Pythagoras Byzantinus

The Pythagoras Byzantinus research project aims to fill an important gap in our knowledge and understanding of the history and forms of reception of Pythagoras and Pythagoreanism in Middle and Late Byzantium, a gap that has been highlighted in the international academic bibliography.

In contrast to other Medieval traditions (Latin, Arabic, Syriac and Jewish), the reception of Pythagoras and Pythagoreanism in Byzantium has not yet been studied systematically. In the relevant bibliography, there are only sporadic or fragmentary references to Pythagorean resonances in Middle and Late Byzantine texts, while the number of articles dealing with it is still extremely limited. At the same time, eminent contemporary historians of philosophy have repeatedly stressed the need to explore this rather understudied thematic field.

In order to fill this existing research gap and improve our understanding of the reception of Pythagoras and Pythagoreanism in Middle and Late Byzantium, this project will be articulated and developed mainly around six thematic axes:

1. Pythagoras and the mathematical sciences (quadrivium) in Byzantine sources.

2. The occult Pythagoras and proto-sciences (alchemy and astrology).

3. Pythagorean way of life: ethical and political echoes and revivals in Byzantine literature and culture.

4. References to and representations of Pythagoras and Pythagoreanism in Byzantine culture

5. Pythagorean echoes in Christian forms of asceticism (silence, fasting, vegetarianism, and miracles)

6. Ambivalence to and criticism of Pythagoras and (Neo) Pythagoreanism in Byzantium.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Presence of Aristotle in Byzantine Theology

Image
With the kind permission of Professor David Bradshaw, below is an excerpt from his chapter, “The Presence of Aristotle in Byzantine Theology” in The Cambridge Intellectual History of Byzantium , edited by Anthony Kaldellis & Niketas Siniossoglou (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017). Any attempt to survey the place of Aristotle within Byzantine theology must begin by recognizing that the category of “Byzantine theology” is itself a modern construction. The Byzantines did not think of themselves as Byzantines, but as Romans. This fact is not merely a matter of nomenclature, but a reminder of their strong sense of continuity with the classical and early Christian past. As regards theology, in particular, the Byzantines saw no sharp line dividing their own times from the foundational era of Christianity. Although they recognized the authority of the Church Fathers, they did not think in terms of a closed and completed “age of the Fathers.”[1] The holy and God-bearing Fathers
Read more

Sourcebook of Byzantine Philosophy

Image
An exciting new project known as the Sourcebook of Byzantine Philosophy (SBPh) is underway, led by Katerina Ierodiakonou, Pantelis Golitsis, Ioannis Papachristou and Dafni Argyri. According to the SBPh team, Byzantine philosophy is still overlooked by the history of philosophy. For Byzantine philosophy to be properly studied and appreciated, a SBPh, which collects the key texts of Byzantine thinkers in an accessible edition, is essential. The SBPh will contain selected Byzantine philosophical texts in the original and in English translation, and will place these texts in their historical context. Selected texts will cover the period from the 8th century to the 15th century, exploring the areas of logic, theory of knowledge, metaphysics, natural philosophy, psychology, ethics and politics. To learn more about the project, peruse the SBPh website: https://byphil.gr/ 
Read more