Iamblichus of Chalcis: The Letters (Writings from the Greco-Roman World)

Iamblichus is the only Platonist philosopher whose philosophical letters have survived from the ancient world. These nineteen letters, which are translated into English here for the first time, address such topics as providence, fate, concord, marriage, bringing up children, ingratitude, music, and the cardinal virtues, with some letters addressed to students and others to prominent members of Syrian society and the imperial administration. The letters reflect the concerns of popular moral philosophy and illustrate the more public aspects of Iamblichus’s philosophy. This volume provides a useful complement to Iamblichus: On the Mysteries, and On the Pythagorean Way of Life, both published by the Society of Biblical Literature, and will be of interest to students of late antiquity, of Neoplatonic philosophy, and of early Christianity. Iamblichus of Chalcis: The Letters 4 Contents 6 Preface 8 Abbreviations 10 Introduction 14 1. Life and Works 14 2. Philosophical Epistolography 16 3. Iamblichus’s Correspondents 18 4. The Philosophy of the Letters 20 5. Characteristics of Style and Vocabulary 23 6. A Note on the Text 25 Text and Translation 28 Letter 1: Πρὸς Ἀγρίππαν περὶ ἀρχῆς 29 Letter 2: Πρὸς Ἀνατόλιον περὶ δικαιοσύνης 31 Letter 3: Πρὸς Ἀρετὴν περὶ σωφροσύνης 33 Letter 4: Πρὸς Ἀσφάλιον περὶ φρονήσεως 39 Letter 5: Πρὸς Δέξιππον περὶ διαλεκτικῆς 41 Letter 6: Πρὸς Δυσκόλιον περὶ ἀρχῆς (?) 43 Letter 7: Πρὸς Εὐστάθιον περὶ μουσικῆς 45 Letter 8: Πρὸς Μακεδόνιον περὶ εἱμαρμένης 47 Letter 9: Πρὸς Μακεδόνιον περὶ ὁμονοίας 55 Letter 10: Πρὸς Ὀλύμπιον περὶ ἀνδρείας 57 Letter 11: Πρὸς Ποιμένιον περὶ εἱμαρμένης (?) 59 Letter 12: Πρὸς Σώπατρον περὶ εἱμαρμὲνης 61 Letter 13: Πρὸς Σώπατρον περὶ διαλεκτικῆς 63 Letter 14: Πρὸς Σώπατρον περὶ παίδων ἀγωγῆς 67 Letter 15: Πρὸς Σώπατρον περὶ ἀχαριστίας 71 Letter 16: Πρὸς Σώπατρον περὶ ἀρετῆς 73 Letter 17: Πρὸς Σώπατρον περὶ αἰδοῦς 77 Letter 18: Πρὸς Σώπατρον περὶ ἀληθείας 77 Letter 19: Πρὸς ἄγνωστόν τινα περὶ γάμου χρήσεως 79 Letter 20: Πρὸς ἄγνωστόν τινα περὶ ἀρχῆς (?) 79 Testimonium 1: Πρὸς ἄγνωστόν τινα περὶ καθόδου ψυχῶν (?) 81 Testimonium 2 81 Commentary 84 Letter 1: To Agrippa, On Ruling 86 Letter 2: To Anatolius, On Justice 88 Letter 3: To Arete, On Self-Control 89 Letter 4: To Asphalius, On Wisdom 94 Letter 5: To Dexippus, On Dialectic 95 Letter 6: To Dyscolius, On Ruling (?) 97 Letter 7: To Eustathius, On Music 99 Letter 8: To Macedonius, On Fate 100 Letter 9: To Macedonius, On Concord 105 Letter 10. To Olympius, On Courage 107 Letter 11: To Poemenius, On Fate (?) 109 Letter 12: To Sopater, On Fate 110 Letter 13: To Sopater, On Dialectic 110 Letter 14: To Sopater, On Bringing Up Children 112 Letter 15: To Sopater, On Ingratitude 113 Letter 16: To Sopater, On Virtue 114 Letter 17: To Sopater, On Self-Respect 116 Letter 18: To Sopater, On Truth 117 Letter 19: To an Unknown Recipient, On Marriage 118 Letter 20: To an Unknown Recipient, On Ruling 120 Testimonium 1: To an Unknown Recipient, On the Descent of Souls (?) 121 Testimonium 2 123 Bibliography 126 Index rerum 128 Index verborum 138