Online Lecture on «Porphyry, “Poet, Philosopher, and Priest”?» by Andrew Smith
Within the framework of the Research Project “Between Athens & Alexandria. Platonism, 3rd-7th c. CE” (2022-2024) supported by the A. S. Onassis Foundation, the IMS-FORTH, in collaboration with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s Center for Hellenistic Studies (ACHS), organizes a monthly online lecture series on late antique Neoplatonism (3rd-7th c. CE).
The series hosts invited talks in English or French by leading scholars in the field. Lectures take place via Zoom at 7pm Athens & Alexandria. Prior registration is required.
The topic of the 2023 talks is "Porphyry, Iamblichus, and 4th Century Neoplatonism".
All welcome!
Οn Tuesday Feb. 7, at 19:00 (Athens time) Emeritus Professor Andrew Smith (University College Dublin) will give a lecture on «Porphyry, “Poet, Philosopher, and Priest”?».
Abstract
I will direct my talk to the ideas expressed in the working hypothesis adopted by the “Between Athens & Alexandria” project, that the Neoplatonic Schools of Athens and Alexandria are essentially one School adapting itself to the different environments of the two cities, but by focussing less on the possible reception of Porphyry in Athens and Alexandria than on Porphyry himself, in terms of the form and content of his philosophical project and on how this would have presented itself objectively to his successors. To regard Porphyry and Iamblichus as polar opposites and as putative champions respectively of rational and religious Platonism and thus also of an Alexandrian and Athenian version of Neoplatonism is too coarse a distinction, and one which distorts the complex spectrum of Neo-platonic understanding of the relationship of philosophy to religion.
You can register in advance to our seminar meetings using the following LINK.