Eunapius ( el, Εὐνάπιος; fl. 4th–5th century AD) was a
Greek sophist
A sophist ( el, σοφιστής, sophistes) was a teacher in ancient Greece in the fifth and fourth centuries BC. Sophists specialized in one or more subject areas, such as philosophy, rhetoric, music, athletics, and mathematics. They taught ...
and
historian of the 4th century AD. His principal surviving work is the ''Lives of Philosophers and Sophists'' ( grc-gre, Βίοι Φιλοσόφων καὶ Σοφιστῶν; la, Vitae sophistarum), a collection of the biographies of 23
philosophers and sophists.
Life
He was born at
Sardis
Sardis () or Sardes (; Lydian: 𐤳𐤱𐤠𐤭𐤣 ''Sfard''; el, Σάρδεις ''Sardeis''; peo, Sparda; hbo, ספרד ''Sfarad'') was an ancient city at the location of modern ''Sart'' (Sartmahmut before 19 October 2005), near Salihli, ...
, AD 347. In his native city he studied under his relative, the
sophist
A sophist ( el, σοφιστής, sophistes) was a teacher in ancient Greece in the fifth and fourth centuries BC. Sophists specialized in one or more subject areas, such as philosophy, rhetoric, music, athletics, and mathematics. They taught ...
Chrysanthius
Chrysanthius of Sardis ( grc-gre, Χρυσάνθιος) was a Greek philosopher of the 4th century AD who studied at the school of Iamblichus.
He was one of the favorite pupils of Aedesius, and devoted himself mainly to the mystical side of Neopla ...
, and while still a youth went to
Athens, where he became a favourite pupil of
Prohaeresius
Prohaeresius (, ''Parouyr''; el, Προαιρέσιος, ''Prohairesios''; c. 276 – c. 368) was a fourth-century Armenian Christian teacher and rhetorician originally from Caesarea who taught in Athens. He was one of the leading sophists of th ...
the
rhetorician. He possessed considerable knowledge of medicine.
In his later years he seems to have lived at
Athens, teaching
rhetoric. He was initiated into the
Eleusinian Mysteries
The Eleusinian Mysteries ( el, Ἐλευσίνια Μυστήρια, Eleusínia Mystḗria) were initiations held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone based at the Panhellenic Sanctuary of Elefsina in ancient Greece. They are the "m ...
by the last
Hierophant
A hierophant ( grc, ἱεροφάντης) is a person who brings religious congregants into the presence of that which is deemed '' holy''. As such, a hierophant is an interpreter of sacred mysteries and arcane principles.
The word comes from ...
,
Nestorius.
[Eunapius, ''Vit. Soph.'' 7.3.1; K. Clinton, ''Sacred Officials of the Eleusinian Mysteries'' (1974) p. 42ff.] There is evidence that he was still living in the reign of the younger
Theodosius Theodosius ( Latinized from the Greek "Θεοδόσιος", Theodosios, "given by god") is a given name. It may take the form Teodósio, Teodosie, Teodosije etc. Theodosia is a feminine version of the name.
Emperors of ancient Rome and Byzantium
...
.
Writing
Eunapius was the author of two works, one entitled ''Lives of Philosophers and Sophists'', and ''Universal History'' consisting of a continuation of the history of
Dexippus
Publius Herennius Dexippus ( el, Δέξιππος; c. 210–273 AD), Greek historian, statesman and general, was an hereditary priest of the Eleusinian family of the Kerykes, and held the offices of ''archon basileus'' and ''eponymous'' in Athe ...
. The former work is still extant; of the latter only the
Constantinian excerpts remain, but the facts are largely incorporated in the work of
Zosimus Zosimus, Zosimos, Zosima or Zosimas may refer to:
People
*
* Rufus and Zosimus (died 107), Christian saints
* Zosimus (martyr) (died 110), Christian martyr who was executed in Umbria, Italy
* Zosimos of Panopolis, also known as ''Zosimus Alchemi ...
. It embraced the history of events from AD 270–404.
The ''Lives of Philosophers and Sophists'', a collection of the
biographies
A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...
of 23 older and contemporary
philosophers and sophists, is valuable as the only source for the history of the
Neoplatonism of that period. The style of both works is marked by a spirit of bitter hostility to
Christianity.
Photius
Photios I ( el, Φώτιος, ''Phōtios''; c. 810/820 – 6 February 893), also spelled PhotiusFr. Justin Taylor, essay "Canon Law in the Age of the Fathers" (published in Jordan Hite, T.O.R., & Daniel J. Ward, O.S.B., "Readings, Cases, Materia ...
had before him a "new edition" of the history in which the passages most offensive to Christians were omitted.
The ''Lives of Philosophers and Sophists'' consists of the biographies of the following philosophers and sophists:
Plotinus
Plotinus (; grc-gre, Πλωτῖνος, ''Plōtînos''; – 270 CE) was a philosopher in the Hellenistic tradition, born and raised in Roman Egypt. Plotinus is regarded by modern scholarship as the founder of Neoplatonism. His teacher wa ...
,
Porphyry,
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 ...
,
Alypius,
Sosipatra
Sosipatra ( grc-gre, Σωσιπάτρα) was a Neoplatonist philosopher and mystic who lived in Ephesus and Pergamon in the first half of the 4th century CE. The story of her life is told in Eunapius' ''Lives of the Sophists''.
Biography
Early ...
,
Aedesius the Cappadocian,
Sopater,
Ablabius,
Eustathius,
Maximus
Maximus (Hellenised as Maximos) is the Latin term for "greatest" or "largest". In this connection it may refer to:
* Circus Maximus (disambiguation)
* Pontifex maximus, the highest priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome
People Roman ...
,
Priscus
Priscus of Panium (; el, Πρίσκος; 410s AD/420s AD-after 472 AD) was a 5th-century Eastern Roman diplomat and Greek historian and rhetorician (or sophist)...: "For information about Attila, his court and the organization of life general ...
,
Julian of Cappadocia,
Prohaeresius
Prohaeresius (, ''Parouyr''; el, Προαιρέσιος, ''Prohairesios''; c. 276 – c. 368) was a fourth-century Armenian Christian teacher and rhetorician originally from Caesarea who taught in Athens. He was one of the leading sophists of th ...
,
Epiphanius,
Diophantus the Arab
Diophantus the Arab ( grc, ∆ιόφαντος ὁ Ἀράβιος) was an Arab teacher and sophist at Athens during the 4th century AD. His most famous student was Libanius (336–340). He was active during the reign of Julian the Apostate (361� ...
,
Sopolis,
Himerius,
Parnacius,
Libanius,
Acacius,
Nymphidianus,
Zeno of Cyprus
Zeno of Cyprus ( grc, Ζήνων ὁ Κύπριος), (4th century), was a Greek physician, a native of Cyprus, and the tutor of Ionicus, Magnus, and Oribasius.Eunapius, ''Vit. Philos.'' Eunapius states that he lived "down to the time of Julian th ...
, Magnus,
Oribasius
Oribasius or Oreibasius ( el, Ὀρειβάσιος; c. 320 – 403) was a Greek medical writer and the personal physician of the Roman emperor Julian. He studied at Alexandria under physician Zeno of Cyprus before joining Julian's retinue. H ...
, Ionicus and
Chrysanthius
Chrysanthius of Sardis ( grc-gre, Χρυσάνθιος) was a Greek philosopher of the 4th century AD who studied at the school of Iamblichus.
He was one of the favorite pupils of Aedesius, and devoted himself mainly to the mystical side of Neopla ...
.
Editions and translations
*Edition of the ''Lives'' by
JF Boissonade (1822), with notes by
D Wyttenbach
*History fragments in
Karl Wilhelm Ludwig Müller
Karl Wilhelm Ludwig Müller ( la, Carolus Müllerus; 13 February 1813 in Clausthal – 1894 in Göttingen) is best known for his still-useful Didot editions of fragmentary Greek authors, especially the monumental five-volume ''Fragmenta Historico ...
, ''Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum'', iv.
*
V. Cousin, ''Fragments philosophiques'' (1865), translation: W. C. Wright in the
Loeb Classical Library edition of
Philostratus
Philostratus or Lucius Flavius Philostratus (; grc-gre, Φιλόστρατος ; c. 170 – 247/250 AD), called "the Athenian", was a Greek sophist of the Roman imperial period. His father was a minor sophist of the same name. He was born prob ...
's ''Lives of the Sophists'' (1921).
Philostratus, ''Lives of the Sophists''. Eunapius, ''Lives of the Philosophers and Sophists'' Translated by Wilmer C. Wright. 1921. Loeb Classical Library.
References
Bibliography
*
External links
(Greek text with preceding Latin translation)
and
ttp://www.tertullian.org/fathers/eunapius_01_intro.htm Introduction by Wilmer Cave Wright (translator)from th
Tertullian Project
*
ttp://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Eunapius%20Sardianus_PG%20113/Vitae%20sophistarum.pdf Βίοι Φιλοσόφων καὶ Σοφιστῶν(original text in Greek)
* ''Philostratorum et Callistrati opera, Eunapii vitae sophistarum, Himerii sophistae declamationes'', A. Westermann, Jo. Fr. Boissoade, Fr. Dübner (ed.), Parisiis, editore Ambrosio Firmin Didot, 1849
pp. 453-505
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Roman-era Greek priests
4th-century Greek writers
Roman-era students in Athens
Historians from Roman Anatolia
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Biographers of ancient people
Late-Roman-era pagans
Roman-era Greek historians
4th-century Byzantine historians
5th-century Byzantine historians
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