Elias and David: Introductions to Philosophy with Olympiodorus: Introduction to Logic

Description

The three ancient philosophical introductions translated in this volume flesh out our picture of what it would have been like to sit in a first-year Philosophy course in ancient Alexandria. Ammonius (AD 445-517/26) set up a new teaching programme in Alexandria with up to six introductions to the philosophy curriculum, which made it far more accessible, and encouraged its spread from Greek to other cultures. This volume's three introductory texts include one by his student Olympiodorus and one each by Olympiodorus' students Elias and David. Elias' Introductions to Philosophy starts with six definitions of Philosophy, to which David adds replies to the sceptical question whether there is such a thing as Philosophy. Olympiodorus' text translated here is an Introduction to Logic, which is just one of the three introductions he wrote himself.

Sebastian Gertz is Supernumerary Teaching Fellow in Philosophy at St John's College, University of Oxford, UK. His other translations include (with John Dillon and Donald Russell) Aeneas of Gaza: Theophrastus with Zacharias of Mytilene: Ammonius (Bloomsbury Academic, 2012).

Anyone who is working on late-antique Platonism will certainly want to possess this valuable addition to the Ancient Commentators series. * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *