Editing Lucian (section)

===Education and career===
{{Rhetoric}}
In Lucian's ''Double Indictment'', the personification of Rhetoric delivers a speech in which she describes the unnamed defendant, who is described as a "Syrian" author of transgressive dialogues, at the time she found him, as a young man wandering in [[Ionia]] in [[Anatolia]] "with no idea what he ought to do with himself".{{sfn|Richter|2017|page=331}}{{sfn|Casson|1962|page=xiii}}{{sfn|Kaldellis|2007|page=31}} She describes "the Syrian" at this stage in his career as "still speaking in a barbarous manner and all but wearing a caftan [{{lang|grc-Latn|[[kandys]]}}] in the Assyrian fashion".{{sfn|Kaldellis|2007|page=31}}{{sfn|Richter|2017|page=331}} Rhetoric states that she "took him in hand and&nbsp;... gave him {{lang|grc-Latn|paideia}}".{{sfn|Kaldellis|2007|page=31}}{{sfn|Richter|2017|page=331}}

Scholars have long interpreted the "Syrian" in this work as Lucian himself{{sfn|Kaldellis|2007|page=31}}{{sfn|Casson|1962|page=xiii}} and taken this speech to mean that Lucian ran away to Ionia, where he pursued his education.{{sfn|Casson|1962|page=xiii}} Richter, however, argues that the "Syrian" is not Lucian himself, but rather a literary device Lucian uses to subvert literary and ethnic norms.{{sfn|Richter|2017|pages=331–332}}

Ionia was the center of rhetorical learning at the time.{{sfn|Casson|1962|page=xiii}} The most prestigious universities of rhetoric were in [[Ephesus]] and [[Smyrna]],{{sfn|Casson|1962|page=xiii}} but it is unlikely that Lucian could have afforded to pay the tuition at either of these schools.{{sfn|Casson|1962|page=xiii}} It is not known how Lucian obtained his education,{{sfn|Casson|1962|page=xiii}} but somehow he managed to acquire an extensive knowledge of rhetoric as well as classical literature and philosophy.{{sfn|Casson|1962|page=xiii}}{{sfn|Kaldellis|2007|page=31}}

Lucian mentions in his dialogue ''The Fisherman'' that he had initially attempted to apply his knowledge of rhetoric and become a lawyer,{{snf|Casson|1962|pages=xiii, 349}} but that he had become disillusioned by the deceitfulness of the trade and resolved to become a philosopher instead.{{snf|Casson|1962|page=349}} Lucian travelled across the Empire, lecturing throughout Greece, Italy, and [[Gaul]].{{snf|Casson|1962|pages=xiii–xiv}} In Gaul, Lucian may have held a position as a highly paid government professor.{{snf|Casson|1962|page=xiv}}

In around 160, Lucian returned to Ionia as a wealthy celebrity.{{snf|Casson|1962|page=xiv}} He visited Samosata{{snf|Casson|1962|page=xiv}} and stayed in the east for several years.{{snf|Casson|1962|page=xiv}} He is recorded as having been in [[Antioch]] in either 162 or 163.{{snf|Casson|1962|page=xiv}}{{sfn|Marsh|1998|page=1}} In around 165, he bought a house in Athens and invited his parents to come live with him in the city.{{snf|Casson|1962|page=xiv}} Lucian must have married at some point during his travels because in one of his writings, he mentions having a son at this point.{{snf|Casson|1962|page=xiv}}

Lucian lived in Athens for around a decade, during which time he gave up lecturing and instead devoted his attention to writing.{{snf|Casson|1962|page=xiv}} It was during this decade that Lucian composed nearly all his most famous works.{{snf|Casson|1962|page=xiv}} Lucian wrote exclusively in Greek,{{sfn|Vout|2007|page=16}}<ref name="Eerdmans">James D. G. Dunn, John William Rogerson, ''Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible'', p. 1105, {{ISBN|0-8028-3711-5}}.</ref>{{sfn|Pomeroy|Burstein|Donlan|Roberts|2018|page=532|ref=Pomeroy}} mainly in the Attic Greek popular during the Second Sophistic, but ''On the Syrian Goddess'', which is attributed to Lucian, is written in a highly successful imitation of Herodotus' [[Ionic Greek]], leading some scholars to believe that Lucian may not be the real author.<ref name="Eerdmans"/>

For unknown reasons, Lucian stopped writing around 175 and began travelling and lecturing again.{{snf|Casson|1962|page=xiv}} During the reign of Emperor [[Commodus]] (180–192), the aging Lucian may have been appointed to a lucrative government position in Egypt.{{snf|Casson|1962|page=xiv}}{{sfn|Marsh|1998|page=1}}{{sfn|Pomeroy|Burstein|Donlan|Roberts|2018|page=532|ref=Pomeroy}} After this point, he disappears from the historical record entirely,{{snf|Casson|1962|page=xiv}} and nothing is known about his death.{{snf|Casson|1962|page=xiv}}