Proclus

doi:10.1017/CHOL9780521194846.006

35 - Proclus

from VI - Late Platonism

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 May 2011

Carlos Steel

Edited by

Lloyd Gerson

Show author details

Lloyd Gerson: Affiliation:
University of Toronto

Book contents

Get access

Summary

LIFE AND WORK

Proclus was born in 412 in Byzantium in a Lycian family, still faithful to the old Hellenic religion in a society already dominated by Christianity. The talented young man did not opt for a career in the imperial administration as his father had done, but decided to devote his life to philosophy. After completing his studies in Alexandria, Proclus arrived in Athens in 430 where he joined the Platonic Academy and was first educated by the elderly Plutarch. Under Plutarch the Athenian Academy had turned to the new form of Platonic philosophy that was initiated by Plotinus and propagated by Porphyry. Under the influence of Iamblichus, this Platonic philosophy had become more and more linked to the old beliefs and rites of paganism, of which it offered a rational justification. This tendency increased when Syrianus became the new head of the Academy in 432.1 During more than fifteen years Proclus not only followed Syrianus’ courses, but was also initiated by him in theurgic rituals. Proclus was deeply influenced by his master and he often praises him lavishly (cf. In Parm. 1.618.2– 9). After Syrianus’ death (around 437), he became the head of the school and thus ‘successor (diadochos) of Plato’, a position he held for almost fifty years until his death in 485.

Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge History of Philosophy in Late Antiquity , pp. 630 - 653

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521194846.006 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

A Commentary on the First Book of Euclid’s Elements, trans. with introduction and notes by Morrow, G. R. (1970). Princeton. NJ [reprinted 1992, with a new foreword by I. Mueller].

Adamson, P., Baltussen, H. and Stone, M.F.W. (2004) Philosophy, Science and Exegesis in Greek, Arabic and Latin Commentaries, vol. I. London.

Barbanti, M. and Romano, F. (eds.) (2002) Il Parmenide di Platone e la sua tradizione. III. Catania.

Beierwaltes, W. (1979 Proklos. Grundzüge seiner Metaphysik 2nd edn. Frankfurt am Main.

Beierwaltes, W. (2007) Procliana. Spätantikes Denken und seine Spuren. Frankfurt am Main.

Beutler, R. (1957) ‘Proklos’, in Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft XXIII, 1. Stuttgart, cols..Google Scholar

Bos, E.P. and Meijer, P.A. (eds.) (1992) On Proclus and his Influence in Medieval Philosophy. Leiden.

Boss, G. and Seel, G. (eds.) (1987) Proclus et son influence. Actes du colloque de Neuchâtel (juin 1985), avec une introduction de F. Brunner. Zurich.

Brisson, L. (1995) Orphée et l’Orphisme dans l’Antiquité gréco-romaine. Aldershot.

Commentaire sur le Timée, trad. et notes par Festugière, A.-J., 5 vols. (1966–8). Paris.

d’Hoine, P., Helmig, C., Macé, C. and Van Campe, L. under the direction of Steel, C. (2002) ‘Proclus: Fifteen Years of Research (1990–2004)’, Lustrum 44. Bibliography continued on the website http://www.hiw.kuleuven.be/dwmc/Plato/Proclus.Google Scholar

Dörrie, H. (1975) De Jamblique à Proclus. Geneva.

Die mittelalterliche übersetzung der Stoicheiosis phusike des Proclus, ed. Boese, H. (1958). Berlin.

Die Weltenstehung des platonischen Timaios nach den antiken Interpreten, Teil II: Proklos, ed. Baltes, M. (1978). Leiden..

‘Exzerpte aus Proklos’ Enneadenkommentar bei Psellos’, ed. Westerink, L.D. (1959). Byzantinische Zeitschrift 52: [reprint in L.G. Westerink, Texts and Studies in Neoplatonism and Byzantine Literature, (1980). Amsterdam. 21–30].Google Scholar

Ficino, Marsilio, (2001–6). Platonic Theology, eds. Hankins, J. and Bowen, W., English trans. Allen, M. J. B. and Warden, J., 6 vols. Cambridge, MA.

Günther, H.-Chr. (2007) Die Uebersetzung der Elementatio Theologica des Proklos und ihre Bedeutung für den Proklostext. Leiden.

Geerlings, W. and Schulze, Ch. (eds.) (2002–4) Der Kommentar in Antike und Mittelalter. Beiträge zu seiner Erforschung, 2 vols. Leiden.

Gerson, L. P. (1997) ‘Ἐπιστροϕὴ πρὸς ἑαυτόν: History and Meaning’, Documenti e studi sulla tradizione filosofica medievale 8:Google Scholar

Gerson, L. P. (2005) Aristotle and Other Platonists. Ithaca, NY–London.

Hadot, I. (1978) Le Problème du Néoplatonisme Alexandrin: Hiéroclès et Simplicius. Paris.

Ioannes Philoponus: De aeternitate mundi contra Proclum, ed. Rabe, H. (1899). Leipzig. [reprint Hildesheim 1963].

Lernould, A. (2001) Physique et Théologie: Lecture du Timée de Platon par Proclus. Villeneuve d’Ascq (Nord).

Lloyd, A.C. (1990) The Anatomy of Neoplatonism. Oxford.

Neoplatonic Saints: The Lives of Plotinus and Proclus by their Students, trans. Edwards, M. (2000). (Translated Texts for Historians 35), Liverpool [My quotations use this translation, with some changes.]

Opsomer, J. (2000) ‘Proclus on Demiurgy and Procession. A Neoplatonic Reading of the Timaeus’, in Wright, M. R. (ed.), Reason and Necessity. Essays on Plato’s Timaeus. London.Google Scholar

Oracles chaldaïques, texte et traduction par Places, é. Des (1971). Paris.

Pépin, J. and Saffrey, H.D. (1987) Proclus. Lecteur et interprète des anciens. Actes du colloque international du CNRS Paris (2–4 octobre 1985). Paris.

Parmenides usque ad finem primae hypothesis nec non Procli Commentarium in Parmenidem, pars ultima adhuc inedita interprete G. de Moerbeka, eds. Klibansky, R. et Labowsky, C. (1953) London. [Reprint Nendelm / Liechtenstein 1962.]

Perkams, M. and Piccione, R.M. (eds.) (2006) Proklos. Methode, Seelenlehre, Metaphysik. Akten der Konferenz in Jena am 18.-20. September 2003. Leiden.

Procli diadochi Hypotyposis astronomicarum positionum, ed. Manutius, C. (1909). Leipzig. [reprint 1974].

Procli Diadochi in Platonis rem publicam commentarii, ed. Kroll, W., 2 vols. (1899–2001). Leipzig [Reprint Amsterdam 1965.]

Procli Diadochi In Platonis Timaeum commentaria, ed. Diehl, E. (1903–6). Leipzig [reprint Amsterdam 1965].

Procli Diadochi in primum Euclidis elementorum librum commentarii, ed. Friedlein, G. (1873). Leipzig. 1873 [reprint Hildesheim 1967].

Procli Diadochi Lycii institutio physica, ed. Ritzenfeld, A. (1912). Leipzig.

Procli Diadochi tria opuscula (De providentia, libertate, malo) Latine Guilelmo de Moerbeka vertente et graece ex Isaacii Sebastocratoris aliorumque scriptis collecta, ed. Boese, H. (1960). Berlin.

Procli hymni accedunt hymnorum fragmenta; epigrammata, scholia, fontium et locorum similium apparatus, indices, ed. Vogt, E. (1957). Wiesbaden.

Procli philosophi Platonici opera inedita, ed. Cousin, V., 2nd edn. (1864). Paris. [First edition 1820–7.] [Reprint of the Commentary on Plato’s Parmenides, Hildesheim 1961 and 2002; reprint of the whole work, Frankfurt am Main 1962, 617–1244.]

Proclus Diadochus. Commentary on the First Alcibiades of Plato, critical text and indices by Westerink, L. G. (1954). Amsterdam.

Marinus. Proclus ou sur le Bonheur, texte établi et traduit par Saffrey, H. D. et Segonds, A.-Ph. (2001). Paris.

Proclus’ Commentary on Plato’s Parmenides, trans. by Morrow, G. R. and Dillon, J. M. (1987). Princeton, NJ.

Proclus’ Hymns: Essays, Translations, Commentary, ed. Berg, R.M. den (2001). Leiden.

Proclus. Alcibiades I, trans. O’Neill, W., 2nd edn. (1971). The.Hague. [First edition 1964.]

Proclus. Commentaire sur le Parménide de Platon, Traduction de Guillaume de Moerbeke, éd. critique par Steel, C. (1982–5) Leuven.

Proclus. Commentary on Plato’s Timaeus, eds. and trans. Tarrant, H., Runia, D.T., Share, M. and Baltzly, D., 4 vols. (2007–9). Cambridge.

Proclus. Elementatio theologica, translata a Guillelmo de Morbecca, hrsg. Boese, von H. (1987). Leuven.

Proclus. On Providence, trans. by Steel, C. (2007). London.

Proclus. On the Eternity of the World (de Aeternitate mundi), Greek text with introduction, translation and commentary by Lang, H. S. and Macro, A. D., argument I translated from the Arabic by McGinnis, J. (2001). Berkeley, CA.

Proclus. On the Existence of Evils, trans. Opsomer, by J. and Steel, C. (2003). London.

Proclus. The Elements of Theology, ed. and trans. by Dodds, E. R., 2nd edn (1963) Oxford. [First edition 1933.]

Proclus. Trois études sur la providence, texte établi et trad. par Isaac, D., 3 vols. avec une note additionelle par C. Steel (1977–82). Paris.

Proclus: Commentaire sur la République, trad. par Festugière, A.-J., 3 vols. (1970) Paris.

Proclus: Platonic Theology, trans. Taylor, by Th. (1816). Kew Gardens, (NY). [Reprint, Selene Books, 1995.]

Proclus: Théologie platonicienne, texte établi et traduit par Saffrey, H. D. et Westerink, L.G., 6 vols. (1968–97). Paris.

Saffrey, H.D. (1990) Recherches sur le Néoplatonisme après Plotin. Paris.

Saffrey, H.D. (2000) Le Néoplatonisme après Plotin. Paris.

Scotti Muth, N. (1993) Proclo negli ultimi quarant’ anni: Bibliografia ragionata della letteratura primaria e secondaria riguardante il pensiero procliano e i suoi influssi storici (anni 1949–1992), introduction by Beierwaltes, W.. Milan.

Segonds, A.-Ph. and Steel, C. (eds.) (2000) Proclus et la Théologie platonicienne. Actes du colloque international de Louvain (13–16 mai 1998) en l’honneur de Saffrey et L.G. Westerink. Leuven–Paris.

Sezgin, F. et al. (eds.) (2000) Proclus Arabus and the Liber de Causis (Burûklûs ’inda l-’Arab wa-kitâb al-îdâh fî l-khayr al-mahd). Frankfurt am Main.

Sheppard, A. (1980) Studies on the Fifth and Sixth Essays of Proclus’ Commentary on the Republic. Göttingen.

Siorvanes, L. (1996) Proclus. Neo-Platonic Philosophy and Science. New Haven, CT.

Steel, C. (2003) ‘Why Should We Prefer Plato’s Timaeus to Aristotle’s Physics? Proclus’ Critique of Aristotle’s Causal Explanation of the Physical World’, in Sharples, R. W. and Sheppard, A. (eds.), Ancient Approaches to Plato’s Timaeus, ed. London.Google Scholar

Steel, C. (2005a) ‘Proclus’ Defence of the Timaeus Against Aristotle’s Objections. A Reconstruction of a Lost Polemical Treatise’, in Leinkauf, Th. and Steel, C. (eds.), Plato’s Timaeus and the Foundations of Cosmology in Late Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Leuven.Google Scholar

Steel, C. (2005b) ‘Theology as First Philosophy. The Neoplatonic Concept of Metaphysics’, Quaestio: annuario di storia della metafisica 5:Google Scholar

Steel, C. (2006) ‘Neoplatonism’ and ‘Proclus’ in Borchert, D. M. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2nd edn. Detroit, MI, vol. 6, col. ; vol. 8, col. 40–44.Google Scholar

Steel, C. (2008) ‘Proclus on the Mirror as Metaphor of Participation’, in Smet, D., Sebti, M. et Callataÿ, G. (eds.), Miroir et savoir. La transmission d’un thème platonicien, des Alexandrins à la philosophie arabo-musulmane. Leuven.Google Scholar

Tarrant, H. and Baltzly, D. (2006) Reading Plato in Antiquity. London.

Teologia platonica, a cura di Casaglia, M.Linguiti, A. (2007). Turin.

The Chaldean Oracles: Text, Translation and Commentary, Majercik, R. (1989). Leiden.

Trouillard, J. (1981) ‘Procession néoplatonicienne et création judéo-chrétienne’, in Néoplatonisme. Mélanges offerts a Jean. Trouillard. Forteney-aux-Roses.Google Scholar

van den Berg, R.M. (2008) Proclus’ Commentary on the Cratylus in Context. Ancient Theories of Language and Naming. Leiden.

Watts, E. J. (2006) City and School in Late Antique Athens and Alexandria. Berkeley, CA.

Westerink, L.G. (ed.) (1990) Prolégomènes à la philosophie de Platon, traduit par Trouillard, J. avec la collaboration de Segonds, A.Ph.. Paris.

Whittaker, J. (1975) ‘The Historical Background of Proclus’ Doctrine of the αὐθυπόστατα’, in: Dörrie, H. (ed.), De Jamblique à Proclus. Genève [reprint in Studies in Platonism and Patristic Thought (Variorum reprints), London. 1984, XVI].Google Scholar

Book contents

35 - Proclus

Summary

Access options

References

Save book to Kindle

Save book to Dropbox

Save book to Google Drive