Dion Chrysostomus (the golden-mouthed), a Greek rhetorician, born in Prusa, Bithynia, about the middle of the 1st century, died in Rome about 117. In the practice of his art at Rome he incurred the hostility of the emperor Domitian, and in consequence of a decree of the senate he was obliged to flee from Italy. In the habit of a beggar, with Plato's "Phaedon" and Demosthenes's "Oration on the Embassy" in his pocket, he wandered through Thrace and the countries bordering on the lower Danube, and on receiving intelligence of the death of Domitian (96) used his influence and his oratorical powers with the army stationed on that frontier in favor of Nerva. It is probable that he returned to Rome on the accession of this emperor, from whom as well as from his successor Trajan he received tokens of marked kindness. He was an essayist rather than an orator, and his writings are distinguished for elegance of style. Of his orations 80 are extant. There is a very good critical edition of them by Reiske (2 vols. 8vo, Leipsic, 1784).