His name originates from the Greek language and means "lovely, charming" combined with the name Aphrodite. This is preceded by the Greekpreposition 'ep' which simply means 'for' thus indicating that this man was named with the intention of his life being dedicated to or for the Greek goddess Aphrodite. The Romans often gave slaves of Greek origins illustrious names from Greek mythology and culture, for example Claudius's freedman Narcissus, Nero's freedman Polyclitus and Antonia Minor's freedwoman Caenis.
Life
We do not know for certain who Epaphroditus' master was, but it is likely that he was freed by the Emperor Claudius. Because freedmen usually accepted the name of their former master, as an Imperial freedman, the official name of Epaphroditus was Tiberius Claudius Epaphroditus, to which Augusti libertus could be added. Epaphroditus was an Imperial freedman and secretary, which means that he drafted the Emperor Nero's replies to petitions. He is mentioned as apparitor Caesarum, which means that he was some sort of servant of the Imperial Family, but his duties are not mentioned. As viator tribunicius he must have served someone with the powers of a Tribune, and this can only have been the Emperor. In 65 AD, according to Tacitus, Epaphroditus learned that a group led by the senatorGaius Calpurnius Piso had organized a coup. Epaphroditus immediately reported it to the Emperor and Piso and the others were arrested. After the conspirators had been executed Epaphroditus received military honours. He was now a wealthy man and owned large gardens on the Esquiline Hill, east of the Domus Aurea, which Nero had started to construct after the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD. During the conspiracy which put an end to Nero's rule, Epaphroditus accompanied his master in his flight, and when Nero attempted to kill himself, Epaphroditus assisted him. For this service, however, he had afterwards to pay with his own life, for Domitian first banished and afterwards ordered him to be put to death because he had not exerted himself to save the life of Nero. It is likely that this execution is one of the main reasons that, about a year later, Domitian was assassinated by court officials. Epaphroditus was the owner of Epictetus of Hierapolis, a Stoic philosopher taught by Musonius Rufus. He is probably not the Epaphroditus to whom Josephus dedicated his Antiquities of the Jews, who may have been a freedman of Emperor Trajan; it is disputed whether he may have been the Epaphroditus mentioned by St. Paul in the Epistle to the Philippians in the New Testament.
