Source edition
Aristides. Vol. 1. Dindorf, Wilhelm, editor. Leipzig: Reimer, 1829.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is the fifth book of the Sacred Tales, a deeply personal and religious prose work by the second-century orator Aelius Aristides, detailing his struggles with chronic illness, his absolute devotion to the god Asclepius, and his divine-led oratorical triumphs. Set across Asia Minor—including Smyrna, Pergamon, and Cyzicus—the narrative follows the author as he undertakes grueling journeys under the guidance of divine dreams despite his severe physical suffering. Along the way, obeyed instructions from the god allow him to overcome ailments of the throat and deliver spectacular speeches that overwhelm his competitors. He also undergoes bizarre and punishing divine remedies, such as running and cold-water bathing, which lead to miraculous physical recoveries. In the latter part, the author relates dreams in which he visits Athens and is prophesied to achieve oratorical fame rivaling Plato. Through these vivid dream encounters and auspicious omens, the work culminates in a profound affirmation of his life and rhetorical art being under divine protection.