BALLENUS. This name is applied to Apollonios of Tyana, born c. 4 B.C. or at the beginning of the Christian Era. He was a Neo-Pythagorean philosopher, and The Secret of Creation was attributed to him. In that work, the author's name is given as Tunaya, transliterated as Tyana. Philostratus wrote his Life of Apollonios of Tyana c. A.D. 216. Apollonios was supposed to have been a disciple of Hermes Trismegistus and was regarded as a magician during the medieval period. The sage Belinous (that is, Apollonios) was said to have discovered a book containing all the secrets of the universe under a statue of the great Hermes.

Ballenus appears with the magicians, HF III.1273. Langlois points out that the name occurs twice in Renart le Contrefait, 315-316, 25207-25208, meaning "magic" as well as "magician."

The name, possibly a variant of OF Balenuz, RR 14399, occurs in final rhyming position.