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He was born c. 317 Them. Or. I 18A (he was roughly contemporary with Constantius ), at Byzantium, where he was brought up during his childhood Or. XVII 214C, XXXIV §§12, 16. However he was by origin a Paphlagonian Them. Or. II 28D, Or. XXVII 333 C-D and was the son of a philosopher Eugenius 2 Or. Const. 22D-23B, Them. Or. XXI 243B, Phot. Cod. 74. He was once a pupil of Hierocles 3 Lib. Ep. 517 and also spent some time as a student near the Pontus, perhaps at Sinope Them. Or. XXVII 332D, cf. Seeck, Briefe, p. 292. He returned to Constantinople c. 337 Or. XXIII 298B (twenty years before the embassy of 357) and concentrated οn serious work as a philosopheriRole name: philosopher, publishing his still extant Paraphraseis of Aristotle while still a young man Or. XXIII 294D. He began to teach at Constantinople in the late 340s Or. XXXI 352C.

Already well known as a teacheriRole name: teacher and philosopher Them. Or. XXIII 294B, he first made his mark in public life by his speech Περὶ φιλαν­θρωπίας, delivered to Constantius at Ancyra Or. I title οὗτος εἴρηται ἐν Ἀγκύρᾳ 350 Seeck, Briefe, pp. 293-4. It was in either 350 or 351 that Themistius and Libanius first made one another’s acquaintance Lib. Ep. 793 (written in 362/3 in the twelfth year of their acquaintance).

In 355 he was adlected to the Senate of Constantinople Or. Const. subscript (dated 355 Sept. 1), Them. Or. II (his speech of thanks). Phot. Cod. 74; in this year he received Lib. Ep. 434 (congratulating him on his adlection and acknowledging receipt of copies of Or. Const. and Them. Or. I), also Ep. 402, 407, 447 and 463, and is mentioned in Ep. 406. He was at this time already married and a wealthy man Or. Const. 22A-B, Them. Or. XX 233D, XXIII 288D, 291C. In 356 he received Lib. Ep. 476, 483 and 508; during this year he paid a visit to Antioch Lib. Ep. 513, 515-18 (356), 551 (357) and while there saw Persian envoys arriving for peace negotiations with the PPO (Strategius Musonianus) Them. Or. IV 57A-B.

He returned to Constantinople in time to deliver Or. IV (on 357 Jan. 1 Seeck, Briefe, pp. 296-7); later in 357 he was sent as envoy of the senateiRole name: envoy of the senate of Constantinople bearing their gift of a golden crown to Constantius at Rome on his vicennalia, and while there he delivered his speech Or. III Πρεσβευτικὸς ὑπὲρ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ῥηθεὶς ἐν Ῥώμῃ, cf. Lib. Ep. 368 (a. 358), Them. Or. ΧΧΙΙΙ 298B-D, ΧΧΧΙV § 13. In 357 there occurred the death of his son and namesake Lib. Ep. 575; he also received Ep. 551, and in 358 Ep. 376.

PROCONSVL OF CONSTANTINOPLEiRole name: PROCONSVL OF CONSTANTINOPLE a. 358-9: Lib. Ep. 40 (a. 358/9) οὐ σοὶ συγχαίρω μᾶλλον τοῦ τὴν πόλιν ἄγειν ἢ τῇ πόλει τοῦ παραδοῦναί σοι τὰς ἡνίας. σοὶ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν δεῖ δυνάμεως, τῇ δὲ ἡγεμόνος ἀγαθοῦ (as Hermogenes 3 (PPO) was already in office, his appointment was not before 358); Lib. Ep. 68 (a. 359) πολλὰ γὰρ τὰ τῆς πόλεως⸱ σὺ δὲ ἐκείνης ὁ φύλαξ. He was actively concerned with the enrolment of new senators Them. Or. XXXIV § 13 ἐξ ἐκείνου τῆς γερουσίας προὐνόουν, ἐξ ὅτου τὸν κατάλογον τῶν ὁμογενῶν ἀντὶ μόλις τριακοσίων ἐπλήρουν εἰς δισχιλίους. Lib. Ep. 34, 40, 62, 70, 86. He was also responsible for maintaining the corn supply of the city Them. Or. XXXIV § 13. He was the last proconsul, being succeeded on 359 Dec. 11 by the first city-prefect Honoratus 2 Jer. Chron. s.a. 359, Cons. Const. s.a. 359, Soc. II 41.1. In 359 he received Lib. Ep. 62, 66, 68, 70, 77, 86, 91, 99, 112 and is mentioned Ep. 34, 69.

In 360 he married his second wife, a Phrygian, and visited Phrygia Ep. 241; in this year he received Lib. Ep. 177 and Ep. 252 (he is described as a senatoriRole name: senator of Constantinople and resident there).

In 361 he received Lib. Ep. 301, 667. A law dated 361 May 3 singles him out as a necessary member of the quorumiRole name: member of the quorum of the senate at the election of praetors CTh VI 4.12 Themistius quoque philosophus, cuius auget scientia dignitatem. On the accession of Julian, he wrote to him instructing him in the duties of a philosopher-king, and the reply of Julian is extant Jul. Ep. ad Them.

He apparently quarrelled with Libanius in 362 Lib. Ep. 793 (a. 362/3; Libanius complains that there are no grounds for their quarrel). In 363 he composed a Panegyric on Julian (not extant) which was not delivered before Julian’s death, and sent a copy to Libanius Lib. Ep. 1430; in this year he also received Lib. Ep. 818, 1452 and 1455.

Late in 363 he was a member of the senatorial embassy which met Jovian at Dadastana Soc. III 26.3 and on 364 Jan. 1 at Ancyra (Amm. XXV 10.11) he delivered a speech to celebrate Jovian’s first consulship Them. Or. V Ὑπατικὸς εἰς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Ἰοβιανόν; in this he advocated religious toleration (he was a pagan, see below). Libanius wrote a letter to him Ep. 1193 in which he begged a copy of this speech. In 364 March/April he delivered at Constantinople another speech welcoming the accession of Valentinian and Valens Or. VI Φιλάδελφοι ἢ περὶ φιλανθρωπίας. In 364 he received Lib. Ep. 1186, 1193, 1296 and 1304 and is mentioned in Ep. 1198, and in 365 Ep. 1477 (his recent strong support for Libanius is mentioned), 1489 and 1495 (this letter mentions a speech delivered at the beginning of winter; possibly the occasion was the revolt of Procopius).

After the suppression of Procopius’s revolt he delivered his speech Or. VII Περὶ τῶν ἠτυχηκότων; in 368 he celebrated Valens’s quinquennalia with Or. VIII Πενταετηρικός, and on 369 Jan. 1 the consulship of Valens’s son Valentinianus Galates with Or. IX Προτρεπτικὸς Οὐαλεντινιανῷ νέῳ. He went as an envoyiRole name: envoy of the senate to Valens in Scythia 369), when he was engaged in the Gothic war Or. Χ 132D-133A, 136D, XI 144A, XIII 166A and later, on the conclusion of peace (370 Feb./March), delivered Or. X Ἐπί τῆς εἰρήνης.

In 373 he celebrated the decennalia of Valens with Or. XI Δεκετηρικός, and visited the court which was probably at Antioch to deliver it Or. XI 143C.

In 375/6 he again visited Valens in the East, perhaps in connection with the death of Valentinian, and in 376 was sent by him to visit Gratian in Gaul Or. ΧIII 163C, 165D-166A, 168C, 171B, 175C, XXXIV §29; he went with Gratian to Rome (probably in the summer of 376) Or. ΧIII 177D-178B, ΧΧΧI 354D and there delivered to Gratian Or. XIII Ἐρωτικός.

He once delivered a speech rebuking Valens for his policy of religious persecution Soc. IV 32, Soz. VI 36 but the extant speech Or. ΧII to Valens on this theme is probably a forgery.

In 379 he celebrated the accession of Theodosius with Or. XIV Πρεσβευτικὸς εἰς Θεοδόσιον αὐτοκράτορα, probably delivered at Thessalonica during the summer Seeck, Briefe, p. 304. On 381 Jan. 19 he delivered Or. XV on the occasion of the third anniversary of Theodosius’s accession Or. XV 190Β τρίτος οὗτος ἐνιαυτός. On 383 Jan. 1 he delivered Or. XVI ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης καὶ τῆς ὑπατείας τοῦ στρατηγοῦ Σατορνίνου, to celebrate the recent peace with the Goths (382 Oct. 3 Chron. I 243) and the consulship given to Saturninus 10 as the author of the peace. In this speech he mentions that he had been entrusted with the education of the young prince Arcadius Or. XVI 204B-C, 213A-B. Possibly in 383 he visited Rome again on an embassy from the senate Or. XXXIV §29, cf. Or. XXXI 354C.

PVCiRole name: PVC a. 384: he was made PVC shortly before Theodosius visited the West (384 Summer Seeck, Reg. p. 265) and was entrusted with the care of Arcadius during his absence Or. XVIII 224A-C (οὐκ ἄρα ἐγὼ σπουδαρχιῶν ὑπέσχον τὼ χεῖρε τῇ πολιαρχίᾳ). He delivered Or. XVII Ἐπὶ τῇ χειροτονίᾳ τῆς πολιαρχίας soon after his appointment, and probably Or. XVIII Περὶ τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως φιληκοΐας followed soon afterwards (since Theodosius appears in it to have only one son, the birth of Honorius (384 Sept. 9 Chron. I 244) had not yet occurred). He held the office for a few months only Or.XXXIV §11. He was heavily criticised for accepting the office and defended himself in two speeches Or. XXXI Περὶ προεδρίας and Or. XXXIV Πρὸς τοὺς αἰτιασαμένους ἐπὶ τῷ δέξασθαι τὴν ἀρχήν. An epigram of Palladas Anth. Gr. XI 292 written during or after his prefecture mocks at him (cf. CQ 1965, 221-3).

He was still alive in 388 Lib. Ep. 18 but is not mentioned again in Libanius’s later correspondence, so he probably died 388/9. He is also mentioned in Lib. Ep. 6 (date unknown).

Between 355 and 384 he served on ten embassies (ταῖς δέκα πρεσβείαις) for the senate Or. XVII 214B, cf. XXXI 352C-D. He was twice honoured by an emperor with a bronze statue, once after his Or. II by Constantius Or. IV 54B and a second time by some later emperor Or.XVII 214B, XXXI 353A, XXXIV §13. He was especially honoured by Constantius Lib. Ep. 66, 77 (a. 359), who allowed him to eat at his table Them. Or. XXXI 353A, Lib. Ep. 66. He was praised highly in a speech before the senate in 384 (probably when announcing his appointment as PVC) Or. XXXI 355A.

He was a pagan Lib. Ep. 91, 112, 368, 402, 1304, Them. Or. II 34C, IV 49C-D, XIII 180A, XVI 201 A, XXVI 330D, XXX 349A but was held in high esteem by the four Christian emperors Constantius, Jovian, Valens and Theodosius. He also received two letters from St Gregory of Nazianzus Greg. Naz. Ep. 24 (where he is called βασιλεὺς...τῶν λόγων) and Ep. 38.

He was ignorant of Latin Them. Or. VI 71C-D. He was not only regarded as one of the best orators of the day (e.g. Lib. Ep. 518) but was an eminent philosopher, writing commentaries on Aristotle as well as being a Platonist Lib. Ep. 86, 91, 241, 406, 434, 575, 793, 1186, CTh VI 4.12 (cited above), Soc. III 25.20, 26.3, Soz. VI 36.6. He wrote commentaries on the following works of Aristotle: Analytica Priora; Analytica Posteriora (extant); Physica (extant); De Anima (extant); De Caelo (extant in Hebrew); Liber Metaphysicorum (extant in Hebrew); Categoriae; Topica; De Sensu; De Generatione et Corruptione; Ethica Nicomachea(?); the extant commentaries on the Parva Naturalia attributed to Themistius were by Sophonias. According to Photius Cod. 74 he wrote commentaries on Plato also, but nothing is known about these. See further W. Stegemann’s summary in P-W VA cols. 1651-6.

He also wrote and delivered a number of speeches, both public and private; Photius Cod. 74 mentions thirty-six πολιτικοὶ λόγοι. The following are extant (numbered as in Dindorf’s edition; the dates are those of H. Scholze, De Temporibus Orationum Themistii, Göttingen, 1911): Or. I (350 summer) Περὶ φιλανθρωπίας ἤ Κωνστάντιος; Or. II (355 November) Εἰς Κωνστάντιον τὸν αὐτοκράτορα, ὅτι μάλιστα φιλόσοφος ὁ βασιλεύς, ἢ χαριστήριος; Or. III (357 Spring) Πρεσβευτικὸς ὑπὲρ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ῥηθεὶς ἐν Ῥώμῃ; Or. IV (357 Jan. 1) Εἰς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Κωνστάντιον; Or. V (364 Jan. 1) Ὑπατικὸς εἰς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Ἰοβιανόν; Or. VI (364 April) Φιλάδελφοι ἢ περὶ φιλανθρωπίας; Or. VII (366/7) Περὶ τῶν ἠτυχηκότων ἐπὶ Οὐάλεντος; Or. VIII (368 March) Πενταετηρικός; Or. IX (369 Jan. 1) Προτρεπτικὸς Οὐαλεντινιανῷ νέῳ Or. Χ (370 Jan./Feb.) Ἐπὶ τῆς εἰρήνης Οὐάλεντι; Or. XI (373 March 28) Δεκετηρικὸς ἢ περὶ τῶν πρεπόντων λόγων τῷ βασιλεῖ; Or. XII Περὶ τῶν θρησκειῶν (this speech is a forgery); Or. XIII (377 May/June—but 376 is possible) Ἐρωτικὸς ἢ περὶ κάλλους βασιλικοῦ; Or. XIV (379 Spring) Πρεσβευτικὸς εἰς Θεοδόσιον αὐτοκράτορα; Or. XV (381 Jan. 19) Εἰς Θεοδόσιον⸱ τίς ἡ βασιλικωτάτη τῶν ἀρετῶν; Or. XVI (383 Jan. 1) Χαριστήριος τῷ αὐτοκράτορι ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης καὶ τῆς ὑπατείας τοῦ στρατηγοῦ Σατορνίνου; Or. XVII (384 May/June) Ἐπὶ τῇ χειροτονίᾳ τῆς πολιαρχίας; Or. XVIII (384 Spring) Περὶ τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως φιληκοΐας; Or. XIX (early 386) Ἐπὶ τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ αύτοκράτορος Θεοδοσίου; Or. XX (355 Sept./Oct.) Εἰς τὸν αὑτοῦ πατέρα; Or. XXI (355/6 Winter) Βασανιστὴς ἢ φιλόσοφος; Or. XXII (?under Valens) Περὶ φιλίας; Or. XXIII (377/8 Winter) Σοφιστής; (?)Or. XXIIIa (Dindorf, p. 361, 5-36; cf. P-W VA 1663) Περὶ φρονήσεως; Or. XXIV (before 358 Aug. 24) Προτρεπτικὸς Νικομηδεῦσιν εἰς φιλοσοφίαν; Or. XXV (373 March) Πρὸς τοὺς ἀξιώσαντας λέγειν ἐκ τοῦ παραχρῆμα; Or. XXVI (377/8) Ὑπὲρ τοῦ λέγειν, ἢ πῶς τῷ φιλοσόφῳ λεκτέον; Or. XXVII (355 Sept./ Oct.) Περὶ τοῦ μηδὲν τοῖς τόποις, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀνδράσι προσέχειν; Or. XXVIII (after 381) Ἡ ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ διάλεξις; Or. XXIX (377/8) Πρὸς τοὺς οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἐξηγουμένους τὸν σοφιστήν; Or. XXX (before 355) Θέσις, εἰ γεωργητέον; Or. XXXI (385 Jan. 5) Περὶ προεδρίας εἰς τὴν σύγκλητον; Or. ΧΧΧII (346/50) Μετριοπαθὴς ἢ φιλότεκνος; Or. XXXIII (348/9) (incipit Ἀριστόξενος ὁ μουσικός); Or. XXXIV (384 Autumn) Πρὸς τοὺς αἰτιασαμένους ἐπὶ τῷ δέξασθαι τὴν ἀρχήν. Other orations no longer extant are: a) De Legatione Romana (357) (so Seeck); b) Epistula Protreptica ad Iulianum (cf. Jul. Ep. ad Them.); c) Φιλόπολις (363 June 1 Scholze); d) Legatio ad Iovianum missa (Lib. Ep. 1430); e) Oratio Consularis ad Valentem habita (365 Jan. 1) (Or. IX 128B, Lib. Ep. 1495); f) Orationes Istrienses ad Valentem habitae (369 Summer) (Or. X 132D-133B, Or. XI 144 Aff.); g) Oratio ad Valentem de Facultate ex tempore dicendi (Schmidt-Stählin). See further P-W VA cols. 1656-69.

He also wrote two works on morals, a) Περὶ ἀρετῆς (extant only in Syriac) and b) Περὶ ψυχῆς (mentioned in Stob. Flor. XIII 68, LXIX 22, CXV 28, CXX 15, 28).

The advice which he gave to the emperors always lay in the direction of moderation and humanity. In religious matters he urged toleration, e.g. Or. V 67Bff. where he insists that some matters are beyond the reach of legislation. His own religious views were in the tradition of Neoplatonism.