Plutarch's 'Lives' and the Critical Reader
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Theodicy: an Overview
1 Theodicy: An Overview Introduction All of us struggle at one time or another in life with why evil happens to someone, either ourselves, our family, our friends, our nation, or perhaps some particularly disturbing instance in the news—a child raped, a school shooting, genocide in another country, a terrorist bombing. The following material is meant to give an overview of the discussion of this issue as it takes place in several circles, especially that of the Christian church. I. The Problem of Evil Defined Three terms, "the problem of evil," "theodicy," and "defense" are important to our discussion. The first two are often used as synonyms, but strictly speaking the problem of evil is the larger issue of which theodicy is a subset because one can have a secular problem of evil. Evil is understood as a problem when we seek to explain why it exists (Unde malum?) and what its relationship is to the world as a whole. Indeed, something might be considered evil when it calls into question our basic trust in the order and structure of our world. Peter Berger in particular has argued that explanations of evil are necessary for social structures to stay themselves against chaotic forces. It follows, then, that such an explanation has an impact on the whole person. As David Blumenthal observes, a good theodicy is one that has three characteristics: 1. "[I]t should leave one with one’s sense of reality intact." (It tells the truth about reality.) 2. "[I]t should leave one empowered within the intellectual-moral system in which one lives." (Namely, it should not deny God’s basic power or goodness.) 3. -
Roman Literature and Its Contexts; Philip Hardie, the Epic Successors of Virgil: a Study in the Dynamics of a Tradition; Duncan F
University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Departmental Papers (Classical Studies) Classical Studies at Penn 1993 Review of Denis Feeney and Stephen Hinds (Eds), Roman Literature and its Contexts; Philip Hardie, The Epic Successors of Virgil: A Study in the Dynamics of a Tradition; Duncan F. Kennedy, The Arts of Love: Five Studies in the Discourse of Roman Love Elegy; and Charles Martindale, Redeeming the Text: Latin Poetry and the Hermeneutics of Reception Joseph Farrell University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/classics_papers Part of the Classics Commons Recommended Citation Farrell, J. (1993). Review of Denis Feeney and Stephen Hinds (Eds), Roman Literature and its Contexts; Philip Hardie, The Epic Successors of Virgil: A Study in the Dynamics of a Tradition; Duncan F. Kennedy, The Arts of Love: Five Studies in the Discourse of Roman Love Elegy; and Charles Martindale, Redeeming the Text: Latin Poetry and the Hermeneutics of Reception. Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 4 (1), Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/classics_papers/97 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/classics_papers/97 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Review of Denis Feeney and Stephen Hinds (Eds), Roman Literature and its Contexts; Philip Hardie, The Epic Successors of Virgil: A Study in the Dynamics of a Tradition; Duncan F. Kennedy, The Arts of Love: Five Studies in the Discourse of Roman Love Elegy; and Charles Martindale, Redeeming the Text: Latin Poetry and the Hermeneutics of Reception Disciplines Arts and Humanities | Classics This review is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/classics_papers/97 Bryn Mawr Classical Review 04.01.08 Denis Feeney and Stephen Hinds, Series editors. -
Colin Mcallister Regnum Caelorum Terrestre: the Apocalyptic Vision of Lactantius May 2016
Colin McAllister Regnum Caelorum Terrestre: The Apocalyptic Vision of Lactantius May 2016 Abstract: The writings of the early fourth-century Christian apologist L. Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius have been extensively studied by historians, classicists, philosophers and theologians. But his unique apocalyptic eschatology expounded in book VII of the Divinae Institutiones, his largest work, has been relatively neglected. This paper will distill Lactantius’s complex narrative and summarize his sources. In particular, I investigate his chiliasm and the nature of the intermediate state, as well as his portrayal of the Antichrist. I argue that his apocalypticism is not an indiscriminate synthesis of varying sources - as it often stated - but is essentially based on the Book of Revelation and other Patristic sources. +++++ The eminent expert on all things apocalyptic, Bernard McGinn, wrote: Even the students and admirers of Lactantius have not bestowed undue praise upon him. To Rene Pichon [who wrote in 1901 what is perhaps still the seminal work on Lactantius’ thought] ‘Lactantius is mediocre in the Latin sense of the word - and also a bit in the French sense’; to Vincenzo Loi [who studied Lactantius’ use of the Bible] ‘Lactantius is neither a philosophical or theological genius nor linguistic genius.’ Despite these uneven appraisals, the writings of the early fourth-century Christian apologist L. Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius [c. 250-325] hold, it seems, a little something for everyone.1 Political historians study Lactantius as an important historical witness to the crucial transitional period from the Great Persecution of Diocletian to the ascension of Constantine, and for insight into the career of the philosopher Porphyry.2 Classicists and 1 All dates are anno domini unless otherwise indicated. -
Unius Arbitrio Mundum Regi Necesse Est Lactantius' Concern for the Preservationof Roman Society
UNIUS ARBITRIO MUNDUM REGI NECESSE EST LACTANTIUS' CONCERN FOR THE PRESERVATIONOF ROMAN SOCIETY BY CHRISTOPHER OCKER Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius was probably born c. 250-260 C. E. to a pagan family in northern Africa.' According to Jerome, he was a student of Arnobius and became a renowned rhetor. He pur- portedly was brought by Diocletian to Nicomedia, the new capitol in Bithynia (and not far from the future Constantinople), in order to teach in its recently founded school. It is difficult to trace Lactantius' subse- quent movements, although his writing suggests that he was well ac- quainted with the activities of the emperors. Jerome tells us that he became the tutor of Constantine's son Crispus, having been brought by the emperor to Gaul. For our purposes, it is sufficient to know that the best evidence for his life, De viris illustribus of Jerome and Lactantius' own writings, reveals to us an educated rhetor who was associated with two emperors, one who was instigated to try exterminating the Christian religion and another who tried to exterminate all but the Christian religion. Lactantius appears to have had intimate knowledge of the religious and political events of the early fourth century. Lactantius remains historically significant apart from his contacts with Diocletian and Constantine. His memory was committed to the western Christian tradition by Jerome. Moreover, his writings ex- perienced a respectable measure of popularity during the Renaissance. From 1465 to 1600, sixty editions of items from among his works -
Marathon 2,500 Years Edited by Christopher Carey & Michael Edwards
MARATHON 2,500 YEARS EDITED BY CHRISTOPHER CAREY & MICHAEL EDWARDS INSTITUTE OF CLASSICAL STUDIES SCHOOL OF ADVANCED STUDY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON MARATHON – 2,500 YEARS BULLETIN OF THE INSTITUTE OF CLASSICAL STUDIES SUPPLEMENT 124 DIRECTOR & GENERAL EDITOR: JOHN NORTH DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS: RICHARD SIMPSON MARATHON – 2,500 YEARS PROCEEDINGS OF THE MARATHON CONFERENCE 2010 EDITED BY CHRISTOPHER CAREY & MICHAEL EDWARDS INSTITUTE OF CLASSICAL STUDIES SCHOOL OF ADVANCED STUDY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 2013 The cover image shows Persian warriors at Ishtar Gate, from before the fourth century BC. Pergamon Museum/Vorderasiatisches Museum, Berlin. Photo Mohammed Shamma (2003). Used under CC‐BY terms. All rights reserved. This PDF edition published in 2019 First published in print in 2013 This book is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0) license. More information regarding CC licenses is available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Available to download free at http://www.humanities-digital-library.org ISBN: 978-1-905670-81-9 (2019 PDF edition) DOI: 10.14296/1019.9781905670819 ISBN: 978-1-905670-52-9 (2013 paperback edition) ©2013 Institute of Classical Studies, University of London The right of contributors to be identified as the authors of the work published here has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Designed and typeset at the Institute of Classical Studies TABLE OF CONTENTS Introductory note 1 P. J. Rhodes The battle of Marathon and modern scholarship 3 Christopher Pelling Herodotus’ Marathon 23 Peter Krentz Marathon and the development of the exclusive hoplite phalanx 35 Andrej Petrovic The battle of Marathon in pre-Herodotean sources: on Marathon verse-inscriptions (IG I3 503/504; Seg Lvi 430) 45 V. -
Cicero and St. Augustine's Just War Theory: Classical Influences on a Christian Idea Berit Van Neste University of South Florida
University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 4-12-2006 Cicero and St. Augustine's Just War Theory: Classical Influences on a Christian Idea Berit Van Neste University of South Florida Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons, and the Religion Commons Scholar Commons Citation Neste, Berit Van, "Cicero and St. Augustine's Just War Theory: Classical Influences on a Christian Idea" (2006). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/3782 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Cicero and St. Augustine's Just War Theory: Classical Influences on a Christian Idea by Berit Van Neste A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Religious Studies College of Arts and Sciences University of South Florida Major Professor: James F. Strange, Ph.D. Paul G. Schneider, Ph.D. Michael J. Decker, Ph.D. Date of Approval: April 12, 2006 Keywords: theology, philosophy, politics, patristic, medieval © Copyright 2006 , Berit Van Neste For Elizabeth and Calista Table of Contents Abstract ii Chapter 1 1 Introduction 1 Cicero’s Influence on Augustine 7 Chapter 2 13 Justice 13 Natural and Temporal Law 19 Commonwealth 34 Chapter 3 49 Just War 49 Chapter 4 60 Conclusion 60 References 64 i Cicero and St. -
On the Inerrancy of Scripture
ON THE INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE David P. Bolin You do err, knowing neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. Matthew 22:29 I. Introduction In many of the recent writings of Scripture scholars there seems to be a certain reluctance to discuss the nature of the inspiration of Scripture and its relation to the interpretation ofScripture. For example, the document ofthe Pontifical Bib lical Commission, The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church, denies that it intends to consider the theology of inspiration. The Commission does not aim to adopt a position on all the questions which arise with respect to the Bible-such as, for example, the theology of inspiration. What it has in mind is to examine all the methods likely to contribute effectively to the task of making more available the riches coutained in the biblical texts. 1 But in order for the Biblical Commission to achieve its stated goal, it is necessary for it to take some position regard- David Bolin earned last year the degree ofLicentiate in Sacred Theo logy from the International Theological Institute for Marriage and the Family. This article is the thesis he submitted as part of the requirement for that degree. 1 The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church, trans.]. Kilgallen and B. Byrne (Rome: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1993), 32-33. 23 ON THE INERRANCY OF ScRIPTURE David P. Bolin ing t~e n~t~re of inspiration and its effects on Scripture, if Examples such as this reveal both that the Commission is only 1mphe1tly, even if this is contrary to the Commission's right to reject this kind of interpretation, and that it is nec intentions. -
Roman Literature from Its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age
The Project Gutenberg EBook of History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Volume I by John Dunlop This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license Title: History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Volume I Author: John Dunlop Release Date: April 1, 2011 [Ebook 35750] Language: English ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY OF ROMAN LITERATURE FROM ITS EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE AUGUSTAN AGE. VOLUME I*** HISTORY OF ROMAN LITERATURE, FROM ITS EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE AUGUSTAN AGE. IN TWO VOLUMES. BY John Dunlop, AUTHOR OF THE HISTORY OF FICTION. ivHistory of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Volume I FROM THE LAST LONDON EDITION. VOL. I. PUBLISHED BY E. LITTELL, CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA. G. & C. CARVILL, BROADWAY, NEW YORK. 1827 James Kay, Jun. Printer, S. E. Corner of Race & Sixth Streets, Philadelphia. Contents. Preface . ix Etruria . 11 Livius Andronicus . 49 Cneius Nævius . 55 Ennius . 63 Plautus . 108 Cæcilius . 202 Afranius . 204 Luscius Lavinius . 206 Trabea . 209 Terence . 211 Pacuvius . 256 Attius . 262 Satire . 286 Lucilius . 294 Titus Lucretius Carus . 311 Caius Valerius Catullus . 340 Valerius Ædituus . 411 Laberius . 418 Publius Syrus . 423 Index . 453 Transcriber's note . 457 [iii] PREFACE. There are few subjects on which a greater number of laborious volumes have been compiled, than the History and Antiquities of ROME. -
S1 Topic 5 Ancient Greek Literature
S1 Topic 5 Ancient Greek Literature Explanatory Notes for Teachers Level: S1 Topic: Ancient Greek Literature Supporting Teaching Materials: Students’ worksheet Students’ Prior Knowledge Before this ELA unit, students have learnt about ancient Greek literature and Aesop’s Fables. They should have learnt about ancient Greek literature through the medium of Chinese. Aims and Objectives I. Content Objectives After the ELA activities, students should be able to use English to: 1. state some key facts about some ancient Greek writers and their works; 2. collect and share information from one another related to Greek literature; and 3. talk about other examples of ancient literature that are still known today. II. Language Objectives After the ELA activities, students should be able to 1. understand and use the English terms related to this topic (e.g., IIiad, Homer, Sparta, Troy, Greek gods, Athena, Aesop’s Fables, Aesop, animals, tortoises, ants and wolves, lively, educational, Odyssey, Homer, Poseidon, the God of Sea, Histories, Herodotus, Persian Wars, historians, Father of History); 2. understand and use the English expressions for discussing the name, writer and content of Iliad, Aesop’s Fables, Odyssey and Histories, e.g., - ‘The Iliad’ was written by Homer. - Helen fell in love with Prince Paris. He took Helen back to Troy. In the book, many Greek gods helped to fight the war, for example, Hera and Athena. - ‘Aesop’s Fables’ was written by Aesop. - Aesop’s Fables are about animals, like tortoises, ants and wolves, etc. - These stories are lively ad educational. Many of them are still very popular today. - ‘The Odyssey’ was written by Homer. -
Origen in the Likeness of Philo: Eusebius of Caesarea's Portrait Of
SCJR 12, no. 1 (2017): 1-13 Origen in the Likeness of Philo: Eusebius of Caesarea’s Portrait of the Model Scholar JUSTIN M. ROGERS [email protected] Freed-Hardeman University, Henderson, TN 38340 The name of Philo of Alexandria occurs more in the writings of Eusebius of Caesarea than in those of any other ancient author. Philo’s name can be located over 20 times in the surviving literary corpus of Eusebius,1 and there is strong ev- idence that Eusebius’ Caesarean library is the very reason Philo’s works exist today.2 In all probability, the core of this library can be traced to the personal col- lection of Origen when he settled in Caesarea in 232 CE.3 Eusebius’ own teacher Pamphilus expanded the library, and took great pains to copy and preserve Ori- gen’s own works. What we have, then, is a literary union between Philo and Origen, Alexandrians within the same exegetical tradition. But we can go further. Ilaria Ramelli has argued that Eusebius’ accounts of Philo and Origen in the Ecclesiastical History are strikingly similar, picking up Robert Grant’s stress on the similarity between Origen and the Philonic Therapeutae.4 Here, I further Ramelli’s work by noting additional similarities in the Eusebian biographical presentations. I also point to the tension Eusebius felt between Philo Christianus and Philo Judaeus, a tension detectible in his presentation of the Therapeutae, a group about whom Philo reported and whom Eusebius considered to be the first Egyptian Christians.5 The result is that Eusebius recognized Philo to be exegeti- cally closer to Christianity, and religiously closer to Judaism. -
Mercenaries, Poleis, and Empires in the Fourth Century Bce
The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School College of the Liberal Arts ALL THE KING’S GREEKS: MERCENARIES, POLEIS, AND EMPIRES IN THE FOURTH CENTURY BCE A Dissertation in History and Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies by Jeffrey Rop © 2013 Jeffrey Rop Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2013 ii The dissertation of Jeffrey Rop was reviewed and approved* by the following: Mark Munn Professor of Ancient Greek History and Greek Archaeology, Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies Dissertation Advisor Chair of Committee Gary N. Knoppers Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Religious Studies, and Jewish Studies Garrett G. Fagan Professor of Ancient History and Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies Kenneth Hirth Professor of Anthropology Carol Reardon George Winfree Professor of American History David Atwill Associate Professor of History and Asian Studies Graduate Program Director for the Department of History *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School iii ABSTRACT This dissertation examines Greek mercenary service in the Near East from 401- 330 BCE. Traditionally, the employment of Greek soldiers by the Persian Achaemenid Empire and the Kingdom of Egypt during this period has been understood to indicate the military weakness of these polities and the superiority of Greek hoplites over their Near Eastern counterparts. I demonstrate that the purported superiority of Greek heavy infantry has been exaggerated by Greco-Roman authors. Furthermore, close examination of Greek mercenary service reveals that the recruitment of Greek soldiers was not the purpose of Achaemenid foreign policy in Greece and the Aegean, but was instead an indication of the political subordination of prominent Greek citizens and poleis, conducted through the social institution of xenia, to Persian satraps and kings. -
The Thomas More / William Tyndale Polemic: a Selection Edited, with An
The Thomas More / William Tyndale Polemic: A Selection Edited, with an introduction and notes by Matthew DeCoursey Hong Kong Institute of Education Texts Series 3, 2010 http://purl.org/emls/moretyndale.pdf © Matthew DeCoursey, 2010 Comments or corrections may be sent to [email protected] 2 CONTENTS Acknowledgements 3 Introduction 4 A Note on the Text 28 Extracts from The Obedience of a Christian Man 35 Extracts from A Dialogue Concerning Heresies 69 Extracts from An Answer to Sir Thomas More's Dialogue 115 Extracts from The Confutation of Tyndale's Answer 170 Glossary 200 Notes 212 Bibliography and Abbreviations 228 3 Most of the work for this edition was done during the term of a postdoctoral fellowship from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, spent at the Catholic University of America and the Folger Shakespeare Library. I am indebted to Christina DeCoursey and Sister Anne M. O'Donnell for their advice and support. Katherine Acheson gave essential advice on the introduction. 4 Introduction From the beginning of the Reformation in 1517, philology was a crucial element of Protestant thought. Sola scriptura, “the scripture alone” was a Reformation slogan, and the nature of that scripture was defined in philological terms. Luther used Erasmus’s edition of the Greek New Testament with a revised Latin translation in an effort to reach the sources of biblical thought. When Luther understood the original languages well enough, he translated the text into German for the common reader. William Tyndale followed his example in English, laying the foundations for most of our King James Version.