Heliodorus

Heliodorus is a classical name associated with several figures in ancient history and literature. The best-known reference in biblical literature is Heliodorus, an official of King Seleucus IV in the 2nd century BCE, who is described in the deuterocanonical Book of 2 Maccabees as being sent to confiscate the treasury of the Jerusalem temple. According to the account, his attempt is thwarted by divine intervention, and he is later punished for extortion. The episode is cited in Jewish and Christian traditions as illustrating corruption and the protection of sacred spaces.

A distinct figure is Heliodorus of Emesa, an ancient Greek writer active in the 2nd or 3rd century CE, best known as the author of the romantic novel The Aethiopica, also titled The Ethiopian Story. The work follows the adventures and romance of Chariclea and Theagenes across exotic settings, and it is regarded as one of the earliest long-form novels in Western literature. The Aethiopica helped shape later Byzantine and medieval romance narratives and remains a major source for the study of ancient Greek prose fiction.

Because the name appears in multiple antiquarian sources, Heliodorus can refer to other minor persons as well; however, the two figures described above are the best-attested. Biographical details for Heliodorus of Emesa are uncertain, and scholarly dating varies.