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INTRODUCTION A. Life Syrianus,1 Successor to Plutarch Of INTRODUCTION A. Life Syrianus,1 successor to Plutarch of Athens as head of the Athenian school of Platonism from –,2 is best known through the writings of his well-published pupil, Proclus. In the introduction to his commentary on Plato’s Parmenides, Proclus offers the following encomium to his teacher Syrianus: “So may all the orders of divine beings help to prepare me fully to share in this most illuminating and mystical vision that Plato reveals to us in the Parmenides with a profundity appropriate to its subject; and which has been unfolded to us, with his own very lucid applications, by one who was in very truth a fellow Bacchant with Plato and filled entirely with divine truth, and who, by leading us to the understanding of this vision has become a true hierophant of these divine doctrines. Of him I would saythathecametomenastheexactimageofphilosophyforthebenefit of souls here below, in recompense for the statues, temples, and the whole ritual of worship, and as the chief author of salvation for men who now live and for those to come hereafter. So may all the higher powers be propitious to us and be ready with their gifts to illuminate us also with the light that comesfromthemandleadsusupwards.” (Proclus,In Parm. )3 1 Something of Syrianus’ background is known through works such as Damascius’ Philosophical History; Syrianus was related to Aedesia and Ammonianus (Damascius, PH ; ). Damascius informs us, moreover, that he was tall, good-looking, and strong and more beloved of the gods than Ammonianus. Regarding other details of Syrianus’ physical appearance, the reader is leftto his own imagination. 2 In addition to Proclus, Syrianus’ students included Isidore, Hermeias, and Domni- nus (Damascius, PH, D; ; A). 3 Translation Morrow-Dillon (). Proclus offers similar praise to Syrianus in PT I,pp.–(whereSyrianusiscalledahierophant)andIn Remp. I, .. In his praise of Syrianus in his Parmenides Commentary, Proclus makes it seem that Syrianus is one of the pure souls who descend willingly for the aid of the human race. This passage is not a hymn, however, because Proclus addresses the higher powers, rather than his teacher. For a hymn to a philosopher see Lucretius’ hymn to Epicurus in De rerum natura V.–. See also Porphyry’s Life of Plotinus, ch. where Porphyry calls on the Muses before he writes praise of Plotinus. introduction One gathers from this quotation that Syrianus was a figure of immense religious and spiritual importance to Proclus. As the “exact image of phi- losophy”,Syrianus personified the philosophical art for Proclus in such a way that it is impossible to avoid Syrianic thought in Proclus’ own phi- losophy, so pervasive is his philosophy in the works of Proclus. More- over, although Proclus frequently mentions his teacher when discussing a point, more often than not Syrianus is behind Proclus’ discourse even when he goes unmentioned. In his Life of Proclus, Marinus discusses the close relationship between Syrianus and Proclus: “Now the old man lived only two years more with Proclus as his lodger, andthenwhenhediedheentrustedtheyoungmantohissuccessor Syrianus, as he also did his grandson Archiadas. And when Syrianus took him, he not only gave him more help wth his scholarly pursuits, but made him his housemate from then on and a sharer in his philosophic life, finding in him the sort of hearer and successor that he hadlong desired to have, as he was able to receive his manifold learning and divine teachings.”4 Proclus was the hand-picked successor of Syrianus, who not only studied at the feet of Syrianus, but lived with him and adapted his philosophical way of life, even positioning himself within ear-shot of his Master at death.5 Little is known about Syrianus’ personal history—the major study on the person of Syrianus remains K. Praechter’s article, “Syrianos” in R.E (IV A –), the information for which seems based on Mari- nus’ Life of Proclus. Marinus notes that Syrianus was the son of Philox- enus and that he became head of the school of Athens in / after Plutarch’s death.6 In addition to overseeing Proclus, he was the teacher of Hermeias and Domninus. He died, according to Marinus, shortly after a period when he was to read either Orphic writings or Chaldean Oracles with Domninus and Proclus, in the midst of his service as diadochos.7 4 Marinus, Life of Proclus, , translation Edwards (). 5 Marinus, Life of Proclus, . Marinus tells the story that Syrianus had requested two vaults—one for himself, one for Proclus—in one tomb. When Proclus later worried out of piety that it would be improper for him to be buried with Syrianus, Syrianus appeared to him in a dream to persuade him otherwise (Marinus, ibid). The inscription on Proclus’ tomb, which he shares with his teacher, Syrianus, on Mt. Lycabettus reads: “Proclus I was, by race a man of Lycia, whom Syrianus Fostered here to become the successor to his own school. This is the common tomb which received the bodies of both men; Oh may a single Place be a portion of both their souls.” Marinus, ibid.trans.Edwards. 6 Marinus, Life of Proclus, 7 Marinus, Life of Proclus, ..
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