Philostratus the Elder wrote during the third century CE, which was a period of expansion and exploration in Greek literature under the Roman Empire that scholars call the Second Sophistic. Philostratus was a sophist, that is, a professional public speaker, philosopher, and teacher, who wrote a collection of speeches describing paintings. In the Second Sophistic, prose descriptions of works of art become an independent genre, represented by the works of Philostratus the Elder, Philostratus the Younger, and the anonymous author of the Tablet of Kebes. Philostratus the Elder claims in the work that he is giving these speeches in praise of the paintings so that young people can learn how to appreciate art.
Bio by Kevin Solez