NICHOLAS OF DAMASCUS

flourished 1st century BC Greek historian and philosopher whose works included a universal history from the time of the Assyrian empire to his own days. Nicholas instructed Herod the Great in rhetoric and philosophy, and attracted the notice of Augustus when he accompanied his patron on a visit to Rome. Later, when Herod's conduct aroused the suspicions of Augustus, Nicholas was sent on a mission to bring about a reconciliation. He survived Herod and it was through his influence that the succession was secured for Herod Archelaus. Fragments of his universal history, his autobiography, and his life of Augustus have been preserved, chiefly in the extracts of Constantine Porphyrogenitus.