SYN E S I U S O F C Y R E N E

W H I S LI FE AND R I TI N GS .

SYN ES I U S O F C Y R E N E

H I S LI FE A N D W R I T I N G S .

N I C O L B A c . . J. . , ,

FELLOW OF TR I N I TY HALL, C AM B R I DGE .

AN ESSAY WH IC H OBTAIN ED TH E H U LSEAN PRIZ E

FOR TH E YEAR 1 886 .

( t fl ’ ' ‘ ! ' ‘ a vra s ya Htoe dpe nis 6M ) .

Eambtibgz

E H S 0 R I I Y . JO N ON , 3 , T N T

1 8 8 7 .

T O M Y FAT H E R

A SM ALL TR I BU TE OF GR ATI TU DE

AND AFFEC TI ON .

’ TH I S E SS A Y OB TAI NE D TH E H ULS EAI V P R I Z E I N THE UN I VE RSI T Y 01" CA M B RI D GE FOR THE YE AR

C LAUSES d i rected by M e FOU N DER to be a koays prefi xe d

to the H ULSEAN DISSER TATION .

H C LA S ES from the W LL the . OH N U LS E U I of Rev J ,

la te Elworth in th e o nt s e r d e of , C u y of Che t , clerk,

cea se : d ed t -firs t in the a r d at the twen y day of July, ye of our Lord one thousand s even hu ndred and seventy

s v n re ss th e w o f a s e e ; exp ed in ords the Testator, he ,

rd n s r r w in o er to preve t mistake , thought p oper to d a

a nd wr the a e f a nd re th ite s me hims l , di cted at such

se u r r i the clau s sho ld eve y yea be pr nted , to intent that the se vera l persons whom it might concern a nd be of

to m th r c e ci al service , ight know that ere we e su h sp donations or endowments left for the encoura gement of

i a nd a e f P ety Learning, in an g so un ortunately addicted

l a nd t r to Infide ity and Luxury, that o he s might be e invited to the like charitable, and , as he humbly hop d ,

so sea nable and useful Benefactions . He dire cts that certai n rents and profits (now amounting to about a hundred pounds yearly) b e pa i d to

ed e s the i s such learn and ingenious p r on , in Un ver ity of

e s s a s s Cambridge, under the degr e of Ma ter of Art , hall

s for e D s s compo e , that year, the b st i sertation , in the Engli h

n u Pro h » la g age, on the Evidences in general , or on the p e

s or i cie M racles in particular, or any other particular Argument whether the same be direct or collateral proofs

the hr s e n of C i tian R ligion , in order to evi ce its truth a nd excellence ; the subject of which Dissertation sha ll be

- of given out by the Vice Chancellor, and the Masters

’ u of m Trinity and Saint John s , his Tr stees, or by some the ,

’ on New Year s Da y annually ; and tha t su ch Disserta tion

of as shall be by them , or any two them , on Christmas

Da a a y annu lly, the best approved , be lso printed , and the

’ expense defrayed out of the Author s income under his

Will , and the remainder given to him on Saint John the

’ Evangelist s Da y following ; a nd he who shall be s o re

b e f a s a warded , shall not admitted at any uture time

a wa Candidate again in the s me y, to the intent that others may be invited and encouraged to write on so sa cred and sublime a subject.

a m a f of He lso desires , that im edi tely ollowing the last

a z D s a a the clauses rel ting to the pri e is ert tion , this invoc tion may be a dded : M a y the Divine Blessing for -ever go along with a ll my benefa ctions and m a y the Grea test a nd

of a ll- a nd the Best Beings , by His wise Providence gracious

a ff c a influence, make the s me e e tu l to His own glory, and the good of m y fellow -crea tures P R E FA E C .

N the biography of Syne s ius I have mainly a dopted the arrangement a nd chronology of Druon (Etu des

e t CE uvre s S nési us f sur la Vie les de y ), veri ying his

f a nd a a ff f re erences throughout, occ sion lly di ering rom his

’ Tille m on s a a f f n i . t o S e s us conclusions dmir ble li e y , which was only a ccessible to me when my work wa s nearly

of a nd over, is the source several corrections additions ,

ca of a es pecially in the histori l portion the ess y. Three articles by Kraus in the Tubingen Theologische Q u a rta l schrift (1 86 5 - 1 866) and a short review by H e fe le of the work of Kra b i ng e r were especia lly useful in the discussion

’ of ne s i us a a s a a nd a s a a Sy st ndpoint philosopher Christi n .

Druon Tille m ont a nd a s f a re o , , Kr u , there ore, the writers t

a e f whom I owe most, but wh tever I d rived rom other sources I have acknowledged I think in every ca se . I

’ should add that Miss Ga rdiner s interesting book on the subject has enabled me since writing the essay to correct

’ of ne s ius f one or two omissions in the narrative Sy li e .

a of With reg rd to the question originality, I can only say that I ha ve rea d the works of Syne s i us * for myself f and tried to orm an independent judgment .

a re . . D Lastly , my best thanks due to Mr A . W W . ale ,

of a for Trinity H ll , his kind assistance and advice in my

of f final revision and in the correction the proo s .

‘ ’ The re fe re nce s throughout a re to the ed ition of Syne sius W orks in ’ V OI : ofM i ne s Pa rolog . Jj g t y 66 C O N T E N T S .

I ntrod uction

Ea rly Life and Tra ining

The Em bassy to Arca d ius

Abstra ct of the Spe e ch D e R eg no

’ ’ N arra tive of the De m a’m lza

R e turn to Cyre ne

Alexand ria

I ntim acy with Th eophilus

M a rriag e of Synesi us

S ne si us B s o of P o em a s y , i h p t l i

Hi s d ea th

Philosophy of Syne si us

' Outline of the De Providentz a

Abstract of the D e I m om nm

Abstract of the D ion

Hi s R e la tion to Christia nity

Conclusion

N I N T R O D U C T I O .

wa s so r o S ne s i us T me fifty yea s bef re the birth of y , when the Emperor Constantine made his great t f a tempt to reorganize the Roman Empire, and , by in using a feeling of unity into the heterogeneous nations of which

f off for it was composed , to end a time the perils which

H is . a a threatened from without politic l measures , especi lly

e of as regarded the gov rnment the provinces , were well meant and ought to have a llevi a ted the hardships of the

: m wa s c m provincials but the whole syste orrupt ; and refor s ,

c a re however ex ellent in theory, useless unless supported by

Fa r m n a healthy public opinion . ore importa t, because it

m - of was ore far reaching in its results , was the adoption Christianity as the State religion and though the immediate consequences of this step did not tend to the

’ of a i m unity thought and action which was Constantine s ,

ce of still this was the ultimate influen Christianity, partly

f m a as raising the old civilization ro its moral degr dation , and still more a s humanizing the new races who were soon

i a to give fresh l fe and vigour to decaying world . The advantage to Christia nity from a spiritual point of “ o f — view was h wever a doubt ul one as Gibbon puts it, the piercing eye of ambition and a va rice soon discovered that the profession of Christianity m ight contribute to the

of a s of f ” interest the present as well a future li e . The hope of wealth and the ex a m ple of an Emperor were

G on 0. x x . . 1 6 ibb , , p 5 . 4 powerful incentives to convers ion : and th e Church m u s t h a ve been flood e d with d e votee s of more th a n doubtful s n i cerity . There wa s yet another insidious element ofevil in the new A w o r o f s . s a a m d e r thing P g nis declined , the Church gre

a w u s e in wealth and influence . A Spiritu l Power gre p be id the Te m poral the high offi ces o f the Church “ere sought

f c m e n for of m a nd a ter by uns rupulous purposes a bition , “ e e the l n o s the the int rested vi ws , se fish and a gry passi n ,

o f e rfid m a th e O a nd e o arts p y and dissi ul tion , pen ev n bl ody violence which h a d form e rly dis gra ced the free d om of “ e le m we a of a nd m ction in the Co mon lths Greece Ro e, too o fte n infl ue nce d the choice o f the su ccess o rs of the “ s s A po tle . Another fe a tu re o f th e a g e wa s the violence of its co e rs e s e s e c a of fa m o c e s ntrov i , p i lly that us ontrov r y which

a e e a a nd a s e the a r g d ov r the Ari n heresy, l t d through g re ter pa rt of th e fourth century ; be i ng rea lly a t bottom a n e pitome o fthe strugg le betwe e n Chri s tia nity a nd Pa ga ni s m di s guised in Chri s ti a n form s ; be twe e n a true Monothe istic relig ion and a n exagge ra te d Mon oth e is m which led ba ck

m of m n e ce ssa rily to the Polytheis the old ythologies .

a a s m a a nd of For P g ni died very h rd , the orthodoxy Con s ta ntine wa s followed by a n a tura l reaction in the

m o f la e c a e h e h is atte pt Ju i n to r sus it t t old creeds . But influence wa s wholly tra nsitory a nd exerted in a fa lling ca s e of o s 8 - a ve a f e s u . The decrees The do ius (37 39 5) g r h

w w a f of a a s m a nd blo to the e kened orces P g ni , though the worship ofthe gods lingered in the country districts well on

’ f m of S ne s ius into the fi th century , still at the ti e y birth Christi a ni ty wa s the preva iling religion o f the a ncient

a nd h a d world , Greek thought, which been declining since

of s ff e a the days Plotinu , o ered but slight r sist nce to its

on c. x x . . 1 1 . Gibb , , p 7 5

c of mightie r rival . Such was the moral ondition the

a a Empire . But serious though the d ngers were th t

a e f wa s thre ten d rom within , there yet greater peril looming

f a a of o a on the rontiers . A v st migr tion the Huns, a past r l

a e o f e n a f r c c tral Asi , drove the Gothic tribes on the rontiers first to dem a nd a nd then to enforce the support and

a patron ge of Rome .

a e o a f a The inevit bl c llision soon c me, and the de e t of Va lens a t H a dri a n ople threa tened the immediate ruin of

m . f the E pire The skil ul Theodosius, however, by his

a a nd a o for a m cour ge ddress, averted the catastr phe ti e ; but the a dmissi on of the Goth s not only to the a rm y but to

ofli ce s of a e a f a a fo r the St t , was policy r ught with d nger

e ofm a the future . The a g e was thus a p riod rked transition

wa The a of in every y. passing aw y the old civilization

wa s was in process , but the new era only beginning to

dawn .

s m a f While Pagani was being eradic ted , and be ore

a wa s f its a c m m Christi nity ully installed in pl e, orality ust

a e ff Th e old f a e m e n h v su ered . ound tions w re tottering ;

wa of felt the ground cut from under them . It s an age

a fa a a wa the we k ith , when the strong and h rd m de y, and

e e e h e h e of h t w . T a t e f ebl w nt to all deterior tion , too,

a a u e a e of the Christi n Ide l , tho gh a nec ss ry cons quence

’ a ce o e wa s fo e a t a Church s enh n d worldly p w r, un rtunat

e f a tim when a lo ty ide l wa s sore ly needed . The corruption

a nd c of e a e e e a s e vi e the gr t cities w r not appr ci bly les ned , a nd the orienta l luxury ofthe Court did not help to rem edy

n h e A D . a d t . a of the evil The de th Theodosius in 39 5 . , division of the E m pire between his two indolent a nd

a a e s e e m to a e th e wa fo r a a ia inc p bl sons , ed p v y b rb r n

e : e o if a co r a nd ascend ncy nor n ed we w nder , with such u t

ce e o a nd such rulers , the outlying provin s wer g r und down ,

f e neglected in their hour o n ed . 6 — Into this a g e o f de cline a nd di sorder this period of — tra nsition fro m th e old fa ith to the new a t a ti m e when the o ld civili z a tion with a ll its co rruptio n a nd refinem ent se em ed on the point o fbe ing m erged in the onwa rd -ru shing — tide of ba rbarism Syne s ius was born .

S YN ESI U S OF C YR EN E .

* i D . n n i s wa s a th e A . th e Sy e s u born bout year 37 5 ,

f m ot a s a s ha d city o Cyrene . His her Cyrene , he c ll

ha d a fallen on evil days in this l a ter a g e . There been time when the city of Ba ttus he ld her head high a mong th e

a a settlements of Grea ter Hell s . Pind r had sung the victories of her so vereigns : Aristippus and C a m e a d e s in

a in philosophy, C llimachus poetry , Eratosthenes in science, had made her na me famous .

a But the prosperity of the pl ce declined , and towards

of f m M a rce llinus the close the ourth century, Am ianus f; ” refers to Cyrene briefly as urbs antiqua sed deserta.

f s i s a m Such wa s the birthpla ce o Syne u . His f ily wa s a noble one a nd linked him with the grea ter past. At

’ a ti m e when e ven the proudest of Rom e s patrici a ns could only date the rise of their fam ily from the second

B C e century , “it was something to be abl to cla i m

’ as one s ancestor E u rysthenes who led the Dorians into

’ S a rta z m to s e e m b p § so ething, the honoured to s of one s forefathers in the city they h a d found e d fll Syne s ius ha d

’ The d a te ofSyne si us birth m ay b e sa id to lie a pprox im a te ly be twe e n 37 0 u n for t a d a a nd . Druon a r ue for the form er a se he e r e . 37 5 , . s ; Cl l p g — tt t H e wa s m a d e Bishop in the ye a r 409-1 0 a nd the canonica l ag e wa s thirty ’ — a ye a rs so tha t Cl use n s d a te is e a rly enough . E 2 2 A t p . 3

M . A . x x 1 6 I ii , , 4 .

b . V . on o . I I Gi b l I c . x xx i . Ep 5 7

’ ' ' E . 1 2 7 7m 7r1rwv roi d n 6 c r ov oa c d ri d . 1i p 4. c ¢ c yovc p m

8

of the letters are addressed ; a nd conjecture identifies him

E ius wa s of a A 0 D . with the v pt who Bishop Ptolem is in 43 1 . He lived at A lexandri a a nd in Cyrene a t different periods o f his fe a nd a w a li , was appointed sen tor in the latter to n ,

o of if m a e p sition much care and responsibility , we y judg

’ f o m lctte r * U a H e s chius for r his brother s , pbr iding y the

a m . wa s a o a e Stra tonice who w a s ppoint ent There ls sist r, ,

m a r e to a n ofli ce r a r i d Theodosius , in the Imperial bodygu rd . H e re fe rs to her in o ne o f his le tte rs ' l' a nd quotes the

c o m f ins ripti n written by hi sel upon her statue .

- ’ ' 7 1 m e x d w K lfio 1 39 xp v js i tnrp c 3 e a rovfm j c.

It w o uld be easy to m ultiply the n a mes of his friends a nd co nn e ctions whose n a m es occur from ti m e to time in his e a o m e a t . lett rs, or who hav letters ctu lly addressed the

m a m As the ore import nt , however, will necessarily co e to

a a m of light in the course of the n rr tive, further ention

m m a the y be omitted here .

’ S ne s ius a nd a we Of y early life tr ining know little . He

to A u x e ntius m of the writes: one , re inding him nurture and educa tion they ha d sha red in common ; but his boy

wa s o a m hood probably, with this exception , a s lit ry ti e, and we m a y infer from a biogra phical allusion in the

a a speech against Andronicus , “th t he took little p rt in the

m e n ordinary pursuits and diversions of boys or young .

f a n a u a e Apart however rom y direct llusion , we Sho ld g th r from his writings enough to prove that he wa s a n a rd e nt s tudent of philosophy from the first H is studies were

of a a nd doubtless relieved by the pleasures the ch se, he certainly spent some portion of his youth in m ilitary

fl t er 2 . H r e r s em s to a ve ed he coun r ra a n su m Ep . 9 is b oth e h t y th th b it ' a f t a to 7 e or ou Z mf v.

' ' l Ep . 7 5 .

1: Ep . 60 .

1 ° llEPP° 5 7 : 93 9

’ c a nd e e of a nd servi e , l arn d in the field lessons skill endu

f e fe ra nce th a t sto od h im in good stea d in a t r li .

th e e a a wa s m to So y rs p ssed by , till it ti e see the world — a nd ga in new e xpe rien ces oflife a nd thought a nd he wa s

a a a to a e o f a t a nd n tur lly dr wn Alex ndria, the centr r s

a a a e le rning in th t g . ’ H is W e c o th e a of S ne s ius first ann t fix precise d te y visit to ° s t t a a m a a Alexaii Alex ndri , but he ust h ve been quite young, prob bly

dr’a ’ not m ore th a n seventeen or eighte en ye a rs of a g e . To a lad who ha d bee n lea ding a quie t life in the midst of a rem ote country district the busy life o f Alexandri a must

H e s e e a h a ve been a stra nge e xperience . would the gre t Libra ry ; the M us e u m with its scie ntific tre a sures ; he would be d a z z led by th e l e a rn e d soci e ty into whi ch he wa s

a nd the a e a o f a nd m plunged , str ng ph ses thought ysticism

m a e A e a n a f o m a n e of which d l x dri , r intell ctual point view,

m o a n the ost c smopolit n city of the ancie t world . Sophists or te achers of every form of rhetoric a nd belles -[e th er a e a a ll m a nd ea teri es bound d , while bove the inor sects , were the lea ders o f thought who still upheld the system of

he r a t g e t Plotinus . In stra nge contra st to a ll this pompou s a rra y of

e a a nd a wa s s a Hell nistic rts le rning, there the Chri ti n

: e o e d a a n a Church no p rsecuted body in th s ys , but ctive

o f th e a a m a nd h a and bitter rival older P g nis , now wit

s a t its a a e th e Theophilu he d , inclined r ther to revers old

rs c order of things a nd turn pe e utor.

’ fa f ne s ius a m o S 8 A . D Somewhere bout the ti e in ct y visit 3 9 . (pro bably a yea r or two earlier) a fa n a tica l band of

h e s o e e a e m ' a nd Christians a d d tr y d the S r p u , 1 disturbed the

a n pea ce of the city by acts of riot d pillage .

1 2 . Ep . 7

on Vol. llI . c. x x v . i Gibb , , iii I O

But Syne s ius ha d no thought a t this time for the ological

ffe e a t o e s of a di rences ; he ntered nce into the studi the pl ce ,

’ ' a nd e o m f to a e ux d es rzt th e d v ted hi sel liter ry j p , to cultiva ti on ofeloquence on which he la ys s u ch stress in Tlze

D ion a nd m l of m a m , ore especia ly to the pursuit the atics

a nd philosophy .

O f a ll o f - a m m Hypa tia . the teachers Neo Pl tonis , none was ore

f a t e a a the a of amous this tim than Hyp ti , d ughter Theon , a

of a mathem atici a n note . Cl d in the robes of a phil os opher,

h e r a f a a s she took se t in the pro ession l ch ir, or even di cussed theses as s he walked through the streets surrounded like

a of e a n a m Socrates by a b nd discipl s d d irers . She was at once the centre a nd the ora cle of the philosophical life of

Alexandria .

f m e A beauti ul wo an , learned and eloqu nt , could not fail

m a a S ne s ius . to i press youth , and Greek youth like y

’ He becam e one of Hypati a s m ost brilli a nt and fa vourite

a nd the f s e m pupils ; riend hip between th , which was only

’ e a to S ne s ius a a severed by d th , shows us y ch r cter in the

e h s f is a best light . Wheth r e urvive d his tea che r a nd riend ‘“ a e e he f of point th t will n d discu s s ion later o n. T a te

a m a e w s h e r Hyp tia y be bri fly state d here . Her influence a

u for a a nd r in , the je lousy between Orestes Cyril , the

of a nd a of th e Prefect Egypt, the He d Church , which rumour hinted m ight h a ve been sm oothed o ve r by

’

m a a of a f z . Hypatia s edi tion , led to an outbre k popul r ren y

m m a a She was dragged fro her lecture roo by a f n tic , one

a a nd e the m ob e f Peter the re der, torn to piec s by b ore the

a high a lta r of their Cathedr l .

e influe nce Such was the end o f Hypatia . M anwhile her

a nd d e d ica te s over Syne si us wa s deep lasting. He i his

Socra e s Ecc . st Bk. V I I . 1 . t , l Hi , , 5

’ E 1 6 . 1 p . 3 I Ep 1 5 3 I I

a nd s m m . works to her, ub its them to her criticis In his

a s é i. Sc a letters he addresses her p m p m afi eld») x a i. a e ; a nd when he is ca st down to the depths of despa ir by the

s his a nd m of u lo s of children the i pending ruin his co ntry, it is to her tha t he confides th e burden of his woes and ca n only s a y with H o mer

’ ’ ci 833 Oa vévrwv 7 re m 'r Oow eiv AIBM p a ,

n m e m * eve there I will re emb r y beloved Hypatia. Of the actual work done by Syne s ius at Alexandria there is no certain record ; b ut he m ust have paid special

o a rt for attenti n to the rhetorical , his fame on that score was well established and led to his being chosen by his

n m a f m cou try en to ple d their cause be ore the E peror. He m a m a m a for h ust have p id so e ttention too to Mathe tics, e

- writes to H e sychiuS rrem inding hi m that the sacred science of geom etry ha d been their bond of union ; and we know tha t his fondness for m athem atics led to his intimacy with

Pa e onius m a n a um , to who he presented stronomical instr ent of m a f a his own invention , acco p nying the gi t with letter which expressed his opinion that Geometry and Arithmetic teach us the only sure and infallible rules for the discovery of truth . There is a pa ssage a lso at the close of The Di on: which

f a of of re ers prob bly to this period . Imitations the style

the earlier writers were in especial vogue at Alexandria, a nd the tra gedies a nd comedies which Syne s ius refers to so

m tours de a m e of lightly were probably ere f , the productions an a g e when originality in literature was unfashion a ble a nd

f a a e s m impossible . O ten h ve I vied with Tr g die in sole nity “ m e e s a a m s f and with Co di in bsurdity , dapting y el to the

‘ . 1 2 . C f. lI 1 0 a nd Ep 4 pp 1 6 .

f Ep . 92 . n Di o . 6 2 . , p 1 2

You o I wa s a tone o f the writer. w uld have said con

a now C ra tinus a of Di hilus tempor ry , of and Cr tes , now p a nd Philem on ; no r is there a ny fo rm of metre or poetry ” m f i s to which I did not apply yse l with s uccess . There

no e m of a oth r ention these writings , and we may f irly con

clu e a a f m a c c of a d , p rt ro the t it verdi t ntiquity , that they

were not worth preserving. Soon a fte r this vi s it to Alexa ndri a Syne s ius sa iled to

not s o m f o m a e co m his Athens , uch r desir to plete philo sophical training a s from the wish to pl a ce hi m se lfon a level with those who h a d been the re a nd a s su m ed a irs in con

a -fa - u sequence tow rds less voured and less travelled st dents .

a a m of * a nd He spe ks in using terms their pretensions , insinuates tha t they ba sed their superiority not on any

u a of a nd a e clearer nderst nding Aristotle Pl to, but sol ly upon their h a ving see n the groves of Aca dem e a nd the

f s Z s a amou porch where eno t. Wha tever his object may “ h e a s a ' w e . s of have been , dis ppoint d He say , 1 The Athens

-d a h a s to e f to y nothing in it reverenc , only the am ous ” a m a nd m e m o o f a h a s e n es ries wh t been . It r m inds him of the Skin of the victi m when the sacrifice h a s been con

u m the wom a a r ci s ed . Even n o of Z en o i s a thing o f the

a fo r c a fo r th e os o f p st , its pi tures h ve gone . As phil ophy

a m a o m s the pl ce, he dis isses it with c nte ptuous a llu ion to certa in lecturers who filled their the a tre s by bribing pupils

m e a e H e H i s re turn with pots of Hy tti n hon y . returned from Athens n to Cyre e . a nd a m f a f of to Cyrene, there g ve hi sel up to li e retirement until the n e eds of his country force d u po n hi m the duties

o f patriotism . “ ' I i , k f m q 96 12; yap o y v eflyeve ta .

I k Re a n g .

I L C O N ST A N T N O P E .

— 397 400

1 6

* D n A . iu . a S e s s f It was thus in the year 397 th t y le t Cyrene ,

a fo r wa s not not without sigh the quiet home he quitting, without fo rebodings a s to the time of tri a l tha t la y before him . It is obvious from m a ny pa ssa ges in his writings tha t he a a a u e a a s a o o f lw ys looked b ck pon thes ye rs peri d exile . In o ne of his hym nS' l' he te lls us o f the l a bours a nd pa ngs

e e a s b a s e th e ca s of he ndured with t r , e ring on his hould rs re hi m - fhis s d fh is s a . H e s a o a o other l nd pe ks struggle by y, couch we t with tea rs by night a nd how in h is dis tress the re wa s not a te m ple in Byz a ntiu m o r Cha lced o n in which h e

' f r he s u e s of hi s ca ha d not o fi e re d up pra yers o t cc s use .

' ' Aga in in the pa s s a ge from the D e [m o mm zs i a lrea dy “ f s a : oo a nd c a e s u m u re erred to, he ys B ks the h s p my “ f c w oo the a a nd a li e, ex ept hen I undert k emb ssy , would th t ” f f so a s e I h a d never seen thre e ye ars o my li e w t d . Cl e a rly the E m pero r wa s diffi cult of a cce s s ; for Syne s ius repro a ches hi m i n his speech with ke eping shut up within d oo rs a s tho u gh he were i n som e bele a guered city ; s eeing a nd hea ring a s little a s possible of the

h e co m a s a e a oute r wo rld . And pl in bitterly th t whil

o o e is o e a t a s a n a nd e a t a a ce phil s ph r lo k d k ce , k pt dist n , the door is a l wa ys Open to so m e bra inless favourite

i hi e o m m o m a whos e frivolity s s sol rec endati n . Well y Syne s i us have burned with indignation a s he lay on a

’ This i s the first d a te in Syne si us life which ca n b e fi xed with a pprox im a te ’ r a n Aure a n wa s onsu in the e a r of S ne s ius re urn 00 A. D . a nd ce t i ty . li C l y y t , 4 ’ a h s e nt re e e a rs in ons a n we kno w from Syne s i us own word s th t e p th y C t tinopl e .

D e fu ror/1 m 1 8 a nd . I I I . , 4 , H

' 1 H . III . I P oss ibly it wa s d uring this p e riod of d e p re ssion tha t Syne s ius ne a rly m a c a ns a a ns w om h yie ld e d to the a rti fice s o f ce rta in g i i . g i t h e wa s d ivine ly 8 A Th s a i ii s 1 . a s e a n d i a d re a m . D e I nsom n e s n e re s n a s w r e n , 4 p g i t ti g sh ow n a he h a d not w o l e sca e d w a ll his ra ona sm from the i g th t h l y p , ith ti li , su e rs ons of h is m e w c und e r the d s uis e of sc e nce a nd oso p titi ti , hi h , i g i phil phy , d m f a ra f c i n nform a on from the o r w we re m a d e the m e iu o t fi i ti the orld . I 7 thick Egyptian rug* a t the palace doors day a fter d a y

fo a a n a for a nd still und no dmission , much less udience his cause .

m o a m a n His ti e , however, was not wh lly w sted . A of his ge ni a l tempera m ent could not be long without

f a nd S ne s ius a a making riends , y cert inly m de some very

e va l u a ble on s .

Pa e onius wa s a m a of a a nd ? mong the , man educ tion

a nd m S ne s ius a a of a n influence, to who y m de present

s a a a f a trol be or plan of the he vens , accomp nying the gi t

o a a with a dissertati n still ext nt . In this he lludes to the

ff Pa e o nius a a m a a protection a orded by g inst licious riv ls, the dogs who ba rked a t hi m ; and in a l a te r letter to

th e re com Hypatia , he sends the document to her with m e nd a tion th a t the Penta polis h a d ga ined m uch from

a nd f h a d a m a this work the gi t which it cco p nied . Equally important a s a friend a t Court wa s Aurelian; nd A D . a f a f a 00 . terw rds Consul in 4 , thrice pre ect of the

a s his o o a Prae torian guard . It w in h n ur th t Syne s i u s bega n the singul a r a llego rica l wo rk D e to

which we Sha ll have to return . Two names of importance

a in rem in to be mentioned , Troilus the sophist, whose

flue nce m of during the inority Theodosius I I . was

a f A nth e m ius consider ble, and his riend , , the tutor of the

f 08 - 1 in ant prince, and for seven years (4 4 5) the virtual

ruler of the Eastern Empire. A At last, doubtless through the influence of urelian ,

wa s a nd ne i the long expected audience granted , Sy s us

a f f o laid his c se be ore the Emperor in ull c urt , introducing the a ctu a l plea by a n ora tion which h a s been preserved “ ’ ” of e i to us under the title w p fia m h eta s . Before

. 6 1 Ep .

d P . 1 0 D . f. e rm o a C E . fi 1 S , 3 p 1 5 3, ad n.

E 1 . 1: p . 3 1 8

e considering the speech in d tail , it will be well , however,

o t s a y a word or two as to the date of its delivery.

’ It has bee n sufficiently shown on Syne s ius own evidence th a t these three yea rs were Spent in wea ry waiting ; and we might fairly infer from this that the audience wa s

f a of a Druon* a de erred lmost to the end his st y . rgues tha t such bold langua ge a s Syne s ius uses would have been impossible whil e the fa vourite Eutropius was in

his fa o a power. Now ll t ok place in the utumn of 399 . Add to this an a llusion in the speech to disturbances a m ong the Goths1 which can hardly refer to anything

o of Trib i ild a a we but the rev lt g in the s me ye r, and ca n a fa a o f a , with ir mount confidence, d te the audience D a e c no a a A . nd the spe h t e rlier th n 399 . The speech its e lf h a s won commend a tion from a ll

s o fo r fe a f a a nd e hi t rians its rless r nkness, for the strang contrast it offe rs to the studie d eulogies s o familia r to

the a of a n a bsolute m on a rch . But universal pr ctice

a s a e a s ancient or tor , in the d ys when n wsp per report f e e o m not b e o o . o a w r unkn wn , ust rg tten Pr b bly not a

f D s e a a e spe e ch o emo th nes, cert inly not sp ech of Cicero

a u m wa s delivered a s it actu a lly st nds . The c stom i plied no : wa s a z a nd a dishonesty it recogni ed thing, the necess ry polis h that had to be given to a work which was destined

o the m e s m a for p sterity, involved e b lli hment of ny a period ,

of m a a n a of the strengthening ny epithet. The l nguage

ne s i us wa s a f m a Sy prob bly , there ore, ore me sured than th e extant work would lead us to believe ; and without a s m for a m a s ha s su ing mo ent, been done, that the speech wa s a ua a a a never ct lly delivered , llow nce must be m de fo r a a a nd of subsequent lter tions, the severer strictures

D ruon 1 . , p . 35

‘ ' D e R e no . 22 d e o oltw oi rwe r i ovra t. 1 g , p , p fi p c fié ) yyv I 9 i i a * ts ph losophy must be mod ified to no sm ll extent .

as a o a The speech presents two pects , phil sophic l and a

t a a o f S ne s i us t prac ic l . Under the clo k philosophy y in ro duces a ra ther tedi ous and une difying portrait of the Idea l

i n t l f of Di o K ng, followi g pedan ica ly in the ootsteps

Chrysostom , for whose works and character he seems to h ha d i o ave a s n cere admiration . The practical porti n of

is the speech much more interesting, and throws consider able ligh t on the cus toms ofthe court and the history o fthe

He commences with an apology for the humble pos ition of the State whose ca use he pleads disclaims a ll

i s a intent ons of flattery, and hope th t philosophy and

i k so pla n spea ing, salutary for a young prince , will not be resented by his audience . “ 2 n d ( ) Cyre e is only mentione by the way . Cyrene “ o o sends me to cr wn your head with gold , y ur soul wi th

hiloS O h : t as a n a e a nd e p p y a ci y of Hell , nci nt honour d “ a e a a la o f no w n m , sung in m ny y by the poets old , poor, “ d a nd s o l of a a dejecte , re y in need king whose policy sh ll

a . not disgr ce her old renown It rests with you to do this ,

of and to ea rn a se cond crown: gold from a grateful State .

a a Thes e are d ys when men can spe k their minds, when

e truthful s peech is counted rea l nobility . The teach r who “ ca n mould the mind of a great ruler to noble ends is “ ’ thereby b enefiting the subjects who own that ruler s “ s way .

’ ' C ons a n M ar a E tude: M orale: rur I Anb u ill 1 2. ous f. C t t th , y , p 3 N s d c ue nesius d c re our d ans sn atr e our fa re onne ur a son croyon on q Sy , t p i , p i h t d a n co m e i scs conc o ens a m is a res cou da ns nu m ba s ad e e re n t pt it y , p p , ’ ’ nt d a a m t non a s se tt e m e n cc u il a va d it Ala cour m a inencore discou pp , p l t q it , ’ cc qu il e n pea sa nt . ' t e num bers in pa renthwes refe r to the m a rgina l pa ges in M ig ue s

n V I I . . 2 1 . t Gibbo . ol. , p 3 20

(3) The opportunity for ins tructing Arca dius is too

b e a s a of good to lost, but , he notices flutter surprise

S ne s ius a ll among the courtiers , y once more deprecates

i s offence a t h s out pokenness . Then he dwells on the power

o f for of th e the Emperor good , the vastness his Empire, a lmos t superstitious a we with which he is regarded by

a nd a nd distant cities peoples , whom he has never seen , who

never hope to see him . Upon all this the Emperor is to be

a no t a . a a to congratul ted , but pr ised Congratul tion is p id

o a s a . utward prosperity , pr i e to inn te merit Arcadius, unlike

his fa wa s a nd ther, the great Theodosius, born in the purple, wa s indebted to fo rtune ra ther than to virtue for his high

fa station . His ther won the throne by his own exertions the son s ha ve succeeded to the inherita nce for which they

a nd m f a fickle ne s s off never toiled , ust e r the ortune . Then

fol the o a o f a lows p rtr iture the Ide l King. (6) The true king is he who seeks a lwa ys the good of

e a a a his subj cts, who is ready to s crifice his own e se th t he

m a m a nd to m s a y save the trouble, eet their peril th t they

t to a a a may live in securi y, be w tchful , to h ve c re ever at his s id e that they m ay be sa ve d fro m a llanxieties by night a nd . — d a y this is the true Shephe rd of his sheep this is a mong

m e n the true King .

S ne s i us s of h y give the reverse the picture, and t en adds

s a m m a o s Thi is the stand rd by which you ust e sure y ur elf. If you come up to it then you a re worthy of your n a m e ;

if m u f a nd h not, try to end yo r de ects grow in t e likeness of

a . Y h is of of wh t you ought to be out the time promise,

m a nd f strong i pulses passions , when the guiding ha nd o

philosophy is doubly necessary .

a nd u a nd (7 ) Virtue vice are next door neighbo rs, the f transition rom one to the other is easy . Thus it is tha t

a nd Tyr nny a Kingship lie close together. For wha t is power but a potentia lity of good or evil as the case m a y 3 1 be ? And what turns the scale in the right direction but a

- the well regula ted will Wisdom there fore is highest good , without which h a ppines s a nd prosperity are nothing. Power w t i is helpless i hout it. Th s is what the Egyptians sym

two-f s a boliz e in their aced Herme , at once youth and s ge

- - in e a h . the sphinx , half b st alf human The Emperor must

sur s o r en e the posse sion of wisd m , and the other th ee great virtues will follow in he r tra in . 8 s o ( ) External goods , as defined by Plato and Ari t tle, m a y s erve the e nds of vice as well as of virtue . A fool is f f e le s s h a rmful in a humble sta tion o li e . He has f wer opportunities of realizing his mad schemes the mi schiefhe

Le t h works is on a smaller scale . us pray then t at power ’ may fall into worthy ha nds ; a nd let it be Arcadius aim tha t all the peoples of the ea rth m a y bless his rule.

a tin o e e of It is in imit g the p r vid nc God , the Archetype h w h a a le . of the orld , t t the true king is reve d The eart ly

i th e of a e l u less s his k ng must be friend the he v n y, n he belie

ca n ? n name . Who define the true natu re of God Man ca

' fe vis ible cre ion a nd only el after him through his a t , all the attributes of Divini ty lead us back to what procee ds from

to e God , and not God hims lf. (9) Various are his attributes ; yet a ll agree in ascribing to him goodness , not absolute, but relative to us his people . — God is the g iver of what is good life, and being, and reason

s e x a m e The Emperor mu t , after the divine fl , scatter the bless ings of prosperity among his subjects if he is to dese rve ” of the title Great.

to th e To return Ideal Ruler, whom Arca dius is to con

a nd Le template embody in his life . t reverence be the sure

a s on h l b is w ich our imag e sha l stand unshaken by storms . (1 0) Let the King fi rst be king over himself ; let

ea s m m r son be upre e in his ind . having overthrown the

- s mob rule of the pa sions . 22

(1 1 —) From this point begins the practical portion of the speech the King in his aspect towards the outer world . His friends will be friends in the true sense of the term ; they will share his successes a nd troubles their praise will

i a n be sincere, their censure kindly . Their happiness s. ’ l evidence to his people of the King s goodness. They wil

m s o supplement his judg ent by wise counsel, and multiply his force that he will see and hear with the eyes and ears

of a ll.

1 2 of r ( ) Lastly, flattery, the great danger Royal f iend “ a t a llha z a rd s fi ca n ships, must be avoided No guards keep

a b ut ha s n e it from the palace g tes , once it gained an entra c

it saps the very foundations of the kingly mind .

’ His soldiers form the second rank of the King s f n f a ll rie ds. The Emperor must requent the camp, join in

' a nd com m ilztones r warlike exercises , make the term bea

ne w a n s a d real meaning. Soldiers are ea ily won by such n treatment. Let them know their Emperor otherwise tha by hearsay or from pictu res. (1 3) Even a knowledge of the n a mes of his men i s an a dva ntage to the General (Agamem non is represented in a s a ll a n Homer calling his troops by name), and in y case he should be familiar with their ways a nd customs .

Synesi us m ight we ll wa rn th e Em pe ror ag a inst the e vil influe nce of favour e s in a cour . H e na ura m en ons no na m es b ut he m us a ve e e n it t t lly ti , t h b n n ofthe wre c e d Eutr0 i us who for four e a rs ra c ca ru e d the thi ki g t h p , y p ti lly l

e m re . on Vol. . e . 2 . 1 0 sa s U nd e r the we a e s of the pi Gibb ( III , 3 , p 7 ) y k t “ pre d e ce ssors of Arca d i us th e re ign of the e unuchs ha d be e n se cre t and nv Eu ro ius w th e rs of his a r c a se x who d a red to a lm ost i isible . t p as fi t tifi i l ” v l a ssum e the cha ra cte r of a R om a n m ag is t ra te a nd ge ne ra l . Hi s ena ity a nd in us ce rou m ser to th e n a a n s of the w o e e m re for the j ti b ght i y i h bit t h l pi , province s were sham e lessly p ut up to a uction in his a nte cham ber a nd sold to r va i n a nd of the the highe st bid d e r. H i s i ls powe r we re rem oved by the h a ssa ss n or the e ua o e n e n ne of fa se a ccusa on so a d ur n hi s four i q lly p t t gi l ti , th t i g a r of offi ce not on wa s the no e s ood s e d the e x e cu one r b ut the ye s ly bl t bl h by ti , m ost inhospita b le e xtrem itie s of the e m pire were fille d with innocent a nd illustrious exile s .

24

The pavement and the bare earth are too ha rd for your delicate feet ; your progress must be sprinkled with gold dust brought over la nd and sea from distant

a climes . Is it better so than in the d ys when

’ our a rmies were led by generals who lived a soldier s

f a li e Browned by the sun , pl in to severity in their habits ; breathing no dithyram bic airs of empty pride

ca of they wore the woollen p Sp—arta, that the boys of to-day m ock at upon their sta tues until even the older

a n a gener tion begi to think th t these heroes, far from

being happy, were miserable in comparison with you . Ye t they had no need to fortify their homes a gainst

s of f the inva ion barbarians rom Asia or from Europe. It wa s in their own a chievem ents that they found the

foe - best rampart against the . To day, the very

a a nd people they conquered , bring panic to your g —tes demand tribute from you a s the price of peace 031: m) ” i ' ' 0 6 yes St a a ea t dhm jv. (1 7 ) Syne s ius then contra sts the old frugality with the

of u of luxury his day, and in ill stration he narrates the ta le

a rinus a 1 8 a C and the Parthi n ambassadors. ( ) He lays speci l

m a of f e phasis on the simple w ys the Emperor, the di ficulty of u f a s disting ishing him rom his retinue, and the contr t between his soldierly escort and the glittering body

a o f a a of gu rd Arc dius with their Shields and spe rs gold ,

’ f m c f ro whose approa h men in er the Emperor s presence, a a a a s it were the sun by his r ys . The Parthi ns were t

a a loss to recognise in the plainly clad gener l , the Ruler o f a f e a a Rome, who was p rtaking of a rugal m l of s lt

a nd pork and peas, invited them without ceremony to

’ ofl m a nd join him . But when , taking his hel et pointing

th e to his bald head , he replied to their message in “ s following term s : Tell your young sovereign , that unles “ m he comes to his senses , his kingdo shall be made barer 3 5

C a ri nus i s than the head of , their surpr e knew no bounds a nd their King on receiving the tidings o f what the y had

- e r seen , panic strick n at an Empe or who dined at the sa me table with his officers a nd was not a sha med of

a his b ldness , at once tendered his submission .

1 o f I m era tor ( 9) The title p , the avoidance of the term rex a a r of a , shows the inn te h t ed tyranny in the Rom n mind . Arcadius , therefore, to avoid the suspicion even of t a the D — yr nny , must emulate ivine power for God reveals ff himself by no stage e ects, nor by the working of wonders, b ut moving on his silent course guides with justi ce the ’ a fla irs of men . (20) All thi s points to the mistake of avoiding famili

’ arit on se e m a n y with e s people. We the sun daily, but no ye t ha s despised it . Let the Sovereign therefore be - . a t a i o m artin m e To make prac ical applic t on of the the ry. i (2 1 ) Th e t me is past for indolence and repose. The whole fate of the Empire rests on the turn of a die . God alone and a good ruler ca n avert th e catastrophe .

22 a re a - a s ( ) The soldiers the w tch dogs , Plato calls them , of a nd th e d a r the Empire , shepher must take care th t the e

sh be no wolves a mong them . Arms ould only be given to the m e n who a re born and reared in the country they * a s a nd a . protect , not to Scythi n liens The latter course is s i m ply to hang the stone o f Ta nta lus over our own heads by a threa d They will ri s e aga inst you whenever they see their opportunity : a lrea dy there are signs of the coming

e a nesi us a wa s s ea s o f the o s as Sc a ns w his N ot th t Sy l y p k G th ythi , ith d f usua l vagueness onhistorica l q uestions . Afte r the ea th o Athanaric in 38 2 AJ ) con red but s form da e we re ad m ed n o the Ern ire w t the Goths , que till i bl , itt i t p i h 6 A D T od os who a o ed to e m T the title of allies a bout 38 . . by he q — ll tt th hra e e a . on V l I s As a M nor to s e e i o . L c. xx and se vera l province of i i ttl Gibb , , vi. ,

R 504: 1 Synes ius is re fe rring to som e unkno wn leg end of Ta nta lus : it is quite as el we ve r a his m ho o is a t e m xe d and he m eans the s word lik y, ho , th t yt l gy lit l i , 26

of r r to storm . And the worst all is that the e is no fo ce

v for counterpoise theirs . We gra nt remission from ser ice the a sking to the very men who ought to be armed for the i defence of their country . The idle mob spend their time n in f in the theatres instead of in the field . It is the amily as

— f n ti c the state the man de ends, the woma sees to her domes

’ - a ff in . a re a airs doors We pl ying the woman s part .

2 n m a ( 3) Let us me d tters before it is too late . The

t a c ffi c of Scy hi ns must be excluded from mag istra ies, the o e ll a . r senator, and above of general What is more ext a ordinary than our inconsistency in this matter, these Scythians are the people whose womanish cowa rdice

. w Herodotus makes scorn of Our own eyes itness it.

ha s a nd Every household its Scythian slaves , yet the m e n fa ffi m of this same race are st filling all our o ces . Re ember the revolt of Spartacus and the peril of Rome . (2 5) We must treat them as the La ce d ze m onia ns did the

m a Messenians , confine the to griculture or send them back * to where they came from . So far we have treated of the

a s s King warrior, now we must peak of him as civil governor. The two functions are closely allied, for war is or ought to be a means to peace . The Sovereign must mix

e a s with his p ople more, with his soldiers . (27 ) The privilege of the provinces in their right of

a a appe l to the Emperor by embassy is a v luable one. It rests with Arcadius to make it still more so . He owes a

a a his debt to all his subjects equ lly , and in making ccess to

a nd presence easy, in showing a gracious interest in their f i . h . t e grievances , he is only per orming a duty ( ) Let troops who are told off for defence deal fairly with the

z . . not citi ens , who are their charge (ii ) The tribute must be exhausting .

2 8 f the u ( ) To secure the latter re orm , prince m st curtail

v no e . t on p . 28 . 27

of ln v a va ri as we ll hi s lux ury. An ag e x ury in o lve s oe a s

i ns a in n Both a re s of e ca te . ce e x tra vag ance . g d y g sta O m ore the So ve re i in thi s a s in oth e r m a tters m ust se t , g m , the e x a m le a nd b a ss u rin hi s eo le fre e d o m fro m e vils p , y g p p se cu re to th e m le is u re for go od works a nd the wo rs hip of

Th e re is no si ht m ore to b e re vere d tha n a the god s . g

Sovere i n ra is i n hi s ha nd s a m on his e o l a nd g g g p p e,

n the in who is his r a n worship pi g K g Lo d d thei rs . (30 ) The choice of m a g istra tes s hould b e m ore ca re ful

u h to h i e m a b ility not we a lth o g t b e t e cr te ri on. Th E peror should ke e p hi m s e lf inform ed of the d oi ngs of the

As it is a we a lh m a n b the i i l m a is tra te s . e e g , t y uys pr v g

his ad m inis ti in a so a n a nd tu rns tra on to urce o f g i .

m e r v n n h (3 1 ) Let it e e i poverty be re ward ed . T e Ru ler h a s only to se t the fa shion a nd his d epe ndents will

w u ne s ius r a u r his follo s it . Sy p ays th t the Empe ror may t n

a tt n i so a nd u u u a t e t on to philo phy tr e c lt re ; in th t even ,

’ rea m a b e a a nd a Plato s d m y re lised , Arc dius will be the

Philosophe r Ki ng .

h ri f wa s Suc in b e outline the speech delivered by Character S nes i us a nd the a d y , on whole it justifies the epithet pplie by gm ' i f raw nantare Oa a h ecé're ov our wr ter to himsel , pp p . o a The m st striking fe ture about it is its hopeful tone . It is tru e that Syne s ius strikes boldly at the pom p and Ea stern

a t s luxury of the Court , and the unwise seclu ion of the

e r a of o Emp or, but the langu ge indignation , the piteous ut

f a s e f a s cry o Cyrene never once m ke its l he rd . The peaker se e ms so confident of the speedy reform of the evils he

m a h a s a indicates, that the ere anticip tion of redress en bled f s off e o . a a e him to ca t the burd n his troubles To a l ter g , n which must recog ise the hopeless weakness of Arcadius ,

a ct for his utter incompetency to himself, or even to lis ten

of u s l rs intellig ently to the advice wise co n e lo , there see m s 28

s m e a u f ne o thing pathetic in the s ng ine hopes o Sy s ius .

a t m a a a i r One notices too ti es a qu int unpractic l , as

e a a a a to a wh n he recurs g in and g in the Ide l King, and espe cia lly in the suggestion s o ch a ra cteristic of Alexa ndrine

a a a m a a m ped ntry , th t Arc dius ight well imit te Ag emnon

a ll hi m ha s and know s soldiers by their na es . It been suggested tha t h—e a ddresses the Emperor a s though he were a Sparta n King a Spa rta n King would ha rdly ha ve sat through so long a n oration without bringing Syne s ius to the point at issue . On the other h a nd there is a statesmanlike forethought

n is in ma y of his proposals , and especially where he

a of the spe king on the subject he knew best, the condition

l a a provinces . But whi e llowing him credit for ppreciating

* a the danger of the Goths to the Empire , it is plain th t he wholly fa iled to rea lise the rottenness of the existing

m m of syste , the i possibility preserving the tottering structure except by securing for its defence the new ra ces

’ tha t threa tened its destruction . Gibbon s evidence on this “ point is clea r - The difficulty of levies increa sed yea rly ;

a m of m no ount donatives, no invention of new e oluments a nd indulgences could compensate in the eyes of the degenera te youth for the ha rdships a nd d a ngers of a

m f of ilitary li e . And though the rigour conscription was

a n occasion lly exercised in the provi ces , and every proprietor wa s obliged either to take up a rms or to

a a procure substitute, or to purch se his exemption by a

a s u m of - of he vy fine, the forty two pieces gold , to which

red uced a a a of it was , scert ins the exorbit nt price volunteers

S ne s ius was m sle d b hi s con e m t for the Ge thic cha rac e r a t h s y i y t —p t t i er od a nd und e re s m a e d e r coura e D e R e no 2 2 . I n TI n Di on p i , ti t th i g g , 3, 4 , a n c d e s to th r a ra n a su e r or v h . 6 he i s fa re r to e m d con e e a o e r t e p 4 , i th , b b i p i ity d r a nd e na c of ur se Gre e k i n d ogge cou ag e t ity p po .

8 . on V ol. . c xv . . 1 Gibb , II , . ii , p 3 29

“ a nd the relucta nce with which the government admitted i ” of this alternat ve .

" ’ i w f t S nes ius h In v e of ac s like these, y idea t at the city mob might be turned to account a nd made to serve in the

a army is obviously a bsurd . The only me ns of maintaining the very existence of the army was the admission into its

o f ranks of th e hardy nati ons the north .

' One othe r work of i m portance was the fruit of the ’ — three ye a rs stay at Constantinople the fi rst part of the

' ' D e P rowd mtztz ; a nd as it dea ls so exclusively with the course of events tha t followed a lmos t immediately on th e

of a a close the ye r 399 , it will be well to give short sketch of the thrilling events of the succee ding yea r before dea ling with the historical aspect of the work in question .

a in i ne s ius e ourse of In the very ye r wh ch Sy d livered his speech , C “ Tri bi ild a the revolt of g , the Goth , in Asi Minor, shook the g z:y n l f a a wa r i o r . h wa s ou t d secur ty the empi e Gain s , lso a Got , gmt oc

’ m E u tro ius r e a nd a f W m h fl com issioned by p to c ush the r bellion , ter

a Trib i ild s a t playing into the h nds of g for ome time , length

wa r declined , on the pretext of inability, to prosecute the ,

sti o f i a i Tribi ild and , insi ng on the need negot t on with g ,

hi m a of E utro ius Eutro ius demanded through the de th p . p

s i of r s st wa saved for the t me by the eloquence Ch y o om , a nd Synes i us m a y have been pres ent a t that i m pressive

s n a th e of ce e , when the Archbishop , scending pulpit the

t fo r la h Ca hedral , pleaded the wretch as he y crouc ing by

the alta r.

l a of EutrO ius wa s Whi e the f te p however being decided , Ga inas O penly revolted ; the Emperor wa s co mpelled to

e m a nd a o wa s o com to ter s , Const ntin ple filled with the G ths

s who soon showed in clinations to pilla ge . A udden out

bu st o f a s th e u a r popul r energy , econded by palace g rds ,

r s a nd s saved the city . The gates we e clo ed seven thou and

ed Fra vitta t h e a r r . of t b ba ians massacr , a Go hic leader, c f a of a and a on eder te Gainas, deserted to the Imperi l cause

d is com fitur f wa s m a and the e o the Goths co plete . An ttempt to f a f a nd orce the p ssage o the Hellespont was intercepted ,

a f of a eleven d ys a ter, the head Gain s was brought to

a Const ntinople . Syne s ius wa s a specta to r throughout of these stormy

a nd m a ha d a s scenes, see s to h ve his doubts to the govern

of n a ll- ment the world by a seeing Power. At any rate some theo ry to a ccou nt for the presence o f evil a nd its appa rent or even a c tu a l triu m ph in the da rker epochs of

' ’ ’ wa s a nd De P rom a e ntza history needed , this want the a e m s wa s s a f of tt pt to supply . It fini hed ter the return the

’ ’ cz w roo r a a nd hi s a a nd wa s a t p (Au eli n p rty), written their

request. Syne s ius hi m self styles this work a and in his rem ark tha t perha ps it m a y hint a t something beyond

a a a f a the mythic l , he cle rly indic tes the blending o f ct

a of the with fiction , which in the second p rt work is so

a a a m a a m thinly disg uised , th t p ss ges of it y l ost be called

a s a t a nd historic l . The cene is l id in Egyp , there under

a m of a nd e rsonifie s the n es Osiris Typho, he p the struggle be tween the powers of good a nd evil for the mastery of the world .

a a Th t Osiris represents Aureli n is generally admitted , but the m ajority of writers on this subject ha ve hesitated

a a a f to identify Typho with G in s, and h ve ound themselves

m a a s for a driven to for bsurd hypotheses ; example, th t Aurelia n h a d a wicked brother who was his evil genius

a a ll ff for and thw rted his e orts good . The real truth

a a seems to be th t Typho represents v guely, the evil influences that were sapping the found a tions of the

m a a a empire . In so e p ss ges he is cle rly not Gainas ; for

. 1 0 instance, on p 9, the Scythian leader is to supply the

a nd a men , Typho lends the patron ge of his nam e .

32 the ho of a so re n a nd ri won the n m o c ice ve ig , Osi s u ani us s o od a ra w upp rt of g s nd m e n. The g e of Typ ho kne no

a nd a s cr i the a s of bounds, there is fine de ipt on of gonie

a r . 1 0 his je lousy and wounded p ide ( 4) Osiris, however, though wa rned by God a nd his m ost fa ithful counsellors to

a a nd a a a hi m for rt b nish his brother inc p cit te fu her evil ,

f t D c a nd f m pre ers to e on the ivine providen e , tries ro m ista ke n m otives to ove rcom e evil by good . (1 0 5) But

a a nd on w fe who m e Typho, ided urged by his i is or worth

s e a m e f a nd m a a a s e les ven th n hi s l , int ins her c ndency over him th e s a c n a s a by vile t pr cti es , e ters into ecret conspir cy with the a lien ba nds o f th e soldiery who a re qua rtered

fa a in Egypt . And by the lse ssertion tha t Osiris was

a the m a o of a s pl nning exter in ti n the Scythi n , he wins them

1 8 t a id over to his views . ( 0 ) By heir he overthrows the

a a wh o Government . The Scythi n le der, is not nea rly s o

a s a fe o f s s depraved his tempter, sp res the li O iri a ga inst

of him the will Typho, and sends into exile to the distress

his . c a ct the a m of disconsolate subjects The se ond in dr a, records the mira culous deliverance of the city from the

1 8 a a ha d a . 1 m a nd Scythi ns ( ) Alre dy depred tions co menced , the flight or exile of the we a lthier citi z en s wa s becoming

a a n a m a gener l , when old begg r wo n , who stood a t th e a of wa s a g tes the city, cut down by a Scythi n of whom s he a sked a n a lms . Her death was a t once

a n a m a avenged by Egypti n , and the fight beca e gener l .

1 2 1 of a ( ) The people their own motion , without gener ls,

om e m e m wo but with s e divin i pulse to inspir the , n a n a nd a f a m a s a of a easy victory , ter s cre the Scythi ns ,

a n a a nd e a f m held ssembly r c lled Osiris rom banish ent, who reigned from tha t ti m e undisturbed upon his throne after pardoning once more the unworthy Typho . — The question natura lly a rises Where wa s Syne s i us during these days ? Did he share the exile of his friends 33 or sta i ? r De P rovidentia y in the c ty The Second Pa t of the ,

h s - i e s whic is obviou ly the work of an eye w tn s , bears out the

t e n t if a s l e t la t r alter a ive ; and , is a most c r ain , we may sa fely identi fy with Synes ius himself the philosop her of l s h i m r t e s I . rust c and si p e ways who figu e at clo e of Part ,

1 1 1 1 pp . 3 , 4, we have definite information as to his behaviour

t r And in the cap u ed city . indeed this personage, who owes

ro to Osiris exemption from public charges , and who has p cured for his fellow citizens the alleviation of their tax es ;

i s ro D this poet , who sings the pra se of his pat n in orian

u r . meas es , must be the writer himself and no other It would seem then tha t he not only upheld before the

a people the f lling cause of Aurelian by his eloquence, but dared to pronounce his eulogy in the presence even ofGa inas f s . o a n him elf There is no hint, it is true , this event in y ’ r S ne s i us u othe of y writings ; the circ mstances of the fact, ffi if it be such , are wholly unknown , but it is di cult to

ne s ius c n be lieve that Sy is roman i g in this matter.

of s wa s a f Resu of the The result his mi sion on the whole s tis actory, lt

’ if we may judge from Syne s ius allusions to its success on ‘ od more than one occasion . He thanks G that his country had th rough hi s means found delivery from the miseries

th v . at o erwhelmed her He pays a tribute too to Troilus , who doubtless assisted him in his solicitation it is to him , he sa ys in one of his letters , that Cyrene owes her existence as a city still .

m a At the time , however, he y well have had grave dou bts on the question th e revolt of Gainas had th reatened the a nd ffa r ruin of the empire , a i s must still have bee n in a pre ca rious sta te whe n Syne s ius quitted Constantinople s Sndd m uddenly in the year 400. He departed without bidding d " fW re e i n r n s fa w ll to his fr e ds , even to Au elia ? The cau e of this cm

. " L o 80. H , 47 w

6 1 . t Ep . , 204 34

haste was an earthquake which drove all the people into

r f a the streets and squa es, and made prayer ashionable for ” “ . f S ne s ius a time For mysel , says y , I concluded th t the “ f a nd sea would be sa er than the land , so hurried on board ” my ship and set sail without a word to anyone . It only remains to discuss the infl uence of these three ’ a years upon Syne s i us life and ch racter . In m a ny ways it

a of was time trial , and thus a strengthening influence . He

m s o n o f u t have seen the hopeless corrupti the government, a nd have rea lised the necessity of self- relia nce for the

of provinces . Perhaps the full consciousness this truth did not co me home to him till tha t later ti m e when Cyrene seem ed los t beyond recovery ; and he m a y ha ve thought

' when he wrote the De P rom d entza tha t the da rk sha dow which seemed to be drawing in on every side would lift

f a nd a a ter a time, th t the return of Osiris would bring

a a a pe ce and prosperity to we ry world . However this m a y

a a nd have been , the str nge rapid succession of events , the almost mira culous delivery of Constantinople from the

S ne s i us k D Goths , must have set y thin ing on the ivine

of f Economy a nd the deeper questions li e . We are certa inly not wa rra nted in a ssu m ing his con

o f i s versi n to date rom this period , but it ex tremely

a a o a a a prob ble that he felt dr wn t w rds Christi nity , nd in a ny ca se the impression m a de upon his m ind du ring so long

a for s a st y in a Christian city must count omething . He must have heard Chrysostom denounce with burning f m eloquence the vanities o the Court . He ust ha ve felt the rea lity of the influence which the Church exercised more widely every yea r : and wha t more n a tura l to a philosophic mind than to enquire into the secret of tha t influence ? We know from the third hymn tha t he visited the

ff a Churches in his distress and o ered pr yers to God . These w f may have been , probably ere, simply the aspirations o a 3 S

eo- o his e N Plat nist , end avour after ecstatic union with the r Sup eme Being. But the fact tha t he paid his devotions in

r i Chu ches dedicated to the service of the New Rel gion , —shows that he must have be e n somewhat attracted by it for the philos opher was surely independent of temples d his ma e by hands, and needed no popular ritual to aid

i a out asp rations ; nay, was r ther of sympathy as a philo t i sopher wi h any such place or ceremony . Without press ng

r S nes i us r the efore the fact as recorded by y , we may fai ly

e assume distinct leanings to the prevalent r ligion , and we would adduce in further confirmation of the assumption two

: pass ages from the speech 0 R eg no.

firs t* t of In the he says , speaking of the a tributes God , and the sa cred prayers a t the solemn rites se nd forth the

a the is a ll f cry , Our F ther to God who over , not glori ying ” his his power but reverencing providence . The second? “ has been alre a dy quoted : There is no sight more to be “ revere d than that of a Sovereign raising his hands i n

o rs prayer before his pe ple, and wo hipping the King who is ” his r Lord and thei s .

' r a s c The fi st p s age , by its con eption of God s fatherhood

the r to us his people , by its allusion to sac ed prayers and

s r m a i of olemn myste ies , y point to a realizat on the spiritual power of what was at Constantinople the one religion the

s c a s r e ond p s age indicates a ce tain love of ritual , an a ppreciation of such ma jesti c ceremony as Synes ius may

have often witnes sed in the Imperial city .

» a n i f t { a y for De Re an . . Ad i h m end a o n ofC am erariu g , p 9 apt ng t e e ti , p m u nri e-v s ut-v the rea d n of th e e xt a a nst w c m a fa r be o ecte d p h , i g t , g i hi h it y i ly bj “ ” t a is not usua r ur fa e rs and se cond a ea e s h t it l G ee k for of o th , ly th t it l v “ : w m ow er m us not be a d on m ou a n o t. oo m uc stre e Bea ith t bje c T h , h v , t l i “ ” the passa ge : For the assum ption tha t Our Father is a re m inisce nce of the ' or s ra er a nd at the so em n r e s re resen the Sacra m en of the Las L d P y . th l it p t t t r wou d th us on a S nesi us was a read convered Suppe . l lead to e concl i th t y l y t , words m ust be ta lten eneta ll the refere nce when he eertainly wa s not. The g y ; ' m the rtes need not be re ssed nor the no on of od s fa e r ood to m an i p . ti G th h

t a ke n -a s s

’ ' ' 7 Sem i r t 31 1 . év m i r r e oc T i on ; p e p p e, p m

C YR E N E A N D A LEX A N D R I A .

40

a i r wit s f . r a sig ht The ve y is t inted h the bodie o the sla i n . “ ca n one r a sk And he asks, how cherish hope unde y “ darkened by the clouds of ca rrion -birds tha t a wa i t their horrid meal ? Still he will be fa ithful Am I not a

a r w t the m m a rs Liby n , bo n here and i h to bs of y ncesto ” ever before my eyes ? But Synes ius was not the man to res t content with idle lamentations : he roused himself to

a nd w- z s m eet the occa s ion , exhorted his fello citi ens to eek ” a r ! as s se emedy in themselves What he k , while the

r h ra h h u obbers brave deat so lightly, t er t an give p the

s o r us r p ils they have w ested from , are we to shrink f om

t a rt r danger when the safe y of our he hs, our alta s , our laws,

our ta ? a fortunes , is at s ke We must march ag inst these

a a nd if a s if we a i for barbari ns, we only fight c red noth ng

h e . n deat , we shall conquer and surviv I am a descenda t

o of Sparta, and I recall the words of the Eph rs to Leonidas : Let the soldiers go into battle as if they were

’

om . do ed to perish , and they will not perish It is a relief after this tragic language to come across a

r more humo ous episode, which caused much diversion on - the occasion of one of these barba rian raids r A certain r John , a Ph ygian by birth , a Commander of Horse by

r f a wa s p o ession , and a boastful cow rd to boot, nowhere to

’ be found when a rumour of the enem y s a pproach spread

ne s ius abroad . Sy describes the march out into the open

for foe . th e plain , and the waiting the At evening troops returned a fter an agreement to meet for the same purpose — the next day all this time the Phrygian John wa s nowhere

wa s a to be seen . A report however spre d that he had r ff f b oken his leg, and was su ering rom asthma but where

r a he was emained as gre t a mystery as ever. In the night the enemy withdrew into the skirts of the province ; a nd

Ep . " 3 .

E . 1 1 p 04 . 4 1

he f a e wi t e the when on t fi th day they f il d to come up h th m ,

a the s t va liant John suddenly appe red , to a onishment of all ,

i an a nd , ridiculing the idea of his hav ng been ill in y way, expla ine d that he ha d just arrived from some place or

i . s was other at a d stance His pre ent intention , he said , to make with a ll speed for the scene of d a nger ; and he

a r t thought th t if his presence we e not be rayed , the enemy might be emboldened to attack us . Evening drew on once

a i more , and the hour of att ck was approach ng when a

s a l group of four youth , country lads, came g loping towards

us i b e ad s a w r to s . e , w th str ined for a d hout It ne ded no

acl to in the e r a a nd or e form us that en my was on thei re r , in

t f a ll a few momen s , be ore they actu y came up with us , we

s ir s l s a c e pied the pursuer , poor thi n ittle men on hor eb k,

a - a s with half starved look , though they were ready to die to

s ur . t h ec e our goods Before hey came wit in range, however,

t a a f i the y dismoun ed and prep red for battle fter their as h on.

m en I ba de my do likewise, as the ground was unsui ted

a oe . r hn e for cav lry man uvres The b ave Jo , how ver, was not i m going to d s ount, he was for fighting on horseback : a nd the next we saw of hi m he wa s ga lloping full speed in the i i i i Oppos te d rect on , with loose re n , spurs going, and clea ring

s t his r the most a tounding obs acles in cou se. When las t we

wa s in hea rd of him , he safe the seclusion of so me rock

n s B om b a ea — in a re a n fast e s at but his bully g days over, d he will swagger in the forum no more .

a a e The barb rians were never fin lly repuls d . But a 1mm

m ‘ period of comparative peace must have be en secured to

on th t r the unhappy Pentapolis, for no o er heo y can we ex plain the opportunities for study and reti rement which Synes ius seems to have enjoyed in the inte rvals between t es ra s se r rn h e id into the de t, du i g the few yea rs tha t ela ps ed be twe en his return fro m Cons tantinople and his se cond vis it to Alex a ndri a . 42 dv . enture on To this period possibly belongs the adventure, so

s lexandria to graphically described in the fourth letter. He took hip m e . fr a wa om Alexandri to Cyrene, and on the y they were

driven by a gale fa r out to sea. The pilot was a strict

e w of J , and at the most critical moment the storm on r f F iday evening, le t the rudder and refused to break his w r sabbath by steering the ship . It was not till to a ds

midnight, when they seemed on the point of sinking , that

la w hi m the Jew, remarking that the permitted to work

w a . now they ere in actu l danger, returned to the helm

The next morning they landed on a strange coast, and were hospitably entertained by the barbarous inhabitants * until they could start for home again .

S ne sius wa s ffi y not rich , but he had a su cient income - for the needs of a philosopher and his friends r And

he seems to have retired to his farm , relieving, like

X s of enophon , the study of philosophy with the pursuit

a n agriculture d the excitements of the chase . He sums

f l M c m l ci his li e up in the words B B q ;1 and again , he says my fingers are more used to handle the mattock than the

a ll - for For with his Neo Platonic mysticism , his craving

f S ne s ius wa s the li e of pure contemplation , y thoroughly

a of sane and he lthy in his view life. Man , he admits,

a cannot lways be bent on meditation . § The Ascetics

T e re i s a ve xed o n of c rono o co nec e d w s r The h p i t h l gy n t ith thi le tte . eor of Pe ta vius ase d on a una r o ser a on wou d ace the da e of th y , b l b v ti , l pl t v Wed n sd a 1 s e en on e th e t 1 0. Till m o t l e n owev r Vo . XI I . thi t y, 4 S p , 4 , h e ( , T d p . 686 e sta blishes ues a y a s the d a y of the ne w m oon m e ntione d in

the e e r a nd so ex od e s the e or . Druon . 2 fo ows Tille m o t l tt pl th y , p 75 . ll n , and of the a e rna ve e a rs w c wou d su the d a in ue s on 6 lt ti y hi h l it y q ti , 39 or

D . f 02 A . re fe rs the orm e r. 4 , p

‘ 1 Ep . 1 33 .

D e I m o n 1 8 . 1: m m , 4

C a le . E ncom iu m 66 D . ll , p .

n 6 D . 5 Dio , 4 43

in the des ert a re driven to occupy their ti me with basket

weaving. What better alte rnative then than a cultured life with harmles s pleas ures such as the country be s t affords ? Surely m en may be dri ven by ennui to worse ’ e s 3 35 m ?” d wv. devic , M f

History is full of strange contrasts : b ut none are more

t k h in a l s ri ing, more c eer g th n the g impse s of quiet ha ppiness and of pea ce ful life that one catches through the gloom

ve a s . te te i e n of the d rkest age A let r, a chap r in a b ography,

ofte n r s e er s nc e r p e erv d by the m e t cha e, reveals a p iod to us in a new light and comes acros s the centu ries like a brea th

r h s . of fresh air, to st engt en and reas ure

t S nes ius ro r Here is a let er from y to his b the , then lying

Ph cus sea - a r s ill at y , a port on the Cyrenaic bo d . He invite him to come a nd brea the a purer atmosphere Do you

o i if wi l t a w nder at your ch lls and poor blood , you l live in h t “ sultry Phycus ? It would be far more surp rising if you r

physique held out against such a climate . But if you wi ll “ ’ o a is nly p y me a v it , by God s help there is a chance of your being set up when you a re once out of a ir tainted with

s rs ou mar h vapou , and have left behind y the tepid salt

t . lagoons, lying so s agnant you might call them dead What

r t a - charm is the e in sit ing on the s nd of the sea shore, your

w s ? only haunt, for here el e can you turn But here you

r s may c eep under the shade of some tree , and , if it like

o t na r r you not , pass fr m ree to tree y from g ove to g ove , “ r s a t r a leaping ac o s the stre m hat uns pr ttling by . How de lightful the breeze that stirs th e boughs so gently ! “ r a i th e He e is the ch ngeful song of b rds, bright hues of

m . s flowers , the bushes in the eadows Side by ide are the

’ a nd r f of works of man s hand the f ee gi ts nature. The air

d s th e a t c u . is la en with perfume , e r h ri h with genero s j ui ces

ro —I w s And this g tto , fit home for the nymphs ill pare it

0 m . . 45 44

is my pra es, for it needs a Theocritus to sing it as it

m S ne s ius Such was the ho e in which y , during the

f r a a intervals o wa and absence, spent wh t he lways looked

back upon afterwards as the ha ppiest years of his life. He

-' a t may have felt lonely times , but solitude, l he says , is the best handmaid o f philosophy ; and in the same letter he tells how he fa ncied sometimes tha t the very stars looked down with kindly influence upon the one human being in tha t region who co uld look up to them with the eyes of knowle d g e i And it must have been on some such occasion that he spent a sleepless night gazing on the

of a mystery the he vens . “There is little doubt that much ’ of Syne s i us religious poetry was the outcome ofthis period

a f- o of Spiritu l sel c mmunion . But this question will be

f a of discussed more ully when we come to tre t the hymns . That he did write more or less between 400 a nd the year of

’ i s a a a . C ne etzca a his visit to Alex ndri cle r The y g , poem on

u a a one h nting, to which he alludes§ disp r gingly in of his

a nd ha s letters , which not come down to us, belong s to this period : but we do not need its evidence to prove his

r passion fo hunting. ‘li He mentions his dogs as a worthy theme for song, ” h o ae w fear not hy nas and strangle wolves . The hunts man too deserves his meed of pra ise for securing peace f and sa ety to the fields . He dreams of hunting by and one of the pleas he urges aga inst a ccepting the ffi o ce of bishop, is that he cannot bear the thought of

E 1 1 p . 4 .

E 1 00 2 D . f p . , 39

- . 2 0. I H . II , 3 3

C a ta s . . 0 II , p 3 3 C . E 00 p . 1 .

1 . ll Ep . 47

De I m am u B . . , 1 48 4 5

n his - * seei g dogs idle and his bow worm eaten . He was

a a kind m ster and indulgent to his slaves , most of whom sooner or l a ter acquired their fre e d o m sl' But perhaps

u f a the best pict re of his li e at this period , and of his pleas nt

e -f intercourse with the simpl country olk, is given in the

Ol m ius i long chatty letter to y p , 1 wh ch must have been written in one of the intervals of peace between the barbarian inroads . He ta lks at some length a bout the natural products of th e country and in describing the innocence of the

h ow country people, he tells us they shook their hea ds at his stories of fish and started ba ck in horror from a j a r of

a -fis h m Egypti n salt , thinking the some new species of

of reptile, and the oldest and wisest his audience still re mained incredulous as to sa lt-water producing a nything f good or wholesome , when the best drinking ountains only

f . harboured rogs and leeches To these amiable rustics,

a nd a of -off m the Emperor his court were kind far drea . The existence even of the Em peror might have been doubted but for the mund a ne a nd regular appea ra nce o f

- m the tax gatherer, a very real e bodiment of the governing

w a fe w who po er , There were not thought the Emperor was one and the same with a certa in Agamem non who sa iled to Troy ; a nd they had a great fondness for the

m a s a a dventures of one Ulysses , who they looked upon

f e a ll for f contem pora ry hero . A t r due allowance play ul

a f of S ne s ius m exagger tion , the li e y at this time, ust

a s m e n v have been , to use his own words, such li ed in the

- f a a . days o Noe, before justice bec me bond slave

m f of While thus withdrawing hi sel from the life cities,

Syne s ius never forgot his duty to his friends or to his

1 Ep . 05 . D 1 Die m , 59 . 1 x Ep 47 . 46

‘ m a n m a s a ofa s ciN 'r country . The who Hypati pe ks uS prov

cir afi év ' wa s m y d not likely to become a ere recluse, and

find a of we him const ntly writing letters introduction , for fellow-citiz ens to his influentia l friends a t Consta nti

no le o wn a p and Alexandria . In his household he tre ted

va a a nd wa s his ser nts with consider tion , rewarded by their a ttachment and re sp e ct i As for his friends his letters teem with expressions of

i a m . S ne s us s endear ent He writes, y , long as he lives, will “ never fail to serve his friends with a ll his hea rt in every f m possible O ten he sends the presents, the

of fa a f produce his rm , or a horse re red by himsel , or some

rare beas t he ha s ca ptured in hunting. §

f a Still this idyllic li e was only to be enjoyed in sn tches, and the stately festiva l to which he compa res it was rudely

a t !“ m a m a m interrupted times He see s to h ve de ene ies, as wa s only na tura l after the exposure of the incom petence

of a nd a of the ruling powers, the contr st his own address

a m e n f and courage . Th t these made his li e wretched at

m a f m a nd a ti es is pl in ro his letters, prob bly led to his A a 0 D . depa rture for Alexandri in the year 4 3 . He writes “ m m f a a f m fro there, I count ysel happy to h ve esc ped ro

f a n m f riends d ene ies o that description . I wish to remain

a a nd m at distance, have no ore to do with

f of In another letter he deplores the ate Cyrene, once

of a a the home Carneades and Aristippus, but now b ndoned

a s to such people John and Julius, in whose society he

' i m d ovvreki e werroi xev 6 9 60 n l of; p fiv 8rd roirro d pa rr g j h n 9,

‘ ’ ’ v wéM a m g rjp i v xa i ibub ra r xa i m ike“; sic déov éxprwa ro.

' 80 . 1 Ep .

2 a nd 1 . 1 Ep . 3 44

II Ep . 44 6 1 n 1 2 Epp . 9 , 33, , 9

48

' — [0151 0 19 elSov ai s Géov wpéa wrrov] i m plying his

a na h adherence to their views . He consented further to t e

a of a t m tise the works Origen their demand .

a a b e c As still more diplom tic stroke, se ured the services of the Long Brothers , who were the most prominent

a a nd m among the scetics, whose ability recom ended them

m . D . ios corus to his a bition For a time all went well ,

of f wa s a f one the our, constr ined to fill the see o Hermo polis ; a nd the other brothers worked a mica bly with

Theophilus .

’ They soon , however, found out the prelate s rea l

a nd a character, disgusted with his mercen ry aims expressed a The 0 hilus desire to return to the desert . p tried to

for a f dissuade them time, until he ound out their real

a w re son , whereupon he vo ed veng eance ; and knowing that with the m onks on their side he could do nothing a gainst

a a them , he spre d malicious report that the brothers held the

of a nd f D doctrine Origen denied bodily orm to the eity.

m m o f a The onks, ost them illiter te, violent men , with a fe w honourable exceptions turned upon the brothers, and

o a a f m The philus ctu lly urnishing their ene ies with arms, the four ha d to flee the country for their lives a nd took

f a re uge t Constantinople . Chrysostom received them kindly (év n ag? p en inc 7 009

w f of he withheld , ho ever, the ull rights Church

a m e n until the m tter h a d been sa tisfa ctorily cleared up . But a false report of his having received them into full ’ f communion reaching Theophilus ears , the eud began which ended i n the disgra ceful victory of Theophilus a nd the deposition a nd exile of C hrys os tom sl' Such wa s the m a n who seems to ha ve won the friendship and respect of Syne s ius a friendship which

Socra e s . . t , VI , 9 d 1 8 1 Ibi . , VI . , . 49

s in r of o ome, view of the e al nature The philus , have

ei stigmatised as f gned . But such a supposition is wholly

f ne s ius to inconsistent with what we know o Sy , and the clue

is to u - o the mystery be fo nd in his rather easy going, go d

natured temperament , which would not make him over

of ready to listen to the voice scandal , or sound the truth

of tales which did not redound to the credit of his friend .

h o f a T eophilus , on his side , like many men overbe ring

u a a nat re, could doubtless m ke himself agreeable and geni l enough to a man who was not likely to thwart hi s projects

h a d s or rival his influence , and who many intere ts and

own wa s pursuits in common with his . Here undoubtedly

w a s the common ground on which they met . Theophilus

of a nd i a a a man considerable philosophic scient fic tt inments , wo rthily maintaining in this respect the tra ditions of the Alexand rine Church ; and he was especially interested in

tr f as onomy , a science that we know to have been a avourite

nes ius one with Sy .

So much for their friendship . To deal next with its First ste ps to “ n ew ” ns a co equences . It seems highly probable th t the first d a te fro m this rm of s a Pe ri od ge s Chri tianity , the first beg innings of more intimate

a a a r acqu int nce with the rticles of the Christian faith , we e

n ius due to this intercourse between the prelate and Sy es . In any ca se Syne s ius must have been a member of the Church before his consecration in It is impossible otherwise that he could have been even elected Bishop of l to . a P lemais Now from the time of his e ving Alexandria ,

to a a h that d te , Cyrene was the scene of const nt war, in whic

S ne s i us t a a s r y ook an ctive p rt , and it eems very p obable that his conversion had potentially begun during his stay a t

M ore o er in his et er 1 0 of rotes a on he ne er su es s so o v ous v , l t ( 5 ) p t ti , v gg t b i a d isqua lifica tion a s the fact at his not being ba ptised nor i s the sta te m e nt of En ine who xes his a sm a t the m e of his conse cra on as s o g , fi b pti ti ti bi h p. sufficie ntly trustworthy to upse t this theory . D 5 0

le he was on inti r A xandria, while mate te ms with the Archbishop and more or less unde r the as cendancy of his

influence.

o e c o so oft n ra ise t his The bj ti n e d , hat writings during

th s ri s e r of is n u i pe od how littl t ace Chr tia infl ence, is not an

w The adequate refutation ofthis vie . subject of the works — was philosophic and they a re dedicated to Hypatia but surely an English theologian of scie ntific leanings might d write a work on some technical subject and de icate it, say , it to Professor Huxley, without letting appear on the surface

wa s a w that he a theologi n , and it ould be much more absurd to expect that a man who had been brought up in the tenets of Neo-Platonism should at once a bandon his old

s a doctrine , or make any immediate par de of what was

b e lie f perhaps only a tendency towards a new .

fa a o The ct remains, and f cts are after all m re important

S ne s ius * than theories , that y was married by Theophilus . 0 Marriages between heathens and Christians were not u n

a t common this period , though the Church generally looked B n . ut askance upon such u ions one inference is clear, that

e s ius wa s if Syn was not converted , his wife a Christian ; and

a though in his letters we r rely find any mention of her, we may ga the r from these sca nty a llusions? tha t his affection

a s a nd for her w deep and real , her influence in proportion considera ble }:

m of Assu ing, therefore, that the work conversion was

I t ha s bee n suggeste d tha t the la ng uage of Syne si us need not m ea n m ore a T eo us was the m ea ns of r n n a ou his m a rri B than th t h phil b i gi g b t age . ut the “ ” o of the sa cre d and of T e o us and the ad d on f th m e nti n h h phil , iti o e word s ” od and the la w seem s to b e conc us e a a ns s n er re a on G , l iv g i t thi i t p t ti . Vide

Ep . 1 05 .

I . 1 0 . . . p . 5 H V II , 34

too m uc to nfer from the assa e in De Prat/fat 1 0 a i u I I t i s h i p g , 5 , th t Synes s ’ “ h d e ra d e d ree d ea s of wom a n s ace in soc e sir shared i n t e g G k i pl i ty . O is he ld ’ wom a n s d u was never to b e see n or ea rd of outs d e he r own door that a ty h i .

e . c. . C f. Tim . II , 45 5 1

e un a t t i o hilu re r s no r a b g his t me by The p s , it qui e g e t stress of imagination to se e in th e inte rcou rse of a Chris tian wife ’ a nd w m a for S nes ius the slo work of time, a ple c uses y

r r i r s g adual app ox mation to th e Church . It is pe hap worth whi le to notice the contrast betwe e n the grea t city and the

’ si mme life of the country-folk among whom Syne s ius lot

was t cas t. Hypatia m ight well rem a in a Pla onist in

l r its t s b r l A exand ia, with rich dilettante co erie , its uta mob,

and sc ou S nes ius un rupul s prelate. May not y ha—ve seen a be tfi r side of Chris ti anity in his native town in the midst of a people tried and pu rified by th e chastening of misfortune ?

o TIre Dion A olo ia ro vi ta W t n at To this peri d belongs , an p g p ri i gs “m pm od ' sa d . was t r ofhi s a r e f a nd It wri ten in the fi st year m r i d li e , is de di cated to the son whose birth was then expected . He se w t a t h a n nds it to Hypatia, i h let er, from w ich we le r that it was a reply to the criticis ms of certain detractors who had

' reproached him with dilettanteism and a sophistical a flecta

the r tion of style. Synes ius replies by giving histo y of his

e m r s m ntal develop ent, and demonst ates the neces ary

n i a co nect on of philosophy nd letters .

’ r i S nes ius After two years sojou n at Alexandr a, y , at the Return to Gym " c m n the a 0 “ n e commen e e t of ye r 4 5 retur ed to Cyr ne, and

u c a rea lius fo nd the ountry in a worse state th n usual . C e ,

of wa s r the Governor Pentapolis, ava icious and cowardly .

s w wrun In tead of relieving the wretched to ns , he g money

r c a f om them , and used the scanty for es at his comm nd for f oppre ssing the citizens whom it was his duty to de end . Natura lly the M a ce ta e and the othe r sa vage tribes t o a va iled themselves of the oppor unity, and not c ntent with n r ra vaging the cou try districts , actually held Cy ene in a

e re a lius s in s ta te of siege . C pursued a policy of ma terly 5 2

m ss w action , e barked on board a ve el ith as much portable th property as he could take with him , and charging e

a Cyreni ns not to engage the enemy, prepared for his own

flight on the earliest opportunity. The inhabitants finding that they mu s t help them

or f S ne sius selves perish made a stout de ence, and y took an active part in the labours of the siege . He served his f turn on watch , devised engines of de ence, and when the tide began to turn organiz ed sorties a gainst the

a barbarians . Cyrene was thus s ved , but the war dragged

S ne s ius on ; there was always fighting to be done, and y wa s alwa ys ready to sacrifice his ease and his pursuits in the public cause . He complains naturally of the ineffi ciency of the Government which so shamefully neglected its responsi “ ” “

ili ie s . b t We support troops , he says , but it is we who “ f . de end ourselves, not they Everything depended on individual effort and Syne s ius was ably supported at - of times . He gives a glowing account in one his letters r of the Deacon Fa us tus who marched unarmed at the head of the peasants of his valley and completely routed a band of the marauders . The incident is interesting

a not only from the gallant conduct of the brave F ustus , but a lso as showing how easily these barbaria ns might have been quelled by an organized attack of regular troops . ’ OfSyne sius private life during this period there is little e — to t ll two more sons were born to him , and he spea ks of

c D edu ating them at home, with his nephew ioscuros . It has been remarked that there were intervals of peace in

a nd these troubled times , it might have seemed that when 5 3 a t l a l a ast ull in the inv sions of the enemy was probable, Syne sius might have enjoyed the quiet happiness of his h s n ome, and have pe t his remaining days in the studies and

* wa s th purs uits he loved so well . But it o erwis e ordained a new career awaited him .

' ’ ' E 1 m i 6 er a a Od w rciw i krridwv diowe i v i e c p . 5 7 , 94, v p y , p p fi fl spzfiokq: ' ' ' r ; aroo c ov d erov d ve évov au m i 3 6 m i Q i wv o i q p p, e ¢ , m , xfi [& q fipq pep Z r wfi ov.

SYNESI US CHOSEN BI SHOP OF PTOLEMAI S .

I N the yea r 409 the Bishop of Ptolemais died and the

e a ca n . n s e o see b c me va t The electio re t d with the pe ple ,

c s the consecration of their choi e with Theophilu , the pa triarch of Ale—xa ndria . The office of Bishop involve d a va riety o—fduti es it was in fact a civil as well as a religious function and the head of the church might be called upon to defend the material interests of his flock no less na turally * th a n to promote their spiritual welfare . It was not strange then that a feeling o f gratitude a nd res pect urged the pe ople whom he had cham pioned so unse lfishly to choos e

S yne si us as their pas tor . We have touched already on the vexed ques tion of the ga la: a a t of h is o n ta s m e ? d e c nversion , but whe ever it may have ken thi ti

a e m s ar r e his h pl c , it u t cle ly have p ec ded election , t ough

r a re c fe w of m r the e indi ations not a his i pe fect acceptance,

the . at that time, of Christian religion

' I t m us b e re m em e red in connec on wi S nesius a o n m en a t b ti th y pp i t t , th t e w d a i was the people re q uire d a m a n ofsom orl ly b lity. It a nece ss ity in those trouble d tim es tha t the head of the Church should be rea dy for e ve ry em er enc to ex com m uniea te a rann ca o ernor or to ea d a sa a a ns g y . ty i l g v , h lly g i t a a id b rbaria nra .

T case of iderius B s o of Palaebi aca is s n u ar in o n . Th he S , i h p , i g l ly p i t e M tro o a n of the dis ri c r on was old a nd fee le a nd the n a an s of e p lit t t, O i , b , i h bit t Pain bi aea w ou wa n for his d eat e ected Sid e ri us who was oun a nd e , ith t iti g h , l y g u pa t ad se en a cfive sefl ioe in the a rm y of Vale ns and was a m an to r us to i d His e e c on was w t ouble his enem ies and be of e h s —frien s. l ti holly ill but wa s sanc i oned At a na si us a nd S ne sius ou d e reca t n q al, t by h y th g h p i g the degrad ation ofthe spiritua l office confesses tha t in su ch ca se s 6:7 6q who - ow x a n a im tku . E . 6 . 30 C D . W p fl p 7 , p 9. 5 8

‘ E va ri us g tells us that he was not baptized . This seems

a z wa s incredible . An unb pti ed person obviously debarred

o ffi S ne s ius fr m holding the lowest o ce in the Church , and y ,

we a a ' as have alre dy rem rked ,1 would certainly not have

omitted so important an objection in his letter to E v0ptius . The same writer adds some remarks on his imperfect acquiescence in the doctrines of Christianity ; but this is best brought out by a n a bstract of the letter addressed

for by him to his brother, which , as intended the perusal

r the of Theophilus and his friends in general , is wo ded in

a most explicit langu ge . Syne s ius expresses his gra titude to the people of Ptolemais because they deem him worthy of so high a n

’ f rs s win n f honour. He ea however le t he ma s avour a t the f n cos t o s inni g agains t God . His anxiety gives him no peace : his nights are s leep

less . The burden of philosophy which he has borne so fa r

a was compar tively a light responsibility. But his success

- r in that sphere has led men to over estimate his cha acter, a nd if he submits to the new charge he will run a risk of

a a h losing his reput tion in two ways, by falling aw y from t e

fa old and iling to attain to the worthiness of the new .

d i u lifi a i n his n There are three main sq a c t o s (i . ) religio H i was silent and solitary, an unparticipated joy . s f o . o is love sport Whenever he rises fr m his books , he

for f always ready recreation o any kind . (iii . ) His aversion

s n l by nature and habit to Political cares and busines ge era ly.

th e i no A bishop on contrary should be : (. ) t a solitary

worshipper, but one whose religion is visible to the eyes of

a of his his people ; he must be teacher the law, and

m . b e doctrine ust accord with it (ii . ) He must averse to

- Eva rius uo e d in M i ne . Pa ro . Gra eco La t. 1 0 I z n rod . to g (q t g t l , p . 4, , , I t

si s . 1 . Syne u ) . I 5

fp 49 . 59 amusement (iii . ) He must be rea dy to —take part in a ny practical business that concerns the Church he f mus t do the work o many men .

’ The last of the bishop s duti es is the great stumbling block to Synes ius . He finds the world too strong for the

—he a two st s it—a nd spirit c nnot serve ma ers , as he put the city life with its e arth -wa rd tending cares will soon stifle the

a hi m . divine sp rk within Moreover, he is not fitted by his li i s s . past fe, wh ch has not been free from fault and stain

His s i hi m wn con cience w ll weigh do , and his philosophic a i i s gnost cism will make him unable to dogmat e, and to give a r as r nswe s explicit and positive a priest should . He efuses “ to give up his wife : God and the law and the sacred hand “ of The ophil us gave her to me ; I declare therefore a nd “ be ar wi tness to a llmen that I will not be separated fro m “ he r t her e , nor associa e with by stealth, like an adult rer. “ Di who o Paul and onysius , the elders are ch sen by the

o i e pe ple , w ll tell Theophilus my resolution in this matt r. “ ' a a r d ifli culti es a s It is cruci l point, and I rega d other

s trifli ng in compari on with it. Synes ius next touches on the diffi culty of uprooting old

a the h ha s i m belie fs , especi lly doctrines which p ilosophy H press ed upon his reason . is old views a re directly opposed in fa ct to the popular views on more points than

i - i e . a s one . ( ) He holds the pre ex st nce of the soul , as gain t its crea tion subsequent to the body . (ii. ) The world can f r d . o the never be dest oye . (iii ) He regards the doctrine

s ine fla b le is re urrection as a sacred and mystery, but he far i t i from a greeing with the popular not ons on h s subject.

ns s i use (iv. ) He co iders that Rea on permits a leg timate of

e h o lying in ca se s where th trut w uld only m—islead . If then he can be bishop on these terms philosophizing

th e —he i a t home , talking in myths to people m ght accept

h e s has s . t ecis a nd o i the po t But if prie t to be pr e d gmat c, 60

nesi s a to Sy u will have no disguises . he does not me n h preach doctrines in whi ch he cannot believe . W at have ” “ ' s o l philo ophy, he asks , and the pe ple in common he

as for i divine truth must be unspeakable ; and do—gmat sm , the philosophe r neither convi cts nor is convicted but his

tongue will not contradict the feeling of his heart .

a the It will be a wrench in other ways. He cannot be r

- o en. thought of seeing his d gs idle, and his bow worm eat

e and if t Still he will endure whatev r God commands , af er

ha s e s all he said , Theophilus appoints him , then he acc pt

offi D as c . ro r e ce a ivine harge For had the Empe r o d red it, he would have obeyed or met the penalty to God surely a ili w l ng obedience is due .

’ The theologi cal a spect of Synes ius reservations will be dis cus sed els ewhere ; but it is worth while to lay stres s upon the conditions under which he submits to his election inas much a s D ruo n has tho ught fit to dis pute at so me “ length the ass umption that he kept his wi fe and his “ ” Opinions. Anyone who rea ds the well -weighed words of Synes ius himse lfcannot fail to be convinced that D ruon is mi staken

r ul u hi m ' here . The e was no comp sion bro ght to bear upon ;1 he took his own line from the first a nd boldly stated his

t a own terms. It is incredible h t he should have drawn back a nd relinqui shed the ad vanta ges his frankness dese rve d .

s s his i e e Be ide , on the question of retaining w—fe, th re ne d have been no insurmountable d ifficulty the Ea stern

— - E vi o . B ruca tud es sur la e et les euvres d e Synése pp . 42 43 . — See owe er Tille m ont. Vol. xi i . . I l a ue ue a arence f , h v , , p y q lq pp ’ ’ n u ord d lEm Theod . e t d u Gouv m eur q u on a va it déja obte u n re e pereur ( . II ) e ’ ’ n Et ce ux ui es toient com m e lui d u co d e lEgypte pour ly co tra ind re. q rps de ’ ’ v l e n en ou va e n étre re: ue a r nu ord re d e lEm ere ur. B ut th e i l , p i t ti q p p

t the c ose of E . 1 0 is sure m e a orica on a su os t on oi pa ssag e a l p 5 ly t ph l , ly pp i i ' v d i o a t el im e ntha b “tr wha t m ight ha e ha ppene . hoyl p y p B m; y a m dingy dv M a ra w} m fldyevog . 6 1

was r e r Church always mo e lib ral in this espe ct, and though towards the end of the fou rth century the principle of

r celibacy was becoming gene al , rigid enactments on the s ubject were mainly confined to the west, and the evidence f A D . s ofSocrates who wrote about 439 . declare the en orced celibacy of the higher clergy to be contrary to the custo m * of the Eastern Church .

. . 22 2 1 He says (Bk v c , p . 4 ) that in the East though

a s theoretic lly ab tinence was usual , there was no legal

— s compulsion in the matter and he adds , many Bi hops “ during their period of offi ce have had children born to “ ” them in lawful wedlock .

The cond uct On the other hand , how are we to explain the conduct of m r t Theophilus , which was so strange a cont ast to his reatment 3am “m u m of Chrysostom and the Origenists ? How ca me he to ? conse crate as bis hop a man who was certainly as much a n

i e i a s r a Or g n st the Long B others , and whose ppointment would be likely to raise a storm among the Anthropo morphic party Pt To expect that God would work complete ’ o r S ne s ius r c nve sion in y heart after his consec ation , was a

ss eo a po ible idea for the clergy and p ple of Ptolem is , but

so not for the worldly Theophilus ; and even if it were ,

h ri /rt a w at g had he to b ptise , much less make a bishop of a m a n whos e faith was more than wavering ? There are four possible rea sons The urgent re quest of the whole

‘ d s Ttib. uar . vol. . 6 1 . Vi e Krau . Q t , 47 , p 5

H e le it . ua rt 1 8 2 . t ot ea r out s v Cla usen a nd ef (T h Q , 5 , p 47 ) , b h b thi ie w. I se ner Ehe a n an so is t z u ed en e n da ss er d e r r ec s c en “n d en Punkt i l gt , b k , G i hi h a n h und d as s in d ese r d ie r es e r d ie vor re r W Kire he ge drte , i P i t ih e ihe z n d ii n e ingega nge ne Ehe fortse t e rfe . — M n . 8. fAnc D . 1 . a ns . i t al t: n to. S nod o ra A. I ows C Ca . y y , 3 4 i , . p 5 l de acon: to stipula te for a wed ded life at the tim e of ord ina tion ; b ut afte r a on m us be o se rved un ess a cond on to the con rar has ordi n ti , ce libacy t b l iti t y

’ i That The ophil us was fully acq ua i nt ed with Synesi us vie ws ia e vident from

A. E . n 3 0 B and 2 p os, 5 . 49 62

body of the Church a t Ptolemais : Theophilus would gain

. f popularity by consenting. (ii ) Possibly an order rom the * . n s ius Court (iii . ) Sy e was personally acceptable to

Theophilus, and not likely to thwart his ambition . (iv. ) His a bility a nd the good work he was likely to do as a bishop

would reflect credit on Theophilus .

a a Ta b . ua r But there is a fifth re son dduced by Kraus ( Q t ,

s Vol . 47 , p . 5 59) which is plau ible and quite in keeping

of i a with wha t we know Theoph lus . It has alre dy been noted wh a t a field wa s offered by the Church for the ambition of Patrician fa m ilies and this was especi a lly the ca se in the provinces where the power of the Church was

a m of not over wed by the proxi ity the Court . Theophilus

a a nd was notoriously mbitious unscrupulous . He probably

a hi m secured the prim cy for his nephew, Cyril , after , and

a v a ofli ce m would h e liked to m ke the a family appoint ent . To this end he was bound to be on good term s with the

o f w a Court, and from this point vie it was cle rly to his interest to win over a man of such birth and position as

S ne s ius f y , with his wide circle of influential riends at

a a t a . Alex ndria, and Const ntinople This is why Theophilus

f — a f first ga ve h—im a wi e prob bly from some riendly or allied fa m ily and secondly a ppointed him without scruple bishop o f Ptolemais . It does not seem beyond the bounds

’ of proba bility that he ca used rumours of Synes ius sub sequent a nd full accepta nce of Christian doctrine to be

a a Spre d in Alexandria, with a view to checking the indign tion of the orthodox ; nor is it unlikely that these rumours may h ave given rise to the n a rratives of E va g rius and

Photius .

ne s ius ffi Sy struggled hard to escape the o ce , but the entreaties of his people were irresistible : even the priests

Till m ont 1 re fe rred to in no e a e 60. e , p . 5 9, t p g

64

s u s * ne s i us his ignorance of the cript re . But once Sy had set

h h u a nd is and to the ploug there was no t rning back , it difficu lt to know whether to admire more the uns e lfis hne ss

w a ll a s ith which he gave up th t was mo t dear to him , or the

a c of p tience and determination with whi h , in spite regrets, ‘ s a f he entered on the d ifli cult ta k which l y be ore him . There

e for o f was soon ne d the exercise all these qualities . Just about the time when Syne s ius became Bishop of

Ge nna d ius Ptolemais, the Syrian had laid down his office

of a h a d as Governor Pent polis , in which post he acquitted

f a a nd wa s himsel honour bly, succeeded by Andronicus the

of a of of w son poor fisherman Berenice , one the five to ns in

H is a the province he was to rule . ppointment was wholly ‘ a a a s a wa s for o e illeg l , in smuch no n tive eligible the fli c of Governor in his own provinces} but the corrupt court a t

a wa s a c Const ntinople amen ble to bribes , and Androni us

a his att ined position by intrigue and systematic bribery . 1

He lost no time in showing his true colours . It seemed a s if the evil days of the republic had come

a for a — ff b ck the h pless provinces with this di erence, that

a a e a f f Verres even , in this l ter g , would h ve ound himsel

s a - urp ssed in cold blooded cruelty.

1 . T s r was s n w h asc a c a r ofTh us hi s Ep . 3 hi lette e t ith t e p h l h ge eophil to s o s a nd S nesius ur e s Pe e r the Pre s e r who see m s to a ve e en in bi h p , y g t byt , h b c ar e his a rr va to a s ec a a e n on to the m esse n e r who has ra v d h g till i l , p y p i l tt ti g b e

' the d a n e rs of the ourne a nd as se d rou the m d s of os e r e s w g j y, p th gh i t h til t ib ith

his a nnua l m e ssage .

’ — on. Vol. 1 1 c. 1 . 1 . E . 22 1 B . S ne sius a nts in vi orous 1 Gibb 7 , p 3 p 7 3, y p i g ” a n ua e the e v s ofa na ve ove rnor. Send out to us he sa s to Tro us l g g il ti G , y il , m e n e a ua e d to b e our rule rs who now no one a nd a re nown of l g lly q lifi , k k “ non wh ud e com m on se nse a nd n t f m d d At e ; o j g by o ro in ivi ua l whim s . present the sta te ofa ffa irs i s this a m a n who was origina lly a thorn in the sid e ofthe s a e sa s a c to b e its ra n a nd ca rr e s on hi s o ca fe ud s from t t il b k ty t , i p liti l “ th d m n s a sa no n of a ll e j u g e t e t . I y thi g the other evils tha t spring up in the “ of A a n u i u tra in this one. b q e t s fr itful in fa lse cha rge s ; a nd to g ra tify a ’ ” w m a n s ca r c z s a r r n o p ice iti en e ui ed .

’

E . 8 ri v d rv a w é evov. 1 p 5 . j px j w p 6 5

It would be tedious to describe at length the outrages of thi s monster who showed an ingenuity in devis ing instru

* as e a ments of torture that w worthy of a b tter c use. His Z s a e t e i m f. u g n s were as ruthl ss as h sel ena , J lius, and above a ll s e i of Thoas , are mentioned as e p c al objects detestation they wrung fresh taxes from the impoverishe d people and executed with a refinement of cruelty the brutal orders of

s their ma ter. ‘ — An insta nce wi ll sufli ce : Thoas had lately return ed from Constantinople with the news of the illness of

Anth e m ius r s . , the Gua dian of Theodo ius I I He shame lessly alleged that Anthe m ius had been warned in a r r n d eam , that his ecovery could o ly be ensured by the death

M ax im inus linia s o f of and C , two prominent citize ns Ptolem ais who had unluckily incurred the hatred l e . h r a of the gov rnor T ey we e actua ly arrested , be ten

i i an i s w th n inch of the r lives , and only spared by tho e de mons for fres h tortures t The city was like a town ta ken by assault and given

to S nes ius was w over plunder. On every side, y says , ailing and lamentati on¢ All the plagues of past years seemed as — a a i n r a nothing to this locusts , earthquakes, b rb r a in o ds ,

a ha d r the t f mine, all done their wo st to unhappy coun ry, but their worst was light compared to the frightfu l t r oppress ions a nd crue—lties of his inhuman gove nor. " The laws were powerless there was no one to enforce them and the helpless citizens looked to their new bishop a s a last resource § They were not disappointed .

8 and E . Ep . 79 , p. 5

226 D. fEp . 4

2 Ep . 5 7

rd A a y v dvo v E . n si us a ud es to an orac e bra r p . 7 3 Sy e ll l M w iyp

“ t h a n. " “ d m i vru v wa i n i r. l Ep . 57 . PM s p 66

S ne sius of y was not a man strife, he was passionately “ f a i ond of pe ce and ret rement, and yet some strange irony of fate seemed ever to pl unge him into the midst of unsought n conflicts . He had do e Andronicus service at Alexandria —had saved him in fact from imprisonment on two

s * for occa ions. Gratitude this might ha ve been expected f rom any other man , and the remonstrances of Syne s ius a should h ve come with double weight from a benefactor,

but Andronicus treated them with scorn . His insolence was directed even against the Church : he violated the right

a of s nctuary, and nailed his edict, threatening the most cruel punishments to any priest who should harbour f of ugitives, on the very doors the sacred building ?

A wa s r citizen of some position about to mar y,

his Andronicus forbade him , ordered arrest, and had him

- tortured in the mid day heat, under a burning sun .

S ne s ius a y hurried to the spot, and , finding protest unav iling, could only try to console the wretched victim by his sympathy and presence . Andronicus in the meanwhile ”

. n gave vent to the most terrible blasphemies In vai , he

a s cried , does he b se his hopes on the church . My enemie

r sha ll not escape me, though they cling to the ve y feet of ” Christ himself. ’ f r ne s ius e o . had Sy heart must have bl d his people He , his moreover, sorrows of his own to contend with ; one of

sons had just died , and the burden of such accumulated

- ca lamities must have been well nigh intolerable. The thought of ending his troubles by death seems even to have crossed his mind : The last resource of prayer fa iled

was a s his own him , "and he overcome with sen e of power

3 26 D . Ep . 79, 8 201 -2 p . 5 , .

and 226 D . I Epp. 57 79, ii fi d . 1 6 1 . v v w rov od d v airlé evo . II Epp 5 7 , 9 , 97 p p m p c 67

s sn t f le ess . But here was a limit to orbearance : the meas ure

was th e A . l full to brim letter to Troi us, whose influence

w A nthe m ius a c es * ith was great , ended in no pr cti al r ult . Anthe m ius was probably too much exercised about the movements of Alaric to interfere ; and as Alexandria seems to have bee n in imminent danger from the barbarians soon t after these even s , little help was to be expected from that

ua rter q l Prompt, drastic action was imperative, and f Synes ius roused himself for a great e fort .

a He convened synod of the clergy, 1 probably from the The Synod 0 P mlem i" whole district of the Pentapolis and there formulated the solemn sentence of excommunication which was to be l h e i aunc d against Andronicus, Thoas and the r followers , if i co s . they st ll persi ted in their urse of outrage The speech , for th t n l the s7 le ter was nothi g e se, in which he makes a

of solemn indictment Andronicus , and enters into a full

is o account of h pers nal feelings , was probably delivered be fore the ass embled people . He cannot perform th e

s b a dutie of a ishop as his people wish , the distr ction of tempora l cares is too much for him ; he calls on them to r c elieve him by appointing a suc essor, or at least a collea gue

s i e r a in his re pons bility . ” Th y c ied out gainst the proposal , and t of x c e he caused the sen ence e ommunication to be r ad . It wa s to be sent as a circular letter to the Christian churches throu ghout the world. “ P is a ll rc s 1 m se ne nce The church of tolema , to the sister chu he 2 t “ e s throughout the world , addr s es the following warning. 2m

a nd his Le t no temple be open to Andronicus followers , to

r ous wo s i Thoas and his followers . Let eve y h e of r h p,

El»7 3» ’ ' lillem ont Vol. (3 1 . Catn tu is . 00 B . f , , p. 55 , p 3

M m si ous in» i v. 2 le a es a ues on w e er t is was a s nod of t . C , , p . . v it q ti h th h y s s M aps or pre byter .

li p . 51 , 3 00. 68

D ha s a i to . every s cred prec nct , be closed them The evil “ no part in Paradise ; if he enters by ste alth he is expelled . Wherefore to all citizens and to magis trates I make this

n th e proclamation , that they go not u der same roof, or sit m ll ' at the same table with these en. And above a to p ri es ts that they salute them not in their life time nor g rant them “ s in dea th the rites ofburial . But hould anyone despise our

ch urch, for that our city is of small account , and shall

s u receive the e men whom it has excomm nicated , thinking

a a us she th t they need not obey her bec e is poor, then , let him know that he is dividing the church which Christ

a nd h willed should be one ; w atever he be, Levite or

o r l a s presbyter bishop, he sha l be held by us in the case of r f i Andronicus , and we will e use him the hand of greet ng, “ a nor eat at the same table with him . Fin lly we shall do “ anything rather than grant a share in the sacred mysteries “ to those who choose the part of Andronicus and of Andronicus was thoroughly frightened at the thunders

: n n of the Church he was dow on his knees at o ce ,

l r s promising repentance, and imp oring fo givene s. But

ne s ius l too m Sy wise y mistrusted prompt a sub ission , and , of i s against the advice his clergy, w hed to enforce the

c decree by publishing it throughout the Chur hes . It was

’ i a S ne s ius hard , however, for a new bishop, espec lly in y

ha d pos ition , to run counter to the opinion of men who grown old in the service o f Christ ; a nd s orely a gainst his

a ff as will he granted a del y to the o ender, which was to last long a s he remained rea lly pe nite nt t The consequence

was what might have been expected . Before long And ronicus added fresh cri m es to his charge and m urd ered a citizen under the most aggra va ted circumstances : The

E 8 . 20 p . 5 3, Al l. - E . 2 2 1 8 C D t p 7 , . B 2 2 1 e 7 . 9 C 69

circular letter was promptly despatched to the various

s s A s . dioce e , and ndronicu met the ruin he deserved

’ Even now the generous nobility of Syne s ius chara cter

shone out brighter than ever. He shielded the wretched

m a n f m rom his ene ies, and even pleaded his cause with

Theophi lus. The last words of his appeal are to the effect

a if s him r f th t Theophilu protected , it would be a p oo to the wretched Andronicus that God had not entirely deserted * him . Perhaps he remembered the grea t scene in the t Cathed ral at Constan inople, when Chrysostom asserted the

a r Eutro ius rights of s nctua y for the infamous p , and saved

his a n t a o f . life , for a time y rate , from the fury his enemies There is something very striking in this illustration of The wer oi

o s the p wer of the Church outside the piritual sphere. It 01“" en“ shews clea rly what a security against tyra nny a nd opp re s

r c a nd sion a st ong bishop might be ome, proves even at this

period the terrors of excommuni cation . The bishop was in

a a r t f ct a magistrate more th n a p eacher in hese days. His office was a necessity of the troubled times in which men

v a nd a a fe a of a li ed , s gu rd society. In f ct , the line between

a u wa s n civil and spiritual thority not yet draw , and though Syne s ius expresse s his dislike of interference in the a ffai rs of

the r f world , we must emember that he is speaking rom the point of view of a philosopher rather than that of a church

' s a s man ,1 and that his conduct towards Andronicu it met

so s c the approval , e tablishes the custom of the Chur h in that ag e -i — Such wa s the episode of Andronicus th e most impo rta nt e r f i s vent in the b ie church life of Syne s u . But it shows us

o one th e hi s c . nly , and at the stern r side of chara ter He

u r by nat e gentle and indulgent , yet without being

o e . i C f. N t on pa ge 5 7 7 o

wea kly compla isant. His humility is evidenced by the

' deference he h a bitua lly showed towa rd his s u fira g a n

f his f bishops his fa ith ulness and devotion to riends, by

m a the numerous letters a ddressed to the . But especi lly to

a re c a be noted the letters to Theophilus , whi h bre the the

o a a a truest l y lty to his superior, m intaining at the s me time an independent fra nkness which does hon o ur to their inti m a cyxl' It is in one of these that he puts before

a of of Theophilus the c se Alexander, 1 a native Cyrene, who while still a youth ha d adopted the mon a stic life and

a nd filled the ofli ce s of deacon priest in the church . m Circu stances having brought him to Constantinople, he

m e t m cons e cra Chrysosto there , and received at his hands

n olis a tion as Bishop of B a s i op in Bithyni . This was before the great quarrel in the Eastern Church which ended in the

of a nd u exile Chrysostom the persec tion of his followers . Alexa nder however rem a ined faithful a nd without setting

’ s e e a n i out to his in Bithyni remained in Cyrene . Sy e s us difficulty is h ow to treat him . Three yea rs had passed since the a m nesty by which the nominees of Chrysostom

a a were rele sed from dis bilities, still Alexander lingered in

a . hi m his n tive town The orthodox elders avoid , and

ne s ius s f ffi a Sy , though per onally his riend , ignores him o ci lly f and does not admit him to the rights o a churchm a n . Is

’ he a bishop or not ? Theophilus a nswer has not been

’ S ne s ius a preserved , but y llusion to Chrysostom in the

m m a letter is uch to his credit, and kes us think better of the m a n to whom he is writing. In this sam e ca se of Alexander was involved the wider question of the roving church dignitaries who ffi w wished to have the honours of o ce ithout the burdens,

Ep . 66.

E . 66 a nd 6 a n . t p 7 , d 9

3: Ep . 66 .

7 2

hi m l B ut Synes ius had othe r ca res to dis tra ct . H a rd y

wa s the m the scou r of Ad ro nicus whe n country free d fro g e ,

wa s s m r 1 0 the b a b a ria ns to rd the end of the a e yea , 4 , r

a re a ppea red in more formida ble force tha n us u l . He had

u os is so a nd i n th e of his ri f j st l t one of h ns , midst g e receive d a re ques t fro m Theo philus to a dj us t a n a ffa i r in his

a a i a nd dioce s e tha t called for his pers on l ttent on prese nce .

S ne s i us a s n wa s to re - s a is a see y , metropolita bishop, e t bl h

Pa la e b isca m w ha d h a d a is * at , a s all to n which once b hop

of its b ut ha d t fa wi h a l of own , lat erly llen , t the pprova

eo th of the Er thra Th philus, under the au ority Church at y ,

w r the r s of a ll here the popula bishop, Paul , had won hea t hi he iz n a nd f s o . ne s ius d t fl ck Sy convene cit e s, in ormed them of the will of Theophilus but with one consent they implored him not to compel them to give up their beloved

ne s ius d to s r his Paul . It was in vain that Sy trie as e t authority : his voice wa s drowned with the cries and tears of w n the cro d . The assembly was adjour ed , but only to

t a n s resul in repetition of the same scene. Sy e ius in the

wa s a a nd s end obliged to yield to their pr yers, he write to Theophilus on the fa ilure of his mission ? As there is no

a further allusion to the m tter in his letters, we may assume

h a that the people d their way .

’ Syne s i us was at a loss to understa nd the secret of Paul s nfi n 1 ue ce . w over the peop le The dispute , ho ever, in which he was involved a fe w days after m ust have opened ’ S ne s i us a a y eyes as to his re l char cter. An a ncient fort s tood on the confines of the dioceses of E ryth ra a nd

D . Dioscorus of a w ardanis 1 , the bishop the l tter diocese, as

a hi m in possession , P ul demanded it of , and upon his

d e no e on . . M ne Vol. 8 . Vi t p 5 7 ig , 7

1 Ep . 67 .

In ose rou e d m es a s ron os on of a n nd wa s nva ua I th t bl ti , t g p iti y ki i l ble . ' m u ) ¢o m ; d £ v roi c xex mp éum c. 7 3

a s a n t the a nd refusal secretly est bli hed al ar in building ,

a s . is cons ecrate d it a place of worship The other b hop,

’ a h n while dis pproving of Paul s conduct, s ra k from the idea of profa nati on in securing the rights of Dioscorus . But

s Synesi us ha d no such cruples. His languag e is singularly “ firm a nd enlightened : It has a lways been my wish to distinguis h between superstition and piety : supers tition “ is v a ice that shields itself under the mask of virtue, nor ca n philos ophy see in it a nything but a form of irreligion In my eyes there is nothing holy and sacred but what is

- l e lawful and jus t. I have no fears about this s o ca l d

s i c r . u a onsec ation No, tr e Chri t anity does not dmit that ceremonies and cha nts have the power in themselves to D draw down the ivine presence . God only descends into “ o r a is i s uls free f om p ssion and wholly submiss ive to H w ll . How then ca n the Holy Spirit enter into a heart in which “ a a nd i a a re t s o f nger blind obst n cy the mo ive action , when “ such pas sions ba nish it from the soul where it al rea dy

e e The dispute , how v r, ended amicably . Paul bought the u i hi s a i b lding from riv l , and both vied w th one another in generosity . To the same occa sion belongs anothe r inci dent which s n ius e S es . s n hows us y in a stern r mood Two priest , Jaso a nd La m o nia n b low r p , had come to , and caused g eat s ca nd a ls ' a f s fa i l The l tter con es ed his ult w th tears , and his

n s ius pe ople begged th at he mi ght be forgive n. B ut Sy e was inexora ble ; b e prohibited him from communion and re ferre d his cas e to Theophilus in whos e ha nds he wrs hed

r m ss na . s La m oni a n e i ion of the pe lty to rest Only, in ca e p

b e a n s a should on the point to die, y prie t might dminister the sa crament to him without hes itation . After giving a

E 6 . 2 1 2 3 1 . p 7 , pp , 3

6 1 ' I EP' 7 1 3 5 A 74

n S ne s ius full accou t of these matters to Theophilus, y enters a complaint a gainst the clergy of his diocese for mutual

s accusation with a view to the favour of the civil power . He speaks of his own a ttempt to bring them by reproof and censure to a better mind ; but he begs Theophilus to

a a strengthen his h nds by a letter in the n ture of a charge, condemning such conduct in general terms and thus ff n enabling him to take active measures against the o e ders .

H e finishes this long letter, by asking the prayers of Theophilus and lamenting the diffi culties of his ne w * position .

ne s ius a nd f b a r Sy returned to Ptolemais, ound the

i n a b a r a s . still encroaching Fortunately a young comm nder,

An si us a nd his y , had been sent out at the close of by

ff f r courage and skill the danger was warded o o a time.

A n s ius y kept his troops well in hand by strict discipline, and ,

a a d M a rcom m a ni dispensing with the Thraci ns n , retained only a chosen ba n d of forty U nnig a rd s whose coura ge he

( had proved; With this small force he worked wonders,

h a d and his success is almost incredible . If he only had

S ne s ius two hundred men like these, y says, he might have

’ ca rried the war into th e enemy s country and conquered

them decisively . ” Syne s ius delivered a public eulogy on his services and resolved to send a deputa tion to the Emperor begging that

A n s ius a nd f y might be left to them , asking for a rein orce

1 60 U nni a rd s . A n s ius a nd ment of g But y was recalled , though the petition wa s urged and A nys ius commissioned

[is reca l m Anthe m i us l . to plead with the E peror himself ( , in other

Ep . 67 .

1 139 . 5 7 1 93 B d 8 . 2 2 . 015m ; é di 5 61 rea l r i r b d vd a inré tk ov rbv I Ep . 7 3 C g 7 7 p c p c p c p x i c ’ ' -' ci tO ov ovot trra ci xow a ard r6v 9 5 61; m i rov e r a n 'ov r a a o p p p r p , y p n pera i vr .

E o An sn D . II l g . y , 304 7 S

—it f words) ell through ; and his successor Innocent, an

* a old man and an invalid , soon undid all the adv ntages

Anys ius had gained . The l a st glimpse of hope seemed to have died away for the unhappy country, and the clouds closed in on every

Ausu ria ns f side . The returned with resh forces the whole

wa s r country devastated , the people reduced to slave y , the churches desecrated or burned . Ptolemais was besieged a t one ti m e Egypt itself seemed in d a ng e rcl' ’ I n nes ius wa s the hour of his country s distress, Sy once

a 1 3 3 m ore overwhelmed with a domestic c lamity . 1 His second 5 22223 2221 on ofa llthe C a astasi son died , and he writes a despairing letter the ruin t

’

. the Ca ta s ta s zs his hopes To this period belongs , a speech in which he deplores the disasters of the province, and gives vent to such gloom y forebodings that Tille m ont|| is

in wa s on justified supposing that it never delivered . It is e long wail from beginning to end ; a nd there is som eth ing unmanly a bout his despa ir which even suggests to hi m the

o of a a th ught flight to some dist nt isl nd, where he will dwell

a a n fa r a of the a str nger and wa derer, from the re ch

a u A us uria ns . Such langu ge co ld only have dispirited the people whom it was his duty to exhort and strengthen ;

’ a n Tille m ont s a a d theory is not only the most ch rit ble, but

’ a n n s e e ne s ius a lso the most ratio al , whe we that Sy cts were

o a a a s a s n bler th n his words, and th t he was still ready

fa r fa m f ever to do his duty . So , in ct, from confining hi sel

m wa s to idle co plaints, he simply indefatigable throughout

a n a the siege, t ki g his stand on the b ttlements and watching

e e through the night : inspiring ev rywher , by his presence

‘ i t ’ d va irrov i xé t i a a a s a s s 0 A . ri d (i v rt a r é oa tro rrw C t t i . 3 7 7 p c q yjp c d r véo' ov x a ohr wokv ém o Ba fltl, n a r fi ) xp c;

C a ta st. . 00 B . 1 , p 3

E 88 . 1: p .

Tille m ont XI I . . 1 . ll , , p 5 5 76

“ a of r . and example, the sinking cour ge his count ymen

for a nd A us uria ns The town was saved a time, the were

a a s driven b ck . M rcellinu conquered them more or less

f a 1 a nd w decisively in the ollowing ye r, 4 3, they withdre ,

a nd a leaving, however, only ruins behind them , country - hopelessly i m poverished l The Pentapolis never recovered

a n f m a n a nd n to y extent ro this l st invasio , the blessi gs of pea ce seemed to ha ve com e too l a te for the unh a ppy

. S ne s i us a t a n a f wa s The las t ofhis people To y , y r te, the relie out

°hild fe n d es . i f d is a s te r — a of weighed by a resh i the l st his children died . There is something very pathetic in the closing year of f . a e a n a his li e He was worn out by nxi ty d distress . All th t

a f m he loved best w s ta ken ro him . The very people he

e a s w a a s had s rved so well , were well nigh do n c st himself.

a w a a By a str nge coincidence, h t seems to be his l st letter

wa s a a wa s ddressed to Hyp tia. It written on the sick bed

ll a f a . rom which , in prob bility , he never rose “ “ 1 a l n a h ve dicta ted this etter lying o my couch . M y it

w a a ll find you ell , my mother, sister, te cher ; you who in these rela tions h a ve done good to m e My physica l

a f a re colle c we kness springs rom mental prostr tion . The

‘ of m a w tion y lost children is we ring me slowly a ay . Syne s iu s should ha ve lived only so long a s he could escape the evils ofli fe Would tha t I m ight either cea se f f ” o m . to live, or else orget the tombs y children

Planoffound One other letter written a t this s a d ti m e is of peculia r a m m ” a n s ius interest . From it we learn th t Sy e intended to {fify’ § f m a n da r tov a nd a ound a onastery , m fip , it is not unlikely th t

h f a wa s of f for in his troubles , al we ried as he li e, he wished

C a tas t. . 02 B . C . , p 3 , 7 7 complete reti rement and contemplated spending his

declining days there . There is not however the shadow of a tra dition tha t w ould justify the theory that he did so retire . After the 1 year 4 3 there is a blank in his history, and the absence of letters or wri tings of any sort after that date points to

a his de th about th is time .

1 1 S nesi us s — his In 4 3 then , or 4 4, y pas ed away to join Synesi us 4;

r . r i child en as he had prayed to do Still in the p ime of l fe , f with a great career possibly of usefulness be ore him , he might have left us writings whose fame would have enrolled him

a r he D ' r t . is a li te r z zlm m among the g e ter Fathe s of Church . We can only count him happy in that he did not live to se e his friend and teacher torn to pieces by a mob of fanatics in the name of the religion in whose service he * had died .

Hypa tia was m urdered in 41 5 . I t is incredible that if Syne sius had survive d this d ate he should ha ve le ft no m e ntion of he r awful fa te in hi s wr itings. — A Lee ann or v asw s . Two cen ur es a er M osc us in a t i l t , h , work en d TA: S i ri tua l M ea dow narra es the fo lo w n e end ofS nesius title p , t l i g l g y , which ’ Tillem ont som e wha t nai ve ly re fers to as lun d es plus riches orne m e ns d e la ’ ’ ” d la um osn a trad ition d e lEglise sur le sujet e e . I t m y not unfitly find a place ’ a t th e e nd of S nes ius fe as the so e trad onar re cord of a a e r a y li , l iti y l t ge . A a a n loso e r Eva ri us who e S nes i us m se f refused to p g phi ph , g , (lik y hi l ) be lie ve in the end o f the wor d or a cor oreal res urre c on was a t en conv l , p ti , l g th erte d by our s o . He was s owe ver ro u ed b ra e d ou s a s to th fu u bi h p till , h , t bl y g v— bt e t re state a nd the recom pense which Christ had prom ise d a n hund red -fold to all ' who she wed m ercy to the poor in this life At la st he put into Synesi us hand s 0 es of o d for the oor exac n from him a wr en m 3 0 piec g l p , ti g itt pro ise tha t

wou wa rd hi m in the wor d to com e. Soon a fe r the i C hrist ld re l t , ph losopher d ed and on his dea -be d c a r ed his c dren to ur hi m w the docum en i , th h g hil b y ith t ree da s afte r the ura he a eared to cla sped in his hands . Th y b i l , pp Synesi us in him com e and a e from his ands the dee d for th d a d rea m and bad e t k h , e e bt had tom was o e ned and the a r found bee n pa id in full . The b p . p pe in the d ead ' s and on w a wr e n ac no w ed m en fres ad d ed b Eva ri us m an h , ly ith itt k l g t hly y g h m se f ac now ed n the re ce of his d ue and re n uis in all c a im s i l , k l gi g ipt , li q h g l

a nst S nesi us . s usiness e d ocum en was rese r ed adds the wr er ag i y Thi b lik t p v . it , t C urc a t rene t am ong the treasures of he h h (Cy ?) P olem ais.

PHI LOSOPHY SYN I TH E OF ES U S .

THE diffi culty of dealing with Synes ius as a philosopher r appears at first sight less fo midable than is really the case .

As t c r is a mat er of fa t, his cont ibution to thought small only

n a re r s s two of his writi gs p ofe sedly philo ophical , and their r t se e pe is nar ow and heir treatment popular. Add to these

the s re a catte d allusions in his letters and rhetoric l works ,

m a the ystic rhapsodies of the E rlier Hymns , and we have

is S ne s ius mentioned all that left of the philosophy of y . A is system it not, and it would be absurd to expect a

s fa r sy tem from a man who not only died , as as we can tell ,

the s se a in prime of life, but the be t of who ye rs were spent

' estl ss a nd a n in r e strife and wearing cares , whose t stes lea ed a he t m r ther to t rifling pursuits of an a ateur, th a n to the sterne r studies of a true philos op he r. So far the tas k would s eem a light one ; but as a ll thought is the outgrowth of pre vious ages and ne eds their study for its apprehension ; so Syne s i us is linked to the

a s a nd ra s r p t to his contempo rie on eve y side, and if we a re tr to understand his views , we must first y, however

r a . ina dequately, to e lise theirs

"I - Z e lle r has well expresse d the key note of the la St Cha racteristics w ce ntu ries of the ancient world . It as a time whe n the universal feeling of alienation from God and the yea rning a fter a higher revelation came n a turally upon men who had los t fa ith in the old cree d s and had not ye t found ha rmony wi th the new .

Z e er Di oso h e d er ri G c n " 2 . . e e e L if. ll Phil p i h , . , pp 369, 8 2

The M a terialistic moral systems of Z eno a nd Epicurus

a n of e w had f iled to satisfy the cravings eve the cultured f .

h a A return to metaphysics was inevitable. Scepticism d l done its work , and by suggesting that truth which cou d not be a ttained in the form ofintellectu a l knowledge might be discovered by some other means , such as religious

n for tradition or eve direct revelation , prepared the way

- Neo Pla tonism . “ It was an eclectic age . Just as the Empire was a congeries of nations artifici a lly held together round the

of - a will an irresponsible prince, so Neo Pl tonism united all elements of existing philosophica l schools into one

comprehensive system with a Being lying beyond it, and soaring above every notion that experience and

a ll c conception can supply, causing things , but subje t to no

The writings of Plato were regarded , so to speak, as the

f - of a Bible o the Neo Platonic school , a kind reve led record and originality of thought wa s thus stifled at the outset by

a the growing tendency to dogm tism . The idea of truth as the goa l of philosophy wa s being resigned for the truth to

of be found only in an emotional apprehension the divine. On the other hand there wa s fortuna tely a principle of

w in of a nd gro th the diversity nationality, so of thought,

a a which made Alexandri the Athens of its g e . The East once more asserted its influence over the West a nd as “ Byzantine I m perialism com bined Orienta l despotism with

a N e o- a the Rom n idea of the state, so Pl tonism filled out with Oriental Mysticism the scientific form s of Greek ” philosophy ? The Oriental tendency may be traced m ost clearly in the conception of God a s the tra nscendent rather than the

Z e er ll . 83

n i immane t cause of the world , and in the not on of asceticism

c t d w as the essenti al form of morality. As ontras e ith

o of l e d ifle re nce the philos phy P ato th re is a deeper still . The investigation of nature and ofman was now s econdary

t m an his to the enquiry into the rela ions of to God , and

os l w p sib e union ith Him . Briefly to sum up the main doctrin e s common to the

of we e various schools the age may again quote from Z ller. t in The dualis ic opposition of the div e and ea rthly. An “ a o abstr ct c nception of God , excluding all knowledge of “ . for n on the divine nature Contempt the world of se se,

‘ the ground of the Platonic doctrine of matter and of the

sce o de nt of the soul into the body from a superior w rld . Th e theo ry of intermediate potencies or beings through

whom God acts upon the world of phenomena. The need “ of as cetic self-emancipation from the bondage of sense : and faith in a higher revelation to m an when in a state ” called enthusiasm .

s S ne s ius All the e doctrines will be found in y , and they will be best discussed by the help of illustration from his writings and com pa rison with the trea tment of the same

s e c idea by the writers to whose influ nce he owed so mu h .

M e ta h sia To begin then with the more abstract notions, the a y syncs,“ metaphysics of his creed , as expounded , mainly in the ea rlier hymns . th e The Supreme Being, One of Plotinus, is transcendent

s s r a a nd alone exi tent , if indeed exi tence can be p edic ted ‘ éo l of what is éwee iitm ripe o a c. It is above and beyond

i t he ed Gods and mind ri cannot therefore comprehend , much less defined . It is true that in our endea vours to gras p the idea of

s s e es God we give him name and a crib qualiti to him , but

- o nus Enn. L 1 . Pl ti , . 7 t m 84

a s they are wholly inadequate , and only serve makeshifts * relati vely to ourselves .

a God is the unknow ble, the unspeakable ;1 and our wisest attitude towards such a mystery is the silence of hum ilit a y i At the most, we can only say wh t God is not,

a and Theology so far is neg tive . It may seem superfluous to add tha t the Supreme is without feeling”a nd dwells

t of a gir with the mysterious awe an etern l silence. § Such

fa a ll n is the ther and ruler of things, u begotten , who sits

on the heights of heaven , rejoicing in imperishable glory,

God immovable, the Blessed unity of unities, the first m monad of onads . Such at least is the metaphysical notion of the Neo Platonic Unity when logica lly applied but in practise the l theory led to inevitab e contradictions . This supreme unity is the first cause of a llthings but it is a necessity of its nature that it should not energise . There must then n r be an i termediary, a seconda y cause which , however, derives its existence and its power from the One which m w alone is. The chas bet een God and the world must be bridged over : yet the Neo-Platonists by their a ss umptions as

D n a to the ivine Essence made such u ion logic lly impossible. And so they peopled the space between God a nd the world

a with intermediate beings , met physical entities or demons . It is thus we find Plotinus speaking of the One as ’ — 6 a éve f e i a S nes ius n then as 8 v m 9, or even p y and when y , i his the S n hymns, says that upreme Bei g is both one and many,

’ one in its elf and pervading a llthing sfllhe is clearly leaning

Re rw . 8 . De g , p 22 f H . IV. , 7 .

. I . . 1 H , 7 5

ion . . I] D , p 45 ° 2 5 H . II . , 3 . ' ’ ' a o xa i 81d wd u z oo. i v a e ii r vr v. C f. . 1 0 1 H . III , 9 . 3 5 towa rds the more logical idea of Panthe ism which was

’ o l Plato s ultimate g a .

s To return to the One . From the exces of its energy ,

a n i a f* a s Plotinus says it sends forth m ge of itsel , just the sun shoots out its rays. “ This image is Mind , the Spirit of the Universe . It f is a lso one, one in itsel and one with the supreme unity from which it sprang. But while Mind is one it is not ” so pure a unit as 7 6 E ra? for it contains imm a nent within

a s s itse lf the Ideas , not however mere thought but as

' ' o f. r f. a integ al parts itsel They form the xé p os vm rrés, the

u true world of tho ght , of which this world is but the sha d ow i “ ” Lastly, Mind in its turn produces as its image the soul , "which though inferior in rank and character is still

. e a a nd divine The soul beg ts the corpore l , permeates

the e s s . body it b g et , the univer e , as fire permeates air ’ S nes ius r - In y own wo ds , the Third God is the world soul , the immediate creator of us men and the universe in which we live . § But though soul is here re cognised as the immediate c r r reator of the unive se , the creative act is to be eferred

’ through Mind to the a bs olute One ; and thus Syne s ius language is not rea lly inconsistent with the langu a g e of “ Plotinus when he spea ks of Mind as the Snp wfip'yoe working through and it would be easy to multiply

s f m is pas ages rom the Hymns, in which wisdom or ind

r n s a s a nd as clea ly recog i ed the creator, soul the necessary

I . 61 . 8 . H , 3 , MM

t . 2 1 . C f. . 6 H 3 IV , 9. E 1 82 1 p . 44, .

P o nus li on 1 ll l ti . 5 , , 7 .

a . ucom . 1 . 5 C lv E . p. 7

o nus Enn 2 . 1 8 . i Pl ti 3 . 86

is medium of Mind , just as Matter essential to the

of * actualisation soul . - Kraus l is inclined to trace two sta ges in the early

doctrine of Syne s ius on the Plotinic Trinity . In the first

and second Hymns, the Supreme One sends forth a monad which in its turn a cquires a triple In the third

f a and ourth , the first mon d no longer sends out a second

a nd . but is itself Father, Son , Spirit “

is a n It impossible, however, to collect y definite a nd doctrine from the rha psodica l uttera nces of these ea rlier i . s hymns The language too vague, the exposition too

a a S ne s i us w fragment ry . Moreover, it is clear th t y ould probably ha ve been as m ystified hi m self if called on to

a expl in his views . He stops short in the midst of som e theological ra pture a nd enjoins silence on the too a udacious

lyre. § This philosophic reserve , this reluctance to reveal the secrets of Divine wisdom comes out prominently in

many passa ges of his writings . The p rofcm um vulg a r was a terrible bugbear to the

- f a A . D Neo Pl tonist, but in the ourth century . there was sufficient freedom ofphilosophic thought at any rate to make

a a nd a precautions unnecess ry, the nervous pprehension lest som e unspea kable truth should reach the ears of the common herd who certa inly would not ha ve understood its

r ff a meaning, looks ve y like a ect tion and is a weak point

' - . I I . 2 . I I I . 20 . xhrwd v oo i a v d toe o H , 7 , 3 p np py v. 563 8 . '

I V . 1 6 . voii the crea or. voii /v odti ra . , 4 c, t c i I x c ' ii b T uart V ol X L . . 2 . 1 . Q , . VII , p 5 9 H 6 I ' s L. 3. 70.

II H . . 1 2 . C f. . 2 1 2 a nd I V. 1 1 . éva i n r in rim r ia i n , IV , 3 III , , , 7 p g g g , p c éva !i p c v.

m n. I 0 . Hy . , 7

88

’ f * we euo 96 6311 érre x éa uou. Next have, y s p / This embraces

i s s c all that in the true sense of the word . ( . the Ideas . ) It is wholly independent and averse from Matter and its - 1 end is to contempl a te the source (7 1 67 7) from which it arises.

e 1 H re we ha ve the Mind (1 069) of Plotinus . ' ” ' r n Lastly there are 61 shua e 9 coi . 1 They are co cerned

h of a m a nd a wit the sphere wh t beco es ch nges, and are the m l im ediate agents of God in his dealings with the wor d .

a rv r - These must represent the l x i, the world soul which S ne s i us y speaks of as the Third God .

The three grades of deities just referred to, are indicative

- of the inherent wea kness of Neo Platonism a s a religion . A God who is a mere philosophi cal a bstraction could not and ca n f a a never satis y the spiritu l cr vings of men , and so the

h a d a Spiritual world to be repeopled , and system which sta rted with unity as its principle ended in mere Polytheism a nd superstitions grosser still . God g ives birth by em a nation to a crowd of inferior

f a a w deities , who orm complete hier rchy bet een the extreme

m f - we ter s o the One and M a tter. From the world soul pass by a descending sca le to the evil demons or powers ofda rkness

— a beings who are neither spirit nor matter, but part ke of the n a ture of both ; These a re the powers that day a nd night for our d e s trup tion

On the other hand , the old heroes, the demi gods of the

a a a s a Greek mythology, re ppe r the gu rdians of men , their

a a re a o r ci ro good demons . The he vens peopled with ngels ( p c

' ’ (i 'yeM u ci rynpws) that wa tch over m a n in obedience to the D ivine will . §

26 . H . 9

. I I . 0 I I I . 2 . 1 H , 4 . , 79

Druon . 1 8 i , p 7 .

I V . . . [I H . 245

. 26 H IV . , 5 . 89 — t 7 e 611m m éa a rov a b Ma ter is x but it exists and is etern l , M a tte l fim °f as in so far it is bound up in soul. For the separation of

a a nd ti Form and M tter is only logical , there never was a me * b e . when this universe was not, nor will it ever cease to

a S ne s i us o This is a doctrine th t y insisted up n , before he

f f r submitted himsel o consecration . M a tter is the body of

th e s 6 e its a . a oul (m m W ), eman tion Soul needed m tter, in which to extern aliz e itse lf? The soul therefore has a two

i a nd . fold aspect , a div ne nature one less pure

of m For the first existences are si ple, but their nature,

i a d by descending to union with the mater l , is diversifie :

xdo' o the The p c is not absolute one , but the one composed of

a a a ni m a l a e rva d m ny , it is living ; mysterious harmony p

s ing the va t whole . The expl a n a tion of the origin of evil by m a tter as an dra i e r a a a for n ) , not rival power but necess ry condition the

n of o f exter alization thought , is the doctrine Plato in the

- ae . t o Tim us Evil , however, in his he ry, is non existent, all

is o a nd a s existence g od , wh t we think to be evil only seem

a The - a so to our imperfect pprehensions . Neo Pl tonists

a s of a r a a nd a a look upon evil more e lity , betr y . though in

e e a D m a a v ry modified form , the Ori nt l ualis which ppe rs so m r a kedly in the Gnostic writers .

S ne s ius the y is not explicit on question , but we may conclude from the D e P rat/{d e ntin that he re ga rded evil as

' ne ce ss it a a o a fo r a y, me ns in G d s h nd the discipline of

t a nd r m a nkind . " The evil spiri s are his ministers he di ects

o M their machinations to ultimate g od . § isfortune is a

r a cha s tening influence, and the t oubles of life are not in v in

E 1 0 . p. 5

P o . Enn. I V . . 7 l t , , 3, 9

a v . 6 D . 1 c. De b ra wn" 1 2 D. t C l . Encom a p 9, 7 3

! HDr PM " 98 .

E . 5 p . 5 7 90

if they make us discontented with material things. For the soul would never shake itself free from the body unless ff f * it had to encounter evil in the a airs o this life . What then is the rela tion of God to man ? Wha t is the Divine Econo m y in s o fa r a s it concerns us ? This question lea ds natura lly to the theory of Providence set forth in the work

' De P rovide tz ” a .

' )utline of An outline of the De P rovid entza ha s been already

n i s a a d t . given , 1 historic l position defined The question of the Divine Economy is introduced as follows —The friends

f a of Osiris foreseeing the uture , urge him to b nish Typho,

a of a and predict the f tal consequences weak indulgence,

m f a f not only to hi sel but to m nkind . Osiris replies that i the gods continue propitious a nd help him he h a s no fear of Typho j: But his fa ther interrupts him and points out the f olly of such confidence . There are three grades of Gods .

of m The highest is the source all things, God Supre e the

is a nd of next the race of Gods above the world , neither n these ca n endure contact with matter in a y form . This is

’ f for a of m m a le t the lowest gr de deities, to whom the i edi te

n f f a govern m e t o the world is there ore deleg ted .

A s e a re a count rpoise, however, to their influence, there the powers of d a rkness evil dem ons whose n a ture is wholly

a m opposed to the divine c l of the Gods, and whose restless

of malice finds a congenial sphere in the world matter .

the of Now matter, basis of this world sense, is in

of itself inert and incapable self preservation . God , f f there ore, is obliged to turn his attention to it rom time n m z its d is ord e r m a to ti e, and organi ing he trans its certain w impulse in the right direction , which avails ho ever only

D e I nsom . n. , 1 39

0 f v . p. 3 .

D e P rov 8 1 , 9 .

92

and God often withholds his a id until the most irrational of men have discerned their own helplessness and the

' d ifl r n e e ce between good and evil . Well might Syne s ius approve the saying that man

a of if is the pl ything God , such is indeed the pro

vi e n of d ce tha t gu ides our destinies . The God his sys i s a . tem the philosopher ide lised Action degrades him , and is only subm itted to under compulsion . And thus while the attitude of m a n in this stra nge theory recalls the

a in Stoic resign tion , the attitude of God suggests the

' d ifl e re nce and selfish ca lm of the Deities of Epicurus . It is a poor consolation to know th a t God will only interfere at fixed epochs , and when the Good in the world is f on the verge o extinction . Providence of this spasmodic

a s a f a s i i10 hi a l nature is uns tis ying it s unph 5 0p c . Possibly the troubled ti m es in which Syne s i us lived inclined him to l this view, which concedes so much to the enemies of ight A . s and goodness he witnessed Aurelian retiring into exile, and Ga inas the sa va ge Goth triumph a nt ; as he foresaw the threa tened extinction of the old civiliz ation by ba rbarian hordes ; he m a y ha ve felt that his generation wa s passing

o a n a e a a nd a h a d thr ugh g of tri l , th t God withdrawn f m awhile ro the world .

S ne s i us y adds, by way of epilogue to the history of

a nd s a re Osiris Typho, two philosophic que tions which not

m m a a s a a of any great i portance, but y well receive p ssing

a f notice. The first might h ve suggested to him the Rule o

Law as the clue to the mystery of the universe , rather than

m a m the fitfulgovern ent of a misn ed Providence .

1 2 a f s o a ( 7) Why is it th t history repeats itsel , th t old men witness with their own eyes wha t they read ofas boys or heard from their grandfa thers ? His expla nation i s this

a nd a The universe is a whole , complete in itself, all its p rts

m a e a nd s m are in utu l dep ndence y pathise with one another. 93

The laws therefore which regulate the movements of the “ i s ff a heavenly bod es mu t a ect the course of events on e rth . Their influence make s i tself felt in the destiny of men and

' the s nations, and when , with lapse of time , the star , after

c a complishing their revolutions, return to their original n positions before beginni g their course anew, the progress f of events starts with them rom the old standpoint , and

r the past is thus ever being reprod uced in the p esent .

of r One need not look far for the source this doct ine ,

o which c rresponds closely to the Stoic theory of cycles , which in its turn may be traced ba ck to the theories of Aristotl e ?

s The second que tion he raises is , How is it that good

a nd e i vil spr ng so nearly from the same source , so that the most violent contrast is poss ible betwee n the nearest “ ” e a ? I n l r l tions The explanation is very singular. a l i h i and . f t ngs, good evil are blended But by the purifying agen cy of virtu e a sharp line of distinction is drawn between

ft th e the two, then gradually the good is si ed from evil a nd so while a n elder son exhausts the evil propensities of

hi s race, a younger than he may embody its perfections .

' So far we have considered God in his relations to man . M an s re la tion ' to G°d — ' The question rem ains What is man s relation to God ? What is our nature and our destiny The Idea of the world -soul of which our individual souls

a re a parts , was a notion common to all the metaphysic l

S ne s ius schools : With Plato, y held that the soul is pre

- S sius a s ere . I V. The wor The unive rse is to yne ph (H , ld q a nd so eac ort on w ls w the w l of the w o e allb n perm e a tes it . h p i il ith il h l . e i g

e er a com m on s m a . Our word occu es the ce n linked tog th by y p thy l pi tre ,

round es the e t rs ofair a nd e n of e er. The s a rs a re e nd ued w a —it li b l . fi t th th t ith a life the y ha ve souls a nd are the m se lves God s . Hig h bove the m is the ci rcle rs and e ond a the 360 d ori e w l t o the a of the fixed sta . b y th t ( : p p w r. bode of s sile nce and e te rna l ca lm whe re God d we ll . - s cs A c. I I I 1 2 1. f M e ta phy i . . V ” 9 - 1 11 . 88 0. 2 H. , 5 59 94

existent and has lived other lives before entering into its

present body, and will pass through yet more stages of existence before it is merged again in the world -soul from * which it was derived . For the source and the destiny of the soul is one and the sa m e and the belief in individual

m m a s i us i ortali ty nowhere a ppe rs in the writings of Syne .

a - Our life here is long struggle. Evil is self taught,

s virtue is to be acquired by toil alone, and the soul is alway

m off in im inent danger alling under the yoke of matter. There is a passage in the third hymn which expresses a t

once the position of man and his aspirations . Grant to me tha t I m ay escape the plague of my body f and pass at one swi t bound to thy halls, to thy bosom , fl h owe t . whence forth the fountain of life I , a drop of

heavenly dew, am shed upon the earth . Restore me to the source from whence I wa s poured out a wandering l exile . Grant me to be merged in the primal ight .

‘ that I pass no more under the taint of earth . 1

’ w S ne sius l The The fullest account, ho ever, of y psycho ogy f giggly? ° is to be found i n the work entitled De I nsom ni s and a brief sum m ary of his view m a y well precede the discussion of f the remarkable theory o Divination therein set forth . Abstract ofthe (1 34) The mi nd conta ins the forms of things that really D e [m m m m vm rd m a m — are ( r ), the soul the i ges of those that beco e and ,

i s m a m as there a link between ind and soul , n ely reason , so I m agination (rpa vm a la ) forms the link between the soul and

1 6 fa a r ex cellence the senses . ( 3 ) It is in ct the sense p

a re a ll a a nd f sight, hearing, touch , uxiliary to it radiate rom

it as a common centre . But while they act outwardly, it

I 1 00 . H . . ,

06. C f. . . 2 0 to e nd . f H . 7 H IV , 9 ‘

Thi s wor was com osed in a sin le ni ht. v. E 1 2 A. a et er I k p g g p . 53, 93 , , l t f he r a s to Hypa tia with a copy o t t e ti e .

96

i f r ‘ It has a serv ce to per orm but it submits to a slave y, n it to r and once within the clutches of matter, fi ds hard tea

l s s l r e itself oo e . Still though the ou may fall to ter ibl

s depths of degradation , it is possible by toil and succe sive stages of existence to purify and raise itsl And strangely t l enough , in its rising, it takes with it, quite na ural y,

S ne s ius i m a i na tion according to y , this g which it received

a s a trust from the celestial bodies .

1 1 - - l l ( 4 ) This semi corporeal , semi spiritua e ement, there f ore, would seem to pervade a higher sphere than ours, and

co- a to attain a existence with the soul . For the soul fter

- of its ascent is the treasure house truth ; it is pure, clean fil f und e e d . and , oreseeing the future as a God Clearly then it is our duty in this life to purify and keep unsullied the i m a gi na ti on which is s o closely bound up in

1 2 a ns s the soul . ( 4 ) Philosophy lone can e ure thi end and enable the soul to rise a bove the com plexity ofcha nge to

of the unity the spiritual . Man must therefore keep him

fa r b f ffa self aloof as as possi le rom the a irs of the world , leading the life of intelligence a nd only descending when

a a a n compelled to the degr d tion of ctive i terference. While thus contemplation by purifying the soul eleva tes us of a w to God , so by a kind attraction it dr s God nearer

' if f 7 5 Heiov us f to us . But we ail to develop within to its ull extent (a nd the bra in must be filled with wveii/i a of one

n a a u m kind or the other) the nature, bhorring a v c u , will

a step in and fill the void space in our br ins with evil spirits . This is the punishment o fthose godless men who defile the divine element within them .

f of The whole theory is ull inconsistencies . At bottom it is simply another attempt to bridge over the gulfbetween spirit and matter. The soul and soul cannot take cogu i

11 1 1 H. . 5 7 .

’ . I too i n ra t defi o neoévrwv cw a é to o fH . . p y y c n; (third. 97 z a nce a is of matter, and so an intermediate f culty introduced

o superior to sensation but inferior to s ul . How far is this

t fa r ? nes ius a spiri ual , how material Sy allows to it a sh re

n s in both atures , and at one time insist on the former, at

as another on the latter pect of it. The lower animals poss ess it : yet by its mea ns we may rise to a highe r region and it would seem that it shares in

a e a me sure the immortality ofthe so ul . In brief the th ory is a compromis e between the spiritual and the material ps ychologies .

a o n e Soul , cc rding to Plato, is a unity, unexte d d and

S ne s ius immaterial , yet with y the divine occupies a definite space in the brain of man . In Plato, though the soul has a t a r u ra ion l and irrational aspect , its unity as a spi it is caref lly

x prese rved . The irrational functions of the soul e ist only in conjunction with the body and cease when the relation come s to an end .

s c a w a o ia a B ut Syne s iu prolongs the existen e of d , llows it to rise with the soul from earth , and leaves us in doubt how far its corporea l nature extends . The aim however of this psychological inves tigation is The va l ue of by to es tablish the scientific value of divination by dreams . m The Stoics had rejected the notion of miraculous inter

os r i a s e p ition , but held that if the e is an unbroken cha n of c u

ff e s c t o and e ect , ther must be sign indi a ive of causes fr m which effects that may be known result : and the soul of man m ust be able to obs erve under certain circumstances The a s . wh t generally e capes his notice regularity of nature , the a a os modern rgument gainst divine interp ition , is , with

S ne s ius r . y , an a gument in favour of it 1 2 ( 3 ) The world is a complete whole, a living being, all of hos a s U w e p rt are linked in harmony , and act pon one

s s another naturally . The wise man eeks to understand the e mutu a l re lati ons be twee n thi ngs and the fixed laws by which G 98

the s a n they act, and , as result of thi knowledge, he gains t id insight into the future hrough the a of divination . Syne sius touches lightly on the various modes of augu ry a nd then proceeds to discuss the utility of dreams in thi s

. r matter. Here the imagination comes in To obtain clea

r i b e s and t ue visions, the imag nation must purified , and thi purity is essentia l to clear vision of the truth by day as well w as by night , in our aking and in our sleeping dreams . (1 43) The pursuit of divination thus becomes a training ' for the higher life (d yarm A m a n must banish

his all evil thoughts and passions from his mind , and treat

bed as it were the Pythian tripod . He must be moderate

in his appetites , and in a word avoid all that tends to l m th e r . the weaken spi itua ele ent within him Moreover,

ha s s implicity of the method many advantages, and here Syne sius indulges in indirect depreciation of the popular r systems of augu y.

1 r ( 44) There is no expensive ritual necessa y. N o N elaborate apparatus is required . o distant journey to some

s n . acred shri e Rich and poor, the man of business, and the

a e for man of leisure, all can vail th mselves of it, it costs

a nd no a s nothing causes waste of time, inasmuch a man has

only to take advantage of the sleep which nature demands . There is something impious about the ordinary divination i t ’ seems an attempt to wrest God s secret will from him . But in sleep we are merely the passive recipients of the

a divine mess ge. The soul finding a lull from the tide of

- * sense impressions, which distract it by day, presents its

eib und e file d m i 7 2; ” a 7 0 images ( q ) to reason , pure and , p , 6

9 600 wopflyeéei . 1 8 S ne s ius ( 4 ) y adds his own experience . He finds that half-finishe d problem s were worked out in s le ep

' ‘ C f. H . VI . 2 re odwwv d& 5 xh w , , 7 . p o tnl va c “Ra g .

1 00

of l the man himself. Only, in estimating his phi osop hy we cannot omit this tendency which reveals a real shallow n ess of mind , the weakness of a writer who thought

more of diction than of philosophic truth . he Ethics The ethics of Synes ius are simply the outcome of h is w metaphysical system . The gulf hich separated God from

world of the . sense is only reproduced in the moral world by the absolute distinction of the philosopher from the common

herd . The destiny of man finds fulfilment in ecs tati c

union with God . True, but only the man of ease a nd mea ns who can afford to hold aloof from the d e file m e nt of

0 earthly intercourse can h pe to attain . And thus we find

ne s ius a in Sy , as the natur l result of an Ideal philosophy

which required wealth and leisure for its pursuit, a distinct

touch of Epicureanism . It is true that he rises in theory a th above the things of earth , th t he despises the honours of e

world , and is ready to give up all for union with God yet his constant prayer to God is that he may enjoy not merely

m ens s a na i n oo ore s a no the m , but an exemption from all ffl sickness and every temporal a iction , a life of placid a nd * unbroken calm . He desires neither excessive wealth nor

degrading poverty, but only such a competence a s will

a en ble him to withdraw from active life, and raise his spirit fa r above its material surroundings ? I could wish that it “ were possible for our n a ture always to be bent on con ” “ te m la tion s S ne si us p , 1 ays y and again , the life according to reason is the true end of Action of whatever

- - . 80 0 and 1 0 2 . C f. V . 0 and VI . 2 to the e nd H 3 39 , 5 5 4 , 4 , , 9 . - I 2 2 . i H . . , 9 3 ' the 8 d ipérpnrov si r) téra d o o th r B v q p v ew, ' rd p év ti e cihh ovg d umm y ' rd dé n b Oeov ét p g dora . IO !

ur o we nat e is a sign of weakness , a degradati n to which

an ne s ius in submit unwillingly, d only of necessity ; and Sy ,

Tire Di on e n s r the , ev speak admiringly of the he mits of ’ s t r Thebaid , or rather sympathi es with their re irement f om the world and envies them their opportunities for silent communion and ex a lted thoughtfl' Such a religion as this carried in it the germs of fa ilure : Re lig ious h m m s l it reminds one in its exclusivene s , of the g impse of heaven give n by Proteus in the Odysseyi where life is easiest for “ t men ; nor is snow here , nor storm , nor any rain , but “ ocean ever sendeth forth th e breeze of the shrill west to ” blow cool on men . But only the kinsmen of the Gods pass after death to those abodes of bliss : the rest of men

may roam for ever disconsola te in the gloom of Hades.

And though we must not forget that . asceticism was a

u r a nd a its a nd feat e of the age , that Christi nity had monks anchorites - who withdrew fro m the corrupt life of the great ci ties and left the crowd to sink unchecked by holier influence to lower depths of sin—still with Christianity ff i n there was a di erence . Ascetic sm we t on side by side with the growth of the Church ; it was but one as pect of

f a e - the Christian li e of the g . In Neo Platonism , the principle of religi on for the philosopher only is paramount

a a alw ys , until the common brotherhood of hum nity is lost

of a l sight , and the divine is practic lly only al owed to exist

in a man so far a s he is conscious of its existence in him. " But there was a deeper source of wea kness even than a 0 C OD ue nce s i was i i fl th s . I f there one po sonous n uence that sapped the “di tch ,“ and s ss s th e 1 11 0 i purity oundne of Greek life, and ha tened 3,3

° . At the sa m e im e his ree a ers on to re a va mm rbv p 45 . t G k v i B com es out in his con m tuous a to w v te p llusion th e i r baske t ea ing .

. U L of e so ud e of the dese r . fH , th lit t

04 I v 6 ' o 3 7 M fl $ 3 57 '

K n s e . Alexa nd ria a nd A” 5 m m c. 1 1 1 i g l y , . 1 02

fa wa s w wa s down ll of their greatness , it the notion that ork

l r s l u e meant for s aves, and that litera y and philo ophic eis r

le d of was what b e fitte d a gentleman . Philosophically it course to a sharp distinction between the moral and the l spiritua . Virtue is not the end , it is only the means to an

* iOa o' i a . a x c end Its real va lue is as p s, a purific tion and it

a m f is thus a necessary prep ration for the conte plative li e .

a ho w m a It is e sy, however, to see such an esti te of virtue might open the door to downright im m ora litysl' The next step a fter reducing virtue to this humble role is to deny its

o a necessity altogether. Once let the philos pher att in , by a

ff m s spiritual e ort, to ecstatic union , and virtue beco es usele s

to him a dangerous doctrine for society at large.

a a The essenti l thing is not , as the popul r belief implies , to live an honest life ;i a nd to rega rd that a s the end of our f e forts is to confound the mea ns with the end . Without

is reason there is no virtue, or rather reason the only virtue .

For it is by the intellect alon e. that we hold intercourse with d . o h God The mind is the true temple of G . In it e

resides when he descends to commune with us . “ ’ f i s f Virtue s unction to puri y the temple, and by purging the m ind of all te rre s tia l pollutions to fit it for the Divine

a a visit tion . It is not enough to sh ke ourselves free from

for a the taint of matter, § neg tive goodness is at best a

makeshift . We must develope the divine within us that we ‘ll may become God .

Tille m ont vol x 11 . . 0 1 . , . , p 5

' v. U eb erwe . P os . vol. i . . 28 . The Gnos c is sa v 1 g hil , , p 9 ti ed wi thout wor s e a s r ua m a n T s d oc r ne was use d M a rcus and i k lik pi it l . hi t i by h s followers

a s a n ex cuse for m m ora a nd se xua e xcesse s ren. I . i lity l (I , 1 6 I Ep . 3 .

Dion 0 § , p . 5 .

. I . 1 28 to end . 1 H ,

1 04

w e as s rv h ther amba sador, or soldier, or bishop to se e

Cyre ne with the devotion of a true patriot . o f m the In conclusion , it will not be amiss , to qu te ro

' ' De P rom ae ntza a striking passage which has a peculiar

’ how S ne s ius o e significance, when we consider deeply y wh l l i r ife was affected by h s surroundings, and how, contra y

to wa s h e his own inclinations and notions of what best,

v of G submitted always to the call ofduty as to the oice od .

r a God For eve y life is potentiality of virtue, and and Fortune have assigned to us as actors rdle s in the

f a n e r great world drama. Nor is one li e in y way bett

a his a s or worse than another. E ch uses opportunities best he can ; a nd the actor who deserves ridicule is ff n only he who declines his part and prefers a di erent o e . The true m a rk of boorishness is to b e

impatient in waiting for the life God gives us . Just as an ill -bred guest at a feast importunes to be helped ” before his turn .

HOW FAR WAS SYN ESI US A SOPHI ST ?

S ne s ius h Two writings of y remain for discussion, t e

D i on a loi ti i E ncom i um and the C , neither of which can be

a f irly classed among his philosophical works . It is true

they both contain allusions to his philosophical creed , but their interest apart from this is wholly biogra phical a nd f w f literary . From the ormer point of vie some re erence h a s a a a lready been m de to them , but the liter ry side h as

not yet been touched upon , and as it is important in helping

’ f of S ne s ius us to orm a true estimate y philosophy, I have a ppended this sketch of Tb e D i on to the section i n which that philosophy is discussed .

De P rovide/d i d 1 06. , p . 1 05

Du ring his stay at Alexandria Synes ius seems to have m so his ts the r s n ade enemies among the class of the p , p ofe sio al

ofr belles -lath er r teachers hetoric and , who were very p obably , a s t rs the he says , shallow hinke , men whose art lay in manipulati on of words and whose aim was not to find truth

wi n o f a see but to the app lause their udience . It is easy to

- how ill feeling would arise . The Neo Platonist, proud of hi s monopoly in esoteric truth , would repeat with an air of intense superiority the tirades of Plato against the sophists of his own day ; and the old Greek feeling of contempt for a paid teacher was still strong enough to establish a ca ste

s . i of unremunerated wi dom The soph sts , indignant at

’ S nes ius t a tu 140 114 a nd y pretensions, turned on him wi h 9 9

hi m e in so many words claimed as one of thems lve s . Such

i the h a r we may safely nfer to have been nature of t eir ch ge, a lt E 1 a hough the statement (in p . 5 3) to Hyp tia is less ex ”

licit. t a c n p I have been reproached , he says , wi h s crifi i g

s r i philo ophy to lite ature, with pay ng too much attention “ th e r to style, and with wasting on p oduction of ephemeral verse s the time which I might have devoted to more worthy “ ” objects . ‘ o a His defence is ingenious. He reso rts t compromis e a nd defends the pursuit of literatu re as an amusement At the sa me time he cleverly shields hi mself by the exam ple of r D hr s os a rep esentative sophist , ion C y ostom , wh e name this treatise bea rs a nd whose reputation his a d vers aries D * would be bound to respect . ion Chrysos tom was a m an of cha racter and ability , but his works , though famous in

As a politicia n he cons titute d him se lfthe m e ntorofsta tes and sovereigns and seem s to a ve s o en out w rea o dness on the a b uses ofhis a h p k ith g t b l ge . Dur n his e x e a m on the e a e he ve d a s m e m ona st c fe d n a nd i g il g G t li i pl i li , igg i g pla nting his plot of ground a nd pa ying occa siona l vis its to the ne ighbouring th d e a f i a n he ue lle d a m ar d s ur b cam p. On e th o Dom it q ilit y i t bance y his

o u nce a nd e n o ed the un ounded res ec of th Etn eror Tra a . el q e , j y b p t e p j n

e at Pbd orm to. M ne n rod . to 7 3 : Dion. Din ig . I t 1 06

h t an i t eir day, were the produc of age of literary imitat on

a of a t h a d and b rrenness thought. His intellectual ctivi y two

S ne s ius distinct periods , and while in the first y , in opposi

Philos tra tus r D as a n a tion to , egards ion unmitig ted sophist, on the ground of his fierce tira des against Socrates and

l a a m n philosophers in general , he ho ds th t ti e came whe he deserted m phis try for the a rt of woh m nj a nd won a right

the of . to title philosopher He by no means , however,

d a nd i neglecte letters , the writings which belong to th s l a ter period of his life a re models of n a tu ral writing a nd ” a simple eleg nce .

nes ius his Such was the man whom Sy set up as model , and it is interesting to tra ce even in the titles of his works

’ a e a a an lmos t s rvile dherence to hi s master s ex m ple.

A s ra c of b a . t t To return , however, to the m in argument The mind

a a of u cannot endure a const nt st te tension , it m st have

x a a nd a fo of t f rela tion , wh t nobler rm relaxa ion can be ound than the pursuit of letters Philosophy is not to be a tta ind

er sa ltnm 2 p . (4 ) Literature form s the best introduction to

f i fo r i it, and is in act the necessary preparat on the h gher

science .

m a n u The true philosopher must be a of universal cult re, and true philosophy ought to combine the gi fts of all the

m . c a s uses Other men may spe i lize, but the philo opher,

u of a ll a nd like a tr e eclectic, is the devotee arts sciences ; and while through philosophy he enjoys communion with

the e God , he needs (43) m dium of rhetoric and poetry ,

i o w facult es subordinate to true reason , in his interc urse ith

o the uninitiated crowd . From this point f view such pursuits are by no means to be despis ed by the philosopher : a nd it is only the ca rping c ritics who slight them because

o f they lack themselves the a rt expression . (44) Philosophy

a ll fe w r is after only for the , but let us g ant to the uniniti a ted ad mission to the vestibule of the temple which

1 08

a re n r le s s more capable. I stead of this, the sophists , more eck

s than the angel , are so far from imitating the modesty of

Socrates, that they fling themselves into an abyss by n tampering with esoteric truths beyond their ken , losi g thereby the praise which is due to the respectful crowd who do n not interfere, and bringing on themselves the condemnatio

of that helpless ignorance which ignores its own existence. ’ (5 3) It is this attempt to trespass beyond one s proper ’ m s sphere, to outstep the li itation of one s intellect, that

n u Sy e s i s in veighs against . A purely literary turn of mind

fa r deserves praise as such , but only in so as it does not

f s a tamper with philosophy , be ore going through the nece s ry propa edeutic training. (54) Happy the man to whom the Gods have granted the double gift of eloquence and philosophy.

a r Then follows a satirical p ssage, which ecalls the famous contrast of the philosopher and the man of the ’ Tn world in Plato s eae tetns . The sophist is the public slave

s t in so far as it is his business to be entertaining. He mu

w o speak hether ill or well , and make the m st of himself

his and voice by art and nature .

S ne s i us u n (5 5) y , on the other hand , expatiates very gra ciously on his own independence and freedom from such servile restrictions . He can choose his own time and place “ ” and he has no audience to flatter. I can sing to myself, m he says , for hours tog ether, while the strea beside me

flows on its course, with no measured drip like the water ” clock at whose mercy the sophist lies . 6 r (5 ) Again he censures their verbal facility, thei n readi ess to discourse on any theme proposed , their neglect

m of of atter in the pursuit style, the substitution , in short , of words for thoughts . What, too, can be more con te m ptible than their canvassing for disciples and the mutual jealousies to which such riva lries give rise 1 09

Or what can be more absurd than the pretensions of

to of f such men learning, the assumption in allibility which lea ds them to scorn any opinions but their own

a in (57 ) They might h—ve taken a lesson humi lity from the old philos ophers Socrates atte nded the lectures of

Prod icus t : , Hippias and Pro agoras Aspasia even gave him instruction nor was he as h amed to enter into conversation a nd to argue on equal terms with any m a n he chance d to meet. (590) But there is a second charge whi ch Synes ius fee ls

a . s c lled upon to rebut Certain bibliophiles, a cla s of

s a ha d r connoi seurs not unknown at Alex ndria, rep oached

S nes ius t v his y wi h ha ing, in library, incorrect and faulty

n s i t . S e us e t . exts, not a few y laughs at th no ion What

a so matter is it whether one syllable is put for nother, long as the sense is not obscured A m an sh ould rea d with the

h the r mind rat er than eye. Nay the ve y neces sity of n t l i em endatio is in i self an excel ent training . Th s leads up ’ to a very bo—astful description of Syne si us power a s an improvis atore the whole pass age in fact to the conclusion ’ of the treati se shows up the weak side of Synes ius cha racter ;

s - is t a c n o a elf sat fac ion and v nity, o fined it is true al m st i t t l r ent rely to li erary matters , but s i l a g eat weakness and

t his s i a o one hat enemie would not fa l to take advant ge f. The wonderful facili ty which he posses sed of adapti ng hims elf to the s tyles of di fferent write rs of every age has been alrea dy touched upon ; and in a society where s al e s a win s wa s uperfici clev rne s could lways applau e , it —not unna tural that a man with any tende—ncy to va nity a nd wha t C ree k was wholly free from such s hould let him self he ca rri e d away first to make a display and the n a boas t of

s l hi abi ity . “ “ 62 t sa s oo ( ) Of en , he y , when I am reading a b k I

a a e o u is o n p y no tt nti n to what the a thor g i g to say, but I I I O

n m raise my eyes, and , under the inspiratio of the mo ent, I compose the sequel to what I have been rea ding without f hesitation , thus requently anticipating not simply the

u w f . ideas but the act al ords o the author I remember,

too, occasions when finding myself in the company of f others, and being asked to read aloud rom the work of if some distinguished writer, the opportunity presented f itsel , I would add some passage of my own invention , — and that without effort I call th e God of Eloquence to witness—but simply by giving free play to my imagination

and my tongue . Presently arose a murmur of approval , bursting forth into applause in com pliment to the author

of s r the book , but uncon ciously rather to my inte ” la i ns p o t o . It is a s a d fall from the Empyrean heights of Neo Platonism ; but we cannot ignore in Syne s ius what wa s

f of after all the ault his age, and the necessary outcome of

s the society in which he moved . Only why this inten e bitterness against the sophists ? May not Syne s ius in his heart of hearts have felt a lurking suspicion that his own genius wa s by no means free from the taint of s o-called

of sophistry, and that this literary trifling, which he is so

- unpardonably vain , was little better than the word play or em pty rhetoric he s o unsparingly condem ns in others ? Was not the real difference at bottom si m ply this : that Syne s i us m ade an am usement of what with the sophists was necessarily a trade A brief consideration of the

' lm ti i E ncom i um w a w Ca ill I think be r out this vie . It does not matter in the least whether this work be a satire on — the Sophists or an unconscious imita tion of their style in either case no object could be served by its production ; it

a nd n is too pedantic to be amusing, amazeme t at the

he ra se of C ons an M a r a un so s e u . C f. t ph t t th , phi t am a te r

1 1 2

such stres s on rhetorical s ma rtness crea ted the de m and

- which the much abused sophists lived to supply . It wou ld have been strang e if Syne s ius h a d altogether

a ed n ect n. not e a esc p the i f io That he did so escap is cle r,

u h in s i n and we m st not leave out of sig t , e t mati g his

s n n r l o wn philo ophy, the te de cy to lite ary c everness for its s h h he n u d in a s i n th e ake, w ic i d lge a recreat o from pursuit

r s of se ve er studie . Such a spirit of litera ry d ilettanteism is not compati ble

w ru a nd S nes ius in his ith t e philosophy, y , spite of pre

n not e the u h h h e te sions, does wholly escap cens re w ic n n pa s ses o the sophists of the day. In co clusion it is only fai r to sta te that the Ca loi ti i E ncom i um is certainly a n* e n TIto D ion wa s r w n arlier work tha , and p obably ritte soon

n f a . after the retur rom Const ntinople It is, moreover, the

ne s ius has l only work of the kind which Sy eft us .

own e u Fortunately for his sake, a mor seful sphere of

i s a nd labour was dest ned to ab orb him , direct his energies

to more practical purpose in the service of mankind .

e 2 a e a r ues as fo ows Druon (Not , p g g ll

S nesi us se nd s his oo to his fr end s a t ons a n no e . wa s (i . ) y b k i C t ti pl It

writte n therefore a fte r 400 .

H e d oes not re fe r to in an e e rs to his fr end s at A exa ndr a (ii . ) it y l tt i l i ; r for ro a in h e wa s the e e p b bly tha t city .

TIre D ion censures the ve r e of wor to w c s e on s (iii . ) y typ k hi h thi b l g m oreover one ca n und e rs ta nd how it m ight ea sily give a handle

t the so s s to w ose a ac s Tire Dion is a re . o phi t , h tt k ply H I S

R ELAT T H T I O N O C R I S I A N I TY.

{in wokw m bv dpe rbv m dm ew Tb fewest!)

il 307 2 7 21. da y/ch rom a .

1 1 6

on their side, from a no less lofty standpoint, could

z of patroni e the school Christian Gnosis , and acknowledge

m of a s the ele ents what they regarded popular truth , while they would notice with some self-satisfaction the points in which the Christian doctrine seem ed to converge and harmoniz e with their own views . A more important

a for tendency towards reconcili tion lay deeper still , the problem which both schools were trying to solve was one

“ a o w a s of and the s me . The logy at the basis either

s m f of a a sy te , and the eeling lien tion from God , the yearning for a a o a nd w higher revel ti n a closer union ith God , called into e xistence the N e o- Platonists a nd th e Jewish Alex a nd rine o a scho ls side by side with the Christi n Church , whose founder ha d given the a nswe r to the problem in his own fe a nd a f li person nigh three hundred ye rs be ore. Th e position then at this period was briefly as follows The Neo-Pl a tonists were working out their religion on

a t Platonic lines , while the same time susceptible to the m influence of Eastern m ysticis . The Alexa ndrine Fathers were developing Christian

of if doctrine by the light Hellenic culture, and not quite on

a ll a Platonic lines , at events under Pl tonic influence. To m ention very sum m a rily a fe w points ofagreem ent between

O o m . D e from the pp sing syste s The ivin Word which , the

m e o f a a m a a ti Philo onw rds , pl ys so i port nt part in all

a e m a nd s theologies , ccording to Cl ent Plotinu , enlightens " the souls ofmen from the b e g inningfi The Pl a tonic dis

o e a e a nd tincti n between thic and di noetic virtu , the con seque nt i m porta nce of philosophy is pl a inly recognised i n the sta te m e nt tha t wh oe ver will a tta in to kn owle dge with o ut a e ct c a nd th e of a a di l i study n ture, is like m a n who e e a e a e u ' xp cts to g th r gr p s witho t cultivating the vine . 1

1 1 Str. . 9. 1 1 7

M a n s r s t r o r * mu t i e h ough the world of M e and sin , to God - communion with ; and so with the Neo Platonist, he must sha ke himselffree from the thra ldom of matter and “ strive to attain tha t ecs ta tic union when we are laid asleep “ ” a o in body, and become living s ul . Both Clement a nd Plotinus regarded a positive know

—we ledge of God as impossible know only what God is not .

l i a nd Bo th he d a doctr ne of a Trinity, how closely the two

doctrine s were allied , has been shown in the preceding

chapter.

r a l ff The e l and essentia di erence, however between the Em m i,“ ma m a ’ s la h a - a two systems y in this , t t while the Neo Pl tonists could be twee n N a for a nd Pla on sm a only conceive religion the philosopher, like a tru e t i Chris ti a nity . aristocracy of intellect kept the kernel of the nut for them selves and gave even the husks grudgingly to the mob so “ wa s far benea th them , Christianity still true to the wider

i a a princ ple of humanity, which has lw ys been its deepest ” - a so urce of strength and vit lity . r And so without re p re s sing th e free pl a y of the intellect the Christian philosophers

to m s o a ma de no monopoly the selves of e teric truth , but t king their stand on the mora l a s well as on the i ntellectual ground they recogni z ed fra nkly as a rea lity what with the

Ne o-Pla tonists wa s an unwelcome a nd ha lf-suppressed

r of e belief that the e is in the lowest men an inward conscienc ,

of o a germ pure reason , a h pe of something more divine ,

r a of which , however dimmed or c ushed , is cap ble being awakened and purified to become the groundwork of a hig her life . Such wa s the relation of Gree k and Christian thoug ht

c a ff r s in the third entury , and in spite of re l di e ence , a reconci liation between the two would undoubtedly ha ve bee n only the work of time and the se quel of their parallel

8 0 . VI . , 1 6 .

r a d i n m . a . n m V . Af C I t Kings ley . . 1 1 8

l i d e ve o m e n . B ut w p t t as not to b e . E x te rna l ca us e s tri um phe d ove r th e te nd e nci es ofphilosophy a nd nippe d its

e volution in th e b u d .

The la te r N e o-Pla tonis ts fe ll sa d ly a wa y fro m th e id e a l

of th i r h m e r p e d ecess ors . T ey pa s se d ore a nd m ore u nd e r

th e influ nc of ri nta l m s ti is a nd a t th e b e innin e e O e y c m , g g

o f f u h c n u r we find i oso h on th e d clin a nd the o rt e t y ph l p y e e, I a m b lich us putti ng m a g ic a nd th eu rg y i n th e pla ce of th e

e thi a l a nd int l ua l ff rt b wh h a cord in to the c el ect e o y ic , c g ea rlie r N e o-Platonis ts the so ul m ight rise to th e vis ion of

he n t o s . A nd so fre e u ht d cl d e ca m in f t G d tho g e i e , b e ac

a l ost n t a nd a e of d o a tis m a ose a nd m e n m exti c ; the g gm r ,

a ea d to z se d ix i t a ri l f r tti n pp le the jfl of Pl to or A stot e, o ge g in their s elf-conte ntment to a ttem pt the working out of

t s a ua . e nd wa s w heir own alv tion , mental or spirit l The ell

nigh come.

A nd a a a f str ngely enough , Christianity too fell w y rom i ' ts a a d ifle re nt a . Th e u h wa s ide l , though through c use Ch rc organized by Consta ntine for politica l ends : a nd it wa s clearly a gain to the Church as an institu tion to be so

n s B ut a orga i ed . while the spoils of the P gan temples

a nd enriched the rising Church, while her Bishops became

the a nd most influential men in city, town , province, there

wa s a distinct retrogression in morality, and the Church lost t f-s a crifice d hat simplicity, purity, and sel which had marke * the era of her depression and apparent weakness . Th e records of the age teem with instances of the ambition and f i ffi rivalry o the b shops . The high o ces of the Church

w a nd became prizes to unscrupulous aspirants to po er,

of their schisms and intrigues, the want charity , the hardness and positive cruelty which w—ere the invariable accompaniments of General Councils all these things hurt the Christian Ideal and insensibly modified human

’ o t nuit o C hri stia n T[ton /it . 1 2 1 . Allen s C n i y f g , pp 3 , 33

1 20

Christian must have stamped the religion in her mind a s

for one savages . The old race feeling was aroused a nd

’ undoubtedly lay at the root of Syne s ius hostility to the Arian heresy so prevalent a mong the Goths ; a hostility

' ' De P rom de ntza that appears in the , which was written some years before the probable date of his conversion to

Christianity .

of S ne s ius Into this school thought, y was plunged at the

si most impres onable age, and its influence upon him must not be underrated in emphasiz ing a point which has been n ffi generally rather overlooked , I mea the di culty which lay

in the way of his conversion . he Church To sum up briefly : Syne s ius lived at a time when th e Ld fe w m a o m for tra ctions for Church had ore attr cti ns for the a bitious man than P oso e r hil ph . s . wa s a e the philo opher He Gr ek to the backbone , and

' f a rzori m of would eel an p conte pt for the religion barbarians. La s tly the early influences of his life m ust have been

a a s c s a nt goni ti to Chri ti nity, and the impression of the

a Church which he would get in Alexandri , with its brutal

a a mob and its unscrupulous prel te, was not c lculated to

s hi m f w dispo e avourably to ards its doctrines . Possibly he

a of a saw better side Christianity in his n tive town of Cyrene, m but this is ere conjecture, and we can only guess at the

S ne s i us motives which led y to adopt the Christian faith . Our present purpose is ra ther to establish his actual

a relations to that f ith , and in discussing this question I shall

f a f trea t o these rel tions under the ollowing heads . i ’ i ne s us . (. ) Sy declared dissent

i i ofli cia l — a ( . ) His Christianity ( ) as seen in his

a s . b a langua ge Bishop ( ) as seen in his cts as Bishop .

e his i (iii . ) Internal evid nce as to bel ef. ’ i ne s ius a (. ) Sy decl red dissent The points on which Syne s ius found his philosophy at

' va riance with the popular Christianity (roi s Op UXM vp éw i c) 1 2 !

hr d are t ee in number, and are state very clearly in the

r t E 0 tius letter to his b o her v p . That his scruples should have be en limited to these th ree doctrines is certa inly

r is rema kable, but while on the one hand the letter too

’ ’ explicit to admit o f Kraus sugges tion that Synes ius acquaintance wi th Christianity was fra gmentary a nd incom

’ ple te ; still less must we listen to Clausen s theory that he

l i a i s was intentional y s lent on the more import nt po nt , and that this explains the a bsence of any reservations affecting th i * e b rth of Christ.

’ To do this is to misunderstand altogether Syne s ius

c t wa s haracter . to at ribute to him a duplicity of which he

f a fa r inca pable . And a ter all the explan tion is not to

he a ne s ius seek . The key to it lies in t point th t with Sy it was philosophy tha t was at stake he m ight mod ify his

old theories , but he declined to abandon them , and the hope tha t he expresse s in a letter written soon after his conversion shows tha t he wished his new religion not to

r s involve a departu e from , but a rising to philo ophy . Clearly then the points he urges a re those which clashed with hi s convictions ; points which a s po pular doctrines were

e a a nd m the t pic of every pre cher, ust often have recurred in the convers ation o f d a ily life . If on other points th a n

ne s ius m a s f these , Sy is silent , we y as ume , I think , airly , that he had found himself able to ha rmonise the truths

s they conveyed with his own philo ophy . i To dea l with the points in order. dp ék i r w wlw xrjv a i m ' r dfi é o w m ire a é p a roe flo repo yew) The Pfe " Here Synes ius ha d certainly a ll the array of ancient $3223

s thought and lea rning on his side . No Ideali t could entertain for a mom ent the belief that matter was prior to s pirit : and it is ha rd to ima gine that any Christian

Tub . . for 1 86 . 6 . Q 5 , p 54 1 2 2

philosopher can have held this view . Possibly the popular

notion sprang out of the controversies of the time . For

m a s D wa s exa ple, the question to the ivinity of Christ solved by certain schools on the a ssum ption th a t the Divine — n a ture entered into our Lord after birth a nd such a notion might easily be stra ined to support the posterior crea tion of

N e e - the soul to the body . But with the Platonist , soul was

a m m f a nd etern l , i ortality belonged to it be ore will belong

a f e a a . m to it t r its e rthly c reer The body is a ere tenement ,

a n a f of a a m ccident in the li e the soul , p rt fro which it has

i s a n . S ne s u a no re l existe ce y , however, need not h ve

a for ppealed to the old philosophers support in this view .

D 1 16 0 a s f The doctrine of the ivine 7 9, eternal God himsel ,

ne w a nd f D was no one , the belie that the ivine element ,

m a f the soul within us , sprang fro this etern l source of li e

a nd a existence, c rried with it the necessity for the pre

s of ua . N a a fli rm s exi tence soul q soul y, Origen expressly

S ne s ius the very doctrine which y holds out for. The second point (0157 ' s rbv m ic /La v

a a a m pr ctic lly turns on the s e question , the eternity of soul . For this involves the consequent eternity of m a tter not q ua

a s m a a of a nd matter, but the e n tion soul the necessary

’ for z a vehicle the soul s actuali tion . Here again Origen is with Syne s ius a s fa r a s the eternal creation of the world is “ a concerned . He s ys, the creation of the world ca nnot “ m m of m e have begun in any given o ent ti , but must be

a s conceived of without The world , however,

a a - is subject to dec y, and the dur tion of each world aeon is

of limited . But while the school Christian Gnosis advanced

a s c of d no definite theories to the destru tion the worl , it is obvious from the apostolic writings h ow prom inent a part this notion of the speedy end of all things pl a yed in the

r D e P ri nci 0 . O . p . III . , 3 3

1 24

resurrection body anything more than a material expressio n

of the spiritual truth which a s Christians we believe .

- a m To a Neo Pl tonist the soul was im ortal , it is true, but as we have no recollection of the individual lives we

‘

s o 7r6u.a. X fla iov have already past through , the , n of which we drink a t the parting of soul a nd body secures to us in the

f of m a uture a similar oblivion the past. Our soul y rise to

a it the st rs or to the region of pure thought, or may pass

a m if o or into fresh hu an body, or, it has misused its pp tunitie s , into the form of some lower animal ; still by toil a nd purifying fire it ca n rise from its degradation a nd attain

a ? D at last, to wh t union with the ivine, a merging in the — world soul from whence it sprang the a ttainment of the

a a - Buddhist Nirvan . The h lf suggested query of Plotinus as ’ to the soul s pre-existence shows wha t its future m ight be

o ei ‘ 8s rive 823 i expected to jp s , e i x a l m ob

’ ’ ’ ' v v f roi} 7 6. ri v evea i v evéo fla i s sy ex ei ci vfi wqroc itt a j y y u , p ,

f . ! 1 lccu n vee Ica l 96 0i puxa i xa fla pa lzea l. 1 0139 d um p /d uos ' - 7 ti m i d ova it e ? ti m e 7 013 11 07 7 06 mix d w w éva 0158 75 ?) }, p p ) s 7 , ¢ p y ' 1 r i m va 81 700 31 7 6 oi 3M v. {m ove r/ ;ne , 9 ’ wa s S ne s ius What , however, y attitude to the Christian doctrine ? His l a ngu a ge is too brief a nd genera l for any “ f a s a accura te in erence . I reg rd it as a cred and unspea kable ” s is a f m - truth . Thi high pr ise ro a Neo Platonist . May not Syne s ius have felt the i m portance of the theory of indi

a m a m a vidu l i mort lity as a or l lever, a stimulus to right

x f action , and an e planation of the imper ections , the half developed fa culties and a spirations with which man closes his life on earth .

fa r a a So , we h ve had to deal with ctual points of

W e m a ffe difference. co e next to di rence in principle, which

’ ne s ius a affects Sy whole ttitude to Christianity. After

. Enn o 1 . Pl t . , VI . , 4, 4 1 2 5 stating the three main doctrines which he could not bring

of himse lf to accept, he appends the following statement his views on popula r religion The philos ophic mind while it makes truth the object His views

of the . its contemplation , concedes necessity of fiction aw For light sta nds to the eye in the same rela tion as truth to

a nd s too the people , ju t as much light only blinds us , so I

h a t hold t t fiction is profitable for the people , and hat truth “ is harm ful to those who cannot fix their gaze upon the

is I f i brightness of what truly . therefore I can be b shop

s on these terms , philo ophizing at home , and speaking in

a f par bles (myths) abroad , I accept the o fice . I shall not “ a a r d e te ch , but I will not undo—the te ching of my p e ec ssors . There shall be no disguise I h a ve no intention offeigning

a dogm a tism . What h ve the people to do with philosophy ? Divi ne truth must ‘ be and is rightly an unspeakable ” mystery . This langu a ge at fi rst reading jars on ou r notions of

i a a nd a nd Chr sti nity the duties of a preacher of the Gospel , it is right that it should call forth a protes t in so fa r as it

r s N ee - rep esents the exclu iveness of a Platonist . So long as the philosopher regards the common herd with pitying

s contempt , and re erves to himself the truths which he holds

o r to be bey nd their comp ehension , he is enfeebling the

a nobler side of his n ture, and stifling the sympathy that he

- owes as a man to his fellow men . This was the fa ta l weak

s a s a of - a nd nes , we h ve seen , Neo Platonism in so fa r as Synes ius is a ctu a ted here by the selfish aristocratic pride of

h s r . his p ilo ophy, no censure can be too seve e

But there is another side to the question . There must There is ntruc a w a w r “ l ays h ve been , must al ays be, an esote ic and m m

a re e ex ote ric religion . Men not qual in force of intellect

m a n a ny more than in fortune . Each can only see what he

" ha s e es to see . t ca rs hi m r y He hat hath to hear let hea , 1 26

proclaims the relativity ofreligious truth . No two thinking men look at a d octrine in precisely the same way there is

of o f a shade meaning more or less in the view each takes it .

’ There is something in one man s past experience tha t m akes

him susceptible to an appeal , and the absence of that some

r thing may make the same appeal meaningless to anothe . That the Christian school of Alexandria recognized this

’ distinction is evident from Clement s view that we need the aid of philosophy in order to advance from faith to know ledge—and the same writer compares the gnostic to him

-u who believes without knowing, as the grown p man to the

child . But the esoteric beliefs of the Christian Fathers f were not enced round with mystery . A true Christian philosophy never forbids any of its disciples to appro ach

a z and g e on its sacred doctrine . Only where there is a

’ -of danger of shaking the popular faith , unsettling men s n minds by prese ting old truths under altered aspects , the teacher of religion will be cautious and pave the way for

a of m z the accept nce higher truth , by e phasi ing the spiritual

meaning that underlies the popular creeds. There is no

n of selfish mo opoly truth in such an esotericism , but a wise reticence based on a careful estimate of the mental calibre of

- its would b e disciples . Contra st this with the esoteric selfishness of the “ Heathen schools . Their avowed intention and wish wa s

a m w to le ve the herd , as they called the , in the mere out ard

observance of the old idolatries , while they themselves,

m ono l the cultivated philosophers , had the p y of those dee per spiritua l truths which were conta ined under the old superstitions a nd were too sacred to be profa ned by

a the vulg r Once more then , at the risk of

m f a repetition , we ust not orget th t in turning to Christianity,

K n s e Alex a ndri a . . 1 0 . i g l y, , C IV , 4

1 2 8

a w character f miliar to your ears, you must make allo ance

a for for me , and lay the bl me at your own doors having chosen in preference to those who know the oracles o f m “ God one who is ignorant of the . Syne s ius m u st however ha ve devoted himself to the

’ study of the Jewish Scriptures during the seven months

a del y that intervened between his election and consecration , for we find him quoting scripture loosely but effectively in

the letters which belong to the first year of his episcopate .

i for Probably his apt tude picking up the style of an author, f which he rather plumed himsel upon , 1 helped him here . At the same time his facile memory must have tended to s upe rficia lity which the exaltation of the spirit above the

letter does not wholly palliate . An example will make this

a Spee ch ag a inst cle r. The letter or speech a ga inst A nd ronicus i opens with knd ronicus . “ w a typical instance . The po ers of evil are the involuntary D ” n and detested instru m ents of the ivine purpose. The he adds For I will raise up a nation against you and you “ sha ll suffer such and such evils from them : and at last ’ —“ ’ he says Syne si us com m ent is I don t remember

b u t ffi m m the exact words, I a r that so ewhere in the Scrip ff ” tures God is represented as spea king to this e ect. I n

the same letter he refers to the crucifixion . Man is indeed

a precious , if for his s ke Christ was crucified . And again

’ in the letter“in which he refers to the n a iling ofAndronicus

a edict on the church doors , he lludes to the inscription set the sente nce up by the Jews over the cross and contrasts the two. The i fEx com n of m m a w se tence exco unic tion . moreover, with hich the nunica tion. letter closes conta ins subtle rem iniscences of the Bible 1 29 st t u as Tille m ont * yle and hought, altho gh , shows , it was p roba b lym od e lle d upon contemporary records and possibly

n S ne s ius r not d raw up by y in pe son . Enough however has been sa id to show that Syne s ius m ade some progress in the study of the scriptures before

r t ffi his fi s year of o ce ran out, and in this connection we

o f may as well speak the homilies . The first of the fragments which bears his name is a Tb e Firs t om H ily . sho rt address di rected agai nst the excesses which too often

te A e m v n at nded the g ap , and disgraced so e churches e e in

s i s Apo tolic t me . Synes ius u rges his flock to fill a cup to God wi th wine

a e ' our God isd th t intoxicat s not, 1 For is w om and reason , “ and wine that confounds the reason and le ads it astray

ha s h to i not ing do w th the Word . There is an indulgence “ e a n n i b fitting God , and indulge ce befitting dev ls. He “ 8 : For e s sa . the th n quote from P lm lxxv , in hand of the Lord there is a cup and proceeds to interpret it in

f a the anciful allegoric l fashion of the times . The inte rp re ta on as i s far- the ti such too fetched to be of any value, but tone of his langu a ge and the method he adopts throw a

his r is valuable light on attitude towa ds the Jew h Scriptu res . “ s s i The words , he ays , eem r diculous , but the sense is

not s c r so. God take no a e for the language that he him “ se f a nd D i th e l inspires , the iv ne Spirit despises minute “ Do se accuracy of writing. you wish to e the harmony “ that e xists in dis cord And then Syne s ius interprets the cup as the M 7 09 given to men in the Old a nd N ew

is n s . a a Tes tament E ch separately a M c, but the ble ding “ s e of the two in one is the con ummation of knowl dg e.

for form é A eell Vo . X I I. 6 e e nutm eg: est eon e e ue Tilt , l , p. 5 3 . C tt t q A m se a voit fu m i née e n ron 0 an: an an u nt eontre un a u re St. th a l vi 4 p t

3 A ‘ l M ig ne o 95 1 30

- n i rbv ti m id wh y The Old co ta ned the promise, the New

’ i e has e u n s eEjve yx . There b en an nbroke succe sion of

rs r s la w n ofth e la w i . teache , fi st of the Mo aic , the of Chr st It is one a nd the same spirit that inspire d the prophet a nd

r God the apostle. Like some painte , of old sketched the outline and afterwards elaborated the deta ils of know ” ledge. Allegorical interpretation wa s a prominent feature of

e - it is a th Neo Platonic system , but highly probable th t

Syne s ius owed somethi ng here to the influence of Origen .

‘ o f The grasp of historical continuity, the oneness of revelation and inspiration , is clearly a debt to the writings

’ v of the Alexandrine Father. Origen s iew? was , that the Gospel and the Apostolic epistles stand in no way behind

un the law and the prophets . The Old Testament is “ veiled in the N e w. The Holy Scriptures were inspired

a nd v by God , contain his word and re elations . The allegorica l method of interpretation stands to the ordinary ” o l meth d as the spiritua to the corporeal . ’ S ne sius l On the other hand , y superficia tendency comes out in the exclamation that th e words in themselves mean nothing : the ex clamation of a man who was little vers e d in

e u s m o s th Script res , and in his bewilderment at a y b li m wh ich he does not understand rushes at the first explanation

ff r the n m a n n l s that o ers, and econciles appare tly e i g es natu re of the passage with his belief in its Divine

I n r s a s i rr n spiration , by a theo y, to y the lea t of it, evere t

its n fli a nc and bordering in to e on pp y. The Second Homily i s simply a fragm ent and is addressed to the N e ophyte s on their admission to full “ membership in the Church . There is a distinct advance on the former in ease of expression and reverence of tone in

Ueb erwe Vol I . 1 8 f g , . , p . 3 . * . 2 A . M ne p 97 ig .

1 32

H m n VI . a y To take the sixth first . It contains no direct trace wh t

f a a ever o Christian influence, but there appe rs growing tendency to personify the Trinity fa r more than in m the ea rlier Hymns . There is no allusion to the onad of

m o a ll onads, the unity that c mbines in itself op posites . On the other h a nd the aspect of God is emph a sised as working

' i n a of the world through the gre t order Nature . It is th e

a M 0 0 0 510. a Son in f ct , the 7 9, the 0 of the F ther, who is

' m t a nd a 2 f pro inent throughou the llusion in v . 4 to his reeing mortals from the necessity of death m a y not i m probably be

f a re erred to Christian source . The Hymn however is in

o a s any case nly tr n itional , and it is certainly to be placed

a m of s f earlier th n the fifth, in which the the e ong is the son o

n f m a n a spotless virgi , Christ, who in the orm of came

n of amo g men to bring the source light to their darkness . It i s interesting to notice how Syne s i us works in the doctrines of Christia nity with his philosophical views and transfers the phraseology ofthe earlier hymns to the service

ofhis new religion .

a s a Christ, the Re son , the word, like the second Person

of t ( ibs wa r ii wv d moo 40V m im i the Plotinic trini y , is b y , / c, but ' - he is also d vepa nrwv 0 037 170 In his honour all the works “ of a m n ture ove and have their being. From thy bosom “ f a nd a light beams orth , re son , and soul . Have pity on thy daughter (the soul of m a n) pent in her m ortal prison Then after expressing a wish tha t Cyrene and

a a S ne s ius Sparta might reg in their ncient glories, y closes his pra yer with the a spiration so fa milia r in the earlier “ f f hymns, that he might enjoy a li e o freedom from

a a nd a nd p in trouble, through purification from the d e file m e nt of m atter attain to union with the source ” of f a of li e . The l st lines the Hymn would seem by

a - he re h a a a o C f H . 1 1 1 , 8 w t e s m e e ccurs word o wo . 5 5 7 , pp l , f r rd . I 33 thei r interchange of epithets and the a lte rnate re currence of the a names of the F ther and the Son , to emphasize the equality of the Persons and the Unity o f the Christian

Trinity .

a n i m n V111 . To the s me period I would assig the E ghth Hymn , Hy

c a s its t which ontains , moreover, a hint to da e in the a lu two * o vvdi dia rex éwv l sion to his children ( p ), thus fixing

its o s 0 A . D . a c mpo ition before 4 9 “ The Invoc tion is, as u of r in Hymn V to the glorio s Son the Vi gin . There

th e r f is same p ayer for a li e of even tenor, not unmingled with aspirations a fter worldly fa me. But the main inte rest

ne s i us of the Hymn is personal . Sy thanks God fo r his

' brother s recovery from a dangerous illnes s Whom thou “ “ o was d didst bring back , he says , when his fo t alrea y ,

of a nd across the threshold the lower world , didst lull

s a ” my cares and sorrow to re t and wipe way my tea rs.

his Then he prays for his sister and two children . a nd la st of a ll fo r his wife (one of the two allusions to her in his writings) tha t she m a y be tru e to him a nd jealous of he r honour. — X . I X . Hymns VI I . and remain and of these the first

a fa a two natur lly ll together, both referring espe ci lly to the

a des cent of our Lord to H des , and the ninth markedly

e h a a m a bl nding Christian thought wit P g n i gery .

In the seventh we find the first mention o f the name V I Hym n I . “ ” s s is the t God of Go Je u . He Migh y , Son d , the Son

r a o o a C e t r of the W rld , of the F ther Creator of the Ages .

His a t n a nd is nature o ce human divine spoken of, his

Godship and his death . His morta l birth and the star

a re a l a nd tha t foretold it luded to, the vis it of the Ma gi

t h e s e o f s wi h t ymbolical interpr tation their gift , Thou a rt “ c i f s . for God , re e ve rankincen e Gold I bear a Ki ng.

. 0 i d ren and e w r l W “ h“ thre e ch l th y e e al born before he becam e o 0 M p in 4 1 . 1 34

fi h M yrrh will b e t t y burial . The Hymn closes with

Hym n I X. a symbolical expression of the Omnipresence of God

a nd the descent to Hades, which plays so prominent I X a part in Hymn . Here again , the invocation is — to the blessed son of the maiden of Solyma who f f ’ drove the snake rom his ather s garden , who came down upon earth to dwell among men and descended into Ta rtarus where death holds the countless myriads of

departed spirits . Immemorial Hades shuddered at thee

and the ravening hound shrank from the threshold . B ut w f thou , hen thou hadst reed the spotless companies of souls

f ffl of rom their a iction , didst carry hymns praise to the ” iu h . ne s s Father on Hig Then Sy , in a passage which

m a a of recalls the jestic h rmonies Milton , tells of the ascent

a m s of into he ven amid the u ic the spheres, as they joined in

m a n of triu ph l strai , while the powers darkness trembled .

’ u C th The day star smiled , and Golden Hesper s, y e ra s

a st r, and all nature recognized the unspeakable progress ” to of the Son of God . And so Christ passes the pure

of f of region the spheres , where is the ountain good , and the

heaven calm in silence, where time is not, or the shameless

taint of matter. i f The tenth hymn s le t . I will close this brief notice of n the later Hymns by a tra slation of this, the last and

shortest .

Remember, O Christ, thy servant, thou Son of God — who reigns on High thy servant the sinful author of these

a s str ins . And grant me relea e from the deadly passions

a impla nted in my polluted he rt . Grant me to see thy

! a ! radiance divine, Jesu S viour Then will I sing thy

praises in thy presence, Healer of souls , Healer of bodies ” w a together ith the Mighty F ther and Holy Spirit.

’ i us ffi a . S ne s n (ii ) 6. y o ci l Christia ity as evidenced by — his a cts a s Bishop I n dea ling with this second as pect of

1 36 wa ite d alm os t too lon a nd ha d a ll b ut s uc u m b e d g, c to

d es a r w en the se ns e of ou tra e b rou ht him to hi m se l p i h g g f.

ai n in the ues tion of the Aria n he r s as h e ld b Ag , q e y y

un a n H is a n e the se ct ofth e E omi s . xi ty to d o the ri gh t th ing a nd to u phold the ca use of the true Church a ga ins t the f r s m a nf r d rom the t rs . of I s d r he etic , y be i e re let e i o e of

Pe lus ium w a re wr n to n n S nes i us , hich itte e lighte y on th e i doctrine of N ca ea . Some difficulty has bee n made a s to the condu ct of

I t ha s e n u s ti n Synes ius in this matter. b e q e o ed whethe r a s a m a n of d ou btfu l orthodoxy he could hones tly ta ke

r e n mea s ures aga inst he etics . It has b e sug geste d tha t the tenets of the -Eunomians would be pecu lia rly obnoxious to hi m a nd a u ed to r t th , th t he wo ld thus be more dispos t ea em

B ut fa r r to d r with severity. it is more natu al e ive h is motives rather from the firm loya lty to the cause he

a m v hi m ch pioned , which ne er allowed long to shrink from any duty: The very fact tha t he appends to the vigorous

a c m e n of ch rge, in whi h he denounces these as apostles the

a or devil , strict injunc—tion to the people not to plunder ill trea t the interlopers is sufficient evidence that the act was

a for a o necess ry the preserv ti n of church discipline, and that a s S ne s ius its such y would not delay execution a moment .

re le ntfu l c His generosity to Androni us, and the letter i n ’ a ruffia n s which he ple ds that cause with Theophilus,

f a - illustrates his orgiving, and perhaps too e sy going nature. But too much stress must not be laid on this las t point i n

’

ne s ius c . n Sy chara ter He could be firm when he liked , ster

a La m onia nus * a nd even , as in the condemn tion of p , his weakness comes out ra ther in the tendency to lean upon

a i e others, the in bility to act alone, which somet mes land d him in strange inconsistences .

Vid e on page 73 . 337

This la st failing is very strikingly illus trated in the case it:£151a f * a n o Alexander . The letter opens wi th appea l to

’ hil s s the Theop u generou feeling. We war not with dead ’ is Synes ius apology for plead ing th e cause of a followe r of

s Th s m . e t w c Chry o to course of ac ion , ho ever, whi h he had

e n ur r a b e p suing, was neither fair to Alexander nor c edit ble

e f. v re as a to hims l In pri ate he t ated him friend , but

u r e p blicly he igno ed him , and as a Bishop d nied him the

s f o r n. so o ff nc rig ht a chu chma Even , people t ok o e e, and Syne s ius was not s trohg enough to boldly override the l popu ar prejudice in the matter. Whe never he met him

his c s on way to Chur h , he looked a ide and felt himself

blus h. The elders with whom b e consulted on the ma tter

’ did not h a c elp him , and Theophilus dvi e, whether given or

e e r e not , has not be n pres v d to us. Th e letter however which gives us mos t ins ight into ’ S nes ius c i e i e r n y a t ve s rv c as a chu chma , is the long epistle

e t h t to Th ophilus , which con ains the istory of an at empt to The events at

s a a t of Pa la e b is a establi h Bishopric the village c . Here we

s ee S ne s ius s e e i y at his best, e p cially in his d c sion of the

is t n the Diosco H is d pu e betwee rival Bishops Paul and rus . ? j udgment on the s cm ples raised against interfering with the

' s i n a former s perfunctory con ecrat o of the fort , is a capit l instance of true common sense ; while his appreci a tion of the repenta nce of Paul and the generosity o f Dioscorus illustrate his ge ni a l nature and his readiness to see good in

So far then as we can judg e by the actua l record e d acts 3

n s ius as wa s a a a of Sy e Bishop, he , in spite of occ sion l we k sews

n so ns c i s B s o . e ss , a thoroughly capable and ab lutely co ient ou i h p i pa s tor of his Church . But wh le allowing to him full merit

the e s s r utie s for performance of nec a y d , we must not omit

d e on a e Vi p g 7 0. V t id e on page : 7 z u d 7 3 . 1 38

i m t to not ce the repeated expressions of reluctance, and al os

w a a his ' la te r s of despair, hich recur g in and again in letter , and s how that he alwa ys found his position a sorely trying

his . a a a one His l st purpose, unless it bec me re lized before

a wa s a : h e de th, to build a mon stery whither, possibly,

a a the intended to retire in his solit ry old age, and le ve

a f a uncongeni l world fo r a li e of medit tion .

a n a c n a In y c se, he never got over this relu ta ce, mounting al m ost to detes tation of the pra ctica l life. His early

i e fortune tra ning, his ind pendent , the philosophy he

a nd nc c adopted , the pri iples to whi h he clung to the last,

f a all pointed to the li e of contempl tion and when , by some a a sa m fa dverse, or sh ll we not rather y so e gracious te, stern

S ne s ius f f only in true kindness, y ound himsel ever swept into the vortex of strife a nd action a nd weighed down in his hour of sorest need by the recurrence of domestic

f w a ca n f of s a fliction , h t we expect but a li e conflicting aim and disa ppointed cra vings ? This thought leads up na tur ally to the l a st question for discussion . ’ a ne s ius f— r (iii . ) Intern l evidence as to Sy belie He e one

a is trea ding on more d ngerous ground . It may seem hard

’ m of S ne s ius a to i pugn the possibility y Christi nity, in the

of w light his loyalty to the Church, but there are eighty

a for a nd is re sons so doing, there only one preliminary upon ’ m ne s ius which there ust be no misunderstanding, that Sy

w a i n honesty of religious purpose is no here c lled question .

’ We do not ask how fa r wa s Syne s i us sym pathy

how fa r wa s a a nd a genuine, but it ctual possible ? Cl usen

a S ne s ius a s is, I think, unfair in this m tter to y . Just he as sumes his silence on the m ore importa nt points of

f a his dissent rom Christian doctrine, so in this cruci l question ’ ‘ i -fe ne s us . of Sy li , he questions his sincerity

- ausen a . Kra us Tub . . for 1 86 Cl , p , Q 5 , pp . 545 6 .

1 40

H e the a ffl IN S u . added to ictions of people, had pl nged him

a h d bee n all but on the verge of committing suicide . The — precepts of philosophy h a d failed him God ga ve no

answer to his prayers . But he makes no allusion to the comfort of a stea dfa st fa ith in Chris t with which m a ny of

fa a his hearers must have been mili r .

m a of It y be urged that the later hymns , the peroration

Ca ta s ta s is a e the , could only h v been written by a true

a f u a of Christian , but care ul per s l these works in the light

’ S ne s ius w a h a d of y other writings sho s th t , though he

m of a m of learned so ething the phr seology, so ething the

of a nd t doctrines Christianity, could express his though s with a beauty and a n earnestness tha t spra ng n a tura lly

f a a a m rom wh t had alw ys been religious ind , yet through

of a n m f a nd out his grasp Christianity is i per ect one, his fa ith in the new creed wa s not such a s to stand unsha ken in

the a wa s e sore tri ls through which he destin d to pass .

a a nd a n a It is striking instructive f ct, in this connection is la st le tte r , ’ d ressed to a wa s a S ne s ius a that wh t prob bly y last letter, written t a ypa tia . time when a llhope seem ed gone a nd the bed ofsickness on which he la y prom ised a lmost a wel come delivery from his

— a distress is addressed to Hyp tia, his old instructress, the truest representa tive to him of the philosophy to which he

still clung . There is something unmanly to our northern notions i n

a n S ne s ius * the absolute prostr tio of y under trouble. But we must remember not only the circumstances of his trials

a o f a but a lso the char cteristics his g e . It was not an age

of strong faith in God . It was ra ther a n age for m e n who

ha d fa m u ns cr strong ith in the selves, the hard and the up u

e - lous . The times w re troubled , and the long continued sufferings of the unhappy country of Syne sius might well

1 6 AD 1 D . E B E . 22 . E . 6 2 1 p 57 , 9 , , 97 , p , 7 9, 7 , p 7 , 7 , A . 2 6 1 6 . E . 1 2 E . 6 2 1 D p , , C p 9, 7 , . ’ 1 4 1

d he have mad e a bolder min despair. Whethe r if ha d lived longer he might have attaine d a higher and a truer

a not s co u noti on of the Christi an f ith is a que tion for nje ct re . All we can say is that when e very allowance has be en

’ nes ius r a e made we sti ll find Sy Ch isti nity imp rfect. And although it would be eas y to parallel the depths of his

r s o a of s m a nd o dep es ion fr m m ny the P al s , th ugh it might be a r e w e n o e w ole gu d that the latter were ritt by men wh s h . lives had bee n spent in the s ervice of the re ligi on they p ro ’ fes e a o if r ofso a rs sed , and henc sm ll w nder a conve t few ye s ta nding as Synesi us found hi s philos ophy and his religion

i a l wh in r s al ke f i him , still ile in the Psalms, even the da ke t

es v u t t t ere and most d pairing, there e er l rks a convic ion hat h is s God a nd his w us a God and a righteou , that ill m t be

one e r d and that the good caus will p evail , we find no

r of c s b ighter side, no hint confidence to relieve the bla knes ’ c r n of Synes ius des pondency. The do t i e of suffering was a mystery unsolved to him . To him the difficulties of life w r not l es ed e e , as they have been we l called , the tru t pl ges

i il s conte m for of ts nob ity . The old mi taken m this world and thi s mortal body and this daily round of necessa ry r duty was too deeply ing ained in his character. m i The Kingdo of Heaven w thin us upon earth is no Hum a ne "k n s u reality for Sy e i s . Our life here he held to be a painfu l

' l h r a nd s hufli ed ofl tria , to be struggled t ough as soon a s may be ; and the prayer which so consta ntly recurs in the Hymns is not for the cheerful performance of duty he re

so es below as the urce of true happin s, not for the love that

- a r may fill us with sympathy for our fellow cre tu es , and the

t a r e fai h which m keth not afraid , but a—n entreaty for a life f e from menta l cares and bodily ills a sort of blissful calm tha t will leave the mind free to soa r where it will in loftiest c e l i a t s ont mp at on , th t so by abs raction from the phere of the r th e its co mate ial , and avoidance of taint of nta ct, it 1 42

may complete its weary term of bondage in this earthly f prison house, and merge itsel in union with the Eternal

source from which it sprang. m n f m n A selfish retire ent , an Epicurea reedo from pai , a mystic union a s t—he final goa l of a useless but inevita ble pe riod of exis tence this wa s no ideal to sustain a man in

the of for hour trouble, or to fit him doing his duty in

f o m in m s practical li e . But nce ore, conclusion , we u t confess that though Syne s ius falls s hort of the Chris tian

on f va th e Ideal , and ly imper ectly appreciated the lue of

ri wa s m e Ch stian faith, yet he still im easurably sup rior to

b e d a nd the philosophy uphel ; , although reluctantly, still ,

w his ith a conscientiousness that is the more to credit, he did give up the life of eas e and retirement to which his

e t ca n s every instinct inclin d him , and the worst tha be aid of w him is only this , that the old Adam in his nature a s f in imper ectly eradicated , that he repined at times the fulfilment of his duty and broke down under; the stress of misfortune because his old Faith was i nadequate to s us tain him a nd his new Faith too imperfect to s upply the n eed .

CONCLUSION .

’ ne s ius a nd I N concluding this sketch of Sy life writings ,

a for a f a — e a three questions c ll brie nswer bri f, bec use under different forms they have been discussed to the best of m y

sa S ne s ius a s ability in these pages . What are we to y of y

a nd a s ? a writer, as a thinker, a Christian

As a writer he is undoubtedly at his best in the letters,

a m which are singularly ttractive, and deserve to be ore widely

a f a . a o known They reve l to us personality, if not great ,

m a n a nd f a at all events of a lovable , rom historical point of view throw a valua ble light on the customs of the Church

a e n s i s wa s a nd and people in that g . Sy e u of too pliable uni m passioned a nature to produce a ny striking literary

a re w a o work , but there times hen he rises b ve his usually

m a nd a of calm ood , , stirred by the pathy the Court or the

of outrages Andronicus , gives utterance to burning words of true eloquence .

Next to the letters , in interest and originality, I would place the Hymns . Apart from the earnest spirit which

a re a a of breathes through every line, there occ sional fl shes

a nd a a real poetry , they are moreover especi lly import nt in ’ w S ne s ius tracing the gro th of y inner thought , to which

f r . they form a kind o running commenta y As a thinker ,

n s ius wa s Sy e by no means original , nor indeed was the philosophy which served him for a creed . It would be absurd to expect from a Neo-Platonist of the fourth century

of of any new development thought, for the philosophy the schools wa s al ready stereotyped when Syne s ius s a t at the feet of Hypatia . b e S ne s ius . Lastly , y as a Christian Here it must

n ius a s confessed boldly that Sy es owed very little, as far we 1 46

a . a can judge, to Christi nity All the best tr its in his ch a ra cter shine out quite as clearly in the years preceding

c A nd of w his onversion . though , indirectly, course he o ed mu ch to the re ligion which for nigh four centuries h a d been insensibly leavening the thoughts and a ctions of m a nkind still from a compa rison of his life before and a fter h e

a of a w bec me bishop, the force the st tement ill be mad e clea r that the finest elements of his n a ture were the out

of a come his birth and tr ining , and not of the religion which he so imperfectly em bra ced in the closing years of a short life . It ha s been sa id that the world knows nothing of its — greatest m e n possibly it knows too m uch in these d a ys of — biography but in the pa st it is certainly the case tha t the men who have formed their age and opened new eras fo r mankind have often been unrecogniz ed till their work was

a ne s i done and the result of it app rent . To this class Sy us

a m e n wh o does not belong, but r ther to that larger body of prese nt to us in their mental development the shifting

- a e . tendencies, the half expressed longings of their g

’ a a S ne si us a And following out this ide , we see th t y f ith is

of a t a a nd f like the faith his age, tr nsi ion l , so, imper ect . There could ha rdly be a more striking instance of a man moulded by the influences of his time and moving in h a rm ony with its tendency . Paganism was fast pa ling

f s a was be ore the ri ing power of Christi nity , but it not yet

’ n ius f m S ne siu extinguished in Sy e s li eti e. y s becomes a

a n a m c u Christi , but the Pag nis in whi h he was brought p

a d u a h str ck too deep root in his n ture to be supplanted .

- w Neo Platonism practically ended ith Hypatia, and ’ S ne s ius f c f y li e losed probably in the year be ore her death . ’ And just as the i m perfection of Syne s ius acceptance of

' a of Christi nity was a necessity the time, so his literary va nity a nd the d illeta nte tendency of his thought were the

country for d ays in the saddle o r taking his turn on wa tch through the weary hours of night on the walls of Cyrene

u or Ptolemais, all proved that he was possessed of tr e

courage and end urance .

a a of Lastly, when we remember th t the ide l h is life was

a f a o f a pe ce ul unbroken c lm philosophic leisure, varied by

a of a a f we a the simple musements rur l li e, when re d his

for a e f a of reiterated prayer life fre rom p in or trouble, pure contemplation unbroken by the worries of business and action ; then we must surely confess tha t the self-s a crifice which never allowed him to rest while his country or his

wa s wa s n flock in danger, indeed worthy of the Christia

f s a . i f o r f ith And under the stress di aster, the horro s of

a nd . war, the hopeless ruin of his country, , in the midst of

a a ll a s these, the loss by de th of th t he held mo t dear ; if in such unheard -of trials Syne s ius a ppea rs to succumb to despair a nd to find no comfort in phi105 0phic reflection or

fa of th e religious ith , let the voice criticism be silent, and let a ppa rent weakness of h is dying hours find a n ampl e

of a a pology in the true nobility devoted life . Q .