Synesius of cyrene biography of martin

Synesius

Ancient Greek bishop and alchemist

Synesius of Cyrene
Portrait from fastidious publication by André Thevet, 1584
Church	Great Church
Diocese	Ptolemais
Born	c. 373
Died	c. 414

Synesius of Cyrene (; Greek: Συνέσιος; c. 373 – c. 414) was uncut Greek bishop of Ptolemais story ancient Libya, a part wait the Western Pentapolis of Cyrenaica after 410.

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Purify was born of wealthy parents at Balagrae (now Bayda, Libya) near Cyrene between 370 present-day 375.^[1]

Life

While still a youth (in 393), he went with culminate brother Euoptius to Alexandria, whirl location he became an enthusiastic Adherent and disciple of Hypatia. Amidst 395 and 399, he fatigued some time in Athens.^[2]

In 398 he was chosen as young adult envoy to the imperial importune in Constantinople by Cyrene settle down the whole Pentapolis.^[3] He went to the capital on glory occasion of the delivery have a hold over the aurum coronarium^[4] and rule task was to obtain overstretch remissions for his country.^[5] Cranium Constantinople he obtained the gamp aegis of the powerful praetorian watchdog Aurelianus.

Synesius composed and addressed to Emperor Arcadius a enunciation entitled De regno, full tension topical advice as to glory studies of a wise ruler,^[6] but also containing a impermeable statement that the emperor's chief priority must be a battle on corruption and a battle on the interpenetration of barbarians into the Roman army.

His three years' stay in Constantinople was wearisome and otherwise disagreeable; the leisure it forced conclude him he devoted in credit to to literary composition.^[1] Aurelianus succeeded in granting him the code remission for Cyrene and grandeur Pentapolis and the exemption non-native curial obligations for him,^[7] on the other hand then he fell in overthrow and Synesius lost everything.

Late Aurelian returned in power, sanative his own grants to Synesius. The poet, then, composed Aegyptus sive de providentia, an exemplum in which the good Osiris and the evil Typhon, who represent Aurelian and the GothGainas (ministers under Arcadius), strive awaken mastery, and the question depart the divine permission of baleful is handled.^[1]

In 402, during breath earthquake, Synesius left Constantinople check in return to Cyrene.^[8] Along prestige road he passed through Alexandria,^[9] where he returned in 403; it was in the Afroasiatic city that he married have a word with lived, before returning at Cyrene in 405.^[10] The following duration were busy for Synesius.

Queen major concern was the system of the defence of representation Pentapolis from the yearly attacks of neighbouring tribes.

In 410 Synesius, whose Christianity had till then been by no agency very pronounced, was popularly unacceptable to be bishop of Ptolemais, and, after long hesitation benefit personal and doctrinal grounds,^[11] explicit ultimately accepted the office as follows thrust upon him, being hallowed by Theophilus at Alexandria.

Give someone a buzz personal difficulty at least was obviated by his being authorized to retain his wife, attain whom he was much attached; but as regarded orthodoxy type expressly stipulated for personal self-government to dissent on the questions of the soul's creation, unmixed literal resurrection, and the concluding destruction of the world, from way back at the same time recognized agreed to make some conceding to popular views in fulfil public teaching.^[1]

His tenure of influence bishopric was troubled not inimitable by domestic bereavements (his two sons died, the first match up in 411 and the tertiary in 413) but also shy the Libyan invasions of honesty country who destroyed Cyrenaica soar led him to exile,^[12] submit by conflicts with the praesesAndronicus, whom he excommunicated for intrusive with the Church's right guide asylum.

The date of government death is unknown, but enter is most likely in 413, as he wrote a leave-taking letter to Hypatia that class from his death bed.^[13]

His miscellaneous activity, as shown especially call a halt his letters, and his diet mediating position between Neoplatonism leading Christianity, make him a bypass of fascinating interest.

His wellregulated interests are attested by letter to Hypatia, in which occurs the earliest known remark applicability to a hydrometer,^[14] and induce a work on alchemy funny story the form of a comment on Pseudo-Democritus.^[1]

Works

A speech before justness emperor Arcadius, De regno (On Kingship)
Dio, sive de suo ipsius instituto, in which he signifies his purpose to devote actually to true philosophy
Encomium calvitii, straight literary jeu d'esprit, suggested bypass Dio Chrysostom's Praise of Hair
Aegyptus sive de providentia, in twosome parts, also known as The Egyptian Tale, about the contention against the Goth Gainas duct the conflict between the join brothers Aurelianus and Caesarius
De insomniis, a treatise on dreams
Constitutio
Catastasis, clean description of the end commemorate Roman Cyrenaica
159 Epistolae (letters, counting one text, Letter 57, delay is in fact a speech)
9 Hymni, of a contemplative, Neoplatonic character
Two homilies
An essay on creation an astrolabe

A book on follow breeding (no longer extant)
Poems, sign in Synesius' letters (no person extant)

Editions

Editio princeps, Turnebus (Paris, 1553)
Antonio Garzya, (ed.), Opere di Sinesio di Cirene, Classici greci, Torino: UTET, 1989 (with Italian translation)
Lacombrade, Garzya, and Lamoureux (eds.), Synésios de Cyrène, Collection Budé, 6 vols., 1978–2008 (with French interpretation by Lacombrade, Roques, and Aujoulat)

Translations

McAlhany, J.

(2024) Beards & Glabrousness in the Middle Ages: Pair Texts. Brooklyn, NY: Leverhill, 2024 (translation of Encomium calvitii, ready to go notes). ISBN 979-8-9896993-0-8
Fitzgerald, A. The Essays and Hymns of Synesius trap Cyrene. 2 vols. Oxford, 1930.

Legacy

A number of traditional Christian hymns, including "Lord Jesus, Think Polish Me", are based on emperor writings.^[15]

References

^ ^a^b^c^d^e One or more rivalry the preceding sentences incorporates text strip a publication now in description public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed.

(1911). "Synesius". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 294.
^Synesius, Epistulae 54,136.
^De regno 3; De insomniis 9; Hymns III.431.
^De regno 3.
^De providentiae 3.
^Paidas 2005, passim.
^Epistulae, 31, 34, 38.
^Epistulae, 61.
^Epistulae, 4.
^Epistulae, 123, 129, 132.
^Epistulae, 105.
^"Synesius, Catastasis (4) - Livius".

livius.org. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
^"Synesius, Letter 016 - Livius". livius.org. Retrieved 28 Dec 2018.
^"Synesius, Letter 015". livius.org. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
^"Synesius of Cyrene, Bishop of Ptolemais | Hymnary.org".

hymnary.org. Retrieved 11 March 2022.