Himerius

Himerius ( ῾Ιμέριος), a celebrated Greek sophist and rhetorician, was born at Prusa, in Bithynia, A.D. 315. He received his education of Proaeresius, whose rival he afterwards became. After traveling considerably in the East, he settled in Athens as teacher of rhetoric. He became very famous in his profession, having among his pupils Basil, Gregory of Nazianzen, and other distinguished men. The emperor Julian, during his visit at Athens, A.D. 355, attracted by his learning and eloquence, invited him to his court at Antioch, and made him his secretary (A.D. 362). After the death of his rival, Pro-aeresius, in A.D. 368, he returned to Athens and resumed his former calling. He became blind toward the close of his life, and died in a fit of epilepsy A.D. 386. Himerius was a pagan, but exceedingly kind towards the Christians. Of his works, only a part are now extant.. — Lardner, Works; Smith, Dict. Greek and Ron. Mythol.. 2; Pierer, Universal Lex. 8, 383; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Géneralé, 24.