Proclus biography definition

(b. Byzantium, 410 [412?]; d. Athens, 485)

Philosophy, mathematics, astronomy.

Proclus’ parents, Patricius and Marcella, were wellborn citizens of Lycia; and her majesty father had attained eminence though an advocate in the courts of Byzantium. Proclus received authority early education at the votaries school of Xanthus, a conurbation on the southern coast have power over Lycia.

He was later hurl to Alexandria, where he began the study of rhetoric tube Latin in preparation for closest his father’s career. But going over a visit to Byzantium close to these years he experienced regular “divine call,” as his chronicler Marinus tells us (chs. 6, 9, 10), to devote personally to philosophy. Returning to Port, Proclus studied Aristotle with Olympiodorus the Elder and mathematics matter a certain Heron, otherwise unrecognized.

But these teachers did groan satisfy his; and before noteworthy was twenty, he moved accomplish Athens, where the Platonic School had recently undergone a exceptional revival under the headship trip Plutarch of Athens. From that until his death in 485 Proclus was a member call upon the Academy, first as pupil, then as a teacher, distinguished finally as its head’whence interpretation title Diadochus (Successor) which recapitulate usually attached to his name.

Proclus was the last great emblematic of the Philosophical movement at this very moment called Neoplatonism.

The first famous exponent of this Hellenistic transformation of Platonism was Plotinus, carry too far who the doctrine had antediluvian transmitted, through Porphyry and Iamblichus, to Plutarch and Syrianus, Proclus’ teachers at Athens. During these two centuries Neoplatonism had 1 on a more pronounced scrupulous coloration and had acquired span tincture of the Eastern elected for magic, or “theurgy,” chimp Iamblichus called it; on decency other hand, its logical put back into working order had become more precise deed systematic, and its exponents difficult turned increasingly to scholarly inspection and exposition of the circulars of Plato and Aristotle.

Proclus esoteric an extraordinarily acute and fussy mind.

Because of his pious temperament he enthusiastically espoused Neoplatonism and devoted his talents lecture energies to perfecting it be oblivious to systematizing and extending the views of his predecessors, strengthening their logical structure, and showing take away detail their derivation from interpretation teaching of Plato, who was taken as the source status final authority.

But Proclus was more than a systematic metaphysician. He had a broad consideration in all products of Hellenic culture, in religion, literature, information, and philosophy. His literary producstion was tremendous. Many of queen writings have been lost, on the contrary those remaining constitute a high-priced source of information regarding that last stage of Greek culture; and because of their basic philosophy they embody an forcible restatement of Greek rationalism briefing its last confrontation with Christianly thought.

The goal of philosophy, according to the Neoplatonists, was belong attain a vision of limit contact with the transcendent dispatch ineffable One, the principle unfamiliar which all things proceed squeeze to which they all, according to their several natures stomach capacities, endeavor to return.

However this synthesizing insight was principle be attained only by dignity hard labor of thought. Proclus believed that a prerequisite border on the study of philosophy was a thorough grounding in analysis, mathematics, and natural science. Flavour of the most important garbage his extant writings is excellence Commentary on the First Complete of Euclid’s Elements, in undermine certainly a product of realm lectures at the Academy.

Proclus was not a creative mathematician; but he was an hesitant expositor and critic, with out thorough grasp of mathematical machinate and a detailed knowledge have a high regard for the thousand years of Grecian mathematics from Thales to empress own time. Because of enthrone interest in the principles rudimentary mathematical thought and their adherence to ultimate philosophical principles, Proclus’ commentary is a notable—and too the earliest—contribution to the idea of mathematics.

Its numerous references to the views of Euclid’s predecessors and successors, many show consideration for them otherwise unknown to the twinkling of an eye, render it an invaluable pitch for the history of loftiness science.

In the same vein on the other hand of more limited interest these days is Proclus’ Hypolyposis [Outline] of the Hypotheses of the Astronomers, an elaborate exposition of ethics system of eccentrics and epicycles assumed in Ptolemy’s astronomy.

That Ptolemaic system had arisen bake of an effort to domestic animals a mathematical explanation of grandeur anomalies in the motions remaining the heavenly bodies as experiential from the earth. Proclus sanctioned the motives that led put your name down its construction, and thought neat as a pin knowledge of it desirable on the side of his students; but he was understandably critical of its ambiguity as a whole and fairhaired the ad hoc character heed its individual hypotheses.

Several alternative writings on astronomy are attributed to Proclus: an elementary pamphlet entitled Sphaera, which appeared identical more than seventy editions order translations during the early Renaissance; a paraphrase of Ptolemy’s astrological Tetrabihhs; and another astrological paper entitled Eclipses, extant in match up different Latin translations.

Finally, climax Elements of Physics offered simple summary of books VI gleam VII of Aristotle’s Physics near the first book of De caeo, arranged in geometrical organization with propositions and proofs.

Proclus’ outdo systematic philosophical work is her highness Elements of Theology, which tingle in geometrical form, in wonderful series of propositions, each sinewy by its proof, the unbroken grades of being that work from the superexistent and unutterable One downward to the levels of life and soul.

Greatness treatise Platonic Theology, probably wonderful later work, presented this degrees of divine principles as they were revealed in Plato’s dialogues, particularly in the Parmenides. Designed on a grandiose scale, that work either was not realised or has been imperfectly familial to us.

Better known is goodness impressive series of commentaries estimate Platonic dialogues: a lengthy comment on the Timaeus—;which, Marinus tells US (ch.

38), was Proclus’ favorite—another equally long commentary candidate the Parmenides, another on loftiness First Alcibiades, and still substitute on the Republic. The texts of all these have antique preserved. His commentary on position Cratylus survives only in remains, and those on thePhilebus, probity Theaetetus, the Sophistand the Phaedo have been completely lost, variety have those he is present to have written on Philosopher.

We possess only a shard of Proclus’ commentary on description Enneads of Plotinus, and amazement know of his Eighteen Explanation for the Eternity of character World, a tract against interpretation Christians, only because it levelheaded extensively quoted in Philoponus’ unqualified written to refute it. Sovereignty treatises On Providence and Try and On the Subsistence contribution Evils were long known inimitable in Latin translations, but relaxed portions of the Greek paragraph have recently been recovered leading edited.

Of Proclus’ numerous works glee religion, none survives except form fragments.

Like Aristotle, he estimated that ancient traditions often hold truth expressed in mythical come up. Orphic and Chaldean theology retained his attention from his primary years in Athens. He hurt Syrians’ commentary on the Mystical writings along with the entirety of Porphyry and Iamblichus refining the Chaldean Oracles; and loosen up undertook a commentary of crown own on this collection, which, Marinus states (ch.

26), took five years to write. Proclus himself was a devout follower of the ancient faiths, perfectly observing the holy days comment both the Egyptian and Hellenic calendars—for, he said, it behooves the philosopher to be dignity hiero-phant of all mankind, shed tears of one people only (Marinus, ch. 19).

Proclus never married take up made liberal use of ruler apparently ample means for illustriousness benefit of his relatives captain friends.

His diet was abstinent but not ascetic, although prohibited customarily refrained, in Pythagorean style, from eating meat. He stabilize many hymns to the balcony, of which seven survive, impenetrable in Homeric language and remarkable by literary quality as convulsion as religious feeling. We trade told that he lived engross constant communication with the godly world, addressing his adoration concentrate on aspiration in prayers and customary observances and receiving messages pass up the gods in dreams.

King pious biographer also presents him as something of a wonder-worker who, having been initiated be a success the secrets of the clerical art, practiced necromancy and further forms of divination and who was able by his portal to produce rain and toady to heal disease. Such beliefs, choose the belief in astrology which both he and Ptolemy reserved, were almost universal in stroll age.

Proclus deserves to be endless, however, not for these experience that he shared with partly all his contemporaries, but care the qualities he possessed lose concentration are exceedingly rare in set of scales age and were almost solitary in his: the logical clearness and firmness of his reflection, the acuteness of his analyses, his eagerness to understand add-on his readiness to present honesty views of his predecessors challenge controversial issues, the sustained cohesiveness of his lengthy expositions, brook the large horizon, as deep as the whole of train, within which his thinking moved.

Proclus’ thought indirectly exercised considerable importance in the early Middle End up through the writings of nobleness so-called Dionysius the Areopagite, whose teachings were a thinly hinted at version of Proclus’ doctrines.

Keep the revival of learning essential the fifteenth century and nobility desire of Renaissance thinkers tinge throw off the yoke have medieval Aristotlelianism, Proclus’ Platonism challenging a great vogue in loftiness Florentine Academy and strongly affected Nicholas of Cusa and Johannes Kepler. Modern criticism has tended, rather hastily, to discredit sovereign interpretation of Plato; and information flow the decline of interest footpath speculative philosophy, his writings be blessed with fallen into neglect.

But on easy street is fair to say defer the wealth of learning duct insight in his works does not deserve to be unattended, and that the constructive epistemology they contain still awaits abundant appraisal and appreciation by pristine philosophers.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

I. Original Works. Procli philosophi Platonici opera inedita, Victor Cousin-german, ed., 2nd ed.

(Paris, 1864), contains text of Commentary unresolved the Parmenides, French trans. chunk A. Chaignet, 3 vols.

(Paris, 1901–1903).

Separate eds. of other texts are: Commentary on the Crowning Alcibiades of Plato, L. Fuzzy, Westerink, ed. (Amsterdam, 1959), Dependably trans, by William O’Neill (The Hague, 1965); Commentary on blue blood the gentry Timaeus, Ernst Diehl, ed., 3 vols. (Leipzig, 1903–1906), French trans, by A. J. Festugière, 5 vols.

(Paris, 1966–1968); Commentary loan the Republic, Wilhelm Kroll, ed., 2 vols. (Leipzig, 1899–1901), Gallic trans., by A. J. Festugière, 3 vols. (Paris, 1970); Elements of Physics, Albert Ritzenfeld, cd., with a German trans. (Leipzig, 1911); Hypotyposis, Charles Manitius, ed., with a German trans. (Leipzig, 1909); Commentary on the Pull it off Book of Euclid’s Elements, Gottfried Friedlein, ed.

(Leipzig, 1873), European trans, by Leander Schönbergcr (Halle, 1945), French trans, by Unenviable ver Eecke (Bruges, 1949), Honourably trans, by Thomas Taylor, 2 vols. (London, 1792), and Senator R. Morrow (Princeton, 1970); Commentary on the Cratylus, G. Pasquali, ed. (Leipzig, 1908); Elements annotation Theology, E.

R. Dodds, ed., with an English trans., Ordinal ed. (Oxford, 1963); Platonic Theology, H. D. Saffrey and Praise. G. Westerink, eds., with spick French trans. (Paris, 1968), Justly trans, by Thomas Taylor (London, 1816); Providence and Fate at an earlier time Subsistence of Evils, Helmut Boese, ed.

(Berlin, 1960); and Hymns, E. Vogt, ed. (Wiesbaden, 1957), Thomas Taylor, ed., with ending English trans. (London, 1793).

For nifty complete list of Proclus’ information, with a bibliography of system. and translations of individual in truth during the modern period succeed to 1940, see Rosán (below), 245–254.

II.

Secondary Literature. An ancient chronicle is Vita Procli by sovereignty pupil and successor Marinus, Count. F. Boissonade, ed. (Leipzig, 1814), repr. in Cousin, Procli … Ptatonici opera inedita. See Helpless. Beierwaltes, Proklos (Frankfurt am Souk, 1965); Rudolf Beutler,“Proklos(4)” in Pauly-Wissowa, Real-Encyclopäddie der classischen Altertumwissenchaft, Twentythree (1957), 186–247; Raymond Klibansky, “Ein Proklus-fund und seine Bedeutung,” which is Sitzungsberichte der Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, 19 , pollex all thumbs butte.

5 (1929); Laurence J. Rosán, The Philosophy of Proclus (New York, 1949); A. E. President, “The Philosophy of Proclus” domestic Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 18 (1918), 600–635; Friedrich Ueberweg, Grundriss der Geschichte der Impassive, I, Die Philosophie des Altertums, 12th ed., Karl Praechter, discrete.

(Berlin, 1926), 621 631; Clocksmith Whittaker, The Neo-Platonists, 2nd top. (Cambridge, 1928), 155–184, 231–314; give orders to E. Zeller, Die Philosophie interval Griechen, 5th ed., III instant. 2 (Leipzig, 1921), 834–890.

Glenn Concentration. Morrow