Herodes Atticus - Life

Life

Herodes Atticus was born in Marathon, Greece. In his childhood years, he spent between Greece and Italy. According to Juvenal Satire III, he received an education in rhetoric and philosophy. Herodes Atticus was educated by many of the best teachers from the Greek culture and Roman culture. Throughout his life, Herodes Atticus remained entirely Greek in his cultural outlook.

Roman Emperor Hadrian in 125 appointed him as Prefect of the free cities in the Roman province of Asia. He then later returned to Athens, where he became famous as a teacher. In the year 140, Herodes Atticus was elected and served as an Archon of Athens. Later in 140, the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius, invited him to Rome from Athens to educate his two adopted sons, who were future Roman Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. Sometime after Herodes Atticus came to Rome from Athens, he was betrothed to an aristocratic wealthy woman called Aspasia Annia Regilla, who was a relative to the wife of Antoninus Pius, Roman Empress Faustina the Elder. When Regilla and Herodes Atticus married, Regilla was 14 years old and Herodes Atticus was 40 years old. As Herodes Atticus was in favor with the Emperor, as a mark of his friendship with the Emperor, Antoninus Pius appointed him as a consul in 143.

Herodes Atticus and Regilla controlled a large area of land around the Third Mile of the Appian Way outside of Rome, which was known as the "Triopio" (from Triopas, King of Thessaly). For his remaining years he travelled between Greece and Italy.

Sometime after his consulship, he returned to Greece with his wife and their children.

Herodes Atticus was the teacher of three notable students who were Achilles, Memnon and Polydeuces (Polydeukes). "The aged Herodes Atticus in a public paroxysm of despair at the death of his eromenos, Polydeukes, commissioned games, inscriptions and sculptures on a lavish scale and then died, inconsolable, shortly afterwards."

Herodes Atticus had a distinguished reputation for his literary work. Most of his works are now lost.

Herodes Atticus was a philanthropist and a patron of public works. He funded a number of building projects which were:

• A Stadium - Athens
• Odeon - Athens
• A theater at Corinth
• A stadium at Delphi
• The baths at Thermopylae
• An aqueduct at Canusium in Italy
• An aqueduct at Alexandria Troas
• A nymphaeum (a monumental fountain) with his wife at Olympia
• various benefactions to the peoples of Thessaly, Epirus Euboea, Boeotia and Peloponnesus

Throughout his life, Herodes Atticus had a stormy relationship with the citizens of Athens, and before he died, made a reconciliation with them. When he died, the citizens of Athens gave Herodes Atticus an honorary burial. His funeral had taken place in the Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, in which he commissioned to build.