A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

(Κλαύδιος Αἰλιανός), was born according to Suidas (s. v. Αἰλιανός) at Praeneste in Italy, and lived at Rome. He calls himself a Roman (V. H. 12.25), as possessing the rights of Roman citizenship. He was particularly fond of the Greeks and of Greek literature and oratory. (V. H. 9.32, 12.25.) He studied under Pausanias the rhetorician, and imitated the eloquence of Nicostratus and the style of Dion Chrysostom; but especially admired Herodes Atticus more than all. He taught rhetoric at Rome in the time of Hadrian, and hence was called ὁ σοφιστής. So complete was the command he acquired over the Greek language that he could speak as well as a native Athenian, and hence was called ὁ μελίγλωττος or μελίφθογγος (Philost. Vit. Soph. 2.31.) That rhetoric, however, was not his forte may easily be believed from the style of his works; and he appears to have given up teaching for writing. Suidas calls him Ἀρχιερεὺς (Pontifex). He lived to above sixty years of age, and had no children. He did not marry, because he would not have any.

[A.A]