▁and ▁historian ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁second ▁and ▁early ▁third ▁centuries . ▁He ▁is ▁important ▁chief ly ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁influence ▁on ▁E use b ius , ▁on ▁all ▁the ▁later ▁writers ▁of ▁Church ▁history ▁among ▁the ▁Church ▁F athers , ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁whole ▁Greek ▁school ▁of ▁chron ic lers . ▁ ▁Biography ▁The ▁Su idas ▁claims ▁African us ▁was ▁a ▁" Lib yan ▁phil os opher ", ▁while ▁Gel zer ▁cons iders ▁him ▁of ▁Roman ▁descent . ▁Julius ▁called ▁himself ▁a ▁native ▁of ▁Jerusalem ▁– ▁which ▁some ▁sch ol ars ▁consider ▁his ▁birth place ▁– ▁and ▁lived ▁at ▁the ▁neighbour ing ▁Emma us . ▁His ▁chron icle ▁indicates ▁his ▁familiar ity ▁with ▁the ▁top ography ▁of ▁historic ▁J ude a . ▁ ▁Little ▁of ▁African us ' s ▁life ▁is ▁known ▁and ▁all ▁dates ▁are ▁uncertain . ▁One ▁tradition ▁places ▁him ▁under ▁the ▁Emperor ▁G ord ian us ▁III ▁( 2 3 8 – 2 4 4 ), ▁others ▁mentions ▁him ▁under ▁Sever us ▁Alexander ▁( 2 2 2 – 2 3 5 ). ▁He ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁known ▁Ab gar ▁VIII .( 1 7 6 – 2 1 3 ). ▁ ▁African us ▁may ▁have ▁served ▁under ▁Sept im ius ▁Sever us ▁against ▁the ▁Os rho en ians ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 . ▁He ▁went ▁on ▁an ▁emb ass y ▁to ▁the ▁em peror ▁Sever us ▁Alexander ▁to ▁ask ▁for ▁the ▁rest oration ▁of ▁Emma us , ▁which ▁had ▁fallen ▁into ▁ru ins . ▁His ▁mission ▁succeeded , ▁and ▁Emma