Fake Apostles and Real Christianity: Exploring the ‘Pseudo-’ in the Pseudo-Dionysios
We return to the many theories – some ancient, some modern – as to the true identity of the writer known as Dionysios the Areopagite. Things get very esoteric.
Podcast Episodes Themed "Proclus"
Unsaying the Divine Darkness: Exploring Dionysian Apophasis and Mysticism
We dive further (or is that climb higher?) into the divine darkness and what can(not) be said about it. Much of what can be said comes from Proclus, it turns out, but then the Pseudo-Dionysios takes it to the next level. Or does he?
Episode 197: Naming Divine Nothingness: Introducing the Pseudo-Dionysios
Into the divine darkness of a hyper-non-existent god walks the Pseudo-Dionysios. In this episode we join many esoteric currents from the antique and late-antique past into a new synthesis which will forever shape western esotericism going forward.
Episode 196: One Empire, Many Names: Reading “Byzantium” with Anthony Kaldellis
We are delighted to speak with Anthony Kaldellis about ‘Byzantium’, fabled empire full of Greek-speaking Romans which never fell until the fifteenth century, and which plays an outsize role in the history of western esotericism. Come for the historiographical debates about the term ‘Byzantine’, stay for the ‘Byzantine’ court astrology.
Michæl Griffin on the Higher Virtues in Late Platonism
Plotinus said that our task is not to be good, but to be god. In this interview we explore what that meant to later Platonists, from Iamblichus to Olympiodorus and taking in a host of thinkers in-between. The answer given is apophatic, but we also learn that divinisation may be closer than we suspect.
Episode 195: Contested Esotericisms at the End of Antiquity: Simplicius, Philoponus, and Olympiodorus
We discuss three of the most important thinkers from the final generations of philosophical teaching at Alexandria. One is an upstart Christian. Two are esoteric Platonists of the Golden Chain. One may or may not have been an alchemist.
Episode 194: The Last Platonists? Philosophic Teaching, Christianity, and Polytheism in Late-Antique Alexandria
We discuss how Platonist philosophical teaching played out at Alexandria before Justinian's edict of 529 and in its aftermath. Featuring cameo appearances from the fall of the western Roman empire and Horapollo's Hieroglyphika.
Storytime: Reading Damascius’ Philosophic History, Part III: The Breaking of the Golden Chain
We follow Damascius' tale from the final flowering of the Golden Chain at Athens in the 470's through a decline and fall of philosophic teaching at Alexandria, and chaos at Athens following the death of Proclus. Our book ends in disjointed fragments, which is weirdly appropriate.
Storytime: Reading Damascius’ Philosophic History, Part II: Theurgy and Philosophy at Late-Antique Athens and Alexandria
We begin our read-through, exploring the philosophic and religious cultures at Athens and Alexandria from the days of Hypatia down to the height of Proclus' career. Come for the prosopography of many extraordinary religious and philosophical characters of late antiquity, stay for Isidore's theurgic bird-imitations.
Storytime: Reading Damascius’ Philosophic History, Part I: Text, Context, and Themes
In the first part of a Storytime read-through of Damascius' great, gossipy account of the late-Platonist life, we come to grips with the messy text as it survives, and discuss some main themes of this fascinating, fragmentary work.
Episode 193: All from Nothing: Sara Rappe on Damascius
We discuss the great Damascius, final scholarch of the Athenian Academy, with Sara Rappe. Things become very apophatic.
Episode 192: Hagia Sophia and the Problem of ‘Esoteric Architecture’
We discuss Justinian's great church, Hagia Sophia, the gem of Constantinople and of Orthodox Christianity. We then look at a number of theories out there which read Hagia Sophia as encoding esoteric messages beneath her Orthodox exterior, and use this case-study as a springboard for discussing the thorny problems involved in interpreting architecture, especially esoteric architecture.
Episode 190: Edward Watts on the Age of Justinian and the Closing of the Athenian Academy
We discuss the life, times, and reign of Justinian, ‘probably the most consequential Roman emperor, at least since Constantine, and maybe since Augustus.’ He transformed the empire; nothing would be the same after his reign. Said reign also saw the closure of the Athenian academy and a number of crucial crises within Christianity, all of which are essential for the history of western esotericism.
Robbert van den Berg on Proclus’ Hymns
Porphyry wrote hymns, Julian wrote hymns, but Proclus' hymns are special in the canon of ancient Platonism. Robbert van den Berg is our guide in discussing Proclus' surviving texts in their general late-antique and specific theurgic contexts.
Episode 189: Danielle Layne on Proclus’ Religious Life and Thought
We are delighted to discuss what you might call Proclean spirituality with Danielle Layne. Platonic prayer as a way of living, the erotic quest for the Good, and the ever-elusive Platonic Dyad feature in a wide-ranging conversation combining proper philosophical-historical rigour with the true love of wisdom.
Episode 188: Graeme Miles on Proclus the Commentator
We discuss Proclus' titanic labours in the field of commentary – on many Platonic dialogues, but also on the Chaldæan Oracles, the Homeric poems, and a number of other texts – with Graeme Miles, an acute reader of Platonist philosophy and part of the team translating Proclus' Republic commentary into English. Come for Platonic commentary as spiritual practice, stay for the kosmic-astrological reading of the Myth of Er.
Episode 187: The Esoteric Proclus, Part II: Esoteric Exegesis and the Occult Ontology of Language
We enter the interconnected webwork of a reality where signs are things, things are signs, and everything means everything, but appropriately. Come for the visionary semiotics, stay for the occult sigils.
Stephen Rego on the Nous in Proclus, Part II: Metaphysics and Myth
We enter into the dynamic architecture of Proclus' noētos kosmos, a non-spatial place where all of reality unfolds triadically through gods and goddesses, metaphysics and myth working in exquisite harmony.
Stephen Rego on the Nous in Proclus, Part I: Exegesis
We begin to explore the radiant, interconnected world of divine triads that is Proclus' noētos kosmos with Stephen Rego. Before approaching the metaphysics, we explore what Proclus takes to be the traditional canon of texts and ideas which tell us about the nous, the ways in which this canon is expressed esoterically, and how to read it.
Edward Butler on Proclus, Part II: On (the Metaphysics of) Polytheism and Monotheism
We discuss further with Dr Butler, looking at polytheism, monotheism, and some of the metaphysics underlying both options.
