The Gospel Of Apollonius Of Tyana:: His Life And Deeds According To Philostratos

APOLLONIUS OF TYANA was a Roman philosopher and philanthropist, a contemporary of Philo Judaeus, living A. D. 1-98. He studied with the Brahmans in India, and the Sages in Egypt; he was known as a Pythagorean.The source of his later life is the journal of his faithful friend Damis, who from A. D. 43-98 accompanied him on his philosophical travels in India, Ionia, Rome, Spain, Africa, Egypt and Sicily.He was tried before the emperor Domitian for the good he had done during his travels around the Roman empire. He was protected by the celebrated Aelian, and escaped.He was so revered that when, the emperor Claudius Aurelian in A. D. 273 conquered his birthplace Tyana, he spared it on his account.Julia Domna, the empress of Septimius Severus, urged Philostratus to write Apollonius's biography, giving him Damis's manuscript, which she had preserved in her library.The emperor Hadrian collected all the then extant accessible letters of Apollonius, and preserved them in his palace at Antium.The emperor Vespasian had written him the following letter: "Apollonius, if like you all men would but cultivate philosophy and poverty, they would flourish and be happy. Philosophy would be above corruption, and poverty be respected."Emperor Marcus Aurelius, in A. D. 130, famous author of the "Meditations," writes: "From Apollonius I have learned freedom of will and understanding, steadiness of purpose, and to look to nothing else, not even for a moment, except to reason." Read more