Ammonius Hermiae
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Ammonius Hermiae (; ; – between 517 and 526) was a Greek philosopher from
Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
in the
eastern Roman empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
during
Late Antiquity Late antiquity marks the period that comes after the end of classical antiquity and stretches into the onset of the Early Middle Ages. Late antiquity as a period was popularized by Peter Brown (historian), Peter Brown in 1971, and this periodiza ...
. A
Neoplatonist Neoplatonism is a version 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 series of thinkers. Among the common id ...
, he was the son of the philosophers Hermias and Aedesia, the brother of Heliodorus of Alexandria and the grandson of
Syrianus Syrianus (, ''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, like Plutarch an ...
. Ammonius was a pupil of
Proclus Proclus Lycius (; 8 February 412 – 17 April 485), called Proclus the Successor (, ''Próklos ho Diádokhos''), was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, one of the last major classical philosophers of late antiquity. He set forth one of th ...
in Roman Athens, 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. It 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 ''Phaedo'' (; , ''Phaidōn'') is a dialogue written by Plato, in which Socrates discusses the immortality of the soul and the nature of the afterlife with his friends in the hours leading up to his death. Socrates explores various arguments fo ...
'' texts, Ammonius gave lectures on the works of Plato, Aristotle, and Porphyry of Tyre, 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 (; ; ) is an astronomy, astronomical list of astronomical instruments, instrument dating to ancient times. It serves as a star chart and Model#Physical model, physical model of the visible celestial sphere, half-dome of the sky. It ...
published in the '' Catalogus Codicum Astrologorum Graecorum'', and lectured on
astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...
and
geometry Geometry (; ) is a branch of mathematics concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. Geometry is, along with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. A mathematician w ...
. Ammonius taught numerous
Neoplatonists Neoplatonism is a version 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 series of thinkers. Among the common i ...
, including
Damascius Damascius (; ; 462 – 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 laws confirmed by emperor Jus ...
,
Olympiodorus of Thebes Olympiodorus of Thebes (; 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, written in Greek, dedicated to the Emperor Theodosius II, ...
,
John Philoponus John Philoponus ( Greek: ; , ''Ioánnis o Philóponos''; c. 490 – c. 570), also known as John the Grammarian or John of Alexandria, was a Coptic Miaphysite philologist, Aristotelian commentator and Christian theologian from Alexandria, Byza ...
,
Simplicius of Cilicia Simplicius of Cilicia (; ; – c. 540) 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 in the early 6th century, and was forced for ...
, and Asclepius of Tralles. Also among his pupils were the physician Gessius of Petra and the
ecclesiastical historian 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 side of the ...
Zacharias Rhetor Zacharias of Mytilene (Ζαχαρίας ό Μιτυληναίος; c. 465, Gaza City, Gaza – after 536), also known as Zacharias Scholasticus or Zacharias Rhetor, was a bishop and ecclesiastical historian. Life The life of Zacharias of Mytile ...
, who became the
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
of
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. As part of the persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire, the
Alexandrian school The Alexandrian school is a collective designation for certain tendencies in literature, philosophy, medicine, and the sciences that developed in the Hellenistic cultural center of Alexandria, Egypt during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Alex ...
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 epi ...
, 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 called Isidore of Gaza (; also Isidorus ; ; ) was a GreekEncyclopædia BritannicaIsidore of Alexandria (Greek philosopher)/ref> philosopher and one of the last of the Neoplatonists. He lived in Athens and Alexandria tow ...
''.


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 Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
where they studied under
Proclus Proclus Lycius (; 8 February 412 – 17 April 485), called Proclus the Successor (, ''Próklos ho Diádokhos''), was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, one of the last major classical philosophers of late antiquity. He set forth one of th ...
. Eventually, they returned to Alexandria where Ammonius, as head of the Neoplatonist school in the city, lectured on
Plato Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born  BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...
and
Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...
for the rest of his life. According to Damascius, during the persecution of the pagans at Alexandria in the late 480s, Ammonius made concessions to the
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
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 they 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 (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...
and is known to have written a treatise on the
astrolabe An astrolabe (; ; ) is an astronomy, astronomical list of astronomical instruments, instrument dating to ancient times. It serves as a star chart and Model#Physical model, physical model of the visible celestial sphere, half-dome of the sky. It ...
.


Writings

Of his reputedly numerous writings, only his commentary on Aristotle's ''De Interpretatione'' survives intact. A commentary on Porphyry's '' Isagoge'' 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 simply as Boethius (; Latin: ''Boetius''; 480–524 AD), was a Roman Roman Senate, senator, Roman consul, consul, ''magister officiorum'', polymath, historian, and philosopher of the Early Middl ...
in his second ''Commentary'' and in ''
The Consolation of Philosophy ''On the Consolation of Philosophy'' (), often titled as ''The Consolation of Philosophy'' or simply the ''Consolation'', is a philosophical work by the Roman philosopher Boethius. Written in 523 while he was imprisoned and awaiting execution ...
,'' this argument maintains the effectiveness of prayer. Ammonius cites
Iamblichus Iamblichus ( ; ; ; ) was a Neoplatonist philosopher who determined a direction later taken by Neoplatonism. Iamblichus was also the biographer of the Greek mystic, philosopher, and mathematician Pythagoras. In addition to his philosophical co ...
, 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 (; ''Asklēpiós'' ; ) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Religion in ancient Greece, Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis (lover of Apollo), Coronis, or Arsinoe (Greek myth), Ars ...
) *On
Nicomachus Nicomachus of Gerasa (; ) was an Ancient Greek Neopythagorean philosopher from Gerasa, in the Roman province of Syria (now Jerash, Jordan). Like many Pythagoreans, Nicomachus wrote about the mystical properties of numbers, best known for his ...
' ''Introduction to Arithmetic'' (written by Asclepius) *On Aristotle's ''Prior Analytics'' (written by
John Philoponus John Philoponus ( Greek: ; , ''Ioánnis o Philóponos''; c. 490 – c. 570), also known as John the Grammarian or John of Alexandria, was a Coptic Miaphysite philologist, Aristotelian commentator and Christian theologian from Alexandria, Byza ...
) *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 a formal education or who ...

''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

* *'' Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca''
Vol. 4 parts 2–6
Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin, Edita consilio et auctoritate Academiae litterarum regiae borussicae (1882). {{DEFAULTSORT:Hermiae, Ammonius 5th-century Greek philosophers 6th-century Greek philosophers Greek-language commentators on Aristotle Greek-language commentators on Plato Roman-era students in Athens Neoplatonists in Alexandria 440s births 520s deaths 5th-century Byzantine writers 6th-century Byzantine writers 5th-century astronomers 6th-century astronomers 5th-century Byzantine scientists 6th-century Byzantine scientists 5th-century mathematicians 6th-century mathematicians 6th-century Greek scientists Byzantine astronomers Philosophers in ancient Alexandria