Editing Apollonius of Tyana (section)

=== Antiquity ===
In the 2nd&nbsp;century the satirist [[Lucian of Samosata]] was a sharp critic of Neo-Pythagoreanism. After AD&nbsp;180 he wrote a pamphlet wherein he attacked [[Alexander of Abonoteichus]], a student of one of Apollonius's students, as a [[charlatan]] and suggested that the whole school was based on [[fraud]].<ref>Lucian of Samosata: ''Alexander, or The False Prophet'', in: ''Lucian'', vol.&nbsp;4, ed. A.M. Harmon, Cambridge (Mass.) 1992 (Loeb Classical Library no.&nbsp;162), pp.&nbsp;173-253 (Apollonius is mentioned on p.&nbsp;182).</ref> From this we can infer that Apollonius really had students and that his school survived at least until Lucian's time. One of Philostratus's foremost aims was to oppose this view. Although he related various miraculous feats of Apollonius, he emphasized at the same time that his hero was not a magician but a serious philosopher and a champion of traditional Greek values.<ref>Flinterman pp.&nbsp;60-66, 89-106.</ref>

When Emperor [[Aurelian]] conducted his military campaign against the [[Palmyrene Empire]], he captured Tyana in AD&nbsp;272. According to the ''[[Historia Augusta]]'' he abstained from destroying the city after having a vision of Apollonius admonishing him to spare the innocent citizens.<ref>''Historia Augusta'', ''Vita Aureliani'' 24.2-9; 25.1.</ref>

In Late Antiquity [[Amulet|talismans]] made by Apollonius appeared in several cities of the [[Eastern Roman Empire]], as if they were sent from heaven.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Christopher P. Jones, Apollonius of Tyana in Late Antiquity |url=https://chs.harvard.edu/CHS/article/display/3256.christopher-p-jones-apollonius-of-tyana-in-late-antiquity |access-date=2018-08-02 |website=chs.harvard.edu |language=en |archive-date=2 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802193207/https://chs.harvard.edu/CHS/article/display/3256.christopher-p-jones-apollonius-of-tyana-in-late-antiquity |url-status=dead }}</ref> They were magical figures and columns erected in public places, meant to protect the cities from afflictions. The great popularity of these talismans was a challenge to the Christians. Some Byzantine authors condemned them as sorcery and the work of demons, others admitted that such magic was beneficial; none of them claimed that it didn't work.<ref>Dzielska pp.&nbsp;99-127, 163-165.</ref>

In the [[Western Roman Empire]], [[Sidonius Apollinaris]] was a Christian admirer of Apollonius in the 5th&nbsp;century. He produced a [[Latin]] translation of Philostratus's ''Life'', which is lost.<ref>Sidonius Apollinaris, ''Epistolae'' 8.3; for the interpretation of this passage see André Loyen (ed.), ''Sidoine Apollinaire'', vol. 3: ''Lettres (Livres VI-IX)'', Paris 1970, pp.&nbsp;196-197.</ref>