Brill's companion to the reception of classics in international modernism and the avant-garde /
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Brill's Companion to the Reception of Classics in International Modernism and the Avant-Garde examines how the writers and artists who lived from roughly the last quarter of the nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth sought to build a new world from the ashes of one marked by two world wars, global economic depression, the rise of nationalism, and the collapse of empires. By surveying the modernist appropriation of Ancient Greece and Rome, the fourteen chapters in this volume demonstrate how the Classics, as foundational texts of the old order, were nevertheless adapted to suit the stylistic innovation and formal experimentation that characterized modernist and avant-garde literature and art.
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1 online resource. :
9789004335493 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Plutarch in the religious and philosophical discourse of late antiquity /
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The works of Plutarch, notably his Moralia , provide us with exceptional evidence to reconstruct the spiritual and intellectual atmosphere of the first centuries CE. As a priest of Apollo at Delphi, Plutarch was a first range witness of ancient religious experience; as a Middle Platonist, he was also actively involved in the developments of the philosophical school. Besides, he also provided a more detached point of view both regarding numerous religious practices and currents that were permeating the building of ancient pagan religion and the philosophical views of other schools. His combining the insider and the sensitive observer's perspectives make Plutarch a crucial starting point for the understanding of the religious and philosophical discourse of Late Antiquity.
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Title from PDF title page (viewed on Dec. 3, 2012).
Papers from the XI Congress of the International Plutarch Society held June 2010. :
1 online resource (xv, 304 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004236851 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Emotions in Plato /
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Emotions ( pathè ) such as anger, fear, shame, and envy, but also pity, wonder, love and friendship have long been underestimated in Plato's philosophy. The aim of Emotions in Plato is to provide a consistent account of the role of emotions in Plato's psychology, epistemology, ethics and political theory. The volume focuses on three main issues: taxonomy of emotions, their epistemic status, and their relevance for the ethical and political theory and practice. This volume, which is the first edited volume entirely dedicated to emotions in Plato's philosophy, shows how Plato, in many aspects, was positively interested in these affective states in order to support the rule of reason.
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1 online resource. :
9789004432277
9789004429437
Practicing Gnosis : ritual, magic, theurgy, and liturgy in Nag Hammadi, Manichaean and other ancient literature : essays in honor of Birger A. Pearson /
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Ritual, magic, liturgy, and theurgy were central features of Gnosticism, and yet Gnostic practices remain understudied. This anthology is meant to fill in this gap and address more fully what the ancient Gnostics were doing. While previously we have studied the Gnostics as intellectuals in pursuit of metaphysical knowledge, the essays in this book attempt to understand the Gnostics as ecstatics striving after religious experience, as prophets seeking revelation, as mystics questing after the ultimate God, as healers attempting to care for the sick and diseased. These essays demonstrate that the Gnostics were not necessarily trendy intellectuals seeking epistomological certainities. They were after religious experiences that relied on practices. The book is organized comparatively in a history-of-religions approach with sections devoted to Initiatory, Recurrent, Therapeutic, Ecstatic, and Philosophic Practices. This book celebrates the brilliant career of Birger A. Pearson.
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1 online resource (ix, 571 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004248526 :
0929-2470 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The notion of that which depends on us in Plotinus and its background /
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The book analyses Plotinus' notion of 'that which depends on us', which although central to his ethics, has never been examined in a specific study before. The book traces the sources of this notion in Aristotle and its reception in Stoicism, Middle Platonism and Early Aristotelian Commentators. It then shows how Plotinus' critical discussion of the inherent problems in previous accounts and his investigation of the notion's application to the Intellect and the One, leads to a highly original interpretation of the notion as central to his account of human agency. The book demonstrates Plotinus' serious engagement with the central issues of ancient ethics, and his original way of tackling them.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [223]-239) and index. :
9789047433279 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Heresiography in context : Hippolytus' Elenchos as a source for Greek philosophy /
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The study of the Elenchos (c. 225 CE) involves the whole range of ancient interpretative traditions concerned with Greek Philosophy, from Aristotle to the Late Neoplatonists. The present inquiry places Hippolytus' important reports about the Greek philosophers in the context of these traditions and so is able to illuminate not only what he has to offer but also to increase our knowledge of the traditions he depends on. For him the Pythagoreanizing current in Pre-Neoplatonism is of paramount importance. Accordingly, he constructs a succession ( diadoche ) starting with Pythagoras and including Empedocles, Heraclitus, Plato, Aristotle and the Stoics, and argues that the diadoche of the Gnostic heresiarchs is parasitical on its Pythagorean predecessor. A new assessment of the sources used - the first serious attempt since that of Diels in 1879 - hinges on an analysis of Hippolytus' method of presentation, which is a blend of cento and exegesis geared to his anti-Gnostic purpose.
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1 online resource (xvii, 391 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 332-357) and index. :
9789004320765 :
0079-1687 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Plutarch's Religious Landscapes /
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A Platonist philosopher and priest of Apollo at Delphi, Plutarch (ca. 45-120 CE) covers in his vast oeuvre of miscellaneous writings and biographies of great men virtually every aspect of ancient religion, Greek, Roman, Jewish, Egyptian, Persian. This collection of essays takes the reader on a hike through Plutarch's Religious Landscapes offering as a compass the philosopher's considerations on issues of philosophical theology, cult, ethics, politics, natural sciences, hermeneutics, atheism, and life after death. Plutarch provides a unique vantage point to reconstruct and understand many of the interesting developments that were taking in the philosophical and religious world of the first centuries CE.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004443549
9789004443525
St. Augustine and Plotinus : the human mind as image of the divine /
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In Augustine and Plotinus: the Human Mind as Image of the Divine Laela Zwollo provides an inside view of two of the most influential thinkers of late antiquity: the Christian Augustine and the Neo-Platonist Plotinus. By exploring the finer points and paradoxes of their doctrines of the image of God (the human soul/intellect), the illustrious church father's complex interaction with his most important non-biblical source comes into focus. In order to fathom Augustine, we should first grasp the beauty in Plotinus' philosophy and its attractiveness to Christians. This monograph will contribute to a better understanding of the formative years of Christianity as well as later ancient philosophy. It can serve as a handbook for becoming acquainted with the two thinkers, as well as for delving into the profundity of their thought.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004387805 :
0920-623X ;
Basil of Caesarea's anti-Eunomian theory of names : Christian theology and late-antique philosophy in the fourth century trinitarian controversy /
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Basil of Caesarea's debate with Eunomius of Cyzicus in the early 360s marks a turning point in the fourth-century Trinitarian controversies. It shifted focus to methodological and epistemological disputes underlying theological differences. This monograph explores one of these fundamental points of contention: the proper theory of names. It offers a revisionist interpretation of Eunomius's theory as a corrective to previous approaches, contesting the widespread assumption that it is indebted to Platonist sources and showing that it was developed by drawing upon proximate Christian sources. While Eunomius held that names uniquely predicated of God communicated the divine essence, in response Basil developed a "notionalist" theory wherein all names signify primarily notions and secondarily properties, not essence.
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Revision of the author's thesis (Ph. D.)--Emory University, 2009. :
1 online resource (xiv, 300 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 267-284) and indexes. :
9789004189102 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The enigmatic reality of time : Aristotle, Plotinus, and today /
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The nature and existence of time is a fascinating and puzzling feature of human life and awareness. This book integrates interdisciplinary work and approaches from such fields as physics, psychology, biology, phenomenology, and technology studies with philosophical analyses and considerations to explain a number of facets of the perennnial question of time's nature and existence, both in contemporary and in its initial classical Greek context; and it then explores and explains two of the most influential investigations of time in classical Western thought: Aristotle's, as presented in his Physics , and the (neo)Platonist Plotinus' in his treatise On Time and Eternity . Original interpretative perspectives are argued in both cases, and special attention is paid to Plotinus as partly responding to and critiquing Aristotle's account.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [365]-371) and index. :
9789047443605 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Commentary on Plato's Gorgias /
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This book provides a translation of the only surving ancient commentary on Plato's Goroias , written by the Alexandrian Platonist Olympiodorus in the sixth century A.D. There are substantial notes on the commentary, which assist the reader to understand the context of Olympiodorus' Platonism, the choices available to him as an interpreter, and the special characteristics of his interpretation. A full introduction tackles the issues of greatest interest that arise from the work, including the author's mission as a Hellenist resisting Christian attacks on his discipline. Indices are provided. The authors show that there is much more of value in this commentary than has often been supposed, and that the differences between Olympiodorus' approach and those of modern commentators are often illuminating.
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1 online resource (x, 349 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 325-330) and indexes. :
9789004321038 :
0079-1687 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Fate, Providence and Free Will: Philosophy and Religion in Dialogue in the Early Imperial Age. /
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This volume, edited by René Brouwer and Emmanuele Vimercati, deals with the debate about fate, providence and free will in the early Imperial age. This debate is rekindled in the 1st century CE during emperor Augustus' rule and ends in the 3rd century CE with Plotinus and Origen, when the different positions in the debate were more or less fully developed. The book aims to show how in this period the notions of fate, providence and freedom were developed and debated, not only within and between the main philosophical schools, that is Stoicism, Aristotelianism, and Platonism, but also in the interaction with other, "religious" movements, here understood in the general sense of groups of people sharing beliefs in and worship of (a) superhuman controlling power(s), such as Gnosticism, Hermetism as well as Judaism and Christianity.
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Includes index. :
1 online resource. :
9789004436381
9789004435667
Origen : philosophy of history and eschatology /
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A common accusation made against Origen is that he dissolves history into intellectual abstraction and that his eschatology (if this is recognized at all) is notoriously obscure. In this new work, the author draws on an impressive range of bibliography to consider Origen's Philosophy of History and Eschatology in the widest context of facts, documents and streams of thought, including Classical and Late Antiquity Greek Philosophy, Gnosticism, Hebraism and Patristic Thought, both before Origen and well after his death. Against claims that he causes history to evaporate into barren idealism, his thought is shown to be firmly grounded on his particular vision of historical occurences. Confronting assertions that Origen has no eschatological ideas, his eschatology is shown rather to have made a distinctive mark throughout his works, both explicitly and tacitly. In Origen's view, history was the foundation of scriptural interpretation, a teleological process determined by factors and functions such as providence - prophecy - promise - expectation - realization - anticipation - faith - anticipation - hope - awaiting for - fulfilment - end . Since 1986, the author has argued for the unpopular thesis that Origen is, in many respects, an anti-Platonist. Nevertheless, the author casts light upon the Aristotelian rationale of Origen's doctrine of apokatastasis , arguing that its validity is bolstered by ontological rather than historical premises. The extent of Origen's influence upon what is currently regarded as 'orthodoxy' turns out to be far wider and more profound than has hitherto been acknowledged.
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1 online resource (xvii, 498 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 439-460) and indexes. :
9789047428695 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Apelles und Hermogenes : zwei theologische Lehrer des zweiten Jahrhunderts /
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This volume deals with the intellectual and social context of two Christian teachers living in the second half of the second century. It presents a coherent reconstruction and interpretation of their teaching, often considered to be marginal within the development of early Christian doctrine. The first part of the book seeks to understand the Marcionite Apelles as a cultured person, who shaped his understanding of Christian doctrine in the context of the philosophical background and in permanent discussion with other Christian schools. In this respect Apelles coincides with the Christian Platonist Hermogenes. His opinions are described in the second part of the book. The author points out that teachers like Apelles and Hermogenes had to answer the questions of the educated in order to defend and to define their understanding of Christian faith.
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1 online resource (xii, 350 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 299-324) and index. :
9789004313149 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Brill's companion to the reception of Plato in antiquity /
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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.
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1 online resource (xxi, 657 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004355385 :
2213-1426 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Gnosis und Judentum : alttestamentliche und jüdische Motive in der gnostischen Literatur und das Ursprungsproblem der Gnosis /
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This book addresses different theories related to the origin of Gnosticism. The author comes to the conclusion that, if we set aside the Christian substance, in Gnostic literature - besides Platonist philosophy - the most numerous influences come from Judaism. As they have, partially, reached Gnostic literature independent from Christianity, it could validate the theory according to which we should be searching for the origin of Gnosticism in certain Judaist circles. The author analyses the use of lore from the Old Testament and Judaism in Gnostic literature. Even though this does not prove that Gnosticism has evolved from Judaism, it still shows how extensively the Judaist world of thought influenced Gnosticism and how it gives us a reason to ask whether we should consider more thoroughly the theory according to which we should be searching for the founders of Gnostic lore within certain Judaist circles of antiquity. Über den Ursprung der antiken Gnosis gibt es verschiedene Theorien, aber noch heute herrscht in dieser Frage in der Forschung kein Konsens. Der Autor dieses Buches betrachtet unterschiedliche Ursprungstheorien der Gnosis und kommt zu dem Ergebnis, dass (abgesehen vom christlichen Stoff) neben den Einflüssen des Mittelplatonismus der alttestamentliche und jüdische Stoff in der gnostischen Literatur die wichtigste Rolle spielt. Da der jüdische Stoff teilweise durch die Vermittlung des Christentums in die Gnosis gekommen ist, könnte das die alte Hypothese unterstützen, dass die Gnosis innerhalb des Christentums entstanden sei. Doch gibt es eine Vielzahl gnostischer Texte, die vom Christentum nicht beeinflusst sind, in denen aber der alttestamentliche und jüdische Stoff eine sehr wichtige Rolle spielt. Diese Tatsache könnte nun die zweite alte Theorie unterstützen, nach der die Wurzeln der Gnosis im antiken Judentum liegen. Der Autor der vorliegenden Arbeit analysiert den Gebrauch der alttestamentlichen und jüdischen Überlieferungen und Motive in der gnostischen Literatur und kommt zu dem Ergebnis, dass es nicht letztgültig bewiesen ist, dass die Gnosis aus dem Judentum heraus entstand. Doch zeigt die Untersuchung, wie große Bedeutung die alttestamentlichen und jüdischen Motive in der Gnosis gehabt haben. Dies gibt Anlass zu fragen, ob wir dennoch die Theorie ernsthaft zu erwägen haben, nach der der Ursprung der Gnosis in Kreisen des antiken Judentums zu suchen sei.
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Originally presented as the author's thesis (doctoral)--Universität Tartu, 2009. :
1 online resource (xxiii, 447 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 397-433) and index. :
9789004209510 :
0929-2470 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Grace and the Will According to Augustine.
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The doctrine on grace, one of the most discussed themes in his later years, was regarded by Augustine as the very core of Christianity. This book traces the gradual crystallisation of this teaching, including its unacceptable consequences (such as double predestination, inherited guilt which deserves eternal punishment, and its transmission through libidinous procreation). How did the reader of Cicero and "the books of the Platonists" reach the ideas that appear in his polemic against Julian (and which remind one of Freud rather than the Stoics or Plotinus)? That is the point of departure of this book. It surely cannot be expected that there is a definite answer to the question; rather, the aim is to follow and understand the development.
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Part Three: Introduction. :
1 online resource (442 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 253-378) and indexes. :
9789004229211 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Order from disorder : Proclus' doctrine of evil and its roots in ancient platonism /
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This study places the doctrine of evil of the Neoplatonist Proclus in its proper context, the exegetical tradition as it developed within the various schools of ancient Platonism, from Middle Platonism to early Neoplatonism. With regard to the evil of the body, there are chapters on the various interpretations of Plato's notion of a pre-cosmic disorderly motion as the source of corporeal evil and on the role of what Platonists referred to as an irrational Nature in the origin of that motion. As for evil of the soul, there are chapters dealing with the concept of an evil World Soul and with the view that the evil that is ascribed to the human soul is a form of psychological weakness.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [269]-276) and index. :
9789047421122 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Religion et rationalité : Philon d'Alexandrie et sa postérité /
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Religion et rationalité. Philon d'Alexandrie et sa postérité propose un nouveau regard sur les travaux de Philon d'Alexandrie : prenant appui sur les mots de Moïse aussi bien que sur des concepts philosophiques, il les associe dans son commentaire de l'Écriture pour créer une nouvelle manière de penser. Les dix études rassemblées dans ce volume apportent un nouvel éclairage sur cette méthode et son originalité. Elles mettent également en évidence la pérennité de cette démarche aussi bien dans le néo-platonisme que chez les Pères de l'Église et ou dans l'exégèse médiévale. Religion et rationalité. Philon d'Alexandrie et sa postérité offers a new insight into the works of Philo of Alexandria. Relying on the words of Moses as well as on philosophical concepts, Philo combines these in his commentary of Scripture to create a new way of thinking. The ten studies collected in this volume shed new light on the originality of this method. They also highlight the way it was echoed by Neo-Platonists, the Church Fathers and even medieval exegetes.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004443952
9789004443648