Tyrannion of Amisus was a Greek grammarian and scholar active in the 1st century BCE. Originally from the city of Amisus on the Black Sea, he was taken to Rome as a prisoner, likely during the Roman military campaigns of the 60s BCE. In Rome, his intellectual skills were recognized, he was freed, and he became a teacher. One of his notable pupils was the geographer Strabo.
His most significant contribution was his work on the library of the philosopher Aristotle. According to ancient accounts, Aristotle's personal library was brought to Rome after the sack of Athens in 86 BCE. Tyrannion, as a grammarian, was given access to these texts. He arranged the collection and created a catalogue. This organizational work was a crucial preliminary step for later scholars.
Modern scholars emphasize that Tyrannion’s curation provided the essential materials for the philosopher Andronicus of Rhodes, who then produced a systematic edition of Aristotle's works. Tyrannion therefore played a vital, though indirect, role in preserving and shaping the Aristotelian corpus that has come down to us. His career also exemplifies the transfer of Greek learning and scholarly expertise to Rome during the late Republican period.
No specific treatises authored by Tyrannion survive today, and the sources do not list any titles. His legacy rests entirely on his documented role as an archivist and organizer of one of the ancient world's most important philosophical libraries.
Available Works
Sources
- Stanford Encyclopedia Entry (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Accessed: 2026-01-26
- Perseus Entry (Perseus Digital Library) Accessed: 2026-01-26
- Britannica Entry (Encyclopædia Britannica) Accessed: 2026-01-26