Choricius the Sophist of Gaza (Χορίκιος ὁ Γαζαῖος)

Life Choricius of Gaza was a Greek sophist and rhetorician active in the early sixth century CE. A native of Gaza, he was a student of Procopius of Gaza and succeeded him as the city’s leading public orator [1][2]. His career flourished under the patronage of Bishop Marcian and the provincial governor Aratius, for whom he delivered several speeches, during the reigns of emperors Anastasius I and Justin I [1][3]. His work reflects the synthesis of classical paideia and Christianity characteristic of Gaza’s late antique cultural milieu.

Works His corpus consists of orations and declamations. These include short introductory speeches (Dialexeis), marriage speeches (Epithalamia), and funeral orations (Epitaphioi) for his teacher Procopius and Bishop Marcian [1][2]. He also composed panegyrics and declamations (Meletai) on mythological themes [1][2]. Particularly notable are two detailed ekphraseis (descriptions): one of the paintings in the bath of Aratius, and another of the church of St. Stephen in Gaza [1][2][3].

Significance Choricius represents the final phase of the "Second Sophistic" in the Christian East. His works provide valuable insight into the social and intellectual life of a sixth-century provincial city, demonstrating the adaptation of classical rhetoric for Christian contexts [1][2]. His ekphraseis are important literary records of now-lost art and architecture [1][3].

Sources 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Stanford University): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/byzantine-philosophy/#ChrPhiEra 2. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics (Oxford University Press): https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-1603 3. World History Encyclopedia: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1803/the-school-of-gaza/