PREFACE

The essays of Synesius, his address to the Emperor Arcadius, and the speeches he delivered in Libya regarding the political situation during the conflict between the cities of the Pentapolis and the barbarian tribes of the desert, are not as famous as his letters, nor perhaps as well known to modern scholars. Nevertheless, they are of great value for understanding the evolution of philosophical thought in the late fourth and early fifth centuries. This volume attempts to make these works more accessible to English readers. The task is difficult due to the style of Synesius, which, as I have discussed in the Introduction, often becomes obscure through the frequent use of ellipsis and the self-imposed restrictions of following formal rhetorical rules from that period. The precise value of these rhetorical devices is often lost to us today, as they fill his pages with untranslatable wordplay and rhythmic subtleties. I have attempted to adhere to the Greek idiom as much as possible—sometimes at the cost of smoother English—as this is the only way to convey the unique personality of the author's style. Regarding doubtful passages, I owe a great debt to the experience and cooperation of Professor Souter of the University of Aberdeen, who provided advice and assistance and kindly agreed to proofread this work. I also wish to express my gratitude to Dr. W. S. Crawford, whose work, Synesius the Hellene, has contributed significantly to the study of this author. He generously lent me his own original translation of the works of Synesius, which he prepared for his own research on the essays and hymns, and I have profited greatly from studying it.