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Apollonius of Tyana
c.15–100 · Cappadocia / Roman East
Description
Apollonius of Tyana was a Greek philosopher and religious leader from the town of Tyana, Cappadocia in Roman Anatolia, who spent his life travelling and teaching in the Middle East, North Africa and India. He is a central figure in Neopythagoreanism and was one of the most famous "miracle workers" of his day.
Facts
| Born | c. AD 15 (disputed), Tyana, Cappadocia, Anatolia (Roman Empire), (now Kemerhisar, Niğde, Turkey) |
| Died | c. AD 100 (aged c. 85) |
| Occupations | Sage, orator, philosopher |
| Known for | Divination, miracle-work |
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Work / contribution | Significance |
|---|---|
| Life dates | Apollonius was born into a respected and wealthy aristocratic Greek household. |
| Biography | With the exception of the Adana Inscription from the 3rd or 4th century AD, little can be derived from sources other than Philostratus. |
| Writings | Several writings and many letters have been ascribed to Apollonius, but some of them are lost; others have only been preserved in parts or fragments of disputed authenticity. |
| Impact | In the 2nd century the satirist Lucian of Samosata was a sharp critic of Neo-Pythagoreanism. |
Contribution to the celestial-alphabet tradition
Neo-Pythagorean philosopher-magus and miracle-working ascetic compared in antiquity to Jesus — a prisca-theologia figure carrying the Pythagorean stellar-number lineage into the Roman world.
Lineage — influence tree
Where Apollonius of Tyana sits in the magi lineage: who shaped this figure, and who this figure shaped in turn. Mage names link to their own ficha.