Search

[German version] A. Preliminary remarks The study of communication ‘deals with the problems of interhuman communication and all related phenomena’ [1]. It has a broad agenda which cannot be considered here in all of its diverse aspects. This article focuses on the eminent aspect of linguistic communication whose widespread manifestations can only receive selective attention. Ancient theories of signs and philosophical theories of communication ( Philosophy of language), for instance, will not be addressed. Hadot, Pierre (Limours) [German version] B. The spread of Greek an…

(Πλωτῖνος; Plōtînos). Greek philosopher, founder of Neoplatonism. [German version] A. Life P. was born in AD 205 (in the 13th year of the rule of Septimius Severus) and died in 270 at the age of 66 (Porph. Vita Plotini 2,34). His ethnic origin is difficult to determine. Eunapius (p. 456 Boissonnade) lists as his place of birth Lycon in Egypt (the town has been identified as Lyconpolis). The information is problematic because according to Porphyrius P. kept his place of birth secret. Proclus (Platonis Theol…

[German version] A. Definition The term ‘Neoplatonism’ was coined in the 19th cent. and originally referred to a specific form of Platonism (Plato) in the 3rd to 5th cents. AD; in a wider sense, the term refers to the intellectual trends of the same period or later that share some of Platonism's characteristics. Hadot, Pierre (Limours) [German version] B. General characteristics Like most ancient philosophical schools, the Neoplatonic schools in Rome, Athens, Alexandria, Apamea etc. were communities of teaching and learning that imposed on their members a…

Ancient Greek and Latin philosophy was characterized not only by the fact that it formulated theories about the world and mankind; it also represented a way of life. Hence choosing to adhere to a certain philosophical school meant not so much the adopting a particular doctrine as it did the realization of a particular way of life [1; 2; 3; 4; 5] (cf. Sext. Emp. Adv. math. 9,178-180), i.e. living in a way that outsiders might regard strange and even absurd. This was often realized within the philosophical schools - communities in which teachers and pupils had daily contact with one another ( contu…

[German version] A. Institutional aspects Plato probably modelled his school, the Academy ( Akadēmeía) - named after the gymnasium in which instruction was held - after the Pythagorean communities (Pl. Resp. 10,600b; Pythagorean School). In turn, his institution served as a model for later philosophical schools, which (unlike the Sophists, whose groups of pupils met at a variety of locations for brief periods of time) continued to exist in Athens for centuries: the Lyceum (Peripatos) founded by Aristotle (Ar…

[German version] Collective term for the Neoplatonists who taught in Alexandria from the 5th to the 6th cents. AD, among them Hypatia, Hierocles, Hermias, Ammonius, David, Elias, Philoponus (the latter only to the extent that he published a number of commentaries by Ammonius). Here, the term ‘school’ does not imply a consistently organized institution of learning such as the Neoplatonic school in Athens. Instead, all teachers of Neoplatonism in Alexandria were economically independent. Most of the…

[German version] (Σιμπλίκιος/ Simplíkios, Latin Simplicius; c. AD 490-560). Neoplatonic philosopher, from Cilicia, according to Agathias (Historiae 2, 30, 3-31,4 Keydell). Pupil of the Neoplatonists Ammonius [12] and Damascius. One commentary survives, on the Encheiridion ('Handbook') of Epictetus [2], along with commentaries on writings of Aristotle (Aristoteles [6]): on the Categoriae, the Physica, De caelo and De anima. The authenticity of the last commentary has been disputed by C. Steel [1. 105-140], without sufficient reason [2]. The commentarie…

[German version] (Ὑπατία; Hypatía) Neoplatonic philosopher at Alexandria [2] (died in AD 415), daughter of the philosopher (best known as a mathematician)  Theon of Alexandria. She provided the edition of the Almagest by Ptolemaeus [65] I (from book III), which was placed before Theon's commentary [1]. She wrote commentaries (now lost) on  Diophantus [4], on the ‘Conics’ of  Apollonius [13] of Perge and on the ‘Handy Tables’ of Ptolemy (Suda I.4,664-646 Adler). The (presumably private) lessons she gave in philosophy, which in…

[German version] Neoplatonic (4th cent. AD), pupil of Iamblichus' pupil  Aedesius [1] in Pergamum. He taught the future emperor Julian, at first in Pergamum with Eusebius of Myndus, then in Ephesus with the Neoplatonic philosopher Maximus. C. was also the teacher of Eunapius, who, in his Vitae philosophorum et sophistarum (ch. 23 p. 90,21-101,16 Giangrande), sketches a most vivid portrait of him. Hadot, Pierre (Limours) Bibliography R. Goulet, in: Id. 2, 1994, 320-323.

[English version] Neuplatoniker (4.Jh. n.Chr.), Schüler des Iamblichos-Schülers Aidesios [1] in Pergamon. Er unterrichtete zunächst dort zusammen mit Eusebios von Myndos, dann in Ephesos zusammen mit dem neuplatonischen Philosophen Maximos, den künftigen Kaiser Julian. Ch. war auch der Lehrer des Eunapios, der in seinen Vitae philosophorum et sophistarum (cap. 23 p. 90,21-101,16 Giangrande) Eunapios, Vitae philosophorum et sophistarum, cap. XXIII, S. 90,21-101,16 Giangrande ein äußerst lebendiges Portrait von ihm entwirft. Hadot, Pierre (Limours) Bibliography R. Goule…

[English version] A. Begriff Der Begriff des “N.” wurde zu Beginn des 19. Jh. geprägt und bezeichnet im eigentlichen Sinne die spezifische Form des Platonismus (Platon) vom 3. bis 5. Jh.n.Chr., in erweitertem Sinne die geistigen Strömungen, die gleichzeitig oder später Analogien zu dessen charakteristischen Aspekten aufweisen. Hadot, Pierre (Limours) [English version] B. Allgemeine Kennzeichen Wie die meisten philos. Schulen des Alt. waren auch die neuplaton. Schulen in Rom, Athen, Alexandreia, Apameia usw. Lehr- und Lerngemeinschaften, die ihren …

[English version] Neuplatonische Philosophin in Alexandria [2] (gest. 415 n.Chr.), Tochter des vor allem als Mathematiker bekannten Philosophen Theon von Alexandria. Die Ausgabe des Almagest, die dem Komm. des Theon vorangestellt war, besorgte sie ab Buch III [1]. Sie verfaßte (heute verlorene) Komm. zu Diophantos [4], zu den ‘Kegelschnitten des Apollonios [13] von Perge und den ‘Handlichen Tafeln des Ptolemaios (Suda I.4,664-646 Adler). Großen Erfolg hatte ihr philos. Unterricht (darin auch die mathematischen Wiss.), …

(Πλωτῖνος). Griech. Philosoph, Begründer des Neuplatonismus. [English version] A. Leben P. wurde 205 n.Chr. (im 13. Regierungsjahr des Septimius Severus) geboren und starb 270 im Alter von 66 J. (Porph. vita Plotini 2,34). Seine ethnische Herkunft zu bestimmen, ist äußerst schwierig: Eunapios (p. 456 Boissonnade) nennt als Geburtsort Lykon in Ägypten (man hat diese Stadt mit Lykonpolis identifiziert). Die Angabe ist zweifelhaft, denn P. hat Porphyrios zufolge seinen Geburtsort stets verschwiegen. Proklos …

Die antike griech. und lat. Philos. ist nicht ausschließlich dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß sie Theorien über die Welt oder den Menschen ausgearbeitet hat; vielmehr stellte sie auch eine Lebensform dar. Die Wahl einer bestimmten philos. Schule bedingte somit weniger die Aneignung einer bestimmten Doktrin als vor allem die Verwirklichung einer gewissen Lebensform [1; 2; 3; 4; 5] (vgl. S. Emp. adv. math. 9,178-180), d.h., in einer Weise zu leben, die den Außenstehenden oft seltsam und widersinnig ers…

(γυμνάσιον; gymnásion). [German version] I. Building style Public facility for sporting and musical leisure activities in the Greek polis; the term is derived from γυμνός/ gymnós (naked) and refers to the  nakedness at sports practices and competitions. Synonymous with gymnasium for the period from the 4th cent. BC in ancient written sources as well as in modern specialized literature is the concept of the  palaistra (cf. Vitruvius 5,11). This as the ‘Wrestler school’ originally referred only to a functionally determine…

[German version] (not Chalcidius). Christian philosopher; his dates are disputed: he either lived from the second half of the 3rd to the first half of the 4th cent. AD [1] or from the first half to the middle of 4th cent. [2]. Assigning his commentary on Plato's Timaeus to a particular school of thought (for Middle Platonism see [1] or Neoplatonism, see [2; 3; 4; 5]), is further complicated by the fact that important tenets, like those on providence and fatum, have basically remained unchanged from Middle Platonism to the end of Neoplatonism [6]. C.'s Timaeus commentary is also the first …

[German version] [1] Neoplatonist from Cappadocia Neoplatonist from Cappadocia († before AD 355), pupil of  Iamblichus. Only source: Eunapius, Vitae philosophorum et sophistarum. After the death of Iamblichus, he apparently took over Iamblichus' pupils and then retired back to Cappadocia, and finally ended up teaching in Pergamum together with the philosopher Sosipatra. As he considered himself too old, after a short time he transferred the responsibility of the philosophical education of Julian, the future emperor, …

[German version] [1] C., Ti. Teacher of Latin rhetoric and orator, 2nd cent. AD Teacher of Latin rhetoric and orator of high-flown speeches at the time of Antonines who was even listened to by  Gellius (13,22); befriended by  Fronto (ep. ad am. 2,2), highly regarded by  Hadrianus because of his fine education and moral attitudes. C. favoured the reading of Republican authors (Sallust, Metellus Numidicus, C. Gracchus: Gell. NA 2,27; 1,6; 11,13) is linked with the revival of old Roman virtues: Stylistic and moral judgment go hand in hand in the spirit of Cato's vir bonus, peritus dicendi; C. …

[English version] [1] C., Ti. Lehrer der lat. Rhet. und Deklamator, 2. Jh. Lehrer der lat. Rhetorik und Deklamator z.Z. der Antoninen, den auch Gellius (13,22) hörte; Fronto in Freundschaft verbunden (ep. ad am. 2,2), geschätzt von Hadrian wegen seiner großen Bildung und moralischen Grundeinstellung. C.' bevorzugte Lektüre republikanischer Autoren (Sallust, Metellus Numidicus, C. Gracchus: Gell. 2,27; 1,6; 11,13) ist mit der Belebung altröm. Tugenden verbunden: Stilistische und moralische Beurteilung gehen im Sinne des Catonischen vir bonus, peritus dicendi Hand in Hand; …

[English version] (nicht Chalcidius). Christl. Philosoph. Umstritten ist seine Lebenszeit: entweder 2. Hälfte 3. bis 1. Hälfte 4.Jh. n.Chr. [1] oder 1. Hälfte bis Mitte 4.Jh. [2]. Die Entscheidung über die Schulzugehörigkeit seines Komm. zu Platons Timaios (zum Mittelplatonismus [1] oder Neuplatonismus [2; 3; 4; 5]) wird dadurch erschwert, daß wichtige Lehren wie diejenige über Vorsehung und fatum seit dem Mittelplatonismus bis zum Ende des Neuplatonismus in den Grundzügen dieselben geblieben sind [6]. Der oben genannte Timaios-Komm. überliefert mit den z.T. auf grie…