AELIAN (

See also:

• CLAUDIUS
• CLAUDIUS [TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS DRUSUS NERO GERMANICUS]
• CLAUDIUS, MARCUS AURELIUS
• CLAUDIUS, MATTHIAS (174o-1815)

CLAUDIUS AELIANUS)  , Roman author and teacher of rhetoric, born at Praeneste, flourished under Septimius Severus and probably outlived Elagabalus (d . 222) . He spoke Greek so perfectly that he was called " honey-tongued " (zeXiyXom-cos); although a Roman he preferred Greek authors, and wrote in Greek himself . His chief works are: On the Nature of Animals, curious and interesting stories of animal life, frequently used to convey moral lessons (ed . Schneider, 1784; Jacobs, 1832); Various History—for the most part preservedonly in an abridged form—consisting mainly of anecdotes of men and customs (ed . Lunemann, 1811) . Both works are valuable for the numerous excerpts from older writers . Considerable fragments of two other works On Providence and Divine Manifestations are preserved in Suidas; ,twenty Peasants' Letters, after the manner of Alciphron but inferior, are also attributed to him . Editio princeps of complete works by Gesner, 1556; Hercher, 1864-1866 . English translation of the Various History only by Fleming, 1576, and Stanley, 1665; of the Letters by Quillard (French), 1895 .