Gaius the Platonist

Gaios (Greek Γάϊος, Latin Gaius; * probably around 75, † probably after 130 ) was an ancient philosopher. He was a Platonist, and was one of the key representatives of the Mittelplatonismus.

Life

In research, it has been suggested that Gaios was born around 75, but this assumption is very uncertain. About his origins, youth and training as well as his work place is not known. Since his student albinos around the middle of the 2nd century already was a famous teacher and other students have previously given instruction, it can be assumed that Gaios ' teaching falls into the first half of the century.

An inscription from Delphi, which was made in the late twenties or early thirties of the second century, testifies that a philosopher Gaios, son of xenon, the local civil rights and other honors and rights were granted; his children received the rights of citizenship. Probably it is the well-known Mittelplatoniker. Another inscription, which was built around the middle of the 2nd century, reports from the award of the Delphic citizenship to a group of four Platonists, including Bakchios of Paphos, which is referred to as the adopted son of Gaios. The assumption that this Gaios is equated with the teacher of albinos is near; if true, it can be assumed that the adopted son was not already included in the Bürgerrrechtsverleihung to Gaios and its then existing ( biological ) children.

Works and teaching

There are no preserved works of Gaios and also provides no titles. His student albinos prepared a collection of transcripts from his teaching, however, is lost. One of eleven books of existing part of this collection was titled as " Broad ( hypotypóseis ) of the Platonic doctrines ." In albinos ' preserved ' Introduction to Plato's Dialogues " it may be a postscript from a course of Gaios. The fact that Plato wrote Gaios comments may be seen Porphyry a remark of the Neo-Platonist, but perhaps on the albinos ' refers Nachschriftensammlung and in this case can not serve as evidence for the existence of such comments. In general, references to Gaios in later ancient literature no evidence for direct use by its own works, as they can also be based on knowledge of the Nachschriftensammlung; it is possible that Gaios has ever left no writings.

Much was well received in the earlier research in 1905 put forward by Tadeusz Sinko hypothesis that the teachings of a " school of Gaios " of preserved works of Platonists this direction were reconstructed. At that time, there were not only - historically accurate - albinos to the students of Gaios, but we also identified erroneously to authors of the Middle Platonist treatise Didaskalikos with albinos and therefore considered this work to be wrong as the source of the teachings of the school of Gaios. Even in an anonymous handed comment to Plato's dialogue Theaetetus and in the De Platone et eius dogmate of Apuleius believed to be able to recognize the influence of this school. After today prevailing view, however, is not a direct relationship between the Didaskalikos, whose real author of the Mittelplatoniker Alkinoos was, and the teaching of Gaios seen, and missing for the classification of the works of the Theaetetus - commentator and Apuleius in the teaching tradition of Gaios convincing documents.

From a fragmentary traditional presentation of albinos show that Gaios Plato panelist statements partly as statements of fact, sometimes only as approximations to the truth. Gaios said, the degree of accuracy and clarity of statements Plato was dependent on the nature of the topic.

Reception

Gaios ' adopted son Bakchios of Paphos is probably the same philosopher, who was the first teacher of philosophy of the future emperor Marcus Aurelius to equate.

The famous physician Galen was educated in Platonic philosophy with two students of Gaios: first in the forties of the second century at a unnamed well-known philosopher in his home city of Pergamon and later with albinos in Smyrna.

In the school of Plotinus, the founder of Neo-Platonism, in Rome Gaios was one of the Mittelplatoniker, among their teaching to curriculum.

Even in late antiquity Gaios ' name had a good sound; the famous Neoplatonist Proclus declared him one of the most important Platonists. An anonymous handed down late antiquity list ( canons ) of recommended writers refer to him in the first place in the list of " most useful" expounder of Plato's philosophy. Even in the 6th century the records of albinos from the lessons of Gaios were accessible: The Neoplatonists Priskianos Lydos mentioned that he pulled her.

Source collections

  • Heinrich Dorrie / Matthias Baltes ( Eds.): The Platonism in antiquity, Volume 3: The Platonism in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. From man - Holzboog, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt 1993, ISBN 3-7728-1155-8, pp. 14-21, 28f. (Source texts with translation ) and S. 145, 151-153, 161f. , 182-184, 205, 213 (comment)
  • Adriano Gioè: Filosofi medioplatonici del II secolo d C. Testimonianze e frammenti. Bibliopolis, Napoli 2002, ISBN 88-7088-430-9, pp. 45-76 ( source text with Italian translation and commentary )
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