Stephanus of Alexandria was a philosopher, astronomer, and teacher active in the late 6th and early 7th centuries CE. He was educated in the Neoplatonic school in Alexandria, a major center of learning in late antiquity. His career is significant because he was summoned by the Emperor Heraclius to teach in Constantinople, illustrating the deliberate transfer of Greek scholarship from Alexandria to the new imperial capital. This appointment, supported by a public salary, occurred during a period of major political crisis, highlighting the continued value placed on classical education in the early Byzantine world.

His most securely attributed works are commentaries on Aristotle’s logical and psychological writings, such as On Interpretation and On the Soul. These works represent the final phase of the ancient commentary tradition. A treatise on the astrolabe is also attributed to him, reflecting the mathematical interests of his school. However, various alchemical texts circulated under his name are considered doubtful by modern scholars and are likely not his work. The precise details of his life are debated; some sources identify him with a figure called Stephanus of Athens, though this is not universally accepted.

According to scholars, Stephanus’s primary importance lies in his role as a bridge between late antique and Byzantine culture. By teaching the standard Greek curriculum in Constantinople under imperial patronage, he helped ensure the preservation and transmission of classical philosophy and science into the Middle Ages.