Ammonius Hermiae (; grc-gre, Ἀμμώνιος ὁ Ἑρμείου, Ammōnios ho Hermeiou, Ammonius, son of Hermias; – between 517 and 526) was a

Greek philosopher Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BC, marking the end of the Greek Dark Ages. Greek philosophy continued throughout the Hellenistic period and the period in which Greece and most Greek-inhabited lands were part of the Roman Empire ...

from

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

in the

eastern Roman empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

during

Late Antiquity Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English h ...

. A

Neoplatonist Neoplatonism is a strand of Platonic philosophy that emerged in the 3rd century AD against the background of Hellenistic philosophy and religion. The term does not encapsulate a set of ideas as much as a chain of thinkers. But there are some id ...

, he was the son of the philosophers Hermias and

Aedesia Aedesia ( grc-gre, Αἰδεσία) was a philosopher of the Neoplatonic school who lived in Alexandria in the fifth century AD. She was a relation of Syrianus and the wife of Hermias, and was equally celebrated for her beauty and her virtues. ...

, the brother of

Heliodorus of Alexandria Heliodorus of Alexandria ( el, Ἡλιόδωρος) was a Neoplatonist philosopher who lived in the 5th century AD. He was the son of Hermias and Aedesia, and the younger brother of Ammonius. His father, Hermias, died when he was young, and his mo ...

and the grandson of

Syrianus Syrianus ( grc, Συριανός, ''Syrianos''; died c. 437 A.D.) was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, and head of Plato's Academy in Athens, succeeding his teacher Plutarch of Athens in 431/432 A.D. He is important as the teacher of Proclus, and ...

. Ammonius was a pupil of

Proclus Proclus Lycius (; 8 February 412 – 17 April 485), called Proclus the Successor ( grc-gre, Πρόκλος ὁ Διάδοχος, ''Próklos ho Diádokhos''), was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, one of the last major classical philosophers ...

Roman Athens Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

, and taught at Alexandria for most of his life, having obtained a public

chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

in the 470s. According to Olympiodorus of Thebes's ''Commentaries'' on Plato's ''Gorgias'' and ''

Phaedo ''Phædo'' or ''Phaedo'' (; el, Φαίδων, ''Phaidōn'' ), also known to ancient readers as ''On The Soul'', is one of the best-known dialogues of Plato's middle period, along with the ''Republic'' and the ''Symposium.'' The philosophical s ...

'' texts, Ammonius gave lectures on the works of Plato, Aristotle, and

Porphyry of Tyre Porphyry of Tyre (; grc-gre, Πορφύριος, ''Porphýrios''; ar, فُرْفُورِيُوس, ''Furfūriyūs''; – ) was a Neoplatonic philosopher born in Tyre, Roman Phoenicia during Roman rule. He edited and published ''The Enneads'' ...

, and wrote commentaries on Aristotelian works and three lost commentaries on Platonic texts. He is also the author of a text on the

astrolabe An astrolabe ( grc, ἀστρολάβος ; ar, ٱلأَسْطُرلاب ; persian, ستاره‌یاب ) is an ancient astronomical instrument that was a handheld model of the universe. Its various functions also make it an elaborate inclin ...

published in the ''

Catalogus Codicum Astrologorum Graecorum ''Catalogus Codicum Astrologorum Graecorum'' (''CCAG'') is a 12-volume (including appendices) catalogue of astrological writings in Greek. The ''CCAG'' edited, described, and excerpted from texts found in libraries throughout Europe, most edited ...

'', and lectured on

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galax ...

and

geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is ...

. Ammonius taught numerous

Neoplatonists Neoplatonism is a strand of Platonic philosophy that emerged in the 3rd century AD against the background of Hellenistic philosophy and religion. The term does not encapsulate a set of ideas as much as a chain of thinkers. But there are some id ...

, including

Damascius Damascius (; grc-gre, Δαμάσκιος, 458 – after 538), known as "the last of the Athenian Neoplatonists," was the last scholarch of the neoplatonic Athenian school. He was one of the neoplatonic philosophers who left Athens after law ...

Olympiodorus of Thebes Olympiodorus of Thebes ( grc-gre, Ὀλυμπιόδωρος ὁ Θηβαῖος; born c. 380, fl. c. 412–425 AD) was a Roman historian, poet, philosopher and diplomat of the early fifth century. He produced a ''History'' in twenty-two volumes, wr ...

John Philoponus John Philoponus (Greek: ; ; c. 490 – c. 570), also known as John the Grammarian or John of Alexandria, was a Byzantine Greek philologist, Aristotelian commentator, Christian theologian and an author of a considerable number of philosophical tre ...

Simplicius of Cilicia Simplicius of Cilicia (; el, Σιμπλίκιος ὁ Κίλιξ; c. 490 – c. 560 AD) was a disciple of Ammonius Hermiae and Damascius, and was one of the last of the Neoplatonists. He was among the pagan philosophers persecuted by Justinian i ...

, and Asclepius of Tralles. Also among his pupils were the physician

Gessius of Petra Gessius of Petra (Greek: Γέσιος, ''Gesios'')''Suda Online''Γ 486/ref> was a physician, iatrosophist and pagan philosopher active in Alexandria in the late 5th and early 6th century.Edward J. Watts"The Enduring Legacy of the Iatrosophist Gess ...

and the

ecclesiastical historian __NOTOC__ Church history or ecclesiastical history as an academic discipline studies the history of Christianity and the way the Christian Church has developed since its inception. Henry Melvill Gwatkin defined church history as "the spiritual ...

Zacharias Rhetor Zacharias of Mytilene (c. 465, Gaza – after 536), also known as Zacharias Scholasticus or Zacharias Rhetor, was a bishop and ecclesiastical historian. Life The life of Zacharias of Mytilene can be reconstructed only from a few scattered repo ...

, who became the

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Mytilene Mytilene (; el, Μυτιλήνη, Mytilíni ; tr, Midilli) is the capital of the Greek island of Lesbos, and its port. It is also the capital and administrative center of the North Aegean Region, and hosts the headquarters of the University of ...

. As part of the

persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire Persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire began during the reign of Constantine the Great (306–337) in the military colony of Aelia Capitolina (Jerusalem), when he destroyed a pagan temple for the purpose of constructing a Christian church ...

, the Alexandrian school was investigated by the Roman imperial authorities; Ammonius made a compromise with the

Patriarch of Alexandria The Patriarch of Alexandria is the archbishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Historically, this office has included the designation "pope" (etymologically "Father", like "Abbot"). The Alexandrian episcopate was revered as one of the three major episco ...

, Peter III, voluntarily limiting his teaching in return for keeping his own position. This alienated a number of his colleagues and pupils, including Damascius, who nonetheless called him "the greatest commentator who ever lived" in his own ''Life of

Isidore of Alexandria Isidore of Alexandria (; also Isidorus ; el, Ἰσίδωρος ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς; ) was a GreekEncyclopædia BritannicaIsidore of Alexandria (Greek philosopher)/ref> philosopher and one of the last of the Neoplatonists. He lived in Ath ...

''.

Life

Ammonius' father Hermias died when he was a child, and his mother Aedesia raised him and his brother Heliodorus in Alexandria. When they reached adulthood, Aedesia accompanied her sons to Athens where they studied under

. Eventually, they returned to Alexandria where Ammonius, as head of the Neoplatonist school in the city, lectured on

Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, wikt:Πλάτων, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greeks, Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical Greece, Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thou ...

and Aristotle for the rest of his life. According to Damascius, during the persecution of the

pagans Pagans may refer to: * Paganism, a group of pre-Christian religions practiced in the Roman Empire * Modern Paganism, a group of contemporary religious practices * Order of the Vine, a druidic faction in the ''Thief'' video game series * Pagan's M ...

at Alexandria in the late 480s, Ammonius made concessions to the Christian authorities so that he could continue his lectures. Damascius, who scolds Ammonius for the agreement that he made, does not say what the concessions were, but it may have involved limitations on the doctrines he could teach or promote. He was still teaching in 515; Olympiodorus heard him lecture on Plato's ''Gorgias'' in that year. He was also an accomplished astronomer; he lectured on

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

and is known to have written a treatise on the

Writings

Of his reputedly numerous writings, only his commentary on Aristotle's ''De Interpretatione'' survives intact. A commentary on Porphyry's ''

Isagoge The ''Isagoge'' ( el, Εἰσαγωγή, ''Eisagōgḗ''; ) or "Introduction" to Aristotle's "Categories", written by Porphyry in Greek and translated into Latin by Boethius, was the standard textbook on logic for at least a millennium after his ...

'' may also be his, but it is somewhat corrupt and contains later interpolations. In ''De Interpretatione'', Ammonius contends that divine foreknowledge makes void the contingent. Like

Boethius Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, commonly known as Boethius (; Latin: ''Boetius''; 480 – 524 AD), was a Roman senator, consul, ''magister officiorum'', historian, and philosopher of the Early Middle Ages. He was a central figure in the tra ...

in his second ''Commentary'' and in ''

The Consolation of Philosophy ''On the Consolation of Philosophy'' ('' la, De consolatione philosophiae'')'','' often titled as ''The Consolation of Philosophy'' or simply the ''Consolation,'' is a philosophical work by the Roman statesman Boethius. Written in 523 while he ...

,'' this argument maintains the effectiveness of prayer. Ammonius cites

Iamblichus Iamblichus (; grc-gre, Ἰάμβλιχος ; Aramaic: 𐡉𐡌𐡋𐡊𐡅 ''Yamlīḵū''; ) was a Syrian neoplatonic philosopher of Arabic origin. He determined a direction later taken by neoplatonism. Iamblichus was also the biographer of ...

, who said "knowledge is intermediate between the knower and the known, since it is the activity of the knower concerning the known." In addition, there are some notes of Ammonius' lectures written by various students which also survive: *On Aristotle's ''Categories'' (anonymous writer) *On Aristotle's ''Prior Analytics I'' (anonymous writer) *On Aristotle's ''Metaphysics 1–7'' (written by

Asclepius Asclepius (; grc-gre, Ἀσκληπιός ''Asklēpiós'' ; la, Aesculapius) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis, or Arsinoe, or of Apollo alone. Asclepius represen ...

) *On

Nicomachus Nicomachus of Gerasa ( grc-gre, Νικόμαχος; c. 60 – c. 120 AD) was an important ancient mathematician and music theorist, best known for his works ''Introduction to Arithmetic'' and '' Manual of Harmonics'' in Greek. He was born i ...

' ''Introduction to Arithmetic'' (written by Asclepius) *On Aristotle's ''Prior Analytics'' (written by

) *On Aristotle's ''Posterior Analytics'' (written by John Philoponus) *On Aristotle's ''On Generation and Corruption'' (written by John Philoponus) *On Aristotle's ''On the Soul'' (written by John Philoponus) There is Greek-language work called ''Life of Aristotle'', which is usually ascribed to Ammonius, but "is more probable that it is the work of Joannes Philoponus, the pupil of Ammonius, to whom it is ascribed in some MSS."

Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (SDUK) was founded in London in 1826, mainly at the instigation of Whig MP Henry Brougham, with the object of publishing information to people who were unable to obtain formal teaching or who pr ...

''The biographical dictionary of the Society for the diffusion of useful knowledge'', Volume 2, Part 2
Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1843, p. 487.

English translations

*''Ammonius: On Aristotle Categories'', translated by S. M. Cohen and G. B. Matthews. London and Ithaca 1992. *''Ammonius: On Aristotle's On Interpretation 1–8'', translated by D. Blank. London and Ithaca 1996. *''Ammonius: On Aristotle's On Interpretation 9, with Boethius: On Aristotle's On Interpretation 9'', translated by D. Blank (Ammonius) and N. Kretzmann (Boethius). London and Ithaca 1998 *''John Philoponus: On Aristotle On Coming-to-be and Perishing 1.1–5'', translated by C. J. F. Williams. London and Ithaca 1999 *''John Philoponus: On Aristotle On Coming-to-be and Perishing 1.6–2.4'', translated by C. J. F. Williams. London and Ithaca 1999. *''John Philoponus: On Aristotle On the Soul 2.1–6'', translated by W. Charlton. London and Ithaca 2005 *''John Philoponus: On Aristotle On the Soul 2.7–12'', translated by W. Charlton. London and Ithaca 2005 *''John Philoponus: On Aristotle On the Soul 3.1–8'', translated by W. Charlton. London and Ithaca 2000 *''John Philoponus: On Aristotle On the Intellect (de Anima 3.4–8)'', translated by W. Charlton. London and Ithaca 1991.

Notes

References

* Andron, Cosmin. "Ammonios of Alexandria
''The Routledge Encyclopedia of Ancient Natural Scientists''
eds. Georgia Irby-Massie and Paul T. Keyser, New York: Routledge, 2008. * Jones, A., Martindale, J., Morris, J. ''The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992, pages 71–72. * Karamanolis, George E. ''Plato and Aristotle in agreement? : Platonists on Aristotle from Antiochus to Porphyry'', New York : Oxford University Press, 2006. * * Seel, Gerhard (ed.), ''Ammonius and the Seabattle. Texts, Commentary, and Essays'', in collaboration with Jean-Pierre Schneider and Daniel Schulthess ; Ammonius on Aristotle: De interpretatione 9 (and 7, 1–17) Greek text established by A. Busse, philosophical commentary by Gerhard Seel; essays by Mario Mignucci and Gerhard Seel, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2001. * Sorabji, Richard. ''The Philosophy of the Commentators, 200–600 AD. A Sourcebook'', Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2005. * Verrycken, Koenraad. ''The Metaphysics of Ammonius son of Hermias'', in Richard Sorabji (ed.), ''Aristotle Transformed. The Ancient Commentators and their Influence'', Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1990, p. 199-231.

External links

* *''

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