Historical Dissertation on Abaris

Apollonius Dyscolus ($υ$) says: "Abaris, he states, was himself from the Hyperboreans, one of the theologians." It should be understood that in this passage, the term theologos theologian does not possess the common meaning where it denotes one who possesses the logos peri tou theou discourse regarding God, a sense in which this word is used by Lactantius ($φ$) and Augustine ($χ$). Instead, by theologon, it is understood here as one who has dedicated his mind to philosophy and who has written on ten physiken tetheologemenen theologized natural science.

The pagans say there were three types of theologia theology: the first is called mythikon mythical, or that of the poets; the second is politikon political, or that of the priests; and the third is physikon natural, or that of the philosophers. Therefore, if I weigh the studies of Abaris more accurately with myself, I see that he applied himself to theologia mythike mythical theology and politike political theology, but most especially to physike natural theology.

It is clear that he did not neglect the study of poetry, based on various books that they say Abaris composed in verse. However, those who designate him a priest of Apollo, such as Iamblichus ($ψ$) and the Greek interpreter of Aristophanes ($ω$), as well as those who call him a fortune-teller and diviner, such as Eusebius ($α$) and Jerome ($β$), seem to attribute the study of theologia politike political theology to Abaris. Nor is the aforementioned Iamblichus ($γ$) contrary to these when he says: "Since Abaris continued in the rites customary to him, and provided himself with the prognosis studied by every barbarian nation by means of sacrifices, most especially those of birds."

Finally, Iamblichus ($δ$) reports that Abaris was taught natural theology by Pythagoras. Thus, it is clear from Iamblichus that Abaris was a student of Pythagoras. However, Suidas ($ε$) affirms that he was a teacher of Pythagoras, stating: "This man, namely Pythagoras, heard first from Pherecydes of Syros, then from Hermodamas in the same Samos, who was a descendant of Creophilus, then from Abaris the Hyperborean, and Zaretas the Magus."

Who, therefore, erred? Was it Suidas, or Iamblichus? I judge that neither Iamblichus nor Suidas erred. It could have happened that in some matters Abaris was taught by Pythagoras, while in others, Pythagoras was taught by Abaris. The reason, however,