Longinus (;
Longinos) is the conventional name of the author of the treatise
On the Sublime (
Perì hýpsous), a work which focuses on the effect of good writing. Longinus, sometimes referred to as
Pseudo-Longinus because his real name is unknown, was a Greek teacher of
rhetoric or a literary critic who may have lived in the 1st or 3rd century AD. Longinus is known only for
On the Sublime. Longinus was greatly influenced by the large amount of traveling he completed in his youth. He journeyed to countless cities such as Athens, Rome and Alexandria. While on these trips, he attended lectures about philosophy, undoubtedly shaping his own beliefs. One of Longinus’ favorite philosophers was Plato.