Alexander The Paphlagonian

Alexander The Paphlagonian (born 2nd century ad) was a celebrated impostor and worker of false oracles. The only account of his career occurs in an exposé by Lucian, whose investigations of Alexander’s frauds led to a serious attempt on the writer’s life. Alexander established an oracle of Asclepius (the Greek god of healing) at his native town by staging a “rebirth” of the god in the form of a snake, which he called Glycon. He...