Chaeremon of Alexandria

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Chaeremon of Alexandria (/kəˈrmən, -mɒn/; Greek: Χαιρήμων ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, gen.: Ancient Greek: Χαιρήμονος; fl. 1st century AD) was a Stoic philosopher and historian[1] who wrote on Egyptian mythology from a "typically Stoic" perspective.[2] All of Chaeremon's works are lost, though a number of fragments are quoted by later authors.[2] Three titles are preserved: the History of Egypt, Hieroglyphika, and On Comets, with another fragment quoted from an unknown grammatical treatise of his.[2] According to the Suda, he was the head of the Alexandrian school of grammarians, and he may also have been head of the Museion.[2]

He was probably one of the ambassadors to Claudius from Alexandria in 40 AD.[2] He also taught Nero, probably before 49 AD when Seneca the Younger became Nero's tutor.[2] He may have been the grandson of the Chaeremon who accompanied the Roman prefect Aelius Gallus on his tour of Egypt in 26 AD.[1] His father – about whom nothing is known – was called Leonidas, and he was probably born no later than 10 AD.[1]

One of the poems from Martial's eleventh book of Epigrams mocks Chaeremon; as Martial did not usually attack living figures Chaeremon presumably died before 96 AD when Epigrams XI was published.[2]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Gates 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g van der Horst 1987, pp. ix–xi.

Editions and Translations[edit]

  • P. Charvet, S. Aufrère, J-M. Kowalski, A. Zucker, Le Quartette d'Alexandrie - Hérodote, Diodore, Strabon, Chérémon, Collection Bouquins, Paris, 2021, (1563 p). Aufrère provides a translation of Chaeremon's Book of Phtomyris or Critics des Aigyptiaka
  • van der Horst, Pieter Willem (1987). Chaeremon: Egyptian Priest and Stoic Philosopher. Leiden: Brill.. Pieter van der Horst includes 14 certain and 14 doubtful fragments in his edition of Chaeramon's works.

References[edit]