Dio Chrysostom (/ˈdiːoʊˈkrɪsəstəm,krɪˈsɒstəm/;Ancient Greek:Δίων ΧρυσόστομοςDion Chrysostomos),Dio of Prusa orCocceianus Dio (c. 40 – c. 115 AD), was aGreek orator, writer, philosopher and historian of theRoman Empire in the 1st century AD. Eighty of hisDiscourses (orOrations;Λόγοι) are extant, as well as a few letters, a mock essayEncomium on Hair, and a few other fragments. HissobriquetChrysostom comes from theGreekchrysostomos, which literally means "golden-mouthed".
He was born atPrusa (nowBursa), in the Roman province ofBithynia (now part of northwesternTurkey). His father, Pasicrates, seems to have bestowed great care on his son Dio's education. At first he lived in Prusa, where he held important offices, composed speeches and otherrhetorical andsophistical essays, and studiedphilosophy. TheStoic andPlatonist philosophies, however, appear to have had the greatest charms for him, particularly the stoicism ofMusonius Rufus.
He went toRome duringVespasian's reign (69–79 AD), by which time he seems to have got married and had a child.[1] He became a critic of the EmperorDomitian,[2] who banished him from Rome,Italy, and Bithynia in 82 for advising one of the Emperor's conspiring relatives.[3] He claims that, on the advice of theDelphic oracle,[4] he put on the clothes of abeggar,[5] and with nothing in his pocket but a copy ofPlato'sPhaedo andDemosthenes'sOn the False Embassy, he lived the life of aCynic philosopher, undertaking a journey to the countries in the north and east of theRoman empire. He thus visitedThrace,Mysia,Scythia, and the country of theGetae,[6] giving orations.[7]
He was a friend ofNerva,[8] and when Domitian was murdered in 96 AD, Dio used his influence with thearmy stationed on the frontier in favour of Nerva.[citation needed] Under Emperor Nerva's reign, his exile was ended, and he was able to return home to Prusa. He adopted the surname Cocceianus,[9] reflecting Nerva'snomen, Cocceius. Dio addressed his fourOrations on Kingship to Nerva's successor,Trajan, and appears to have known the Emperor personally, claiming "I am perhaps as well acquainted with your character as anyone."[10] He knewApollonius of Tyana andEuphrates of Tyre. In his later life Dio had considerable status in Prusa, andPliny the Younger reports that he was involved in a lawsuit about a civic building project around 111.[9] He probably died a few years later.
Dio Chrysostom was part of theSecond Sophistic school of Greek philosophers which reached its peak in the early 2nd century during theAntonine period. He was considered one of the most eminent of the Greekrhetoricians andsophists by the ancients who wrote about him, such asPhilostratus,[11]Synesius,[12] andPhotius.[13] This is confirmed by the eighty orations of his which are still extant, and which were the only ones known in the time of Photius. These orations appear to be written versions of his oral teaching, and are like essays on political, moral, and philosophical subjects. They include four orations onKingship addressed toTrajan on the virtues of a sovereign; four on the character ofDiogenes of Sinope, on the troubles to which men expose themselves by deserting the path ofNature, and on the difficulties which a sovereign has to encounter; essays onslavery andfreedom; on the means of attaining eminence as anorator;political discourses addressed to varioustowns which he sometimes praises and sometimes blames, but always with moderation and wisdom; on subjects ofethics and practical philosophy, which he treats in a popular and attractive manner; and lastly, orations onmythical subjects and show-speeches. He argued strongly against permittingprostitution.[14] Two orations of his (37 and 64) are now assigned toFavorinus.[citation needed] Besides the eighty orations we have fragments of fifteen others, and there are extant also five letters under Dio's name.
He wrote many other philosophical and historical works, none of which survives. One of these works,Getica, was on theGetae,[11] which theSuda incorrectly attributes toDio Cassius.[15]
Editions and translations of the full oeuvre
Editions, translations and commentaries of single works
