German historian noted for his comprehensive survey of Roman social and cultural history.

Friedländer studied at the University of Leipzig, where, under the influence of Theodor Mommsen and Jacob Burckhardt, he developed an interest in the history of civilization. After a period of work on Greek culture in 1847 and a trip to Italy in 1853–54, he taught philology and archaeology and worked on his masterpiece, the Darstellungen aus der Sittengeschichte Roms, 3 vol. (1864–71; “Representations from Roman Cultural History”), a detailed and vivid portrait of the social life, customs, art, and manners of the first two centuries of the Roman Empire. The work remains one of the most complete surveys of Roman life and society.