Aulus Gellius facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aulus Gellius
Frontispiece to a 1706 Latin edition of the Attic Nights [fr] by Jakob Gronovius
Born	c. 125 AD
Died	c. 180 AD

Aulus Gellius (born around 125 AD, died after 180 AD) was a Roman author and expert in grammar. He was likely born and definitely grew up in Rome. He went to school in Athens, and then returned to Rome.

Gellius is famous for his book called Attic Nights. This book is like a big collection of notes on many different topics, such as grammar, philosophy, history, and old customs. Thanks to his book, we still know about parts of works by many ancient writers that would otherwise be lost today.

What's in a Name?

In the Middle Ages, old copies of Attic Nights often spelled the author's name as "Agellius". However, other ancient writers like Lactantius and Saint Augustine used "A. Gellius".

For a long time, scholars argued about which name was correct. But today, most experts agree that "Aulus Gellius" is the right name.

His Life Story

We know about Aulus Gellius's life mostly from clues he left in his own writings. He was born between 125 and 128 AD. He came from a good family and grew up in Rome.

Gellius spent a lot of time studying in Athens. He learned about public speaking from teachers like Titus Castricius and Sulpicius Apollinaris. He also studied philosophy with Calvisius Taurus. He was friends with famous thinkers like Favorinus and Herodes Atticus.

Later, he went back to Rome. There, he worked as a judge, helping to settle disagreements between people. This job took up a lot of his time, even though he really wanted to spend more time writing.

About Attic Nights

Gellius's only known book is called Attic Nights (which means Nights in Attica). He started writing it during a long winter he spent in Attica, which is a region in Greece. He then kept working on it when he returned to Rome.

The book is a collection of interesting things he heard in conversations or read in other books. It includes notes on many subjects, like grammar, geometry, philosophy, and history. For example, one famous story in his book is the fable of Androcles and the Lion. This story is often thought to be one of Aesop's fables, but it actually came from Gellius's work.

Attic Nights is divided into twenty books. All of them have survived except for the eighth book, but we still have its table of contents. The book is not organized in any special order; it's more like a collection of random interesting facts.

This book is very important because it gives us a look into what life was like in those ancient times. It also includes many parts from books by other ancient authors that are now lost. This means Gellius helped save pieces of history and literature that we wouldn't have otherwise!

Many writers in ancient times read Attic Nights. Authors like Apuleius and Augustine used his collection. One writer, Macrobius, even copied parts of Gellius's work word-for-word without mentioning his name! This shows how useful and popular Gellius's book was.

How We Read It Today

The first printed version of Attic Nights was published in Rome in 1469. Over the centuries, many scholars have worked to create the best and most accurate versions of the text.

Today, you can find Attic Nights in many editions and translations. For example, there's an English translation by John Carew Rolfe that is part of the Loeb Classical Library. This makes it possible for people all over the world to read Gellius's fascinating collection of ancient knowledge.

See Also

In Spanish: Aulo Gelio para niños

• Ex pede Herculem
• Gellia gens

Images for kids

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  Frontispiece to a 1706 Latin edition of the Attic Nights