Aelius Aristides

Aelius Aristides was a Greek orator and one of the foremost figures of the cultural movement known as the Second Sophistic, active in the 2nd century CE and associated with Smyrna. He left a large body of polished speeches, including praises of cities and gods, and the unusual 'Sacred Tales,' a personal record of his illnesses and the dreams and healing he attributed to the god Asclepius. His orations were admired and imitated for centuries.