Aelius Aristides, a prominent orator of the imperial era (2nd century AD), represents a historical turning point with his life and work. At first glance, he embodies the main characteristics of the aristocrats of his time: significant wealth, Roman political rights, and superior (Greek) education. However, years of health problems lead him, through increasing introspection, to the agonizing search for healing, which is achieved, albeit temporarily, with the assistance of the divine element (Asclepius). The turn to the realm of religion determines his personal identity, and his life is transformed into a sequence of miraculous events (dreams, visions, apparitions, prophecies, etc.). Therefore, the sophist can be considered a precursor of Late Antiquity, a historical period in which man places his primary concern on his relationship with divinity, shaping accordingly his way of thinking and living (dedication to a supreme power, ascetic tendencies aimed at physical and mental purification, integration into distinct religious communities).