Apollonius of Tyana, the Philosopher-Reformer of the First Century A.D.Mead, G. R. S. (George Robert Stow)
Religion
Apollonius of Tyana, the Philosopher-Reformer of the First Century A.D.
Mead, G. R. S. (George Robert Stow)
Apollonius, of Tyana; Philosophers -- Greece -- Biography; Philosophy, Ancient -- Oriental influences
On the whole we are inclined to think that Apollonius did not establish
any fresh organisation; he made use of those already existing, and his
disciples were those who were attracted to him personally by an
overmastering affection which could only be satisfied by being
continually near him. This much seems certain, that he trained no one to
carry on his task; he came and went, helping and illuminating, but he
handed on no tradition of a definite line, and founded no school to be
continued by successors. Even to his ever faithful companion, when
bidding him farewell for what he knew would be the last time for Damis
on earth, he had no word to say about the work to which he had devoted
his life, but which Damis had never understood. His last words were for
Damis alone, for the man who had loved him, but who had never known him.
It was a promise to come to him if he needed help. “Damis, whenever you
think on high matters in solitary meditation, you shall see me” (viii.
28).
We will next turn our attention to a consideration of some of the
sayings ascribed to Apollonius and the speeches put into his mouth by
Philostratus. The shorter sayings are in all probability authentically
traditional, but the speeches are for the most part manifestly the
artistic working-up of the rough notes of Damis. In fact, they are
definitely declared to be so; but they are none the less interesting on
this account, and for two reasons.
In the first place, they honestly avow their nature, and make no claim
of inspiration; they are confessedly human documents which endeavour to
give a literary dress to the traditional body of thought and endeavour
which the life of the philosopher built into the minds of his hearers.
The method was common to antiquity, and the ancient compilers of certain
other series of famous documents would have been struck with amazement
had they been able to see how posterity would divinise their efforts and
regard them as immediately inspired by the source of all wisdom.
In the second place, although we are not to suppose that we are reading
the actual words of Apollonius, we are nevertheless conscious of being
in immediate contact with the inner atmosphere of the best religious
thought of the Greek mind, and have before our eyes the picture of a
mystic and spiritual fermentation which leavened all strata of society
in the first century of our era.
SECTION XV.
FROM HIS SAYINGS AND SERMONS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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