Apollonius Dyscolus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Apollonius Dyscolus
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| Born | 2nd century |
| Died | 2nd century |
| Occupation | Grammarian |
| Parent(s) | Mnesitheus of Alexandria (father) |
Apollonius Dyscolus (Greek: Ἀπολλώνιος ὁ Δύσκολος) was a very important Greek grammarian. He lived around 130 CE and is known as one of the greatest experts on the Greek language. His nickname, "Dyscolus," meant "the difficult" or "grouchy."
Life of Apollonius Dyscolus
Not much is known about Apollonius Dyscolus's life. We know he was born in Alexandria, and his father's name was Mnesitheus. We don't know the exact years he was born or died.
His son, Aelius Herodianus, also became a famous writer about language. He moved to Rome when Marcus Aurelius was emperor. This suggests that Apollonius Dyscolus lived around the time of emperors Hadrian and Antoninus Pius.
Some stories say that Apollonius was very poor. He supposedly couldn't afford paper to write on. Instead, he used pieces of broken pottery to write down his ideas. His nickname, ho dúskolos, might have come from his difficult personality or his very complex writing style. He died in poverty in Alexandria.
Apollonius's Important Works
Apollonius Dyscolus is famous for starting the scientific study of syntax. Syntax is the way words are put together to form sentences. Another famous grammarian, Priscian, called him "the greatest authority on the science of grammar."
Apollonius wrote many books about the different parts of speech. These include nouns, verbs, adverbs, and conjunctions. Out of about twenty books he wrote, four are still available today. These include his main work on syntax, and three smaller books about adverbs, conjunctions, and pronouns.
One important thing Apollonius did was use ideas from philosophy to understand grammar better. He used these ideas to explain how nouns and verbs work.
Both Apollonius and his son, Aelius Herodianus, had a huge impact on all grammarians who came after them. They helped shape how people studied and understood language for many centuries.
See also
In Spanish: Apolonio Díscolo para niños
