Thrasyllus of Mendes (/θrəˈsɪləs/;Ancient Greek:ΘράσυλλοςThrasyllos), also known asThrasyllus of Alexandria[1] and by his Roman nameTiberius Claudius Thrasyllus[2] (fl. second half of the 1st century BC and first half of the 1st century – died 36,[3][4]), was aGreek Egyptian[5]grammarian and literary commentator. Thrasyllus was anastrologer and a personal friend of theRoman emperorTiberius,[4] as mentioned in theAnnals byTacitus andThe Twelve Caesars bySuetonius.
Thrasyllus[5] was a Greek Egyptian from unknown origins, as his family and ancestors were contemporaries that lived under the rule of thePtolemaic Kingdom. He originally was either fromMendes orAlexandria. Thrasyllus is often mentioned in various secondary sources as coming from Alexandria (as mentioned in theOxford Classical Dictionary) as no primary source confirms his origins.
Thrasyllus encounteredTiberius during the period of Tiberius' voluntary exile on the Greek island ofRhodes, some time between 1 BC and 4 AD.[1] Thrasyllus became the intimate and celebrated servant of Tiberius, and Tiberius developed an interest inStoicism and astrology from Thrasyllus.[1]
He predicted that Tiberius would be recalled toRome and officially named the successor to Augustus. When Tiberius returned to Rome, Thrasyllus accompanied him and remained close to him.[3] During the reign of the emperor Tiberius, Thrasyllus served as his skilled Court Astrologer both in Rome and, later, inCapri.[4] As Tiberius held Thrasyllus in the highest honor, he rewarded him for his friendship by giving Roman citizenship to him and his family.[1]
The daughter-in-law of Tiberius, his nieceLivilla, reportedly consulted Thrasyllus during her affair withSejanus, Tiberius' chief minister. Thrasyllus persuaded Tiberius to leave Rome for Capri while clandestinely supporting Sejanus. The grandson-in-law of Thrasyllus,Naevius Sutorius Macro, carried out orders that destroyed Sejanus, whether with Thrasyllus’ knowledge is unknown. He remained on Capri with Tiberius, advising the Emperor on his relationship with the various claimants to his succession. Thrasyllus was an ally[6] who favored Tiberius’ great-nephewCaligula, who was having an affair with his granddaughter,Ennia Thrasylla.[2]
In 36 AD, Thrasyllus is said to have made Tiberius believe he would survive another ten years.[6] With this false prediction, Thrasyllus saved the lives of a number of Roman nobles who would be suspected in falsely plotting against Tiberius. Tiberius, believing in Thrasyllus, was confident that he would outlive any plotters, and so failed to act against them. Thrasyllus predeceased Tiberius, so did not live to see the realization of his prediction that Caligula would succeed Tiberius.
Thrasyllus was a grammarian (i.e. literary scholar) by profession.[4] He edited the written works ofPlato andDemocritus. According to theEncyclopaedia Judaica, he wrote that theExodus of the Israelites from Egypt took place in 1690 BC. The sections includeDedumose I,Ipuwer Papyrus, andShiphrah.
He was author of the astrological textPinax, orTable,[4] which is lost but has been summarized in later sources, such asCatalogus Codicum Astrologorum Graecorum (8/3: 99–101), which borrows notions ofHellenistic astrology found inPetosiris andHermes Trismegistus, an early pseudepigraphical source of astrology.Pinax was known and cited by the later astrological writersVettius Valens,Porphyry, andHephaistio.[4]
Thrasyllus may have married a member of the royal family ofCommagene (whose name is sometimes given as "Aka"), though this has been questioned recently.[7] He had two known children:
Thrasyllus is a character in the novel series, written byRobert Graves,I, Claudius andClaudius the God. Thrasyllus' predictions are always correct, and his prophecies are equally far-reaching. Thrasyllus predictsJesus of Nazareth's crucifixion and that his religion shall overtake the Roman Pagan Religion. Similarly towards the end of his life it is explained that his final prophecy was misinterpreted by Tiberius. Thrasyllus states that "Tiberius Claudius will be emperor in 10 years," leading Tiberius to brashly criticize and mock Caligula, whereas his prophecy is correct asClaudius' name is "Tiberius Claudius".
In theTV miniseries adaptation of the novels, Thrasyllus was played byKevin Stoney, who had previously played him in the 1968 ITV seriesThe Caesars.
In contrast, Thrasyllus and his descendants are presented as power-hungry charlatans in the novel seriesRomanike.[11]
