Noble Lies and Philosophic Silence: Hypatia, Synesius, and the New Esotericism in the Fourth Century
In this episode we do a number of things. First of all, we approach the problem of what kind of philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria was, surveying a number of theories put forward by scholars from ‘just a mathematician’, or ‘a Plotinian/Porphyrian Platonist’, right through to ‘practicing Iamblichean theurge’.
Primary Sources
On Kingship; On Dreams
This collection captures the volatile intersection of Neoplatonic thought and late Roman political catastrophe. Synesius refuses to separate his intellectual life from the grim realities of governing a crumbling province. He employs everything from sharp political satire to intricate theological myt
Letters
The 'Epistolae' of Synesius of Cyrene offers a rare, unfiltered look at the intersection of Neoplatonic philosophy and early ecclesiastical authority. Writing from the frontier of the Roman Empire, Synesius grapples with the 'contagion' of sin, the deceptive masks of piety used in political land gra
Problems and Solutions Concerning First Principles, Volume 1
This text provides a front-row seat to the intellectual collapse of a dying tradition and the rigorous brilliance that accompanied it. Damascius argues that human reason is inherently inadequate when it tries to define the first principle, yet he maps the process of causality with unmatched precisio
Problems and Solutions Concerning First Principles, Volume 3
As the final leader of the Athenian Neoplatonic school, Damascius faces the impossible task of defining the source of all things. He argues that any description of the first principle inevitably limits it, as language requires duality and separation. The text rejects the simple labels used by his pr
Theodosian Code, Volume 1
This volume serves as the official blueprint for governing late antiquity. Theodosius II recognized that a sprawling empire could not survive without a unified, accessible legal framework. He mandated that public law must always override individual favors or secret imperial commands. The text reveal
Theodosian Code, Volume 2
Theodosian Code, Volume 2 shifts focus from the finished laws to the fragile physical records that preserved them. It exposes the tension between the rigorous intentions of imperial legislators and the often careless work of the scribes who copied their edicts. By evaluating manuscripts from Paris t