DOCSLIB.ORG

A Christian Plato-Scholar Stops to Look at What He's Doing, and Why

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Christian Plato-Scholar Stops to Look at What He's Doing, and Why Volume 32 Number 4 Article 1 June 2004 Truth of Love and the Love of Truth: A Christian Plato-Scholar Stops to Look at What He's Doing, and Why Aron Reppmann Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/pro_rege Part of the Christianity Commons, and the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Reppmann, Aron (2004) "Truth of Love and the Love of Truth: A Christian Plato-Scholar Stops to Look at What He's Doing, and Why," Pro Rege: Vol. 32: No. 4, 1 - 8. Available at: https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/pro_rege/vol32/iss4/1 This Feature Article is brought to you for free and open access by the University Publications at Digital Collections @ Dordt. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pro Rege by an authorized administrator of Digital Collections @ Dordt. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Editor’s Note: This paper was presented by Aron Reppmann, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Trinity Christian College, for Trinity’s Faculty Orientation, August 2002. The Truth of Love and the Love of Truth: A Christian Plato-Scholar Stops to Look at What He’s Doing, and Why appears as a speaking character in these dramas, and, unlike some philosophers who also wrote dia- logues, he left us no companion text in which he says, speaking for himself, what the fictional texts are attempting to portray. Plato does not say any- thing, in the conventional sense, but he shows many things in indirect, suggestive, and exploratory ways. Interpreting Plato requires discerning the coherence among various elements that might seem, at first glance, to be unrelated: for example, between one topic that is discussed and another; or between what the characters in a particular dialogue say and what they do or enact; or between what is said and done by Aron Reppmann in one of the dialogues and what is said and done in another dialogue that shares some of the same themes, concerns, or characters but portrays them in a different light. My current project is to explore a web of such interconnected elements regarding two kinds of Plato is unusual among the writers normally recog- interpersonal relationship or attachment as they are nized as major contributors to the western philo- discussed and depicted in three of Plato’s dialogues sophical tradition. What’s so unusual about him is in which they play a central role. Those dialogues that he never tells us what he thinks; or at least he are entitled Lysis, Phaedrus, and Symposium, and the doesn’t tell us in the direct, propositional way we two kinds of interpersonal relationship or attachment tend to associate with thinkers who want to be sure I’m talking about are er¯os and philia. Er¯os is often that they get their point across. Plato wrote a loose- translated as “love” or “passionate desire”; in every- ly connected set of dramas, which we traditionally day use, it means just what we mean when we talk call “dialogues,” although they frequently involve about “eroticism.” Philia, on the other hand, is often multiple characters and include elements that are translated as “friendship” or “friendly feeling.” not strictly covered by the term “dialogue,” such as Now, if it sounds as though I’m being especially considerable amounts of dramatic action. Plato never careful to qualify these translations (with phrases Aron Reppmann is Assistant Professor of Phlosophy and like “is often translated as”), you’re already begin- Director of the Honors Program at Trinity Christian ning to perceive what my work on Plato is about. College, Palos Heights, Illinois. For Plato’s contemporaries, just as for our own, there Pro Rege—June 2004 1 were assumed to be clear differences, boundaries of simply to unfold some of those controversies separation, between er¯os and philia; to put the mat- expressing my work as a scholar. I’ll begin by ter roughly, we could say that we would expect er¯os talking about Christian identity and scholarly and philia to be distinct “topics.” However, my pro- practice, and then offer two specific examples of ject is to demonstrate that in the three dialogues of controversies in which my approach as a Christian Plato in which er¯os or philia constitutes the major scholar helps me to contribute to the larger scholarly focal point of the discussion, matters seem to be discussion on Plato. deliberately more complicated: in both the concepts discussed and the action depicted, the possible rela- Christian identity and scholarly practice: tionships between er¯os and philia are constantly who am I in my scholarship, and what explored in ways that seem to make the meanings of difference does it make? both continually shift in relation to one another. To I need to begin this section of my remarks with complicate matters even further, Plato’s depiction of an important disclaimer: as a Christian scholar, I the dynamics of er¯os and philia seems to have an have worked more in an exploratory way—discov- effect much larger and more profound than we might ering both the field and myself, including aspects of expect. Although the discussions and enactments of my identity as a Christian, along the way—than in er¯os and philia in these dialogues certainly have a programmatic, deductive way. I did not first get something to do with the ethics of interpersonal my Christian scholarly perspective fully in order, relations, there is also a lot of exploration about and then apply it as a preformulated pattern for the deeper significance of these forms of devotion or encountering the history of philosophy; rather, as a attachment. We often think of ethics as a “secondary” person with my intellectual habits somewhat subdiscipline of philosophy: on that conventional formed, but not perfected or finalized, by the tradi- model, it is the “primary” considerations of meta- tions and practices of the Christian communities in physics or ontology, the grand, abstract theories of which I have spent my entire life (including an the structure of everything, that lay the groundwork, undergraduate education at Trinity), I set out to and what’s left for ethics is just practical application discover what attracted me and what made me of metaphysical principles. Plato’s representation of suspicious, and to find out whether careful the dynamics of er¯os and philia, I’m happy to say, research, as well as living with the consequences of turns that conventional model upside down. At key the ideas I embraced, would prove my attractions points in these dialogues, Plato seems to be experi- and suspicions to have been trustworthy or not. This menting, at once seriously and playfully, with the experiment with myself is not finished, but our dis- possibility that, if people could just understand what cussion today is a chance for me to stop for a er¯os and philia are really about—their ultimate sig- breather along the way and to look back. Please nificance—and would conduct themselves in ways keep in mind, then, that when I reflect on the coher- that are attuned to that ultimate significance, they ence between my identity as a Christian and my would achieve the highest and most comprehensive practice as a scholar, you are hearing a report on understanding possible for humans, and they would retrospection, on hindsight. I hope that my hind- lead the most fully achieved life possible for sight is clear and accurate, but it will also necessar- humans. To put it another way, getting rightly ori- ily be reflective and interpretive. I do not offer you ented with regard to one’s understanding and prac- absolute principles of Christian scholarship with tice of er¯os and philia is portrayed as philosophy which I consciously began and which I kept firmly itself, not “philosophy” as the peculiar academic dis- in front of me all along; if you can trace your own cipline that we are familiar with, but “philosophy” as scholarly path that way, then God has blessed you philosophia, the love of wisdom, an all-encompass- differently from me. Instead, I offer you some of ing and harmonious way of life. the patterns I can see now that I look back on the That’s a quick survey of the area I’m working in, steps I’ve taken, patterns that have more to do with with a good deal left out and much unargued for. In communally formed habits than they do with my fact, almost none of what I have said so far about own reasoning and choosing. Let me point out two Plato is uncontroversial. What I’d like to do is such patterns. 2 Pro Rege—June 2004 (1) Awareness of limits and of the necessity of possession of that tribe. assumptions. The communities in which I was Let me describe the experience of reading that I’m formed as a Christian, indeed as a person, empha- talking about. When I approach an old text that peo- sized and blessed the finitude of human life, its lim- ple whom I trust have assured me is important, I tend its. It’s important that I say that our finite character to do so both with eager anticipation that it has was not just emphasized but also blessed: I was “something for me” and with a cautious awareness taught early and in many ways (most of them that I will only perceive that “something” well (and not focused in intellectual statements) that being a not just see reflections of my own face) if I approach limited human creature was not the same thing as that text as wholistically as possible, trying to under- being a sinful, broken human creature—I was and stand its historical context, characterization, narra- am both, but my damnable brokenness cries out for tive voice, dramatic action, rhetorical devices, use of healing, whereas my limitation just means that I’m a particular words, associations of words, and so on.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Athen Und Jerusalem QUAESTIONES Themen Und Gestalten Der Philosophie 16 Winfried Schröder Athen Und Jerusalem
    WINFRIED SCHRÖDER Athen und Jerusalem QUAESTIONES Themen und Gestalten der Philosophie 16 Winfried Schröder Athen und Jerusalem Die philosophische Kritik am Christentum in Antike und Neuzeit frommann-holzboog Die QUAESTIONES werden herausgegeben von Eckhart Holzboog Gedruckt mit Unterstützung des Förderungs- und Beihilfefonds Wissenschaft der VG WORT Meinen Eltern Heinrich und Edith Schröder Bibliografi sche Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografi e; detaillierte bibliografi sche Daten sind im Internet über <http://dnb.d-nb.de> abrufbar. ISBN 978-3-7728-2567-5 © frommann-holzboog Verlag e. K. · Eckhart Holzboog Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt 2011 Satz: Johanna Boy, Brennberg Druck: Offi zin Scheufele, Stuttgart Einband: Litges & Dopf, Heppenheim Gedruckt auf säurefreiem und alterungsbeständigem Papier Inhalt I. Philosophie und Christentum: die ›abendländische Synthese‹ . 1 II. Die Wiederkehr der Verfemten . 13 1. Die Präsenz der antiken Christentumskritiker in der Neuzeit . 14 2. Schwierigkeiten mit der Spätantike . 47 III. Der Angriff auf die Heilige Schrift . 71 IV. Die philosophisch-theologischen Dissense . 85 1. Glaube . 87 a. ›Alogos pistis‹: ›blinder Glaube‹ . 88 b. ›Ut omnes unum sint‹: die Einheit im Glauben und die Intoleranz . 110 2. Wunder . 138 a. Wunder in der antiken Philosophie und im Christentum . 139 b. Argumente gegen den christlichen Wunderglauben . 154 3. Moral . .190 a. ›Vertus outrées‹: Armut, Demut und die andere Backe . 196 b. ›Fremde Gerechtigkeit‹ und ›leichte Entsündigung‹: der Wert moralischer Aktivität . 204 V. Schluss . 221 Bibliographie . 231 Register . 271 Sach- und Begriffsregister . 271 Bibelstellen . 277 Anonyme Schriften . 279 Mythologische, biblische und literarische Figuren . 280 Namenregister . 281 Abkürzungen K Kelsos: ’Alhqh.j lo,goj, hrsg.
    [Show full text]
  • Farewell to Freedom:A Western Genealogy of Liberty
    RICCARDO BALDISSONE FAREWELL to FREEDOM A Western Genealogy of Liberty Farewell to Freedom: A Western Genealogy of Liberty Riccardo Baldissone University of Westminster Press www.uwestminsterpress.co.uk Published by University of Westminster Press 115 New Cavendish Street London W1W 6UW www.uwestminsterpress.co.uk Text © Riccardo Baldissone 2018 First published 2018 Cover: Diana Jarvis Image: ‘Perseus Freeing Andromeda’, courtesy of Warburg Institute Printed in the UK by Lightning Source Ltd. Print and digital versions typeset by Siliconchips Services Ltd. ISBN (Paperback): 978-1-911534-60-0 ISBN (PDF) 978-1-911534-61-7 ISBN (ePUB): 978-1-911534-62-4 ISBN (Kindle): 978-1-911534-63-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.16997/book15 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by- nc-nd/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA. This licence allows for copying and distributing the work, providing author attribution is clearly stated, that you are not using the material for commercial pur- poses, and that modified versions are not distributed. The full text of this book has been peer-reviewed to ensure high academic standards. For full review policies, see: http://www.uwestminsterpress.co.uk/site/publish/ Suggested citation: Baldissone, R 2018 Farewell to Freedom: A Western Genealogy of Liberty. London: University of Westminster Press. DOI: https://doi. org/10.16997/book15. License: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 To read the free, open access version of this book online, visit https://doi.org/10.16997/book15 or scan this QR code with your mobile device: to my mother, my lover, and my daughter contaminari decere fabulasα Il n’y a point de mot qui aît reçû plus de différentes significations, & qui aît frappé les esprits de tant de manières, que celui de Libertéβ α [I]t is proper to contaminate stories.
    [Show full text]
  • Bibliography
    Cover Page The handle http://hdl.handle.net/1887/20181 holds various files of this Leiden University dissertation. Author: Berkel, Tazuko van Title: The economics of friendship : changing conceptions of reciprocity in classical Athens Date: 2012-11-27 Bibliography ABU -LUGHOD , L., Veiled Sentiments: Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society , Berkeley 1986 A ADAMS , D., “A Socratic theory of friendship”, IPQ 35.3 (1995), 269-282 ADKINS , A.W.H., Merit and Responsibility: a study in Greek values , Oxford 1960 ―, “Friendship and self-sufficiency in Homer and Aristotle”, CQ 13 (1963), 30-45 ALLAN , D.J., The Philosophy of Aristotle , Oxford 1970 ALLEN , D., “Greek tragedy and law”, in: M. G AGARIN & D.J. COHEN (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Greek Law , Cambridge 2005, 374-393 ALCOCK , S.E., “A simple case of exploitation? The helots of Messenia, in: P. CARTLEDGE , E.E. C OHEN & L. FOXHALL (ed.), Money, labour and land: approaches to the economies of ancient Greece , London 2002, 185-199 ALEJO , R., “Where does the money go? An analysis of the container metaphor in economics: the market and the economy”, Journal of Pragmatics 42 (2010), 1137-50 ALESSANDRI , S., “κίβδηλος: Due passi nel lessico monetale (e dintorni)”, Atti della Accademia Peloritana dei Pericolanti 72 (1998), 5-32 ALLAN , G., Friendship. Developing a sociological perspective , New York/ London/ Toronto/ Sydney/ Tokyo 1989 ALLISON , J.W., “ Axiosis , the new arete : a Periclean metaphor for friendship”, CQ N. S. 51.1 (2001), 53-64 ALPERN , K.D., “Aristotle on the friendships of utility of pleasure”, Journal of the History of Philosophy 21.3 (1983), 303-15 ALPHEN , E.
    [Show full text]
  • Eros in the Physics of Ancient Stoicism (Why Did Chrysippus Think of a Cosmogonal Fellatio?)1
    Eros in the Physics of Ancient Stoicism (Why did Chrysippus think of a cosmogonal fellatio?)1 Pau Gilabert Barberà Universitat de Barcelona (University of Barcelona)2 First of all it should be acknowledged that a title like this may cause surprise and even astonishment. Those who have done research on Stoicism know perfectly well that Hans von Arnim collected in his Stoicorum Veterum Fragmenta3 only a few fragments about éros. Furthermore, if we bear in mind that they deal mainly with the real or imaginary homosexuality of the leaders of the Stoa or, in other words, with the fact that Stoic éros was the last “son” of the Platonic one, I must admit that the aim of my article might seem unattainable or even foolish. On the other hand, the presence of the term éros is confirmed in those Stoic fragments –only Platonizing?- about the pedagogy of virtue, but what happens when we want to examine its meaning in the realm of Physics? Just the opposite: the term éros, if present, is used to express “desire”, thus hardly permitting us to glimpse the important role that Ancient Stoicism gave to it. We suspect, then, that our research will “crash” into serious obstacles, although a final success, if possible, would mean in this case the end of an old mystery. After these preliminary considerations and in spite of approaching only Ancient Stoicism, I will start by analyzing a text of Dio Chrysostom: the thirty-sixth discourse or Borysthenitic. This is the only one which refers to the role of éros in the Physics of the Ancient Stoics and, therefore, given the coincidences between the allegory of the myth of the Magi in the Borysthenitic and that other allegory in Chrysippus’ Erotic Letters, it might be useful to choose the first one as the starting point.
    [Show full text]
  • A09.12 Lecture Plato
    1 How Plato overcame the cosmopolitans Detlef von Daniels It's just a jump to the left/ And then a step to the right … With a bit of a mind flip/ You're there in the time slip And nothing can ever be the same Introduction At the beginning of his lectures on the history of philosophy Hegel notes how strange it is that philosophy, unlike other scientific disciplines, has a history that has an immediate presence in systematic thought. To Hegel philosophy was a discipline whose progress could not be matched straightforwardly to a time line and whose knowledge could not be easily accumulated in condensed form. At the very least, he regarded philosophy as a discipline where narratives of accumulated progress are always challenged by new readings of the tradition. From the perspective of contemporary political philosophy, Hegel's dictum may seem outdated. Not only would it seem possible to tell the story of steady progress in contemporary political philosophy starting – inevitably – with the publication of the Theory of Justice and culminating in current avant-garde discussions on global justice and human rights.1 Even further, the history of political philosophy appears to be reduced to mere history as is only serves to illuminate certain aspects of the liberal tradition2 or to accumulate our positive knowledge of past times or other traditions.3 1 This optimistic narrative does not refer exclusively to the normative thesis of Francis Fukuyama but is meant as a sociological observation. It underlies countless syllabi on the history of political philosophy and writings about liberalism.
    [Show full text]
  • Ulrich Von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff: "Sospitator Euripidis" , Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies, 27:4 (1986:Winter) P.409
    CALDER, WILLIAM M., III, Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff: "Sospitator Euripidis" , Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies, 27:4 (1986:Winter) p.409 Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff: Sospitator Euripidis William M Calder III BEGIN with a word on achievement. Wilamowitz wrote on Euripi­ I des first in 1867,1 last in 1931.2 For 64 years he was concerned with Euripides. Athenian tragedy always remained a center of his interest. Within this center he wrote least on Sophocles,3 more on Aeschylus,4 but most on Euripides. The Hiller/Klaffenbach bibliog­ raphy lists 45 items on Euripides, against 19 on Aeschylus and 18 on Sophocles.5 Four great books, whose influence on subsequent schol­ arship in tragedy has been incalculable, are concerned wholly with Euripides: the Habilitationsschrift, Analecta Euripidea (1875); the two­ volume Herakles, first published in 1889; the commentary, text, and translation of Hippo!ytus (1891); and the edition of Ion (1926). Mar­ cello Gigante has written that neither Wilamowitz nor Nietzsche pub­ lished a magnum opus.6 Wilamowitz intended Herakles to be that, and completed it in his fortieth year-his acme in the ancient sense7 - with a dedication to Schulpforte, meaning it to be the fulfillment of a vow taken as a schoolboy to become a scholar worthy of his alma mater.8 His history of the text, from autograph to latest edition,9 1 U. von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, In wieweit bejriedigen die SchlUsse der erhaltenen griechischen Trauerspiele? Ein iisthetischer Versuch, ed. W. M. Calder III (Leiden 1974 [hereafter Trauerspiele]) 95-148. 2 Der Glaube der Hellenen (Berlin 1932) II 597f s.n.
    [Show full text]
  • Classics Catalog October 2013
    Classics Catalog October 2013 Windows Booksellers 199 West 8th Ave., Suite 1 Eugene, OR 97401 USA Phone: (800) 779-1701 or (541) 485-0014 * Fax: (541) 465-9694 Email and Skype: [email protected] Website: http://www.windowsbooks.com Monday - Friday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Pacific time (phone & in-store); Saturday: Noon to 3:00 PM, Pacific time (in-store only- sorry, no phone). Our specialty is used and out-of-print academic books in the areas of theology, church history, biblical studies, and western philosophy. We operate an open shop and coffee house in downtown Eugene. Please stop by if you're ever in the area! When ordering, please reference our book number (shown in brackets at the end of each listing). Prepayment required of individuals. Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover; or check/money order in US dollars. Books will be reserved 10 days while awaiting payment. Purchase orders accepted for institutional orders. Shipping charge is based on estimated final weight of package, and calculated at the shipper's actual cost, plus $1.00 handling per package. We advise insuring orders of $100.00 or more. Insurance is available at 5% of the order's total, before shipping. Uninsured orders of $100.00 or more are sent at the customer's risk. Returns are accepted on the basis of inaccurate description. Please call before returning an item. __Arethusa, Vol. 13, No. 2, Fall 1980: Indo-European Roots of Classical Culture__. Johns Hopkins University Press. 1980. Paperback. 135-315pp. VG. This is located at our store in Portland, Oregon; please anticipate extra delivery time.
    [Show full text]
  • Philosophy, Classics & Judaica, March 2015
    Philosophy, Classics & Judaica March 2015 Windows Booksellers 199 West 8th Ave., Suite 1 Eugene, OR 97401 USA Phone: (800) 779-1701 or (541) 485-0014 * Fax: (541) 465-9694 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.windowsbooks.com Monday - Friday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Pacific time (phone & in-store); Saturday: Noon to 3:00 PM, Pacific time (in-store only- sorry, no phone). Our specialty is used and out-of-print academic books in the areas of theology, church history, biblical studies, and western philosophy. We operate an open shop and coffee house in downtown Eugene. Please stop by if you're ever in the area! When ordering, please reference our book number (shown in brackets at the end of each listing). Prepayment required of individuals. Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover; or check/money order in US dollars. Books will be reserved 10 days while awaiting payment. Purchase orders accepted for institutional orders. Shipping charge is based on estimated final weight of package, and calculated at the shipper's actual cost, plus $1.00 handling per package. We advise insuring orders of $100.00 or more. Insurance is available at 5% of the order's total, before shipping. Uninsured orders of $100.00 or more are sent at the customer's risk. Returns are accepted on the basis of inaccurate description. Please call before returning an item. TABLE of CONTENTS Classics 2 Judaica 113 Philosophy 170 CLASSICS . __Bucolici Graeci [Scriptorum Classicorum Bibliotheca Oxoniensis]__. Oxford. 1962. Hardcover with dust jacket. pp. VG/G, chipped dust jacket.
    [Show full text]
  • Reading Dionysus: Euripides' Bacchae Among Jews And
    Reading Dionysus: Euripides’ Bacchae among Jews and Christians in the Greco-Roman World A Dissertation SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA BY Courtney Jade Friesen IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Philip Sellew, Adviser August 2013 Courtney Jade Friesen Copyright © 2013. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables………………………….…………………………………..……………...iii Abbreviations……………………………..………………………….…………………...iv 1 Introduction: Reading Dionysus Then and Now………………………………………..1 1.1 Staging the Dramatis Personae………………………….……………………1 1.2 Dionysus, the Theater, and Athens……………………………………...….....3 1.3 Euripides’ Bacchae: Some Meanings and Effects………….………………..12 1.4 Euripides’ Bacchae, Religious Identity, and Literary Reception….………...37 1.5 Scope of This Study………………………….……………………..………..51 PART I: Reading Dionysus under Empire 2 Euripides’ Bacchae at Alexandria: Theocritus, Dio Chrysostom, and The Politics of Maenadism………………………56 2.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………….56 2.2 The Arrival of Euripides’ Bacchae and Dionysus in Alexandria……………57 2.3 Theocritus’ Idyll 26 and Euripides’ Bacchae: From Subversive Maenadism to Court Poetry…………………...…………65 2.4 Dio Chrysostom’s Alexandrian Oration: Euripides’ Maenads and the Alexandrian Mob……..……………………...80 2.5 Euripides’ Bacchae at Alexandria: Conclusions……………………………..94 3 Euripides’ Bacchae at Rome: Horace on Bacchus as Tragic Hero and Stoic Sage………………………….………96 3.1 Introduction…………………………...………………….…………………..96 3.2 The Arrival of Dionysus at Rome...………………………….………………97
    [Show full text]
  • Hans Von Arnim Dr. Phil., Dr. Phil. H.C., Full Professor of Classical Philology * in Groß Fredenwalde, Uckermark, 14Th Sept, 1859 † in Vienna 25Th May, 1931
    Hans von Arnim Dr. phil., Dr. phil. h.c., Full Professor of Classical Philology * in Groß Fredenwalde, Uckermark, 14th Sept, 1859 † in Vienna 25th May, 1931 Hans Friedrich August von Arnim, thus his full name, was the second son of the royal Prussian Premier-Lieutenant (ret.) and Lord of the estate Groß Fredenwalde as well as Albertinenhof, Friedrich von Arnim and his wife Adelheid von Arnim, née von Arnim from the house Milmersdorf. Groß Fredenwalde, Albertinenhof and Milmersdorf are located in Uckermark north of Berlin. After the early death of his father his mother cared for the education of her four children, Bernd, Hans, Hubert and Eva. The land continuously in family ownership since 1496, fell to the eldest son. For Hans a career in the diplomatic service was contemplated. That is why he began to study law in Berlin and Heidelberg. Very soon, after a few semesters, he realized that he had not taken the right path. He changed to the university in Greifswald and found his mission in classical philology due to Professor Ulrich von Milamowitz-Moellendorff’s lectures. Hans von Arnim After his doctorate and his qualification as a university lecturer his career first led him from the university in Halle to the University in Rostock, where he was appointed full professor. In 1900 he followed an offer to the University of Vienna where he became Theodor Gomperz’ successor on the chair of Greek philology. During the First World War he returned to Germany temporarily. 1914 he changed to the newly- founded university of Frankfurt- on-Main.
    [Show full text]