Brills Companion to the Reception of Plato in Antiquity (Brill's Companions to Classical Reception, 13)

__Brill’s Companion to the Reception of Plato in Antiquity__ demonstrates the variety of ways in which ancient readers responded to Plato, as author, as philosopher, and as leading intellectual light, from his own pupils until the sixth century CE. Brill’s Companion to the Reception of Plato in Antiquity 1 Contents 5 Acknowledgements 9 Abbreviations 10 Notes on Contributors 16 Introduction 23 I Preliminaries 23 II Organization of This Volume 26 Introduction: The Old Academy to Cicero 32 I The Heirs of Plato 32 II Aristotle and His School 36 III The “First Interpreter” and the Academy under Polemo 40 IV The Hellenistic Philosophies in Debate 43 V The World of Cicero 46 Speusippus and Xenocrates on the Pursuit and Ends of Philosophy 51 I Introduction 51 II Speusippus’ Mathematikos: The Hunt for Knowledge 55 III Xenocrates on the Happy Man 60 IV Conclusion 66 The Influence of the Platonic Dialogues on Stoic Ethics from Zeno to Panaetius of Rhodes 68 Plato and the Freedom of the New Academy 80 I Introduction 80 II A New Academy 81 III From Polemo to Arcesilaus 84 IV From Carneades to Cicero 90 Return to Plato and Transition to Middle Platonism in Cicero1 94 I Cicero’s Reception in Outline 94 1) Testimony to a Pivotal Period 95 2) Rebirth of Platonism 96 3) Writing of Dialogues 99 II Two Case Studies: Gorgias and Timaeus 101 1) Gorgias: Philosophy, Rhetoric and Public life 101 2) The Timaeus: Pythagoreanism and Middle Platonism 106 Introduction: Early Imperial Reception of Plato 114 From Fringe Reading to Core Curriculum: Commentary, Introduction, and Doctrinal Summary 123 I The Problem 123 II The Commentary-like Works 124 III Introductions to Reading Plato 127 IV Doctrinal Summaries 130 V Conclusion 136 Philo of Alexandria 137 I Introduction: Philo and His Project 137 1) Philo’s Relation to Plato in Historical Perspective 138 2) Philo’s References to Plato and Socrates 140 3) The Corpus Used 143 II Philo’s Use of Plato 144 III Conclusion 150 Plutarch of Chaeronea and the Anonymous Commentator on the Theaetetus 152 I. 152 II. 154 III. 158 IV. 160 Theon of Smyrna: Re-thinking Platonic Mathematics in Middle Platonism 165 I Nicomachus: “Platonically Orientated” Mathematics 166 II Theon’s Expositio and Platonic Mathematical Exegesis 168 1) Theon’s Expositio 168 2) Other Technical Exegeses 174 III Epilogue 177 Cupid’s Swan from the Academy (De Plat. 1.1, 183): Apuleius’ Reception of Plato 178 I By Way of Introduction: Methodological Orientation 178 II A Quick Look at the Broad Outlines of Apuleius’ Platonism 182 1) Eruditio 182 2) Ad bene vivendum 185 3) Ad bene dicendum 186 III The Plato of Apuleius’ Platonism 188 Alcinous’ Reception of Plato 193 I Introduction 193 II Alcinous on World-Generation 196 III Alcinous’ Psychology 199 IV Conclusion 203 Numenius: Portrait of a Platonicus 205 I Realia 205 II Identity 208 III On the Good 210 IV Myth and its exegesis 215 V The Teacher 221 VI The epigoni 225 Galen and Middle Platonism: The Case of the Demiurge1 228 Introduction 228 I 230 II 232 III 239 IV 242 V Conclusion 243 Variations of Receptions of Plato during the Second Sophistic1 245 I The Greek Philosopher-Sophist Dio 247 II The Literary Philosopher: Plutarch 251 III The Greek Orator: Aristides 254 IV The Satirist: Lucian 258 V The Latin Sophist: Apuleius 261 VI The Platonic Rhetor: Maximus 263 VIII The Doctor: Galen 266 IX The Greek Novelist: Longus 267 X The New Rite: Justin Martyr and Clement109 270 XI Conclusion 271 Introduction: Early Christianity and Late Antique Platonism 274 Origen to Evagrius 293 I The Background: Clement 293 II Select Examples from Origen (with a Hint at Eusebius) 297 III Select Points in Nyssen 307 V Some Case Studies from Evagrius 310 Sethian Gnostic Appropriations of Plato 314 I Introduction 314 II The Metaphysics of the Sethian Platonizing Treatises 316 III Allogenes: A Major Sethian Gnostic Appropriation of Plato 322 IV Further Instances of Sethian Appropriations of Plato’s Dialogues 325 1) Intelligible Reality 325 2) The Modes of Being and Non-Being 327 3) Dialectic 329 4) The Ascent and Descent of the Soul 332 5) The Demiurge of the Timaeus and the Sethian Creator 334 IV Conclusion 337 Plotinus and Platonism 338 I Introduction 338 II 340 III 346 Porphyry 358 I Introduction 358 II Porphyry on Substance 360 III Porphyry on Creation in the Timaeus 361 IV Porphyry on Matter and Evil 363 VI Porphyry on Fate, Providence and Free will 368 VII Conclusion 371 The Anonymous Commentary on the Parmenides 373 Iamblichus, the Commentary Tradition, and the Soul 388 I Iamblichus and the Platonic Commentaries 389 II The Iamblichean Universe and the Place of Gods, Superior Classes, and Human Souls Within It 390 III Iamblichus and the Position of Soul in the Platonic Universe 395 IV Conclusion 401 Amelius and Theodore of Asine 403 I Evidential Prolegomenon 403 II Platonic Commentators? 405 III Their Engagement with Plato’s Dialogues 409 IV Plato and Others 416 V Conclusions 419 Plato’s Political Dialogues in the Writings of Julian the Emperor 422 I Julian’s Image of Plato 424 II Julian’s Knowledge and Use of Plato’s Dialogues 425 III Julian’s Use of Plato’s Political Dialogues 426 IV Conclusion 431 Plato’s Women Readers 433 I Introduction 433 II Methodology 436 III Women in Plato’s Academy 438 IV Women Reading Plato in the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial Periods 440 V Women Reading Plato in Late Antiquity: Neoplatonism 444 1) Women in the Circle of Plotinus and Porphyry 445 2) Women in Iamblichus’ Circle and among His Philosophic Successors 446 3) Women in the Athenian School: Asclepigeneia 450 4) Women in the Alexandrian School: Hypatia 451 VI Conclusion 453 Calcidius 455 I Calcidius’ Identity3 456 II Calcidius’ Sources 458 III The Project 459 IV Translation and Commentary 464 Augustine’s Plato 470 I Augustine’s “Handbook Plato” 471 II Augustine’s Sources 475 Orthodoxy and Allegory: Syrianus’ Metaphysical Hermeneutics 492 I Introduction: Syrianus’ Exegetical Principles 492 II yrianus on Plato’s Phaedo: Textual Fidelity and Its Limits 495 III Finding Symbols of Divine Orders in Plato’s Parmenides and Philebus 499 IV Allegory and Mythology in Plato’s Timaeus 503 V Conclusion 506 VI Appendix: Syrianus on Plato: Testimonia of Syrianus 507 Hermias: On Plato’s Phaedrus 508 I The Importance of the in Phaedrum 508 II The skopos of the Phaedrus and Its Structure 509 III Intertextual Links 511 IV Socratic Expertise and Socratic Ignorance 512 V The Nature and Purpose of Myth 514 VI Written and Unwritten Plato 516 VII Conclusion 518 Proclus and the Authority of Plato 520 I Diadochos and Teacher 520 II Proclus’ Works 521 III Plato the Theologian 523 IV Exegesis and the Modes of Teaching 528 Damascius the Platonic Successor: Socratic Activity and Philosophy in the 6th Century CE 537 I Introduction 537 II Damascius in Context: Philosophy’s “Extreme Old Age” 541 III Damascius the Platonic Commentator 544 IV The Problems and Solutions Concerning First Principles, a Socratic Treatise? 548 The Anonymous Prolegomena to Platonic Philosophy 555 I Introduction 555 II The Life of Plato 556 1) Divine Kinship and Philosophical Superiority 556 2) Socrates and Skepticism 559 III Writing and Dialogue Form 562 1) The Underlying Cause of Writing and the Unwritten Doctrines 563 2) Taxis 563 3) The Dialogue as a Microcosm 565 Olympiodorus of Alexandria 577 I Plato and the Platonic Curriculum 580 II Works 583 III Interpretation of Plato and Thought 584 IV Conclusions 590 Simplicius of Cilicia: Plato’s Last Interpreter 591 I Introduction 591 II Simplicius’ General Approach to Reading Plato 592 III Specifics of Simplicius’ Approach 594 IV Simplicius on Misinterpreting Plato 599 V Conclusion 601 Conclusion 602 Bibliography 605 Brill's Companion To The Reception Of Plato In Antiquityoffers A Comprehensive Account Of The Ways In Which Ancient Readers Responded To Plato, As Philosopher, As Author, And More Generally As A Central Figure In The Intellectual Heritage Of Classical Greece, From His Death In The Fourth Century Bce Until The Platonist And Aristotelian Commentators In The Sixth Century Ce. The Volume Is Divided Into Three Sections: 'early Developments In Reception' (four Chapters); 'early Imperial Reception' (nine Chapters); And 'early Christianity And Late Antique Platonism' (eighteen Chapters). Sectional Introductions Cover Matters Of Importance That Could Not Easily Be Covered In Dedicated Chapters. The Book Demonstrates The Great Variety Of Approaches To And Interpretations Of Plato Among Even His Most Dedicated Ancient Readers, Offering Some Salutary Lessons For His Modern Readers Too. Brill's Companion to the Reception of Plato in Antiquity offers a comprehensive account of the ways in which ancient readers responded to Plato, as philosopher, as author, and more generally as a central figure in the intellectual heritage of Classical Greece, from his death in the fourth century BCE until the Platonist and Aristotelian commentators in the sixth century CE. The volume is divided into three sections: ‘Early Developments in Reception'(four chapters); ‘Early Imperial Reception'(nine chapters); and ‘Early Christianity and Late Antique Platonism'(eighteen chapters). Sectional introductions cover matters of importance that could not easily be covered in dedicated chapters. The book demonstrates the great variety of approaches to and interpretations of Plato among even his most dedicated ancient readers, offering some salutary lessons for his modern readers too. Brill's companion to the reception of Plato in Antiquity' offers a comprehensive account of the ways in which ancient readers responded to Plato, as philosopher, as author, and more generally as a central figure in the intellectual heritage of Classical Greece, from his death in the fourth century BCE until the Platonist and Aristotelian commentators in the sixth century CE. The volume is divided into three sections: Early developments in reception (four chapters) ; Early imperial reception (nine chapters) ; and Early Christianity and Late Antique Platonism (eighteen chapters). Sectional introductions cover matters of importance that could not easily be covered in dedicated chapters. The book demonstrates the great variety of approaches to and interpretations of Plato among even his most dedicated ancient readers, offering some salutary lessons for his modern readers too