Knowra Aulus Gellius Aulus Gellius Aulus Gellius was a Roman author of the second century CE, best known for the Attic Nights, a collection of discussions on literature, language, law, philosophy, and antiquities.
Attic Nights : A Latin collection of notes and discussions on literature, language, law, philosophy, and antiquities by Aulus Gellius. This is Gellius’s surviving work and the source of his reputation.
Miscellany : A collection of writings or observations on varied subjects, arranged without a single continuous argument. The Attic Nights is a large-scale example of this form.
Herodes Atticus : A wealthy Greek sophist and Roman senator of the second century CE, known for his teaching and public benefactions. Gellius presents him as a prominent figure in the intellectual circles he encountered.
Nonius Marcellus : A Latin grammarian and lexicographer, probably active in the fourth century CE, whose work preserves rare Latin words and quotations. His compilations and Gellius’s miscellany both transmit otherwise obscure Latin material.
Androcles and the lion : An ancient anecdote about an enslaved man who befriends a lion and later encounters it in an arena. Gellius’s version became one of the best-known stories in the Attic Nights.
Roman literature : Literary works written in Latin or Greek within the Roman world, from the early Republic through late antiquity. Gellius assembled and commented on writings from across this tradition.
Roman antiquarianism : The study of Roman customs, institutions, words, and objects from earlier periods. Gellius uses historical details to explain unfamiliar practices and expressions.
Favorinus : A Greek-speaking philosopher and sophist of the second century CE, associated with Rome and the Second Sophistic. Gellius records conversations and arguments involving this influential teacher.
Macrobian Saturnalia : A late antique dialogue by Macrobius that presents discussions of Roman religion, literature, and learning during the Saturnalia. It reshapes antiquarian learning as an extended dialogue rather than Gellius’s notebook-like collection.
Vergil's alleged plagiarism : A report that Vergil acknowledged borrowing lines from earlier Greek and Latin poets. Gellius uses the episode to discuss imitation and literary borrowing.
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