Aedesius

Aidesios (* 280-290; † 352-355 ) was a late ancient philosopher ( Neoplatonist ).

Swell

Aside from mentions in Simplicius and Libanius the detailed information of the Eunapius of Sardis are the only source. A few decades after the death of Aidesios Eunapius wrote a laudatory, literary embellished description of his life in the writing biographies of philosophers and sophists. Eunapius has Aidesios not know personally, but referred his knowledge from his teacher Chrysanthios of Sardis, a pupil of the philosopher. From works of Aidesios nothing is known.

Life

Aidesios came from Cappadocia. His family was very posh, but little wealthy. His father sent him to Greece, where he was to receive training as a businessman. However, he decided to become a philosopher, his father accepted after some initial resistance. According to one anecdote father wanted him first throw them out and asked him what profit transferring the philosophy. Then replied Aidesios that he had, even if he would chased him to be doing a great profit from philosophy, namely the ability to reverence his father.

Later Aidesios went to Syria where he performed in the school of the famous Neoplatonist Iamblichus, which very likely was located on the Orontes River in Apamea. After the death of Iamblichus (ca. 320/325 ) Aidesios and Sopatros of Apamea were the most respected members of the school. Aidesios seems after Sopatros ' resignation as head teacher to have become his successor, but the student group disbanded soon appear on, and the philosophers were scattered in the kingdom. Aidesios initially settled in his Cappadocian homeland, where he led a retired life for some time. Then he entrusted his goods to a relative, the philosopher Eustathius, who was also a disciple of Iamblichus, and went to Pergamum. There he founded his own school of philosophy and enjoyed high reputation. Later Eustathius ' woman Sosipatra moved - apparently after a separation from her husband - also to Pergamum and granted there philosophy lessons, and Aidesios cared about the education of their three sons.

Eunapius reported that Aidesios to promote in its students a sense of the "human " (to anthropinon ) and for social responsibility tried because he noticed that they let themselves be led away by her education to arrogance and lost interest in the everyday life. To this end, he went with them after class through the streets of Pergamon and chatted with businessmen and artisans about their affairs.

From his school prominent philosophers emerged: Maximus of Ephesus, Chrysanthios of Sardis, Eusebius of Myndos and Priscus. The reputation of the Aidesios induced the later Emperor Julian, visit him in 351. Julian took lessons at the already elderly Aidesios part, was excited and wanted to bestow his teacher plentiful, but what the philosopher refused. Later Aidesios transferred because of his advanced age, his students Chrysanthios and Eusebius the task to instruct Julian; Maximos was then staying in Ephesus on, Priscus in Greece. Aidesios should - Picking up a remark of Plotinus - have said if Julian had advanced to the wisdom of the hidden teachings, he would be ashamed to be born, and a person to be called. Finally, Julian went to Ephesus, to continue his philosophical training at Maximos. When Julian was appointed in November 355 for Caesar, Aidesios was no longer alive.

Source output

• Giuseppe Giangrande (ed.): Eunapii vitae sophistarum, Istituto Poligrafico dello Stato, Rome 1956