Dio Chrysostom (AD ca. 40–ca. 120) was a rhetorician hostile to philosophers, whose Discourses reflectpolitical or moral concerns. What survives of his works make himprominent in the revival of Greek literature in the late first and earlysecond century AD.
The man with the golden mouth.
DioCocceianus Chrysostomus (AD ca. 40–ca. 120), of Prusa in Bithynia, AsiaMinor, inherited with his brothers large properties and debts from hisgenerous father Pasicrates. He became a skilled rhetorician hostile tophilosophers. But in the course of his travels he went to Rome inVespasian’s reign (69–79) and was converted to Stoicism. Stronglycritical of the emperor Domitian (81–96) he was about 82 banned by himfrom Italy and Bithynia and wandered in poverty, especially in landsnorth of the Aegean, as far as the Danube and the primitive Getae. In 97he spoke publicly to Greeks assembled at Olympia, was welcomed at Romeby emperor Nerva (96–98), and returned to Prusa. Arriving again at Romeon an embassy of thanks about 98–99 he became a firm friend of emperorTrajan. In 102 he traveled to Alexandria and elsewhere. Involved in alawsuit about plans to beautify Prusa at his own expense, he stated hiscase before the governor of Bithynia, Pliny the Younger, 111–112. Therest of his life is unknown.
Nearly all of Dio’s extant Discourses (or Orations)reflect political concerns (the most important of them dealing withaffairs in Bithynia and affording valuable details about conditions inAsia Minor) or moral questions (mostly written in later life; theycontain much of his best writing). Some philosophical and historicalworks, including one on the Getae, are lost. What survives of hisachievement as a whole makes him prominent in the revival of Greekliterature in the last part of the first century and the first part ofthe second.
The Loeb Classical Library edition of Dio Chrysostom is in five volumes.
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