SOURCE: Jones, Christopher P. “Philostratus' Heroikos and Its Setting in Reality.” Journal of Hellenic Studies 21 (2001): 141-49.

In the following essay, Jones examines the social and historical background of the events described in the Heroikos, first summarizing the work and then focusing on the date of composition, geographical setting, and the views expressed in it regarding heroes.

As recently as 1987, the dialogue Heroikos (On the Heroes), usually attributed to Philostratus ‘the Athenian’ or ‘the Younger’, was ‘more often dismissed than discussed’. Since then the situation has changed. An Italian translation with short commentary and a German commentary have recently appeared, and further publications are expected.¹ Yet many aspects of the work continue to remain problematic. In the early twentieth century, some scholars held that it reflected the visit of Caracalla to Ilium in 214, and was essentially a piece of court literature written to celebrate the visit and to please...