norant.

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AP%LL%*$(&B ho"e, then, 6as Tyana, a /ree city a"idst a population ofCappadocians. #is father 6as of the sa"e na"e, and the fa"ily descended fro" thefirst settlers. $t e!celled in 6ealth the surroundin: fa"ilies, thou:h thedistrict is a rich one. To his "other, Eust before

[p. 12] [p. 17]

he 6as born, there ca"e an apparition of Proteus, 6ho chan:es his for" so "uch in#o"er, in the :uise of an ):yptian de"on. &he 6as in no 6ay fri:htened, but ased


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hi" 6hat sort of child she 6ould bear. And he ans6ered; H0yself.H HAnd 6ho areyou=H she ased. HProteus,H ans6ered he, Hthe :od of ):ypt.H ell, $ need hardlye!plain to readers of the poets the uality of Proteus and his reputation asre:ards 6isdo"@ ho6 8ersatile he 6as, and for e8er chan:in: his for", and defyin:capture, and ho6 he had a reputation of no6in: both past and future. And 6e "ustbear Proteus in "ind all the "ore, 6hen "y ad8ancin: story sho6s its hero to ha8ebeen "ore of a prophet than Proteus, and to ha8e triu"phed o8er "any difficultiesand dan:ers in the "o"ent 6hen they beset hi" "ost closely.

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*% he is said to ha8e been born in a "eado6, hard by 6hich there has been no6erected a su"ptuous te"ple to hi"@ and let us not pass by the "anner of his birth.For Eust as the hour of his birth 6as approachin:, his "other 6as 6arned in adrea" to 6al out into the "eado6 and pluc the flo6ers@ and in due course sheca"e there and her "aids attended to the flo6ers, scatterin: the"sel8es o8er the"eado6, 6hile she fell asleep lyin: on the :rass. Thereupon the s6ans 6ho fed in

the "eado6 set up a dance around her as she slept, and liftin: their 6in:s, asthey are 6ont to do, cried out aloud all at once, for there 6as so"e6hat of abreee blo6in: in the "eado6. &he then leaped up at the sound of their son: andbore her child, for any

[p. 1D] [p. 1]

sudden fri:ht is apt to brin: on a pre"ature deli8ery. -ut the people of thecountry say that Eust at the "o"ent of the birth, a thunderbolt see"ed about tofall to earth and then rose up into the air and disappeared aloft@ and the :odsthereby indicated, $ thin, the :reat distinction to 6hich the sa:e 6as to attain,and hinted in ad8ance ho6 he should transcend all thin:s upon earth and approachthe :ods, and si:nified all the thin:s that he 6ould achie8e.

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*% there is near Tyana a 6ell sacred to Keus, the :od of paths, so they say, andthey call it the 6ell of Asba"a. #ere a sprin: rises cold, but bubbles up lie aboilin: cauldron. This 6ater is fa8orable and s6eet to those 6ho eep their paths,but to perEurers it brin:s hotfooted Eustice@ for it attacs their eyes and handsand feet, and they fall the prey of dropsy and 6astin: disease@ and they are note8en able to :o a6ay, but are held on the spot and be"oan the"sel8es at the ed:e

of the sprin:, acno6led:in: their perEuries. The people of the country, then, saythat Apollonius 6as the son of this Keus, but the sa:e called hi"self the son ofApollonius.

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%* reachin: the a:e 6hen children are tau:ht their letters, he sho6ed :reat


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stren:th of "e"ory and po6er of application@ and his ton:ue affected the Atticdialect, nor 6as his accent corrupted by the race he li8ed a"on:. All eyes 6ereturned upon

[p. 1] [p. 15]

hi", for he 6as, "oreo8er, conspicuous for his beauty. hen he reached hisfourteenth year, his father brou:ht hi" to Tarsus, to )uthyde"us the teacher fro"

Phoenicia. *o6 )uthyde"us 6as a :ood rhetor, and be:an his education@ but, thou:hhe 6as attached to his teacher, he found the at"osphere of the city harsh andstran:e and little conduci8e to the philosophic life, for no6here are "en "oreaddicted than here to lu!ury@ Eesters and full of insolence are they all@ and theyattend "ore to their fine linen than the Athenians did to 6isdo"@ and a strea"called the Cydnus runs throu:h their city, alon: the bans of 6hich they sit lieso "any 6aterfo6l. #ence the 6ords 6hich Apollonius addresses to the" in hisletter; H-e done 6ith :ettin: drun upon your 6ater.H #e therefore transferred histeacher, 6ith his fatherBs consent, to the to6n of Ae:ae, 6hich 6as close by,6here he found a peace con:enial to one 6ho 6ould be a philosopher, and a "oreserious school of study and a te"ple of Asclepius, 6here that :od re8eals hi"selfin person to "en. There he had as his co"panions in philosophy follo6ers of Platoand Chrysippus and peripatetic philosophers. And he dili:ently attended also to

the discourses of )picurus, for he did not despise these either, althou:h it 6asto those of Pytha:oras that he applied hi"self 6ith unspeaable 6isdo" and ardor.#o6e8er, his teacher of the Pytha:orean syste" 6as not a 8ery serious person, norone 6ho practiced in his conduct the philosophy he tau:ht@ for he 6as the sla8e ofhis belly and appetites, and "odeled hi"self upon )picurus. And this "an 6as)u!enus fro" the to6n of #eraclea in Pontus, and he ne6 the principles ofPytha:oras Eust as

[p. 1?] [p. 19]

birds no6 6hat they learn fro" "en@ for the birds 6ill 6ish you Hfare6ell,H andsay H/ood dayH or HKeus help you,H and such lie, 6ithout understandin: 6hat theysay and 6ithout any real sy"pathy for "anind, "erely because they ha8e been

trained to "o8e their ton:ue in a certain "anner. Apollonius, ho6e8er, 6as liethe youn: ea:les 6ho, as lon: as they are not fully fled:ed, fly alon:side oftheir parents and are trained by the" in fli:ht, but 6ho, as soon as they are ableto rise in the air, outsoar the parent birds, especially 6hen they percei8e thelatter to be :reedy and to be flyin: alon: the :round in order to snuff theuarry@ lie the" Apollonius attended )u!enus as lon: as he 6as a child and 6as:uided by hi" in the path of ar:u"ent, but 6hen he reached his si!teenth year heindul:ed his i"pulse to6ards the life of Pytha:oras, bein: fled:ed and 6in:edthereto by so"e hi:her po6er. *ot6ithstandin: he did not cease to lo8e )u!enus,nay, he persuaded his father to present hi" 6ith a 8illa outside the to6n, 6herethere 6ere tender :ro8es and fountains, and he said to hi"; H*o6 you li8e thereyour o6n life, but $ 6ill li8e that of Pytha:oras.H

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*% )u!enus realied that he 6as attached to a lofty ideal, and ased hi" at 6hatpoint he 6ould be:in it. Apollonius ans6ered; HAt the point at 6hich physiciansbe:in, for they, by pur:in: the bo6els of their patients pre8ent so"e fro" bein:ill at all, and heal others.H And ha8in: said this he declined to li8e upon aflesh diet, on the :round that it 6as unclean, and also that it "ade the "ind


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:ross@ so he partoo only of dried fruits and 8e:etables,

[p. 24] [p. 21]

for he said that all the fruits of the earth are clean. And of 6ine he said thatit 6as a clean drin because it is yielded to "en by so 6elldo"esticated a plantas the 8ine@ but he declared that it endan:ered the "ental balance and syste" anddarened, as 6ith "ud, the ether 6hich is in the soul. After then ha8in: thus

pur:ed his interior, he too to 6alin: 6ithout shoes by 6ay of adorn"ent and cladhi"self in linen rai"ent, declinin: to 6ear any ani"al product@ and he let hishair :ro6 lon: and li8ed in the Te"ple. And the people round about the Te"ple 6erestruc 6ith ad"iration for hi", and the :od Asclepius one day said to the priestthat he 6as deli:hted to ha8e Apollonius as 6itness of his cures of the sic@ andsuch 6as his reputation that the Cilicians the"sel8es and the people all aroundfloced to Ae:ae to 8isit hi". #ence the Cilician pro8erb; Hhither runnest thou=$s it to see the striplin:=H &uch 6as the sayin: that arose about hi", and it:ained the distinction of beco"in: a pro8erb.

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*% it is 6ell that $ should not pass o8er 6hat happened in the Te"ple, 6hilerelatin: the life of a "an 6ho 6as held in estee" e8en by the :ods. For anAssyrian striplin: ca"e to Asclepius, and thou:h he 6as sic, yet he li8ed thelife of lu!ury, and bein: continually drun, $ 6ill not say he li8ed, rather he6as e8er dyin:. #e suffered then fro" dropsy, and findin: his pleasure indrunenness too no care to dry up his "alady. %n this account then Asclepius toono care of hi", and did not 8isit hi" e8en

[p. 22] [p. 27]

in a drea". The youth :ru"bled at this, and thereupon the :od, standin: o8er hi",said, H$f you 6ere to consult Apollonius you 6ould be easier.H #e therefore 6entto Apollonius, and said; Hhat is there in your 6isdo" that $ can profit by= forAsclepius bids "e consult you.H And he replied; H$ can ad8ise you of 6hat, underthe circu"stances, 6ill be "ost 8aluable to you@ for $ suppose you 6ant to :et6ell.H H+es, by Keus,H ans6ered the other, H$ 6ant the health 6hich Asclepiuspro"ises, but ne8er :i8es.H H#ush,H said the other, Hfor he :i8es to those 6hodesire it, but you do thin:s that irritate and a::ra8ate your disease, for you:i8e yourself up to lu!ury, and you accu"ulate delicate 8iands upon your 6aterlo::ed and 6ornout sto"ach, and as it 6ere, choe 6ater 6ith a flood of "ud.HThis 6as a clearer response, in "y opinion, than #eraclitus, in his 6isdo", :a8e.For he said 6hen he 6as 8isited by this affection that 6hat he needed 6as so"eoneto substitute a drou:ht for a rainy 6eather, a 8ery unintelli:ible re"ar, it

appears to "e, and by no "eans clear@ but the sa:e restored the youth to health bya clear interpretation of the 6ise sa6.

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%*) day he sa6 a flood of blood upon the altar, and there 6ere 8icti"s laid outupon it, ):yptian bulls that had been sacrificed and :reat ho:s, and so"e of the"


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6ere bein: flayed and others 6ere bein: cut up@ and t6o :old 8ases had beendedicated set 6ith Ee6els, the rarest and "ost beautiful that $ndia can pro8ide.&o he 6ent to the priest and said; Hhat is all this@ for so"eone is "ain: a

[p. 2D] [p. 2]

8ery handso"e :ift to the :od=H And the priest replied; H+ou "ay rather besurprised at a "anBs offerin: all this 6ithout ha8in: first put up a prayer in our

fane, and 6ithout ha8in: stayed 6ith us as lon: as other people do, and 6ithoutha8in: :ained his health fro" the :od, and 6ithout obtainin: all the thin:s heca"e to as for. For he appears to ha8e co"e only yesterday, yet he is sacrificin:on this la8ish scale. And he declares that he 6ill sacrifice "ore 8icti"s, anddedicate "ore :ifts, if Asclepius 6ill hearen to hi". And he is one of therichest "en in e!istence@ at any rate he o6ns in Cilicia an estate bi::er than allthe Cilicians to:ether possess. And he is supplicatin: the :od to restore to hi"one of his eyes that has fallen out.H -ut Apollonius fi!ed his eyes upon the:round, as he 6as accusto"ed to do in later life, and ased; Hhat is his na"e=HAnd 6hen he heard it, he said; H$t see"s to "e, % Priest, that 6e ou:ht not to6elco"e this fello6 in the Te"ple; for he is so"e ruffian 6ho has co"e here, andthat he is afflicted in this 6ay is due to so"e sinister reason; nay, his 8eryconduct in sacrificin: on such a "a:nificent scale before he has :ained anythin:

fro" the :od is not that of a :enuine 8otary, but rather of a "an 6ho is be::in:hi"self off for the penalty of so"e horrible and cruel deed.H This 6as 6hatApollonius said; and Asclepius appeared to the priest by ni:ht, and said; H&enda6ay so and so at once 6ith all his possessions, and let hi" eep the", for hedeser8es to lose the other eye as 6ell.H The priest accordin:ly "ade inuiriesabout the Cilician and learned that his 6ife by a for"er "arria:e borne adau:hter, and he had fallen in lo8e 6ith the "aiden and had seduced her, and 6asli8in: 6ith her in open sin. For the

[p. 2] [p. 25]

"other had surprised the t6o in bed, and had put out both her eyes and one of hisby stabbin: the" 6ith her broochpin.


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A/A$* he inculcated the 6ise rule that in our sacrifices or dedications 6e shouldno :o beyond the Eust "ean, in the follo6in: 6ay. %n one occasion se8eral peoplehad floced to the Te"ple, not lon: after the e!pulsion of the Cilician, and hetoo the occasion to as the priest the follo6in: uestions; HAre then,H he said,Hthe :ods Eust=H Hhy, of course, "ost Eust,H ans6ered the priest. Hell, and arethey 6ise=H HAnd 6hat,H said the other, Hcan be 6iser than the :odhead=H H-ut dothey no6 the affairs of "en, or are they 6ithout e!perience of the"=H Hhy,H saidthe other, Hthis is Eust the point in 6hich the :ods e!cel "anind, for thelatter, because of their frailty, do not understand their o6n concerns, 6hereasthe :ods ha8e the pri8ile:e of understandin: the affairs both of "en and of


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C#APT)' $$$

*% 6hen he heard that his father 6as dead, he hurried to Tyana, and 6ith his o6nhands buried hi" hard by his "otherBs sepulcher, for she too had died not lon:

before@ and he di8ided the property,

[p. 72] [p. 77]

6hich 6as 8ery a"ple, 6ith his brother, 6ho 6as an incorri:ibly bad character and:i8en to drun. *o6 the latter had reached his t6entythird year@ Apollonius, onthe other hand, 6as only t6enty, and the la6 subEected hi" to :uardians. #etherefore spent afresh so"e ti"e in Ae:ae, and turned the te"ple into a Lyceu" andAcade"y, for it resounded 6ith all sorts of philosophical discussions. After thathe returned to Tyana, by this ti"e :ro6n to "anhood and his o6n "aster. &o"eonesaid to hi" that it 6as his duty to correct his brother and con8ert hi" fro" hise8il 6ays@ 6hereupon he ans6ered; HThis 6ould see" a desperate enterprise@ for ho6can $ 6ho a" the youn:er one correct and render 6ise an older "an= but so far as $

can do anythin:, $ 6ill heal hi" of these bad passions.H Accordin:ly he :a8e tohi" the half of his o6n share of the property, on the pretense that he reuired"ore than he had, 6hile he hi"self needed little@ and then he pressed hi" andcle8erly persuaded hi" to sub"it to the counsels of 6isdo", and said; H%ur fatherhas departed this life, 6ho educated us both and corrected us, so that you are allthat $ ha8e left, and $ i"a:ine, $ a" all that you ha8e left. $f therefore $ doanythin: 6ron:, please ad8ise "e and cure "e of "y faults@ and in turn if youyourself do anythin: 6ron:, suffer "e to teach you better.H And so he reduced hisbrother to a reasonable state of "ind, Eust as 6e brea in sittish and unrulyhorses by stroin: and pattin: the"@ and he refor"ed hi" fro" his faults, nu"erousas they 6ere, for he 6as the sla8e of play and of 6ine, and he serenadedcourtesans and 6as 8ain of his hair, 6hich he dressed up and dyed, struttin:

[p. 7D] [p. 7]

about lie an arro:ant dandy. &o 6hen all 6as 6ell bet6een hi" and his brother, heat once turned his attention to his other relati8es, and conciliated such of the"as 6ere in 6ant by besto6in: on the" the rest of his property, lea8in: only atrifle to hi"self@ for he said that Ana!a:oras of Clao"enae ept his philosophyfor cattle rather than for "en 6hen he abandoned his fields to flocs and :oats,and that Crates of Thebes, 6hen he thre6 his "oney into the sea benefited neither"an nor beast. And as Pytha:oras 6as co""ended for his sayin: that Ha "an shouldha8e no intercourse e!cept 6ith his o6n 6ife,H he declared that this 6as intendedby Pytha:oras for others than hi"self, for that he 6as resol8ed ne8er to 6ed norha8e any conne!ion 6hate8er 6ith 6o"en. $n layin: such restraint on hi"self hesurpassed &ophocles, 6ho only said that in reachin: old a:e he had escaped fro" a

"ad and cruel "aster@ but Apollonius by dint of 8irtue and te"perance ne8er e8enin his youth 6as so o8erco"e. hile still a "ere striplin:, in full enEoy"ent ofhis bodily 8i:or, he "astered and :ained control of the "addenin: passion. And yetthere are those 6ho accuse hi" falsely of an addiction to 8enery, alle:in: that hefell a 8icti" of such sins and spent a 6hole year in their indul:ence a"on: the&cythians, the facts bein: that he ne8er once 8isited &cythia nor 6as e8er carrieda6ay by such passions. *ot e8en )uphrates e8er accused the sa:e of 8enery, thou:hhe traduced hi" other6ise and co"posed lyin: treatises a:ainst hi", as 6e shallsho6 6hen 6e co"e to spea of hi" belo6. And his uarrel 6ith Apollonius 6as thatthe latter rallied hi" for doin: anythin: for "oney and tried to 6ean hi" of his


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[p. 7] [p. 75]

lo8e of filthy lucre and of hucsterin: his 6isdo". -ut these "atters $ "ust deferto the ti"es to 6hich they belon:.

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%* one occasion, )u!enus ased Apollonius 6hy so noble a thiner as he and one 6ho6as "aster of a diction so fine and ner8ous did not 6rite a boo. #e replied; H$ha8e not yet ept silenceH. And forth6ith he be:an to hold his ton:ue fro" a senseof duty, and ept absolute silence, thou:h his eyes and his "ind 6ere tain: noteof 8ery "any thin:s, and thou:h "ost thin:s 6ere bein: stored in his "e"ory.$ndeed, 6hen he reached the a:e of a hundred, he still surpassed &i"onides inpoint of "e"ory, and he used to chant a hy"n addressed to "e"ory, in 6hich it issaid that e8erythin: is 6orn and 6ithered a6ay by ti"e, 6hereas ti"e itself ne8era:es, but re"ains i""ortal because of "e"ory. *e8ertheless his co"pany 6as not6ithout char" durin: the period of his silence@ for he 6ould "aintain a

con8ersation by the e!pression of his eyes, by :estures of his hands and noddin:his head@ nor did he strie "en as :loo"y or "orse@ for he retained his fondnessfor co"pany and cheerfulness. This part of his life he says 6as the "ost uphill6or he ne6, since he practiced silence for fi8e 6hole years@ for he says heoften had thin:s to say and could not do so, and he 6as often obli:ed not to hearthin:s the hearin: of 6hich 6ould ha8e enra:ed hi", and often 6hen he 6as "o8edand inclined to brea out in a rebue to others, he said to hi"self; H-ear upthen, "y heart

[p. 7?] [p. 79]

and ton:ue@H and 6hen reasonin: offended hi" he had to :i8e up for the ti"e therefutin: of it.

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T#)&) years of silence he spent partly in Pa"phylia and partly in Cilicia@ andthou:h his paths lay throu:h such effe"inate races as these, he ne8er spoe nor6as e8en induced to "ur"ur. hene8er, ho6e8er, he ca"e on a city en:a:ed in ci8ilconflict


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Conseuently an e!cited

[p. D4] [p. D1]

cro6d of all a:es had set upon the :o8ernor, and 6ere li:htin: a fire to burn hi"ali8e, althou:h he 6as clin:in: to the statues of the )"peror, 6hich 6ere "oredreaded at that ti"e and "ore in8iolable than the Keus in %ly"pia@ for they 6erestatues of Tiberius, in 6hose rei:n a "aster is said to ha8e been held :uilty of

i"piety, "erely because he struc his o6n sla8e 6hen he had on his person a sil8erdrach"a coined 6ith the i"a:e of Tiberius. Apollonius then 6ent up to the :o8ernorand 6ith a si:n of his hand ased hi" 6hat 6as the "atter@ and he ans6ered that hehad done no 6ron:, but 6as indeed bein: 6ron:ed uite as "uch as the populace@but, he said, if he could not :et a hearin:, he 6ould perish alon: 6ith thepopulace. Apollonius then turned to the bystanders, and beconed to the" that they"ust listen@ and they not only held their ton:ues fro" 6onder"ent at hi", but theylaid the brands they had indled on the altars 6hich 6ere there. The :o8ernor thenpluced up coura:e and said; HThis "an and that "an,H and he na"ed se8eral, Hareto bla"e for the fa"ine 6hich has arisen@ for they ha8e taen a6ay the :rain andare eepin: it, one in one part of the country and another in another.H Theinhabitants of Aspendus thereupon passed the 6ord to one another to "ae for these"enBs estates, but Apollonius si:ned 6ith his head, that they should do no such

thin:, but rather su""on those 6ho 6ere to bla"e and obtain the :rain fro" the"6ith their consent. And 6hen, after a little ti"e the :uilty parties arri8ed, he8ery nearly broe out in speech a:ainst the", so "uch 6as he affected by the tearsof the cro6d@ for the children and 6o"en had all floced to:ether, and the

[p. D2] [p. D7]

old "en 6ere :roanin: and "oanin: as if they 6ere on the point of dyin: by hun:er.#o6e8er, he respected his 8o6 of silence and 6rote on a 6ritin: board hisindict"ent of the offenders and handed it to the :o8ernor to read out aloud@ andhis indict"ent ran as follo6s; HApollonius to the :rain dealers of Aspendus. Theearth is "other of us all, for she is Eust@ but you, because you are unEust ha8epretended that she is your "other alone@ and if you do not stop, $ 6ill not per"it

you to re"ain upon her.H They 6ere so terrified by these 6ords, that they filledthe "aretplace 6ith :rain and the city re8i8ed.

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AFT)' the ter" of his silence 6as o8er he also 8isited the :reat Antioch, andpassed into the Te"ple of Apollo of aphne, to 6hich the Assyrians attach thele:end of Arcadia. For they say that aphne, the dau:hter of Ladon, thereunder6ent her "eta"orphosis, and they ha8e a ri8er flo6in: there, the Ladon, and a

laurel tree is 6orshipped by the" 6hich they say is the one substituted for the"aiden@ and cypress trees of enor"ous hei:ht surround the Te"ple, and the :roundsends up sprin:s both a"ple and placid, in 6hich they say Apollo purifies hi"selfby ablution. And there it is that the earth sends up a shoot of cypress, they sayin honor of Cyparissus, an Assyrian youth@ and the beauty of the shrub lendscredence to the story of his "eta"orphosis. ell, perhaps $ "ay see" to ha8efallen into a so"e6hat Eu8enile 8ein to approach "y story by such le:endaryparticulars as these, but "y interest

[p. DD] [p. D]


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H-ecause $ ased uestions 6hen $ 6as a striplin:@ and it is not "y business toas uestions no6, but to teach people 6hat $ ha8e disco8ered.H H#o6 then,H theother ased hi" afresh, H% Apollonius, should the sa:e con8erse=H HLie a la6:i8er,H he replied, Hfor it is the duty of the la6:i8er to deli8er to the "anythe instructions of 6hose truth he has persuaded hi"self.H This 6as the line hepursued durin: his stay in Antioch, and he con8erted to hi"self the "ost unrefinedpeople.

C#APT)' $$$

AFT)' this he for"ed the sche"e of an e!tensi8e 8oya:e, and had in "ind the $ndianrace and the sa:es there, 6ho are called -rah"ans and #yrcanians@ for he said thatit 6as a youn: "anBs duty to :o abroad to e"bar upon forei:n tra8el. -ut he "adeuite a 6indfall of the 0a:i, 6ho li8e in -abylon and &usa. For he 6ould tae theopportunity to acuaint hi"self thorou:hly 6ith their lore 6hile he 6as on his6ay. And he announced his intention to his follo6ers, 6ho 6ere

[p. 4] [p. 1]

se8en in nu"ber@ but 6hen they tried to persuade hi" to adopt another plan, inhopes of dra6in: hi" off fro" his resolution, he said; H$ ha8e taen the :ods intocounsel and ha8e told you their decision@ and $ ha8e "ade trial of you to see ifyou are stron: enou:h to undertae the sa"e thin:s as "yself. &ince therefore youare so soft and effe"inate, $ 6ish you 8ery :ood health and that you "ay :o on6ith your philosophy@ but $ "ust depart 6hither 6isdo" and the :ods lead "e.H#a8in: said this he uitted Antioch 6ith t6o attendants, 6ho belon:ed to hisfatherBs house, one of the" a shorthand 6riter and the other a calli:raphist.

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A* he reached the ancient city of *ine8eh, 6here he found an idol set up ofbarbarous aspect, and it is, they say, $o, the dau:hter of $nachus, and hornsshort and, as it 6ere, buddin: proEect fro" her te"ples. hile he 6as stayin:there and for"in: 6iser conclusions about the i"a:e than could the priests andprophets, one a"is, a nati8e of *ine8eh, Eoined hi" as a pupil, the sa"e, as $said at the be:innin:, 6ho beca"e the co"panion of his 6anderin:s abroad and hisfello6tra8eller and associate in all 6isdo", and 6ho has preser8ed to us "anyparticulars of the sa:e. #e ad"ired hi", and ha8in: a taste for the road, said;HLet us depart, Apollonius, you follo6 /od, and $ you@ for $ thin you 6ill find

that $ can ser8e you. $ canBt say you ho6 "uch "ore, but at least $B8e been to-abylon, and $ no6 all the cities

[p. 2] [p. 7]

there are, because $ ha8e been up there not lon: a:o, and also the 8illa:es in6hich there is "uch :ood to be found@ and "oreo8er, $ no6 the lan:ua:es of the8arious barbarous races, and there are se8eral, for e!a"ple the Ar"enian ton:ue,and that of the 0edes and Persians, and that of the Iadusii, and $ a" fa"iliar6ith all of the".H HAnd $,H said Apollonius, H"y :ood friend, understand alllan:ua:es, thou:h $ ne8er learnt a sin:le one.H The nati8e of *ine8eh 6as


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these barbarous re:ions@ but "y subEect hurries "e on to :reater and "orere"arable episodes. *e8ertheless, $ "ust perforce d6ell upon t6o topics; on thecoura:e 6hich Apollonius sho6ed, in "ain: a Eourney throu:h races of barbariansand robbers, 6hich 6ere not at that ti"e e8en subEect to the 'o"ans, and at thecle8erness 6ith 6hich after the "atter of the Arabs he "ana:ed to understand thelan:ua:e of the ani"als. For he learnt this on his 6ay throu:h these Arab tribes,6ho best understand and practice it. For it is uite co""on for the Arabs tolisten to the birds prophesyin: lie any oracles, but they acuire this faculty of

understandin: the" by feedin: the"sel8es, so they say, either on the heart orli8er of serpents.


[p. ?] [p. 9]

C#APT)' $

#) left Ctesiphon behind, and passed on to the borders of -abylon@ and here 6as afrontier :arrison belon:in: to the in:, 6hich one could not pass by 6ithout bein:uestioned 6ho one 6as, and as to oneBs city, and oneBs reason for co"in: there.And there 6as a satrap in co""and of this post, a sort of H)ye of the Iin:,H $i"a:ine@ for the 0ede had Eust acceded to the throne, and instead of bein: contentto li8e in security, he 6orried hi"self about thin:s real and i"a:inary and fellinto fits of fear and panic. Apollonius then and his party 6ere brou:ht beforethis satrap, 6ho had Eust set up the a6nin: on his 6a:on and 6as dri8in: out to :o

so"e6here else. hen he sa6 a "an so dried up and parched, he be:an to ba6l outlie a co6ardly 6o"an and hid his face, and could hardly be induced to loo up athi". Hhence do you co"e to us,H he said, Hand 6ho sent you=H as if he 6as asin:uestions of a spirit. And Apollonius replied; H$ ha8e sent "yself, to see 6hether$ can "ae "en of you, 6hether you lie it or not.H #e ased a second ti"e 6ho he6as to co"e trespassin: lie that into the in:Bs country, and Apollonius said;HAll the earth is "ine, and $ ha8e a ri:ht to :o all o8er it and throu:h it.Hhereupon the other said; H$ 6ill torture you, if you donBt ans6er "y uestions.HHAnd $ hope,H said the other, Hthat you 6ill do it 6ith your o6n hands, so thatyou "ay be tested by the touchstone of a true "an.H *o6 the eunuch 6as astonishedto find that Apollonius needed no interpreter, but understood 6hat he said 6ithoutthe least trouble or difficulty.

[p. 4] [p. 1]

[para:raph continues] H-y the :ods,H he said, H6ho are you=H this ti"e alterin:his tone to a 6hine of entreaty. And Apollonius replied; H&ince you ha8e ased "eci8illy this ti"e and not so rudely as before, listen, $ 6ill tell you 6ho $ a"; $a" Apollonius of Tyana, and "y road leads "e to the in: of $ndia, because $ 6antto acuaint "yself 6ith the country there@ and $ shall be :lad to "eet your in:,for those 6ho ha8e associated 6ith hi" say that he is no bad fello6, and certainlyhe is not, if he is this ardanes 6ho has lately reco8ered the e"pire 6hich he hadlost.H H#e is the sa"e,H replied the other, H% di8ine Apollonius@ for 6e ha8eheard of you a lon: ti"e a:o, and in fa8or of so 6ise a "an as you he 6ould, $ a"


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sure, step do6n off his :olden throne and send your party to $ndia, each of you"ounted on a ca"el. And $ "yself no6 in8ite you to be "y :uest, and $ be: topresent you 6ith these treasures.H And at the "o"ent he pointed out a store of:old to hi" sayin:; HTae as "ay handfuls as you lie, fill your hands, not once,but ten ti"es.H And 6hen Apollonius refused the "oney he said; Hell, at any rateyou 6ill tae so"e of the -abylonian 6ine, 6hich the in: besto6s on us, his tensatraps. Tae a Ear of it, 6ith so"e roast steas of bacon and 8enison and so"e"eal and bread and anythin: else you lie. For the road after this, for "any

stades, leads throu:h 8illa:es 6hich are illstoced 6ith pro8ision.H And here theeunuch cau:ht hi"self up and said; H%hM ye :ods, 6hat ha8e $ done= For $ ha8eheard that this "an ne8er eats the flesh of ani"als, nor drins 6ine, and here $a" in8itin: hi" to dine in a :ross and i:norant "anner.H Hell,H said Apollonius,Hyou

[p. 2] [p. 7]

can offer "e a li:hter repast and :i8e "e bread and dried fruits.H H$ 6ill :i8eyou,H said the other, Hlea8ened bread and pal" dates, lie a"ber and of :ood sie.And $ 6ill also supply you 6ith 8e:etables, the best 6hich the :ardens of theTi:ris afford.H Hell,H said Apollonius, Hthe 6ild herbs 6hich :ro6 free are nicerthan those 6hich are forced and artificial.H HThey are nicer,H said the satrap, H$

ad"it, but our land in the direction of -abylon is full of 6or"6ood so that theherbs 6hich :ro6 in it are disa:reeably bitter.H $n the end Apollonius acceptedthe satrapBs offer, and as he 6as on the point of :oin: a6ay, he said; H0ye!cellent fello6, donBt eep your :ood "anners to the end another ti"e, but be:in6ith the".H This by 6ay of rebuin: hi" for sayin: that he 6ould torture hi", andfor the barbaric lan:ua:e 6hich he had heard to be:in 6ith.

C#APT)' $$

AFT)' they had ad8anced t6enty stades they chanced upon a lioness that had beenslain in a chase@ and the brute 6as bi::er than any they had e8er seen@ and the8illa:ers rushed and cried out, and to tell the truth, so did the hunts"en, 6henthey sa6 6hat an e!traordinary thin: lay before the". And it really 6as a "ar8el@for 6hen it 6as cur asunder they found ei:ht 6helps 6ithin it. And the lionessbeco"es "other in this 6ay. They carry their youn: for si! "onths, but they brin:forth youn: only three ti"es@ and the nu"ber of the 6helps at the first birth isthree and at the second

[p. D] [p. ]

t6o, and if the "other "aes a third atte"pt, it bears only one 6help, but $belie8e a 8ery bi: one and preternaturally fierce. For 6e "ust not belie8e those

6ho say that the 6helps of a lioness "ae their 6ay out into the 6orld by cla6in:throu:h their "otherBs 6o"b@ for nature see"s to ha8e created the relationship ofoffsprin: to "other for their nourish"ent 6ith a 8ie6 to the continuance of therace. Apollonius then eyed the ani"al for a lon: ti"e, 6ith attention, and then hesaid; H% a"is, the len:th of our stay 6ith the in: 6ill be a year and ei:ht"onths@ for neither 6ill he let us :o sooner than that, nor 6ill it be to ourad8anta:e to uit hi" earlier. And you "ay :uess the nu"ber of "onths fro" that ofthe 6helps, and that of the years fro" the lioness@ for you "ust co"pare 6holes6ith 6holes.H And a"is replied; H-ut 6hat of the sparro6s of #o"er, 6hat do they"ean, the ones 6hich the dra:on de8oured in Aulis, 6hich 6ere ei:ht in nu"ber,6hen he seied their "other for a ninth= Calchas surely e!plained these to si:nify


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C#APT)' $

A* the record 6hich a"is left about the )retrians is in har"ony 6ith this. Forthey li8e in the country of the 0edes, not far distant fro" -abylon, a dayBsEourney for a fleet tra8eler@ but their country is 6ithout cities@ for the 6hole

of Cissia consists of 8illa:es, e!cept for a race of no"ads that also inhabits it,"en 6ho seldo" dis"ount fro" their horses. And the settle"ent of the )retrians isin the center of the rest, and the ri8er is carried

[p. 54] [p. 51]

round it in a trench, for they say that they the"sel8es di8erted it round the8illa:e in order to for" a ra"part of defense a:ainst the barbarians of thecountry. -ut the soil is drenched 6ith pitch, and is bitter to plant in@ and theinhabitants are 8ery short li8ed, because the pitch in the 6ater for"s a sedi"entin "ost of their bo6els. And they :et their sustenance off a bit of risin: :roundon the confines of their 8illa:e, 6here the :round rises abo8e the taintedcountry@ on this they so6 their crops and re:ard it as their land. And they say

that they ha8e heard fro" the nati8es that 5?4 of the )retrians 6ere captured, notof course all of the" fi:htin: "en@ for there 6as a certain nu"ber of 6o"en andold "en a"on: the"@ and there 6as, $ i"a:ine, a certain nu"ber of children too,for the :reater portion of the population of )retria had fled to Caphereus and tothe loftiest peas of )uboea. -ut anyho6 the "en 6ho 6ere brou:ht up nu"beredabout D44, and there 6ere ten 6o"en perhaps@ but the rest, 6ho had started fro"$onia and Lydia, perished as they 6ere "archin: up. And they "ana:ed to open auarry on the hill@ and as so"e of the" understood the art of cuttin: stone, theybuilt te"ples in the /ree style and a "aretplace lar:e enou:h for theirpurpose@ and they dedicated 8arious altars, t6o to arius, and one to er!es, andse8eral to aridaeus. -ut up to the ti"e of aridaeus, ?? years after theircapture, they continued to 6rite in the "anner of the /rees, and 6hat is "ore,their ancient :ra8es are inscribed 6ith the le:end; H&o and so, the son of so and

so.H And thou:h the letters are /ree, they said that they ne8er yet had seen thelie. And there 6ere ships en:ra8ed on

[p. 52] [p. 57]

the to"bstones, to sho6 that the 8arious indi8iduals had li8ed in )uboea, anden:a:ed either in seafarin: trade, or in that of purple, as sailors or as dyers@and they say that they read an )le:iac inscription 6ritten o8er the sepulcher ofso"e sailors and seafarers, 6hich ran thus;

#ere, 6e 6ho once sailed o8er the deepflo6in: billo6s of the Ae:aean seaAre lyin: in the "idst of the plain of )cbatana.Fare6ell, oncefa"ed fatherland of )retria, fare6ell Athens,

+e nei:hbor of )uboea, fare6ell thou darlin: sea.

ell, a"is says that Apollonius restored the to"bs that had :one to ruin andclosed the" up, and that he poured out libations and "ade offerin: to theirin"ates, all that reli:ion de"ands, e!cept that he did not slay or sacrifice any8icti"@ then after 6eepin: and in an access of e"otion, he deli8ered hi"self ofthe follo6in: apostrophe in their "idst;

H+e )retrians, 6ho by the lot of fortune ha8e been brou:ht hither, ye, e8en if yeare far fro" your o6n land, ha8e at least recei8ed burial@ but those 6ho cast youhither perished unburied round the shores of your island ten years after yourself@


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for the :ods brou:ht about this cala"ity in the #ollo6s of )uboea.H

And Apollonius at the end of his letter to the sophist 6rites as follo6s; H$ alsoattended, % &copelianus, to your )retrians, 6hile $ 6as still a youn: "an@ and $:a8e 6hat help $ could both to their dead and their li8in:.H hat attention thendid he sho6 to their li8in:= Thisthe barbarians in the nei:hborhood of the hill,6hen the )retrians

[p. 5D] [p. 5]

so6ed their seed upon it, 6ould co"e in su""erti"e and plunder their crops, sothat they had to star8e and see the fruits of their husbandry :o to others. hentherefore he reached the in:, he too pains to secure for the" the sole use ofthe hill.

C#APT)'

$ F%(* the follo6in: to be an account of the sa:eBs stay in -abylon, and of all6e need to no6 about -abylon. The fortifications of -abylon e!tend D?4 stadia andfor" a co"plete circle, and its 6all is three half plethrons hi:h, but less than aplethron [G1] in breadth. And it is cut asunder by the ri8er )uphrates, intohal8es of si"ilar shape@ and there passes underneath the ri8er an e!traordinarybrid:e 6hich Eoins to:ether by an unseen passa:e the palaces on either ban. Forit is said that a 6o"an, 0edea, 6as for"erly ueen of those parts, 6ho spanned theri8er underneath in a "anner in 6hich no ri8er 6as e8er brid:ed before@ for she:ot stones, it is said, and copper and pitch and all that "en ha8e disco8ered foruse in "asonry under 6ater, and she piled these up alon: the bans of the ri8er.Then she di8erted the strea" into laes@ and as soon as the ri8er 6as dry, she du:do6n t6o fatho"s, and "ade a hollo6 tunnel, 6hich she caused to debouch into thepalaces on either ban lie a subterranean :rotto@ and she roofed it on a le8el

6ith the bed of the strea". The foundations 6ere thus "ade stable, and also the6alls of the tunnel@ but as the pitch reuired 6ater in order to set as hard asstone, the )uphrates 6as let in a:ain on the roof 6hile still soft, and so theEunction

[p. 5] [p. 55]

stood solid. And the palaces are roofed 6ith brone, and a :litter :oes off fro"the"@ but the cha"bers of the 6o"en and of the "en and the porticos are adornedpartly 6ith sil8er, and partly 6ith :olden tapestries or curtains, and partly 6ithsolid :old in the for" of pictures@ but the subEects e"broidered on the stuffs are

taen by the" fro" #ellenic story, Andro"edas bein: represented, and A"y"onae, andyou see Perseus freuently. And they deli:ht in %rpheus, perhaps out of re:ard forhis peaed cap and breeches, for it cannot be for his "usic or the son:s 6ith6hich he char"ed and soothed others. And 6o8en into the pattern you percei8e atistearin: up *a!os out of the sea, and Artaphernes belea:uerin: )retria, and suchbattles of er!es as he said he 6on. For there is, of course, the occupation ofAthens and Ther"opylae, and other pictures still "ore to the 0edian taste, such asri8ers drained fro" off the land and a brid:e o8er the sea and the piercin: ofAthos. -ut they say that they also 8isited a "anBs apart"ent of 6hich the roof hadbeen carried up in the for" of a do"e, to rese"ble in a "anner the hea8ens, andthat it 6as roofed 6ith lapis lauli, a stone that is 8ery blue and lie hea8en to


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the eye@ and there 6ere i"a:es of the :ods, 6hich they 6orship, fi!ed aloft, andlooin: lie :olden fi:ures shinin: out of the ether. And it is here that the in::i8es Eud:"ent, and :olden 6rynecs are hun: fro" the ceilin:, to re"ind hi" ofAdrastea, the :oddess of Eustice, and to en:a:e hi" not to e!alt hi"self abo8ehu"anity. These fi:ures the 0a:i the"sel8es say they arran:ed@ for they ha8eaccess to the palace, and they call the" the ton:ues of the :ods.

[p. 5?] [p. 59]

C#APT)' $

$T# respect to the 0a:i, Apollonius has said all there is to be said, ho6 heassociated 6ith the" and learned so"e thin:s fro" the", and tau:ht the" othersbefore he 6ent a6ay. -ut a"is is not acuainted 6ith the con8ersations 6hich thesa:e held 6ith the 0a:i, for the latter forbade hi" to acco"pany hi" in his 8isitsto the"@ so he tells us "erely that he 8isited the 0a:i at "idday and about"idni:ht, and he says that he once ased his "aster; Hhat of the 0a:i=H and the

latter ans6ered; HThey are 6ise "en, but not in all respects.H

C#APT)' $$

-(T of this later on. hen then he arri8ed at -abylon, the satrap in co""and the:reat :ates, ha8in: learnt that he had co"e to see the country, held out a :oldeni"a:e of the in:, 6hich e8eryone "ust iss before he is allo6ed to enter thecity. *o6 an a"bassador co"in: fro" the 'o"an )"peror has not this cere"onyi"posed upon hi", but anyone 6ho co"es fro" the barbarians or Eust to loo at the

country, is arrested 6ith dishonor unless he has first paid his respect to thisi"a:e. &uch are the silly duties co""itted to satraps a"on: the barbarians. hentherefore Apollonius sa6 the i"a:e, he said; Hho is that=H And on bein: told thatit 6as the in:, he said; HThis in: 6ho" you 6orship 6ould acuire a :reat boon,if $ "erely reco""ended hi" as see"in: honorable and :ood to "e.H And 6ith these6ords he passed throu:h

[p. ?4] [p. ?1]

the :ate. -ut the satrap 6as astonished, and follo6ed hi", and tain: hold of hishand, he ased hi" throu:h an interpreter his na"e and his fa"ily and 6hat 6as hisprofession and 6hy he ca"e thither@ and he 6rote do6n the ans6ers in a boo andalso a description of his dress and appearance, and ordered hi" to 6ait there.

C#APT)' $$$

-(T he hi"self ran off to the persons 6ho" they are pleased to call H)ars of theIin:,H and described Apollonius to the", after first tellin: the" both that herefused to do ho"a:e and that he 6as not the least lie other "en. They bade hi"brin: hi" alon:, and sho6 hi" respect 6ithout usin: any 8iolence@ and 6hen he ca"e


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the head of the depart"ent ased hi" 6hat induced hi" to flout the in:, and heans6ered; H$ ha8e not yet flouted hi".H H-ut 6ould you flout hi"=H 6as the ne!tuestion. Hhy, of course $ 6ill,H said Apollonius, Hif on "ain: his acuaintance$ find hi" to be neither honorable nor :ood.H Hell, and 6hat presents do youbrin: for hi"=H Apollonius ans6ered afresh that he brou:ht coura:e and Eustice andso forth. Ho you "ean,H said the other, Hto i"ply that the in: lacs theseualities=H H*o, indeed,H he ans6ered, Hbut $ 6ould fain teach hi" to practicethe", in case he possesses the".H HAnd surely it 6as by practicin: these

ualities,H said the other, Hthat he has reco8ered the in:do", 6hich you behold,after he had lost it, and has restored his house,no li:ht tas this nor easy.HHAnd ho6 "any years is it since he reco8ered his in:do"=H

[p. ?2] [p. ?7]

[para:raph continues] HThis is the third year since,H ans6ered the other, H6hichyear be:an about t6o "onths a:o.H Apollonius, then as 6as his custo", upheld hisopinion and 6ent on; H% body:uard, or 6hate8er $ ou:ht to call you, arius thefather of Cyrus and Arta!er!es 6as "aster of these royal do"ains, $ thin, forsi!ty years, and he is said, 6hen he felt that his end 6as at hand, to ha8eoffered a sacrifice to 3ustice and to ha8e addressed her thus; B% lady "istress,or 6hosoe8er thou art.B This sho6s that he had lon: lo8ed Eustice and desired her,

but as yet ne6 her not, nor dee"ed that he had 6on her@ he brou:ht up his t6osons so foolishly that they too up ar"s a:ainst one another, and one 6as 6oundedand the other illed by his fello6. ell, here is a in: perhaps 6ho does not e8enno6 ho6 to eep his seat on the throne, and you 6ould ha8e "e belie8e that heco"bines already all 8irtues, and you e!tol hi", thou:h, if he does turn outfairly :ood, it is you and not $ that 6ill :ain thereby.H

The barbarian then :lanced at his nei:hbor and said; H#ere is a 6indfallM Btis oneof the :ods 6ho has brou:ht this "an here@ for as one :ood "an associatin: 6ithanother i"pro8es hi", so he 6ill "uch i"pro8e our in:, and render hi" "orete"perate and :racious@ for these ualities are conspicuous in this "an.H Theyaccordin:ly ran into the palace and told e8erybody the :ood ne6s, that there stoodat the in:Bs :ates a "an 6ho 6as 6ise and a #ellene, and a :ood counselor.

[p. ?D] [p. ?]

C#APT)' $

#)* these tidin:s 6ere brou:ht to the in:, he happened to be sacrificin: 6iththe 0a:i, for reli:ious rites are perfor"ed under their super8ision. And he calledone of the" and said; HThe drea" is co"e true, 6hich $ narrated to you 6hen you8isited "e in "y bed.H

*o6 the drea" 6hich the in: had drea"ed 6as as follo6s; he thou:ht that he 6asArta!er!es, the son of er!es, and that he had altered and assu"ed the latterBsfor"@ and he 6as 8ery "uch afraid lest so"e chan:e should co"e o8er his affairs,for so he interpreted his chan:e of appeareance. -ut 6hen he heard that it 6as a#ellene, and a 6ise "an, that had co"e, he re"e"bered about The"istocles ofAthens, 6ho had once co"e fro" /reece and had li8ed 6ith Arta!er!es, and had notonly deri8ed :reat benefit fro" the in:, but had conferred :reat benefit hi"self.&o he held out his ri:ht hand and said; HCall hi" in, for it 6ae the best ofbe:innin:s, if he 6ill Eoin 6ith "e in "y sacrifice and prayer.H


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C#APT)'

ACC%'$*/L+ Apollonius entered escorted by a nu"ber of people, for they had learntthat the in: 6as pleased 6ith the ne6co"er and thou:h that this 6ould :ratify

hi"@ but as he passed into the palace, he did not :lance at anythin: that othersad"ired, but he passed the" by as if he 6as still tra8elin: on the hi:hroad, andcallin: a"is to hi" he said; H+ou ased "e yesterday 6hat

[p. ?] [p. ?5]

6as the na"e of the Pa"phylian 6o"an 6ho is said to ha8e been inti"ate 6ith&appho, and to ha8e co"posed the hy"ns 6hich they sin: in honor of Arte"is ofPer:a, in the Aeolian and Pa"phylian "odes.H H+es, $ did as you,H said a"is,Hbut you did not tell "e her na"e.H H$ did not tell you it, "y :ood fello6, but $e!plained to you about the eys in 6hich the hy"ns are 6ritten, and $ told youabout the na"es@ and ho6 the Aeolian strains 6ere altered into the hi:hest ey ofall, that 6hich is peculiar to the Pa"phylians. After that 6e turned to another

subEect, for you did not as "e a:ain about the na"e of the lady. ell, she iscalledthis cle8er lady isa"ophyle, and she is said, lie &appho, to ha8e had:irlfriends and to ha8e co"posed poe"s, so"e of 6hich 6ere lo8eson:s and othershy"ns. The particular hy"n to Arte"is 6as transposed by her, and the sin:in: of itderi8es fro" &apphic odes.H #o6 far then he 6as fro" bein: astonished at the in:and his po"p and cere"ony, he sho6ed by the fact that he did not thin such thin:s6orth looin: at, but 6ent on talin: about other thin:s, as if he did not thinthe palace 6orth a :lance.

Footnotes

J5;1 A plethron 6as eual to 141 )n:lish feet.


C#APT)' $

*% the in: cau:ht si:ht of Apollonius approachin:, for the 8estibule of theTe"ple 6as of considerable len:th, and insisted to those by hi" that he reco:niedthe sa:e@ and 6hen he ca"e still nearer he cried out 6ith a loud 8oice and said;HThis is Apollonius, 6ho" 0e:abates, "y brother, said he

[p. ??] [p. ?9]

sa6 in Antioch, the ad"ired and respected of serious people@ and he depicted hi"to "e at that ti"e Eust such a "an as no6 co"es to us.H And 6hen Apollonius


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approached and saluted hi", the in: addressed hi" in the /ree lan:ua:e andin8ited hi" to sacrifice 6ith hi"@ and it chanced that he 6as on the point ofsacrificin: to the &un as a 8icti" a horse of the true *isaean breed, 6hich he hadadorned 6ith trappin:s as if for a triu"phal procession. -ut Apollonius replied;Ho you, % in:, :o on 6ith your sacrifice, in your o6n 6ay, but per"it "e tosacrifice in "ine.H And he too up a handful of franincense and said; H% thou&un, send "e as far o8er the earth as is "y pleasure and thine, and "ay $ "ae theacuaintance of :ood "en, but ne8er hear anythin: of bad ones, nor they of "e.H

And 6ith these 6ords he thre6 the franincense into the fire, and 6atched to seeho6 the s"oe of it curled up6ards, and ho6 it :re6 turbid, and in ho6 "any pointsit shot up@ and in a "anner he cau:ht the "eanin: of the fire, and 6atched ho6 itappeared of :ood o"en and pure. Then he said; H*o6, % in:, :o on 6ith yoursacrifice in accordance 6ith your o6n traditions, for "y traditions are such asyou see.H

C#APT)' $$

A* he uitted the scene of sacrifice in order not to be present at the sheddin:of blood. -ut after the sacrifice 6as o8er he approached and said; H% in:, do youno6 the /ree ton:ue thorou:hly, or ha8e you a s"atterin: of it perhaps, in orderto be able to e!press yourself and appear polite in

[p. 94] [p. 91]

case any /ree arri8es=H H$ no6 it thorou:hly,H replied the in:, Has 6ell as $do "y nati8e lan:ua:e@ so say you 6hat you lie, for this $ suppose is the reason6hy you put the uestion to "e.H H$t 6as "y reason,H said the other@ Hso listen.The :oal of "y 8oya:e is $ndia, but $ had no intention of passin: you by@ for $heard that you 6ere such a "an as fro" a sli:ht acuaintance $ already percei8eyou to be, and 6as desirous also of e!a"inin: the 6isdo" 6hich is indi:enous a"on:

you and is culti8ated by the 0a:i, and of findin: out 6hether they are such 6isetheolo:ians as they are reported to be. *o6 "y o6n syste" of 6isdo" is that ofPytha:oras, a "an of &a"os, 6ho tau:ht "e to 6orship the :ods in the 6ay you see,and to be a6are of the" 6hether they are seen or not seen, and to be freuent in"y con8erse 6ith the", and to dress "yself in this land6ool@ for it 6as ne8er6orn by sheep, but is the spotless product of spotless parents, the :ift of 6aterand of earth, na"ely linen. And the 8ery fashion of lettin: "y hair :ro6 lon:, $ha8e learnt fro" Pytha:oras as part of his discipline, and also it is a result ofhis 6isdo" that $ eep "yself pure fro" ani"al food. $ cannot therefore beco"eeither for you or for anybody else a co"panion in drinin: or an associate inidleness and lu!ury@ but if you ha8e proble"s of conduct that are difficult andhard to settle, $ 6ill furnish you 6ith solutions, for $ not only no6 "atters ofpractice and duty, but $ e8en no6 the" beforehand.H &uch 6as the con8ersation

6hich a"is declares the sa:e to ha8e held@ and Apollonius hi"self co"posed aletter containin: the", and has setched out in his epistles "uch else of 6hat hesaid in con8ersation.

[p. 92] [p. 97]

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&$*C) the in: said that he 6as "ore pleased and deli:hted 6ith his arri8al thanif he had added to his o6n possessions the 6ealth of Persia and $ndia, and addedthat Apollonius "ust be his :uest and share 6ith hi" the royal roof, Apolloniusre"ared; H&upposin:, % in:, that you ca"e to "y country of Tyana and $ in8itedyou to li8e 6here $ li8e, 6ould you care to do so=H Hhy no,H ans6ered the in:,Hunless $ had a house to li8e in that 6as bi: enou:h to acco""odate not only "yescort and body:uard, but "yself as 6ell, in a handso"e "anner.H HThen,H said the

other, H$ "ay use the sa"e ar:u"ent to you@ for if $ a" housed abo8e "y ran, $shall be ill at ease, for superfluity distresses 6ise "en "ore than deficiencydistresses you. Let "e therefore be entertained by so"e pri8ate person 6ho has thesa"e "eans as "yself, and $ 6ill 8isit 6ith you as often as you lie.H The in:conceded this point, lest he should be betrayed into doin: anythin: that "i:htannoy hi", and Apollonius too up his uarters 6ith a :entle"an of -abylon of :oodcharacter and besides hi:h"inded. -ut before he had finished dinner one of theeunuchs presented hi"self and addressed hi" thus; HThe in:,H he said, Hbesto6supon you ten presents, and lea8es you free to na"e the"@ but he is an!ious thatyou should not as for s"all trifles, for he 6ishes to e!hibit to you and to ushis :enerosity.H Apollonius co""ended the "essa:e, and ased; HThen 6hen a" $ toas for the"=H And the "essen:er replied; HTo"orro6,H and at once 6ent off to allthe in:Bs friends and ins"en

[p. 9D] [p. 9]

and bade the" be present 6hen the sa:e should prefer his de"and and recei8e thehonor. -ut a"is says that he e!pected hi" to as for nothin:, because he hadstudied his character and ne6 that he offered to the :ods the follo6in: prayer;H% ye :ods, :rant unto "e to ha8e little and to 6ant nothin:.H #o6e8er, as he sa6hi" "uch preoccupied and, as it 6ere, broodin:, he deter"ined that he 6as :oin: toas and an!iously turnin: o8er in his "ind, 6hat he should as. -ut at e8entide;Ha"is,H said Apollonius, H$ a" thinin: o8er 6ith "yself the uestion of 6hy thebarbarians ha8e re:arded eunuchs as "en sufficiently chaste to be allo6ed the freeentry of the 6o"enBs apart"ents.H H-ut,H ans6ered the other, H% Apollonius, achild could tell you. For inas"uch as the operation has depri8ed the" of the

faculty, they are freely ad"itted into those apart"ents, no "atter ho6 far their6ishes "ay :o.H H-ut do you suppose the operation has re"o8ed their desires or thefurther aptitude=H H-oth,H replied a"is, Hfor if you e!tin:uish in a "an theunruly "e"ber that lashes the body to "adness, the fit of passion 6ill co"e on hi"no "ore.H After a brief pause, Apollonius said; HTo"orro6, a"is, you shall learnthat e8en eunuchs are liable to fall in lo8e, and that the desire 6hich iscontracted throu:h the eyes is not e!tin:uished in the", but abides ali8e andready to burst into a fla"e@ for that 6ill occur 6hich 6ill refute your opinion.And e8en if there 6ere really any hu"an art of such tyrannical force that it coulde!pel such feelin:s fro" the heart, $ do not see ho6 6e could e8er attribute tothe" any chastity of character, seein: that they 6ould ha8e

[p. 9] [p. 95]

no choice, ha8in: been by sheer force and artificially depri8ed of the faculty offallin: in lo8e. For chastity consists in not yieldin: to passion 6hen the lon:in:and i"pulse is felt, and in the abstinence 6hich rises superior to this for" of"adness.H Accordin:ly a"is ans6ered and said; H#ere is a thin: that 6e 6ille!a"ine another ti"e, % Apollonius@ but 6e had better consider no6 that ans6er youcan "ae to"orro6 to the in:Bs "a:nificent offer. For you 6ill perhaps as fornothin: at all, but you should be careful and be on your :uard lest you shouldsee" to decline any :ift the in: "ay offer, as they say, out of "ere e"pty pride,for you see the land that you are in and that 6e are 6holly in his po6er. And you"ust be on your :uard a:ainst the accusation of treatin: hi" 6ith conte"pt, and


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understand, that althou:h 6e ha8e sufficient "eans to carry us to $ndia, yet 6hat6e ha8e 6ill not be sufficient to brin: us bac thence, and 6e ha8e no othersupply to fall bac upon.H

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A* by such de8ices he tried to 6heedle Apollonius into not refusin: to taeanythin: he "i:ht be offered@ but Apollonius, as if by 6ay of assistin: hi" in hisar:u"ent, said; H-ut, % a"is, are you not :oin: to :i8e "e so"e e!a"ples= Let "esupply you 6ith so"e; Aeschines, the son of Lysanias, 6ent off to ionysius in&icily in uest of "oney, and Plato is said thrice to ha8e tra8ersed Charybdis inuest of the 6ealth of &icily, and Aristippus of Cyrene, and #elicon of Cyicus,and Phyton of 'he:iu", 6hen

[p. 9?] [p. 99]

he 6as in e!ile, buried their noses so deep in the treasurehouses of ionysius,

that they could barely tear the"sel8es a6ay. 0oreo8er they tell of ho6 )udo!us ofCnidus once arri8ed in ):ypt and both ad"itted that he had co"e there in uest of"oney, and con8ersed 6ith the in: about the "atter. And not to tae a6ay "orecharacters, they say that &peusippus, the Athenian, 6as so fond of "oney, that hereeled off festal son:s, 6hen he ro"ped off to 0acedonia, in honor of CassanderBs"arria:e, 6hich 6ere fri:id co"positions, and that he san: these son:s in publicfor the sae of "oney. ell, $ thin, % a"is, that a 6ise "an runs "ore ris thando sailors and soldiers in action, for en8y is e8er assailin: hi", 6hether heholds his ton:ue or speas, 6hether he e!erts hi"self or is idle, 6hether hepasses by anythin: or taes care to 8isit anyone, 6hether he addresses others orne:lects to address the". And so a "an "ust fortify hi"self and understand that a6ise "an 6ho yields to lainess or an:er or passion, or lo8e of drin, or 6hoco""its any other action pro"pted by i"pulse and inopportune, 6ill probably find

his fault condoned@ but if he stoops to :reed, he 6ill not be pardoned, but renderhi"self odious 6ith a co"bination of all 8ices at once. For surely they 6ill notallo6 that he could be the sla8e of "oney, unless he 6as already the sla8e of hissto"ach or of fine rai"ent or of 6ine or of riotous li8in:. -ut you perhapsi"a:ine that it is a lesser thin: to :o 6ron: in -abylon than to :o 6ron: atAthens or at the %ly"pian or Pythian :a"es@ and you do not reflect that a 6ise "anfinds #ellas e8ery6here, and that a sa:e 6ill not re:ard or consider any place tobe a desert or barbarous,

[p. 144] [p. 141]

because he, at any rate, li8es under the eyes of 8irtue, and althou:h he only seesa fe6 "en, yet he is hi"self looed at by ten thousand eyes. *o6 if you ca"e

across an athlete, a"is, one of those 6ho practice and train the"sel8es in6restlin: and bo!in:, surely you 6ould reuire hi", in case he 6ere contendin: inthe %ly"pic :a"es, or 6ent to Arcadia, to be both noble in character and :ood@nay, "ore, of the Pythian or *e"ean contest 6ere :oin: on, you 6ould reuire hi"to tae care of his physiue, because these :a"es are fa"ous and the racecoursesare "ade "uch of in #ellas@ 6ould you then, if Philip 6ere sacrificin: 6ith%ly"pic rites after capturin: certain cities, or if his son Ale!ander 6ere holdin::a"es to celebrate his 8ictories, tell the "an forth6ith to ne:lect the trainin:of his body and to lea8e off bein: een to 6in, because the contest 6as to be heldin %lynthus or in 0acedonia or in ):ypt, rather than a"on: the #ellenes, and onyour nati8e racecourses=H These then 6ere the ar:u"ents by 6hich a"is declares


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that he 6as so i"pressed as to blush at 6hat he had said, and to as Apollonius topardon hi" for ha8in: throu:h i"perfect acuaintance 6ith hi", 8entured to tenderhi" such ad8ice, and use such ar:u"ents. -ut the sa:e cau:ht hi" up and said;H*e8er "ind, for it 6as not by 6ay of rebuin: and hu"blin: you that $ ha8e spoenthus, but in order to :i8e you so"e idea of "y o6n point of 8ie6.H

[p. 142] [p. 147]

C#APT)'

*% 6hen the eunuch arri8ed and su""oned hi" before the in:, he said; H$ 6illco"e as soon as $ ha8e duly dischar:ed "y reli:ious duties.H Accordin:ly hesacrificed and offered his prayer, and then departed, and e8eryone looed at hi"and 6ondered at his bearin:. And 6hen he had co"e 6ithin, the in: said; H$present you 6ith ten :ifts, because $ consider you such a "an as ne8er before hasco"e hither fro" #ellas.H And he ans6ered and said; H$ 6ill not, % in:, declineall your :ifts@ but there is one 6hich $ prefer to "ay tens of :ifts, and for that

$ 6ill "ost ea:erly solicit.H And he at one told the story of the )retrians,be:innin: it fro" the ti"e of atis. H$ as then,H he said, Hthat these poorpeople should not be dri8en a6ay fro" their borders and fro" the hill, but shouldbe left to culti8ate the span of earth, 6hich arius allo6ed the"@ for it is 8eryhard if they are not to be allo6ed to retain the land 6hich 6as substituted fortheir o6n 6hen they 6ere dri8en out of the latter.H The in: then consented andsaid; HThe )retrians 6ere, until yesterday, the ene"ies of "yself and of "yfathers@ for they once too up ar"s a:ainst us, and they ha8e been ne:lected inorder that their race "i:ht perish@ but henceforth they shall be 6ritten a"on: "yfriends, and they shall ha8e, as a satrap, a :ood "an 6ho 6ill Eud:e their countryEustly. -ut 6hy,H he said, H6ill you not accept the other nine :ifts=H H-ecause,Hhe ans6ered, H$ ha8e not yet, % in:, "ade any friends

[p. 14D] [p. 14]

here.H HAnd do you yourself reuire nothin:=H said the in:. H+es,H he said, H$need dried fruits and bread, for that is a repast 6hich deli:hts "e and 6hich $find "a:nificent.H

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#$L) they 6ere thus con8ersin: 6ith one another a hubbub 6as heard to proceed

fro" the palace, of eunuchs and 6o"en shriein: all at once. And in fact an eunuchhad been cau:ht "isbeha8in: 6ith one of the royal concubines Eust as if he 6ere anadulterer. The :uards of the hare" 6ere no6 dra::in: hi" alon: by the hair in the6ay they do royal sla8es. The senior of the eunuchs accordin:ly declared that hehad lon: before noticed he had an affection for this particular lady, and hadalready forbidden hi" to tal to her or touch her nec or hand, or assist hertoilette, thou:h he 6as free to 6ait upon all the other "e"bers of the hare"@ yethe had no6 cau:ht hi" beha8in: as if he 6ere the ladyBs lo8er. Apolloniusthereupon :lanced at a"is, as if to indicate that the ar:u"ent they had conductedon the point that e8en eunuchs fall in lo8e, 6as no6 de"onstrated to be true@ butthe in: re"ared to the bystanders; H*ay, but it is dis:raceful, :entle"en, that,


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in the presence of Apollonius, 6e should be enlar:in: on the subEect of chastityrather than he. hat then, % Apollonius, do you ur:e us to do 6ith hi"=H Hhy, tolet hi" li8e, of course,H ans6ered Apollonius to the surprise of the" all. hereonthe in: reddened, and said; HThen you do not

[p. 14] [p. 145]

thin he deser8es to die "ay ti"es for thus tryin: to usurp "y ri:hts=H H*ay, but

"y ans6er, % in:, 6as su::ested not by any 6ish to condone his offense, butrather to "ete out to hi" a punish"ent 6hich 6ill 6ear hi" out. For if he li8es6ith this disease of i"potence on hi", and can ne8er tae pleasure in eatin: ordrinin:, nor in the spectacles 6hich deli:ht you and your co"panions, and if hisheart 6ill throb as he often leaps up in his sleep, as they say is particularlythe case of people in lo8e,is there any for" of consu"ption so 6astin: as this,any for" of hun:er so liely to enfeeble his bo6els= $ndeed, unless he be one ofthose 6ho are ready to li8e at any price, he 6ill entreat you, % in:, before lon:e8en to slay hi", or he 6ill slay hi"self, deeply deplorin: that he 6as not put todeath strai:ht a6ay this 8ery day.H &uch 6as the ans6er rendered on this occasionby Apollonius, one so 6ise and hu"ane, that the in: 6as "o8ed by it to spare thelife of his eunuch.

C#APT)' $$

%*) day the in: 6as :oin: to hunt the ani"als in the pars in 6hich thebarbarians eep lions and bears and leopards, and he ased Apollonius to acco"panyhi" on the chase, but the latter replied; H+ou ha8e for:otten, % in:, that $ne8er attend you, e8en 6hen you are sacrificin:. And "oreo8er, it is no pleasureto "e to attac ani"als that ha8e been illtreated and ensla8ed in 8iolation oftheir nature.H And the in: asin: hi" 6hat 6as the "ost stable and secure 6ay of:o8ernin:, Apollonius ans6ered;

[p. 14?] [p. 149]

[para:raph continues] HTo respect "any, and confide in fe6.H And on one occasionthe :o8ernor of &yria sent a "ission about t6o 8illa:es, 6hich, $ thin, are closeto the -rid:e, alle:in: that these 8illa:es had lon: a:o been subEect to Antiochusand &eleucus, but at present they 6ere under his s6ay, and belon:ed to the 'o"ans,and that, 6hereas the Arabians and Ar"enians did not disturb these 8illa:es, yetthe in: had tra8ersed so :reat a distance in order to e!ploit the", as if theybelon:ed to hi"self, rather than to the 'o"ans. The in: sent the e"bassy aside,and said; H% Apollonius, these 8illa:es 6ere :i8en to "y forefathers by the in:s6ho" $ "entioned, that they "i:ht sustain the 6ild ani"als, 6hich are taen by usin our country and sent to theirs across the )uphrates, and they, as if they had

for:otten this fact, ha8e espoused a policy that is ne6 and unEust. hat then doyou thin are the intentions of the e"bassy=H Apollonius replied; HTheirattention, % in:, is "oderate and fair, seein: that they only desire to obtainfro" you, 6ith your consent, places 6hich, as they are in their territory, theycan eually 6ell retain 6ithout it.H And he added his opinion that it 6as a"istae to uarrel 6ith the 'o"ans o8er 8illa:es so paltry that probably bi::erones 6ere o6ned e8en by pri8ate indi8iduals@ he also said that it 6as a "istae to:o to 6ar e8en o8er lar:e issues. And 6hen the in: 6as ill he 8isited hi", anddiscoursed so 6ei:htily and in such a lofty strain of the soul, that the in:reco8ered, and said to his courtiers, that Apollonius had so 6rou:ht upon hi" thathe no6 felt a conte"pt, not only for his in:do", but also for death.


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[p. 114] [p. 111]

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%*) day the in: 6as sho6in: to hi" the :rotto under the )uphrates, and ased hi"6hat he thou:h of so 6onderful a thin:. Apollonius in ans6er belittled the 6onderof the 6or, and said; H$t 6ould be a real "iracle, % in:, if you 6ent dryshodthrou:h a ri8er as deep as this and as unfordable.H And 6hen he 6as sho6n the6alls of )cbatana, and 6as told that they 6ere the d6ellin:place of :ods, here"ared; HThey are not the d6ellin: place of :ods at all, and $ a" not sure thatthey are of real "en either@ for, % in:, the inhabitants of the city ofLacedae"on do not d6ell 6ithin 6alls, and ha8e ne8er fortified their city.H0oreo8er, on one occasion the in: had decided a suit for so"e 8illa:es and 6asboastin: to Apollonius of ho6 he had listened to the one suit for t6o 6hole days.Hell,H said the other, Hyou too a "i:hty lon: ti"e, anyho6, to find out 6hat 6asEust.H And 6hen the re8enues fro" the subEect country ca"e in on one occasion in

:reat uantities at once, the in: opened his treasury and sho6ed his 6ealth tothe sa:e, to induce hi" to fall in lo8e 6ith 6ealth@ but he ad"ired nothin: thathe sa6 and said; HThis, for you, % in:, represents 6ealth, but to "e it is "erechaff.H H#o6, then,H said the other, Hand in 6hat "anner can $ best "ae use ofit=H H-y spendin: it,H he said, Hfor you are in:.H

[p. 112] [p. 117]

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#) had addressed "any such sayin:s to the in:, and found hi" ready to do 6hat head8ised hi"@ 6hen findin: out that he had enou:h of the society of the 0a:i, hesaid to a"is; HCo"e, let us start for $ndia. For the people 6ho 8isited thelotuseaters in their ships 6ere seduced fro" their o6n ho"eprinciples by thefood@ but 6e, 6ithout tastin: any of the 8ictuals of this land, ha8e re"ained herea lon:er ti"e than is ri:ht and fittin:.H HAnd $,H said a"is, Ha" "ore than ofyour opinion@ but as $ bore in "ind the period of ti"e 6hich you disco8ered by thehelp of the lioness, $ 6as 6aitin: on for it to be co"pleted. *o6 it has not yetall of it e!pired, for 6e ha8e so far only spent a year and four "onths@ h

apollonius of tyana - f.c. conybeare (by sacred texts)

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