Podcast episode

September 18, 2024

Episode 194: The Last Platonists? Philosophic Teaching, Christianity, and Polytheism in Late-Antique Alexandria

What was going on at Alexandria, the other great centre of polytheist Platonist teaching, while the events at Athens we have been discussing in recent episodes were playing out? In this episode we find out (with digressions!).

Works Cited in this Episode:

All citations from Damascius’ Philosophic History are from Polymnia Athanassiadi, ed. and trans. Damascius. The Philosophical History: Text with Translation and Notes. Apameia, 1999. Citations of the Life of Severus by Zacharias Scholastikos come from M.A. Kugener, editor. Zacharie le Scholastique, Vie de Sévère. Number II.1.6 in Patrologia Orientalis. Brepols, Turnhout, 1993; references to the dialogue Ammonios are to M. Minniti Colonna, editor. Zacaria Scolastico. Ammonio. Introduzione, testo critico, traduzione, commentario. La buona stampa, Naples, 1973 = PG 85, Ammonius sive de mundi opificio disputatio.

Primary:

Damascius, Philosophic History:

• on Theosebeios, student of Hierocles, and the exorcism he performed: 46B: ‘But as the demon could not be persuaded by gentle words to leave the woman, Theosebius forced him out by an exorcism, though he understood nothing of magic nor had he ever studied theurgy. He exorcised him by invoking the rays of Helios and the god of the Jews; and the demon was driven away shouting that he feared the gods, but also felt awe towards him [Theosebius].’;
• on Hermeias: fr. 54;
• on Ædeseia: fr. 56;
• on the inquisition of Nikomedes: fr. 117:
• on Ammonius’ greedy, turncoat nature: fr. 118B;
• Christians destroy an Isis-shrine: fr. 74, cf. 53B.

Justinian’s extant anti-polytheist laws: Cod. Iust. 1.11.9 and 1.11.10. The latter explicitly denies ‘pagans’ the right to teach.

See the Suda, Omega 159, on the two Horapollons.

Zacharias Scholastikos: Paralios disses Isis and is beat up by polytheist philosophers: VS 22-24. Christians destroy an Isis-shrine:VS 27-29.

Secondary:

Athanassiadi 1999, cited above; we cite pp. 20-24.

Philipe Hoffman. Un grief antichrétien chez Proclus : l’ignorance en théologie. In A. Perrot, editor, Les Chrétiens et l’hellénisme: Identités religieuses et culture grecque dans l’antiquité tardive, pages 161–97. Éditions de l’ENS, 2012.

Henri Dominique Saffrey. Le chrétien Jean Philopon et la survivance de l’école d’Alexandrie. Revue des études grecques, 67:396410, 1954.

Edward J. Watts. City and School in Late Antique Athens and Alexandria. University of California Press, Berkeley/Los Angeles, CA/London, 2006. We quote p. 216.

Leendert Gerrit Westerink. Introduction. In Anonymous Prolegomena to Platonic Philosophy, number 5 in Platonic Texts and Translations, pages i-xlii. The Prometheus Trust, King’s Lynn, 2011 [for arguments regarding Eutokios’ succession after Ammonios, see p. xiii].

Recommended Reading:

SHWEP Episode 194 and 195 Recommended Reading

A chart of the Athenian and Alexandrian schools in late antiquity.

Themes

Ammonios Hermeiou, Christianity, Egypt, Horapollo, John Philoponus, Late Antiquity, Late Platonism, Monophysitism, Olympiodorus, Polytheism, Proclus, Simplicius