Ulpian the Grammarian (Οὐλπιανὸς ὁ Γραμματικός) was a Greek sophist and grammarian of the Roman Imperial period, active in the 2nd–3rd centuries CE. He is distinct from the jurist Ulpian. Sources identify him as a native of either Ascalon or Emesa and place him during the reign of Emperor Severus Alexander (r. 222–235 CE) [1]. His epithet and work situate him within the Second Sophistic movement, focused on Greek rhetoric and literary education.

His sole surviving work is On the Words of Demosthenes (Περὶ τῶν Δημοσθένους λέξεων), a lexicon explaining difficult vocabulary in the speeches of Demosthenes [1].

Ulpian’s significance lies in his contribution to Imperial-era philology. His lexicon exemplifies the scholarly activity of grammarians who produced reference works to aid students in mastering the classical Attic Greek central to elite paideia. The work offers insight into how Demosthenes was studied during the Roman period.

Sources 1. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics: https://oxfordre.com/classics/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-6682