Aedesius ( grc-gre, Αἰδέσιος, died 355 AD) was 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 i ...

philosopher and mystic born of a noble

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n family.

Career

Aedesius was born into a wealthy Cappadocian family, but he moved to Syria, where he was apprenticed to Iamblichos. He quickly became his best pupil and the two became friends. Aedesius's own philosophical doctrine, however, was somewhere between

Platonism Platonism is the philosophy of Plato and philosophical systems closely derived from it, though contemporary platonists do not necessarily accept all of the doctrines of Plato. Platonism had a profound effect on Western thought. Platonism at ...

and

eclecticism Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories i ...

and, according to Eunapius, he differed from Iamblichus on certain points connected with theurgy and magic. This cites:

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and Preller, p. 552 (presumably of ''Historia philosophiae Graeco-Romanae''); Ritter's ''Geschichte der Philosophie'';

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, ''The Neoplatonists'' (Cambridge, 1901). After the death of his master, the school of Syria was dispersed and Aedesius seems to have modified his doctrines out of fear of Constantine II, and took refuge in divination. An oracle in hexameter verse represented a pastoral life as his only retreat, but his disciples, perhaps calming his fears by a metaphorical interpretation, compelled him to resume his instructions.

School of philosophy at Pergamon

Aedesius founded a school of philosophy at Pergamon, which emphasized theurgy and the revival of

polytheism Polytheism is the belief in multiple deities, which are usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own religious sects and rituals. Polytheism is a type of theism. Within theism, it contrasts with monotheism, ...

, and where he numbered among his pupils Eusebius of Myndus, Maximus of Ephesus, and the Roman emperor

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. After the accession of the latter to the imperial purple he invited Aedesius to continue his instructions, but the declining strength of the sage being unequal to the task, two of his most learned disciples, Chrysanthius and the aforementioned Eusebius, were by his own desire appointed to supply his place.Eunapius, ''Vita Aedesius'' His co-teacher and perhaps consort at the Pergamon school was the female philosopher and mystic, Sosipatra. None of his writings have survived, but there is an extant biography by Eunapius, a Greek sophist and historian of the 4th century who wrote a collection of biographies titled ''Lives of the Sophists''.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aedesius 355 deaths 4th-century Romans 4th-century philosophers Neoplatonists Roman-era philosophers Year of birth missing