During the time of Christ, Apollonius came to be the best known healer, prophet and religious authority in the known world.

born: AD 2, died: AD 98 or 99. A Cappadocian Greek. His mother had been visited by the god Proteus, who told her that she would bear his incarnation. Born to a wealthy family, he recieved the best education. He learned medicine at the School of Aesculapius, philosophy at the School of Pythagoris. After graduation, he traveled the Mediterranian as a gymnosoph (A naked philosopher), healing the sick and preaching the gospel of Pythagoris. He entered the Temple of Apollo Daphne at Antioch and learned the mysteries of their priesthood.

Apollonius was devoted to discovering and understanding all of the secret doctrines of all of the world's religions. To this end, he made two seperate trips to India, from which he brought back the teachings of Krishna (born 3333 BC, regarded as an incarnation of Vishnu). Krishna, to the Greeks, was known as "Christos". It was Apollonius' writings about Krishna, that Bishop Marcian discovered in Asia Minor a century later and translated from Samaritan into Greek and Latin, to produce the first compiled "Christian" Bible.

Philostratus(1) told of when Apollonius was at Ephesus, he sought admission to the mysteries of the Ephesian goddess, which he was refused, and his life threatened by the priests. He then prophesied, before fleeing, that a fearful pestilence would come over Ephesus and that they would be glad for his healing powers. The pestilence came and Apollonius was sent for, whereupon he banished the pestilence and healed the sick. He again demanded entry into the mysteries of the goddess and this time was welcomed by the priests.

Apollonius became a major influence, leading Pagans to abandon animal sacrifice. Wherever he traveled, he recieved invitations to partake of an animal sacrifice to this or that god or goddess. He politely pulled out some frankincense and burned it instead, insisting it to be the proper sacrifice. He became such an expert that he could often defend his preference of sacrifice upon the teachings of the local religion.

Apollonius had become famous by prophesying on the fate of emperors from Nero to Nerva. Most were murdered. When Apollonius predicted the fate of Domitian in the presence of an informer, that Domitian would be assassinated, and Nerva would succeed him, both were cast in prison. When called to face Domitian, he conducted himself with disturbing self possession. "Prince," he said, "what support shall I ask for in my defense? I shall invoke the memory of your father Vespasian, who visited me in Egypt before he became emperor. It was I who prophesied to him his future greatness; you are therefore under natural obligation to me, following him to the throne. I used no enchantments to entice him to attemp the conquest of the empire; I never flattered myself in his presence..." "Give ear no longer, O prince, to vile spies who accuse me of conspiring against you, with or without Nerva. Nerva is a wise man. If it is true that I have innocently talked of destiny, if I have cited, which I may well have done, one or two princes as my examples, I said that the divine will is irresistible... If that is conspiricy, examine yourself the fates of Preneste and you will be guilty of conspiring against yourself! But it would be better, prince, if you spent your time gaining the favor of heaven by showing clemency and justice; for each head you cut off, each patrimony you confiscate, each exile to whom you become an enemy adds a formidable risk to your fate. Condemn me now if it is your caprice, but know that my destiny is not made to perish in your hands." Domitian was frozen by Apollonius' language. The accounts conflict on whether Apollonius vanished in mid-air or slowly left the Pretorium, but leave he did, unhindered. Domitian did consult the fates and shaken by what he heard, called the astrologer Ascletarion who gave him the same answers. "And you," asked the emperor, "Do you know how your end shall come?" "I shall be eaten by dogs." replyed Ascletarion. "To prove to you the foolishness of your predictions, I shall have your head cut off and your body burned to ashes and thrown into the Tiber." said Domitian, who had the order carried out immediately, but when the flames reached the body, a rain-storm came on suddenly which put out the fire. The executioners took refuge from the storm. When they returned to finish the job, the body was being consumed by a pack of wild dogs. Domitian, himself, soon had his throat cut by his wife's servants and was succeeded by Nerva. Apollonius was now in Ephesus, teaching, when he fell into a swoon and cried out: "Strike, strike, the gods command it!" When he awoke, he declared that the tyrant was dead. It was at that very hour that Domitian was slain.

Though literate, nothing written by Apollonius, himself, has passed down to us, as having been written by Apollonius (see "A Short History of Gnosticism"). Fortunately, Apollonius' longest standing disciple, Damis, kept detailed records. These had been edited into a biography entitled: "The Life of Apollonius of Tyana" by Philostratus (which survived) along with a few assorted legends(2). If, in fact, as Hierocles claimed, it was Apollonius' library that was plaigerized to produce the New Testament, then Apollonius must have been the basis for the character of Paul of Tarsus. Paul, like Apollonius, was not married, something most anomolous for a Hebrew Rabbi. Paul also had an intimacy with the Christ's teachings that for having met Christ only once, was most extraordinary, and he often wrote in his epistles as if those teachings were his own, not saying whose they were. Both had the benefit of being Roman citizens. Apollonius' passion for learning the secrets of every religion he encountered occasioned to get him into trouble. He was reputed to have forced his way into the Holy of Holies, by feats of magick, and got jailed for it. The Pharasees wanted him killed, but to his Roman jailers, this was not a killing offense, but neither could they release him. They sought to flog him, but Apollonius stood on his Roman citizenship and the jailers backed down. Eventually, he was transfered out. He was also reported to have been imprisoned in Damascus, because of similar efforts. These jailers treated him well, because they knew of him by reputation and respected him, but could not release him without inciting a mob to riot. After a time, Apollonius was smuggled out of a window and into a wicker basket, similar to a story told of Paul (2 Co. 11:33). If Paul were not Apollonius, then he should be exceedingly suspect for his apparent hatred of Jews in his claim that they murdered the Christ:

For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus: for ye also suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews; who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove out us, and pleased not God, and are contrary to all men; 1 Thes. 2:14-15 (this excerpt is from http://www.teleport.com/~jhjensen/gnosis/apolloni.htm)

Another source adds:

Apollonius of Tyana by Bette Stockbauer

"The whole earth is mine, and it is given me to travel through it."With these words, Apollonius of Tyana sounded a keynote of his life, for he was known as one of the greatest travelers of antiquity. He lived in the days when the Roman Empire covered thousands of square miles, and the Mediterranean allowed free access to its major population centers. He made full use of the great sea, and the span of his life recorded his presence on all its shores, from Egypt to Spain, from North Africa to the lands and islands surrounding his beloved Greece. He was the first of his countrymen to visit India, at that time a hazardous and unmapped land. Who was Apollonius, how did he live, and what was the purpose of his constant movement?

Early life

He was born of a wealthy family in Tyana, a city of Cappadocia (part of what is now Turkey). Legend says that great signs attended his birth, and that he was an incarnation of the Egyptian God Proteus. As a child he was remarkable for his powerful memory and great beauty. At 14 he was sent south to Tarsus to complete his studies, but grew unhappy in what he considered frivolous surroundings and moved to Aegae in Greece.

Here he found the teachings of the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, whose code of conduct prescribed obedience to higher laws, silence, moderation in diet, and simplicity in dress and possessions. Pythagoras taught the doctrines of immortality and reincarnation, and advised the pursuit of self-knowledge. The proper use of philosophy, he said, was to study the inner nature of man -- one who knew himself could then know the universe. At 16 Apollonius submitted himself to the Pythagorean principles. He was to follow them for the rest of his life.

Renouncing the use of animal flesh, he ate only those foods grown from the earth, clad himself in linen garments, and walked barefoot or in shoes made of tree bark. He abstained from wine and wore his hair long. For five years he took a vow of silence and spoke not a word, though often faced with ridicule and derision.

In Aegae he lived at the temple of Aesculapius, the Greek God of Medicine. These 'hospitals' were scattered throughout the land. The doctors were the priests of the temple. The psychic and spiritual sciences were used to heal the patients who came to consult the Gods. In such surroundings Apollonius soon surpassed his teachers, who marveled at his pious life and brilliant mind. Here began his reputation as a miracle worker, for all the townspeople knew of the young ascetic's innate capacity for healing. At 20 he inherited a considerable fortune. He kept a pittance for himself and gave the rest away. From this time he never accepted money, though great sums were offered by many admirers. Freed from worldly attachments, he began his travels.

Teachings and travels

The Roman Empire was at the zenith of its power but a restlessness pervaded its lands. Assassination was common. Emperor followed Emperor in quick succession, for the power of the office also brought the riches of the kingdom and there were many who coveted both. The temples of the land were noted more for adornment than for devotion. Blood sacrifice was common, and the rituals of initiation had been corrupted to become empty rites of prestige.

The spirit of Christianity was embryonic. So little was Christianity known that many historians of the period fail to mention it at all. Yet many sought a truth more profound than that offered by the dominant culture. Small groups of people -- the Therapeuts, the Gymnosophists, the Essenes -- began to establish religious communities in out-of-the-way places such as deserts and forests. There they lived simple lives that revolved around the love of truth. Ancient forms of worship were followed in their original purity. Temperance and mutual regard were the rule of conduct.

To these groups Apollonius offered guidance and support. He joined in their ceremony and instructed the priests in the ways of initiation. In the large cities with their public temples, his intent was to purify the liturgy and reconsecrate the inner sanctuaries, returning the sacred sites to the spiritual discipline of their ancient traditions.

Wherever he went, he held to a regular division of the day. Mornings were spent in religious exercises and in teaching the priests and initiates the Sacred Mysteries. In the afternoon he walked among the people, healing their illnesses and instructing them in ethics and practical life. Three times a day he meditated to the Sun or to the "Lord of the World".

Damis, the disciple

In the city of Nineveh he met Damis, who became his constant companion and loyal disciple. The core of our knowledge of Apollonius comes from the faithful notebooks Damis kept of their travels. Damis never seemed to comprehend the deeper mysteries that Apollonius taught and did not attend the secret councils of the initiates. He humbly accepted his place, for he loved Apollonius and saw in him a divine being, with powers marvelous to behold. By nature he was timid, ever fearful for himself and for his Master, yet was so attached that he followed when other disciples fled. So he became a trusted servant with the joyful words: "Let us go together. Thou shalt follow God, and I thee."

These words were prophetic, for soon afterwards Apollonius determined to visit India. All of his disciples, save Damis, abandoned him, but he calmly held his intent, saying: "I must go whithersoever wisdom and my inner self may lead me. The Gods are my advisers and I can but rely on their counsels."

In those days India was considered an exotic and mysterious land. Tales were told of its inhabitants protecting their cities by bolts of lightning rather than combat. Its snow-clad mountains contained species of plants and animals elsewhere unknown. Bands of thieves roamed its vast plains, but its rulers were often holy men and sages. Damis, Apollonius, and their well-chosen guides departed to find the men the Tyanean would later describe in these words: "I saw men dwelling on the earth and yet not on it, defended on all sides, yet without defense, possessing nothing, yet having everything."

They visited the Magi, the Wise Men of Babylon, then traveled on to the priest-king Phraotes. This humble ruler who "loved peace above all things," greeted Apollonius with the words: "I look on you as superior in virtue, for of all gifts a prince can possess, I deem wisdom the brightest." Discussions of philosophy filled their days. When they parted, Phraotes gave him a troop of milk-white camels for the journey and a note to the King Iarchos.

When the band arrived at the palace of Iarchos, the ruler already knew of the letter of Phraotes, and the details of Apollonius' life. He told the party that most mortals greet a newcomer by asking questions about his life, but the priests of India greet him instead by telling him about his life. The notebooks of Damis suggest the psychic and spiritual powers of the sages -- they could tell the past and future, see events at a distance, and read the past lives of men.

Beyond this we know little of what they taught Apollonius, who was always silent in such matters. But a letter written to his hosts suggests the journey's effect: "I came to you by land and ye have given me the sea; nay, rather, by sharing with me your wisdom ye have given me power to travel through heaven. These things will I bring back to the mind of the Greeks, and I will hold converse with you as though ye were present."

Miracles and wonders

When he returned to his homeland, a new power pervaded his every deed. Word of his miracles, his brilliance, and his piety spread throughout the land. From town to town he taught from the steps of the temples. He urged the people to turn from dissipation and the cruel sports of the day, and spend their time instead in study and philosophy. He spoke of the community of goods, and the necessity of sharing with the needy. He decried the popular notion that ridiculed generosity toward the poor saying: "What else, then, have we to do, but shut ourselves up at home, like birds, to be fattened for use, and indulge our appetites in darkness till we burst with fat?"

For the poor and needy, for the sad of heart and ill of body he always had a word of compassion. Many he healed with the touch of his hands. He could gaze into a troubled soul, see its past, and offer direction. In Rome he brought to life a young girl on her way to burial. He cast out demons and could see across time and space. At Ephesus he warned the citizens of a coming plague and later rid the area of the plague itself. He knew of the burning of a temple in Rome and the assassination of the Emperor Domitian at the moment they occurred, though he was in a distant place. Great crowds would gather to hear the words of this man who could speak to the soul in a time when such voices were few.

Political activism

Apollonius was equally at home in the streets of the cities and the palaces of its rulers. Before his ascent to the throne, the Emperor Vespasian received his advice in long discussions on the philosophy of ruling. The later rulers Titus and Nerva were his friends and confidants.

About the despots of the time he was never silent, as he deemed it his duty to speak against oppression wherever he found it. In the reign of Nero he was charged with high treason, but when the charges were brought before him, they mysteriously disappeared from the parchment as it was unrolled. When Nero expelled the philosophers from Rome in 66 AD (the year of St Peter's martyrdom), Apollonius left and traveled to Spain. Damis implies that he conferred there with certain activists who later led the revolt against Nero.

Under the reign of Domitian he bravely entered a hostile Rome to defend a friend charged with treason. There he was seized and imprisoned in fetters. When a distraught Damis visited him, the teacher told him not to worry and easily removed his legs from the chains. He spent his days in prison giving hope to his fellow captives, teaching the real meaning of freedom -- the inner freedom of God's kingdom.

It had been 38 years since he visited India. His hair was gray, his face was lined, but his beauty and bearing was as attractive in age as it had been in youth. As he stood in court before all the great men of Rome, he mesmerized the crowd and calmly answered the charges against him. Domitian, who was both judge and jury, seemed entranced and confused. In a short time Apollonius was acquitted, and to the astonishment of all, disappeared from the tribunal. On the same day he was with Damis in Puteoli, a three-day journey from Rome. News of his freedom spread through the land. Few had thought that he could escape alive.

The last years of his public life were spent traveling and teaching, with Damis by his side. When he finally departed from his friend, he did so obscurely, sending him to Rome with a message for the Emperor. Damis never forgot his parting words: "Damis, whenever you think on high matters in solitary meditation, you will see me."Rumors regarding Apollonius' death abounded, although his body was never found.

History views Apollonius

Throughout the Graeco-Roman world, Apollonius was accepted as the most brilliant philosopher of the 1st century. After his disappearance, temples were erected in his honor. The Emperor Adrian made a collection of his letters. The books he wrote -- on astrology, philosophy, the life of Pythagoras -- were preserved in the great libraries of the day.

Early in the 3rd century Julia Domna, the wife of the Emperor Septimus Severus, procured the notebooks of Damis. She commissioned Philostratus, a philosopher of the time, to write a biography. This book is the only account of the teacher's life that has survived the destructions of time. It lovingly honors his place in history and describes the homage accorded him in the lands of his ministry.

By the 4th century, however, the view of Apollonius as a worker of miracles became a matter of acrimonious debate. Christianity had become an established religion and the Church Fathers had begun to accord Jesus status as "the only Son of God". Neither reincarnation nor the miracles of Apollonius had any place in their philosophy. Hereafter the theologians posited Apollonius against Jesus. They called him a charlatan, a black magician, and the anti-Christ, as if two holy ones could not walk the earth in the same era.

In more recent times the dispute continues. Most modern translators of Philostratus take a cynical view, supplementing the text with abundant footnotes ridiculing the biographer's descriptions of miraculous events. Apollonius of Tyana by G.R.S. Mead (Helena Blavatsky's personal secretary) is the only recent work that is wholly favorable to the Tyanean.

Sources: Mead, G.R.S: Apollonius of Tyana; Berwick, Edward: The Life of Apollonius of Tyana; Priaulx, Osmond De Beauvoir: The Indian Travels of Apollonius of Tyana.

 THE story preserved of the life of Apollonius contains the tale of his visit to the North of India. A precisely detailed description is given of the cities, the sites and the people; but the significance of his visit is completely overlooked.

 Truly, Apollonius of Tyana was known as a lover of distant travel. But this little explains his journeys. While still a young man he heard of the existence and the Dwelling of the Brotherhood, from one who knew and collected strange tales. He paid little regard to it. But later when he knew more and had discerned more, he recalled it and in the depths of his spirit decided to visit the North of India. He had a friend, a great scientist, who had received many degrees of initiation. And to him, Apollonius turned for advice. The old man became pensive and promised to obtain information. And thus, after one yearthe reply came. The old man addressed Apollonius:

 "My friend, happiness is truly with you. They write to me that you may prepare for your journey. In Kashmir you shall meet my friend. I deem he can give you necessary directions. Thus, prepare for your journey."

 The journey of Apollonius was long. He encountered numerous people upon his way. One of those whom he met, as though surmising Apollonius' intention, said, "I can be useful to you. He to Whom you journey is known to Me. I beg you to use my house when you shall reach ancient Gandhara." And the stranger gave Apollonius a casket.

 Apollonius never learned the name of the stranger. Reaching Taksila, Apollonius found the dwelling of the stranger, and approaching its doors knocked with the hammer. The door opened and a young Hindu invited Apollonius to enter. Only then did Apollonius recall that the name of the host was unknown to him. The doorkeeper evidently awaited. In order to explain his arrival, Apollonius showed him the casket. The doorkeeper made a gesture and let Apollonius into a room where stood a table and two arm-chairs. Shortly the door opened and into the room entered a tall man, dressed in a kaftan with the insignia of a cavalry commander. Calling himself brother to the host, and as if knowing the purpose of Apollonius' visit, he said, "My people shall accompany you to-morrow."

 In the morning, in the courtyard, Apollonius saw several warriors and horses. They set out on their journey hurrying towards the northern mountains. There the warriors left Apollonius.

IN the biography of Apollonius the tale of his passing is mutilated. But there remains the evidence of his pupil, Callicratus, concerning the last journey of the Teacher.

 Apollonius began to hear voices bidding him return to those very shores where he had once been, to the great enrichment of his spirit. Taking with him his pupil Callicratus, the Teacher, without revealing the goal of his journey, set sail at once. As they approached the Cave where the Great Teacher bestowed initiation upon the Arhats, a tall old man came forth to meet them. Long he conversed with Apollonius. Callicratus heard only the final word of the old man, "If thou hast decided to accept the chalice of Apostolate of the Teaching, do not delay."

 When the old man disappeared into the recesses of the cave, Apollonius bid Callicratus hurriedly gather much of the fragrant wood and heap it up as a couch in the cave. He also indicated to Callicratus that when he would hear a voice issuing from the vault of the cave, to ignite the wood, without glancing back; then to hasten to the shores of Greece, forgetting what had occurred.

 Thereupon the Teacher sank into seeming sleep. Callicratus sat motionless tending the fire, until late into the night, when high beneath the vault of the cave the greatly reverberant voice of the Teacher rang out:

 "And so I have not died, but I go to accept the chalice of Apostolate."

 Thereupon Callicratus fulfilled all as he was bidden; and he bade them lay this testimony with him into the grave.

Links

• The Gnosis site
• The Gnostics by By Anders Sandberg
• APOLLONIUS TYANEUS AND SIMON MAGUS