Eustathius of Cappadocia

Eustathius (* probably the end of the 3rd century, after 362 † ) was a late ancient philosopher ( neo-Platonists ). He is called sometimes after its region of origin Eustathius of Cappadocia.

Swell

The main source is the writing biographies of philosophers and sophists of Eunapius of Sardis, who boasts Eustathios exuberant. In addition to a letter that Eustathius wrote to the Emperor Julian, three letters addressed to him are preserved; two of them are from Julian, one of the speakers Libanius. Narrated is also a letter from the church father Basil of Caesarea on a philosopher Eustathius, who was apparently Cappadocians. Basil writes that he wanted to go to Eustathius (apparently to study with him). To this end, he was from Athens to Cappadocia, then traveled to Syria and from there to Egypt, but he had sought the philosopher never found, but only learned that Eustathius had gone into the Persian Empire. In research is debatable whether the addressee of this letter, the Neoplatonic philosopher or - is usually accepted as it is today - another Eustathius is.

Life

Eustathius was from Cappadocia; he was a relative of the philosopher Aidesios. Both received their philosophical education in Syria in the school of the famous Neoplatonist Iamblichus, the most likely was located on the Orontes River in Apamea. Iamblichus dedicated a treatise on the music a Eustathius, in which it may constitute the Cappadocians that name. After the death of Iamblichus (ca. 320/325 ) Aidesios remained for some time in Syria and then retired to his Cappadocian homeland. Later he confided to his Cappadocian goods Eustathius and founded in Pergamum own school of philosophy.

Although Eustathius was not a Christian, he enjoyed the confidence of the Emperor Constantius II, who sent him in the year 358, along with another civilian diplomats and an officer as ambassador to Ctesiphon the Persian king Shapur II. Eustathius owed ​​his extraordinary oratorical talent this order and a recommendation by the Praetorian Prefect Orientis Musonianus. The aim of diplomacy was to dissuade Shapur of its territorial claims and its threat of attack. Eustathius to have the king deeply impressed by his appearance, but remained unsuccessful embassy. After a long stay in Ctesiphon, the envoys returned.

Eustathius was married to the philosopher Sosipatra, with whom he had three sons. One of the sons named Antonino later lived in Canopus in Egypt; he is said to have the destruction of the Serapeum of Alexandria, which took place after his death in 391 predicted.

After some time - at least before the middle of the century - moved Sosipatra to Pergamum and began to give philosophy teaching there; Aidesios, with whom she was friendly, took care of the education of their three sons. In the earlier research, it was assumed that this happened after the death of Eustathius, as an enigmatic place in the work of Eunapius seems to imply. However, since Eustathius 362 sure was still alive, this place is interpreted differently today; Sosipatra apparently left her husband with the kids and still settled in his lifetime in Pergamon.

From a letter written by the famous orator Libanius wrote in winter 355/356, indicating that Eustathius had recently stayed in Antioch, the hometown of Libanius, in its surroundings. 359/360 took Libanius in a letter to Eustathius to attacks relation, which was exposed to the philosopher.

362 invited Emperor Julian Eustathios to his court to Constantinople Opel one, for the Emperor, who was himself a Neoplatonist wanted to be surrounded by like-minded philosophers. Eustathius accepted the invitation, but soon gave health reasons invoked to obtain permission to return home. Julian agreed and wanted to ask him for a vehicle of the United States Postal available, but to Eustathius had already made walking on the road. In reference to the philosopher praised in a short letter to the Emperor the benefits of walking over driving. This letter is the last source is attested in Eustathius as alive. About the date and circumstances of his death is not known.

Works

Sure authentic is only Eustathius 's letter to the Emperor Julian. Whether he is the author of philosophical writings, is uncertain; at least nothing has been preserved. A Eustathios is attested as the author of a (lost) commentary on the Categories of Aristotle; whether it is in this writer to the Neoplatonists Eustathius, is unclear. Furthermore, a rhetorician named Eustathius has commented on the font Peri TON stáseōn the written Hermogenes of Tarsus, of which only fragments survive. This rhetorician Eustathios may be identical to the Neoplatonists, but this identification remains hypothetical, especially since the name of Eustathius was often back then.

Source expenditure

• Giuseppe Giangrande (ed.): Eunapii vitae sophistarum. Istituto Poligrafico dello Stato, Rome 1956.
• Richard Förster ( eds.): Libanii opera. Teubner, Leipzig, 1921, pp. 124-125 (Letter 123 to Eustathius ), S. 447 (Letter 463 with mention of Eustathius ).
• Bertold K. Weis ( Eds.): Julian: letters. Heimeran, Munich 1973, p 16-21, 247-248, 250