Dioscorus of Aphrodito

Flavius ​​Dioscorus (Greek Dioskoros ) was an East Roman official, lawyer and poet of the 6th century.

Dioscorus shall be interpreted as a typical representative of the educated " upper middle class " during the late Late Antiquity apply. He was born in the Egyptian city Aphrodito; his father Apollos was a proto kometes ( village chief ) and later became a monk. Dioscorus enjoyed an excellent education (probably in Alexandria ). Ever since 543, he worked as Scholasticus; the name " Flavius ​​" had by this time more in the nature of a title and indicates a position within the imperial Reich administration. Perhaps - the papyri are not here clearly - Dioskoros wore the title of vir clarissimus and was therefore the lowest rank of the senatorial on. Shortly after 547 he traveled to Constantinople Opel, where he received an audience with Emperor Justinian. That case involved the right to have Aphroditopolis directly to the imperial treasury and could not pay the taxes to landowners; this was a right that the village had already attained, but which was made ​​to him by the landowners repeatedly disputed. In the year 565, shortly before the death of Justinian, Dioscorus moved to Antinoopolis, where he tried to make as a lawyer and poet career. In 573 he returned to his hometown in order to take care of the family estate. He died soon after 585

Dioscorus is a little remarkable shape basically. It is famous by the historical accident that his private archive has been preserved largely on papyrus documents, discovered in the early 20th century. It provides the historian with valuable insights into everyday life in the late Roman provinces and includes contracts, statements, petitions, own poems of Dioscorus ( in ancient Greek ), a Greek - Coptic glossary and private records. It is worth noting, among other things, the fact that Dioscorus had even works from a series of old and rather aloof from Greek authors and knew.