Ἑρμογένης
Hermogenes
Translated by Malcolm Heath10 Feb 2001Vetting: high7 revisions
Translation
Of Tarsus; nicknamed Xyster.1 Sophist. The philosopher Musonius2 attended his classes. He lived under the emperor Marcus [sc. Aurelius], and had great natural talent. When he was lacking in years his wisdom by contrast abounded; but he did not enjoy this for long, since at the age of about 24 he went out of his mind and did not know himself, although there was no cause and no physical ailment. Consequently some made the following joke about this poor, poor person: 'Hermogenes, an old man among boys and a boy among old men.' But aged about 18 or 20 he wrote these books, laden with marvels: Art of Rhetoric, which is in everyone's hands; On Issues (1 book); On Types of Styles (2 books); On Coele Syria (2 books).
Philostratus of Lemnos, in his Descriptions of the Sophists, has this to say about him:3 "Hermogenes, whom Tarsus bore, when he was 15 years old had advanced to such great fame as a sophist as to make even the emperor Marcus desire to hear him. So Marcus went to hear him; he was delighted by his informal discourse and amazed by his improvisation, and gave him splendid gifts. But when he reached adulthood he was deprived of his ability, though not by any apparent disease. Hence he gave the envious an opportunity for humour: they said that words are winged, just as Homer says;4 for Hermogenes had moulted them like feathers. And the sophist Antiochus5 once mocked him by saying: 'This is Hermogenes, an old man among boys and a boy among old men.' The type of style which he cultivated was like this. In his informal discourse before Marcus he said: 'See, emperor, a rhetor still needing a pedagogue, a rhetor still awaiting his prime.' And the informal discourse contained many similar pieces of buffoonery. He died at an advanced age, but considered as one of the crowd; he was despised, because his art had left him."
This is also said about him by some people: after his death he was cut open, and his heart was found to be covered in hair and far to exceed in size the human nature. These are the stories that are told about him.
Philostratus of Lemnos, in his Descriptions of the Sophists, has this to say about him:3 "Hermogenes, whom Tarsus bore, when he was 15 years old had advanced to such great fame as a sophist as to make even the emperor Marcus desire to hear him. So Marcus went to hear him; he was delighted by his informal discourse and amazed by his improvisation, and gave him splendid gifts. But when he reached adulthood he was deprived of his ability, though not by any apparent disease. Hence he gave the envious an opportunity for humour: they said that words are winged, just as Homer says;4 for Hermogenes had moulted them like feathers. And the sophist Antiochus5 once mocked him by saying: 'This is Hermogenes, an old man among boys and a boy among old men.' The type of style which he cultivated was like this. In his informal discourse before Marcus he said: 'See, emperor, a rhetor still needing a pedagogue, a rhetor still awaiting his prime.' And the informal discourse contained many similar pieces of buffoonery. He died at an advanced age, but considered as one of the crowd; he was despised, because his art had left him."
This is also said about him by some people: after his death he was cut open, and his heart was found to be covered in hair and far to exceed in size the human nature. These are the stories that are told about him.