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THE VISIBLE COSMOS of DIALOGUES. SOME HISTORICAL and PHILOSOPHICAL REMARKS ABOUT PLATO in the LATE ANTIQUE SCHOOLS Revista Archai, Núm Revista Archai E-ISSN: 1984-249X [email protected] Universidade de Brasília Brasil Motta, Anna THE VISIBLE COSMOS OF DIALOGUES. SOME HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL REMARKS ABOUT PLATO IN THE LATE ANTIQUE SCHOOLS Revista Archai, núm. 12, enero-junio, 2014, pp. 11-18 Universidade de Brasília Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=586161980002 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative desígnio 12 jan/jun 2014 THE VISIBLE COSMOS OF DIALOGUES. SOME HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL REMARKS ABOUT PLATO IN THE LATE ANTIQUE SCHOOLS * Anna Motta MOTTA, A. (2014) The Visible Cosmos of Dialogues: Some Historical and Philosophical Remarks about Plato in the Late Antique Schools. Archai, n. 12, jan - jun, p. 11-18 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14195/1984-249X_12_1 th th * MA in Classical Philology The harmonious disposition and the balance ABSTRACT: Between the 5 and the 6 centuries A.D., the at the University of Naples Neoplatonic school of Alexandria, where the philosophical school- Federico II and Ph.D. in of the parties, through the compliance of a general Late Antique, Medieval and principle of convenience, determine the beauty of teaching follows a specific cursus studiorum, is opened also to Humanistic Philosophy at the Christian students. Despite some divergences of religious University of Salerno a λόγος. As Plato says: (but also of economical and of political) nature, and after some 1. On this page see BRISSON (1987), p. 121-128 and Every speech (πάντα λόγον) must be composed as a violent events which occur in the Egyptian city, the Alexandrian BRISSON (2000), p. 209-218. living being (ζῷον) that should have its own body (σῶμά school is linked to its contemporary Neoplatonic school in Ath- 2. Cf. also Procl. In Alc. I, 10, 1-16. τι ἔχοντα αὐτὸν αὑτοῦ), then it does not appear without ens. Indeed the Prolegomena to Platonic Philosophy, i.e. the 3. PLEZIA (1949), p. 86, head (μήτε ἀκέφαλον) and feet, but it has the parts of the introductory lectures discussed by an Anonymous professor in WESTERINK (1962), p. XLI = WESTERINK (1990), p. middle and those extremes written in a convenient way order to present the characteristics of Platonic philosophy, show LXXV and MANSFELD (1994), 1 p. 28 assume that Proclus’ to one another and to the whole body (Phaedr. 264c) . that the method of teaching Plato is still the same. According introductions to Aristotle to the Neoplatonic exegetical tradition, the text emphasizes and Plato were two distinct works. See also HADOT that the dialogical artefact fashioned as a cosmos by Plato is The quotation, from a dialogue considered (1990), p. 31, who, on theological in the Iamblichus’ Canon, seems to me a paideutic instrument with the purpose to look away from the the contrary, believes in a united introduction to the right metaphor to submit, in this paper, a writ- sensible and to guide towards the intelligible. Plato, through Aristotle and Plato. dialogues, eikones of the invisible, does not create illusions, but ing that acts as the ‘head’ of Neoplatonic teaching, contributes to the practice of ‘assimilation’ by filling the writings as the proper introduction to Plato’s λόγοι, as the with greater contents. preliminary passage to be able to get the unity of the Neoplatonic system. KEY-WORDS: Plato, Prolegomena, analogy, visible cosmos, invisible cosmos. The importance of prologues and the role of the image of the dialogue as a single living being, harmonious with itself in all its parts, are underlined RESUMO: Entre os século V e VI d.C., a escola neoplatônica de Alexandria, onde a didática filosófica segue um preciso cursus in various ways by Proclus, who, moreover in a studiorum, é aberta também aos estudantes cristãos. Não obstan- passage of the Commentary on the First Alcibiades, te algumas diferenças de natureza religiosa (mas também econô- refers to what he has said “elsewhere” (καὶ ἐν 2 mica e política), e em seguida a alguns violentos acontecimentos ἄλλοις) about the dialogues in general . Unfortu- 3 que golpeiam a cidade egípcia, a escola de Alexandria permanece nately we don’t have any Proclus’ introductions , but 11 ligada à contemporânea escola neoplatônica ateniense. E, Platonic dialogues: here we can find a large number de fato, os Prolegomena à filosofia de Platão, isto é as of exegetical principles in quite explicit form. The 6 lições introdutórias dadas por um professor anônimo para text cannot be traced to any precise individual , apresentar as características da filosofia platônica, mostram but it can be attributed to the Alexandrian Neo- th que o método de ensinar Platão é ainda o mesmo. Seguindo platonic philosophical context of the 6 Century a tradição exegética neoplatônica, o texto sublinha que o A.D. The Westerink’s edition is based on the Vienna 4. Cf. also Procl. In Remp. I, 5, 38- artefato dialógico, plasmado como um cosmo por Platão, manuscript, the codex Vindobonensis phil. gr. 314, 39 and MANSFELD (1994), p. 22. 5. HADOT (1990), p. 35 and é um instrumento paidêutico que tem o objetivo desviar o written by John Grammaticus, a copy of the volume PLEZIA (1949), p. 26, p. 70 th olhar do sensível e guiar rumo ao inteligível. Platão, através compiled by Arethus of Caesarea (10 Century A.D.). want to derive the full-blown Neoplatonic schemata isagogica dos diálogos, eikones do invisível, não cria ilusões, mas The work is didactic, prescriptive and descriptive in from Porphyry, but MANSFELD contribui para a prática da “assimilação” preenchendo os nature and, precisely because of this, it is interest- (1994), p. 20 also talks about the influence of Origen. escritos de maiores conteúdos. ing from the point of view of both form and content. 6. Because of the stratified PALAVRAS-CHAVES: Platão, Prolegomena, analogia, If we cannot say anything about the author, character of the text we can’t say anything about its author. The cosmo visível, cosmo invisível. on the contrary we can present briefly the complex Skowronski’s thesis, which ascribes the Prolegomena to Olympiodorus, historical and religious context of the Egyptian city is today not acceptable. In 1884 in order to construct the background to the school he argues that Olympiodorus we have the text that marks in Alexandria the path wrote this introduction comparing program. This context represents the essential of the ascent to Great Mysteries and proclaims not his texts with some sections framework which makes it possible to examine the of the Anonymous. But these only the unity of a single dialogue, but the unity analogies are not sufficient, role of the Neoplatonic school in Alexandria that, of the whole Platonic corpus in order to achieve a because – as Westerink has despite some divergences of various natures, is told – “none of these passages is single purpose. characteristic in the sense that linked to its contemporary Neoplatonic school in it expresses an opinion or idea The Late Neoplatonists discuss, in some in- Athens. The sources from the Athenian school are of Olympiodorus not shared by troductory texts, a set of preliminary questions, also others. Even the exordium (for vital to this phase, given the scarcity of surviving which there is no traditional called “headings” or “main points” (κεφάλαια), in 7 formula in the introductions to sources from Alexandria . The two schools share order to clarify main issues. The importance of the Porphyry and Aristotle) sounds the same Neoplatonic teaching, but after 529 they like a commonplace. Several are κεφάλαια is underlined by Proclus who adds that demonstrably stock phrases. divide their destiny. The Academy is closed instead […] Olympidorus is the only this is the “model” pertinent to all Platonic dialogues: 8 the School of Alexandria stays open . Alexandrian whose commentaries on Plato have been preserved, and, But the Justinian ordinance of closing the with rare exception, it is in this On which and how many headings (κεφάλαια) school is not the only imperial action against the part of his work that the parallels must be distinctly described before the reading in class occur” (WESTERINK 1962, p. XLVI = pagan culture. It is a real action, but among this WESTERINK 1990, p. LXXXII). of the Republic of Plato by those who wish to interpret 7. About the sources see MOTTA 4 and others more we can focus our attention on two it correctly (ὀρθῶς) (In Remp.I, 1, 3-5) . (2012). interesting attempts of limiting the pagan sphere of 8. Cf. SAFFREY (1954), p. 396-410, SEDLEY (1981), NAPOLI (2004), DI influence. The ‘quasi-Justinian laws’ of Zeno in the The text under our attention provides infor- BRANCO (2006), p. 131-179 and Codex Iustinianus show the character of a Christian NAPOLI (2008), p. 75-89. mation concerned with eleven sections. It presents age in which pagan philosophy is seen as dangerous: preliminary matters to be treated and discussed be- moreover they seem to mark the differences between fore the study of Plato’s works may begin, before the the fortunes of the two schools. The first ‘quasi-law’ συνανάγνωσις of Platonic dialogues according to 5 denied the legality of testaments or gifts or anything a schema isagogicum , as we can read: given to persons or places for the support of the impi- ety of Hellenism. This law takes aim as well at attempts The prolegomena to our joint reading of Plato’s philo- to increase the endowments that supported the late sophical works, comprised in eleven sections (ἐν ἕνδεκα ) Hellenic παιδεία and its religious institutions. The κεφαλαίοις περικλεσθέντα (Prol.
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