Aulus, a celebrated Roman, who flourished under Antoninus Pius, A.D. 140, and died about the beginning of the reign of Marcus Aurelius. Of his private history we can only collect a few facts. He was the disciple of Fronto and Sulpicius Apollinaris; and as it was still the custom in his time for the young nobility to complete their education at Athens, it appears that Gellius proceeded to that city, and studied philosophy under Taurus and Peregrinus Proteus. On his return to Rome he attended the philosopher Favorinus, many of whose maxims he has transmitted to us. He is known to us particularly for a work entitled Noctes Atticae, in twenty books, which he composed principally whilst residing on a small property belonging to him near Athens. It is still complete, with the exception of the eighth book. It consists of a number of extracts, which the author had made in the perusal of Greek and Latin authors, formed into a collection without our being able to perceive any particular connection or methodic arrangement. It is, however, of great value, as it furnishes us with many curious facts respecting the language, history, and antiquities of the ancients, as well as with numerous fragments of earlier writers now entirely lost, by which we are enabled to clear up many obscure points in ancient history. His style has been too highly commended by some, and decried by others. It is frequently careless, and there is a fondness displayed for obsolete expressions, those particularly used by the older comic writers, which gives it an air of affectation. Editions: Editio princeps ex recens. Jo. Andreae Rom. 1469, 1472; ed. cum not. et emend. Gronov. Lugd. Bat. 1687; Biponti, 1784; ed. A. Lion. Götting. 1824. (See Steinbrenner; Erzalungen nach Aulus Gellius, Zerbst, 1829.)