Polyaenus
2nd-century Greek author and rhetorician
- Lived
- 101–200
- Country
- Ancient Rome
Updated September 2026
About Polyaenus
Polyaenus or Polyenus was a 2nd-century Roman Macedonian author and rhetorician, known best for his Stratagems in War, which has been preserved. The Suda calls him a rhetorician, and Polyaenus himself writes that he was accustomed to plead causes before the Roman emperor. Polyaenus dedicated Stratagems in War to the two emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, while they were engaged in the Roman–Parthian War of 161–166, about 163, at which time he was too old to accompany them in their campaigns.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.