12 - Writers, other than Jewish or Christian, in the Roman Empire 200 bc to ad 200

Summary

This list includes the most important names. An asterisk marks those which are the most relevant to the history of Jews and Christians, usually because they illustrate contemporary attitudes to them. The language of each is noted or implied.

⋆Acts of the Alexandrine Martyrs or Ada Alexandrinorum or Acts of the Pagan Martyrs (author or authors unknown), end of second or beginning of third century AD. About twelve fragments of Alexandrine patriotic literature in Greek describing appearances before various emperors of Alexandrian nationalistic leaders, usually just before their execution as patriots.

⋆Aelian (Aelianus Claudius) of Praeneste, c. ad 170-235. His various Greek writings contain excerpts from previous writers and anecdotes, mostly of a moralizing kind, against a background of Stoicism. A popular writer much drawn on by Christian writers.

Aelius Aristides of Mysia, ad 117 (or 129) to 181. Wrote in Greek The Sacred Teaching as a result of his own religious experience through an illness.

⋆Agatharchides, fl. c. 116 BC. Guardian of Ptolemy Soter II, known from Josephus and surviving only in extracts. Greek.

⋆Alexander Polyhistor of Miletus, b. fl c 105 BC. Came to Rome as a prisoner of war and was freed by Sulla. A writer in Greek who compiled from many different sources, including Jewish.

Antipater of Sidon, fl. c. 120 BC. Seventy-five epigrams in the Greek Anthology.

⋆Apion of Alexandria, son of Posidonius. At Rome in reigns of Tiberius and Claudius (AD 14-37 and 41-54), after being head of the Alexandrian school. He wrote about Egypt, and his many incidental attacks on Judaism provoked Josephus’ Against Apion. Greek