Themistius
（
Θεμίστιος). A Greek rhetorician of Paphlagonia, who lived
in the second half of the fourth century A.D., as teacher of philosophy and oratory at
Constantinople. He was much honoured by his contemporaries for his noble disposition and his
learning and eloquence, which gained for him the name of Euphrădes, or eloquent speaker. He was honoured with various marks of
distinction of the emperors. Constantius made him a senator; Julian described him as the first
philosopher of his age; Theodosius selected him as tutor to his son Arcadius, and in 384
nominated him to the prefecture. He died about 388.
Thirty-four of his speeches (
πολιτικοὶ λόγοι) have been
preserved, one of them in a Latin translation only. They are partly philosophical and
political, but principally eulogistic orations, either in compliment to or in memory of
various emperors, composed in a clear, pleasant style, and valuable for the information they
contain respecting contemporary history. Besides these, we possess four paraphrases by him of
parts of Aristotle. The orations are edited by Dindorf
(Leipzig, 1832).
