Philostratus
The biographer of the sophists
b. fl. c. 3rd century AD
Philostratus the Lemnian, sometimes identified as Philostratus II, was a Greek sophist probably active in the early third century AD. He was related to — and often confused with — Flavius Philostratus the Athenian, the more famous member of the family.
His Imagines consists of two books of ekphrases — rhetorical descriptions of paintings — in the tradition that his relative had established. The descriptions cover mythological and genre scenes and are exercises in making the reader see through the power of words alone. The literary quality is high, and the descriptions provide valuable evidence for ancient painting.