A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

(Ὀρειβάσιος or Ὀριβάσιος), an eminent Greek medical writer, who was born probably about A. D. 325. Suidas (s.v. Ὀρειβάσιος and Philostorgius (Hist. Eceles. 7.15) call him a native of Sardes in Lydia; but his friend and biographer Eunapius says (Vit. Philos. et Sophist. p. 170, ed. Antw.) he was born at Pergamus in Mysia, the birth-place of Galen. According to the same author, he belonged to a respectable family, and, after receiving a good preliminary education, he studied medicine under Zeno of Cyprus, and had for his fellow-pupils Ionicus and Magnus. He early acquired a great professional reputation. It is not known exactly when or where he became acquainted with the emperor Julian, but it was probably while that young prince was kept in confinement in different places in Asia Minor. He was soon honoured with his confidence and friendship, and was almost the only person to whom Julian imparted the secret of his apostacy from Christianity. (Eunap. l. c. p. 90; Julian, ad Athen. p. 277, B. ed. 1696.) When Julian was raised to the rank of Caesar, and sent into Gaul, Dec. 355, he took Oribasius with him (Julian, l. c p. 277, C.; Oribas. ap. Phot. Biblioth. Cod. 217); and in the following year (see Clinton's Fast. Rom.), on the occasion of some temporary absence, addressed to him a letter, which is still extant (Epist. 17), and is an evidence both of their intimacy and of their devotion to paganism. It was while they were in Gaul together that Julian commanded Oribasins to make an epitome of Gaien's writings, with which he was so much pleased that he imposed upon him the further task of adding to the work whatever was most valuable in the other medical writers. This he accomplished (though not till after Julian had become emperor, A. D. 361) in seventy (Phot. Biblioth. Cod. 217) or (according to Suidas) in seventy-two books, part of which are still extant under the title *Sunagwgai\ *)Iatrikai/, Cocllecta lledicinalia, and will be mentioned again below. Eunapius seems to say that Oribasius was in some way instrumental in raising Julian to the throne (βασιλέα τὸν Ἰουλιανὸν ἀπέδειξε), but the meaning of the passage is doubtful, as the writer refers for the particulars of the transaction to one of his lost works. He was appointed by the emperor, soon after his accession, quaestor of Constantinople (Suid. l.c.), and sent to Delphi to endeavour to restore the oracle of Apollo to its former splendour and authority; but in this mission he failed, as the only answer he brought back was that the oracle was no more:--

1. εἴπατε τῷ βασιλεῖ, χαμαὶ τέ σε δαίδαλος αὐλά.
2. οὐκέτι Φοῖβος ἔχει καλύβαν, οὐ μάντιδα δάφνην
3. οὐ παγὰν λαλέουσεν, ἀπέσβετο καὶ λάλον ὕδωρ.

Cedren. Hist. Conpend.p. 304, ed. 1647.

He accompanied Julian in his expedition against Persia, and was with him at the time of his death, June 26, A. D. 363. (Philostorg. l.c.) The succeeding emperors, Valentinian and Valens, were not so favourably disposed towards Oribasius, but confiscated his property, and banished him to some nation of "barbarians" (as they are called)-pro bably the Goths: they had even thought of putting him to death. The cause of this treatment is not mentioned; his friend Eunapius (who is not a very impartial witness) attributes it to envy on account of his reputation (διὰ τὴν ὑπεροχὴν τῆς δόξης), but we may easily suppose the emperors to have had some more creditable motive than this, and might perhaps be allowed to conjecture that he had made himself obnoxious, either in the discharge of his duties as quaestor, or by his enmity against the Christians. In his exile Oribasius exhibited proofs both of his fortitude and his medical skil, whereby he gained such influence and esteem among the barbarian kings, that he became one of their principal men, while the common people looked upon him as almost a god. As Eunapins does not mention that the emperors who recalled Oribasius were different from those who banished him (l.c. p. 173), it is probable that his exile did not last long, and that it ended before the year 369. After his return he married a lady of good family and fortune, and had by her four children, one of whom was probably his son Eustathius, to whom he addressed his "Synopsis," mentioned below. He also had his property restored out of the public treasury by command of the sueceeding emperors, but Eunapius does not specify which emperors he means. The date of his death is unknown, but he was still living with his

four children when Eunapius inserted the account of his life in his "Vitae Philosophorum et Sophistarum," that is, at least as late as the year 395. (See Clinton's Fasti Rom.) Of the personal character of Oribasius we know little or nothing, but it is clear that he was much attached to paganism and to the heathen philosophy. He was an intimate friend of Eunapius, who praises him very highly, and wrote an account of his life. He attended the philosopher Chrysanthius on his death-bed (Eunap. l.c. p. 197); and there is a short letter addressed to him by Isidorus of Pelusium (Epist. 1.437, ed. Paris, 1638), and two epigrams written in his honour in the Greek Anthology (9.199, and Anthol. Planud. 4.274, vol. ii. p. 106, 3.295, ed. Tauchn,). He is several times quoted by Aetius and Paulus Aegineta. Some of his works were translated into Arabic (see Wenrich, De Auctor. Graecor. Version. Syriac. Arab. &c. p. 295); and an abridgement of them was made by Theophanes at the command of the emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus. (See Lambec. Biblioth. Vindob. vi. pp. 261, 264, 266, ed. Kollar.)

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