Elias (Greek scholar)

Elias (/ɪˈlaɪəs/; Greek: Ἠλίας; fl. 6th century) was a Greek scholar and a commentator on Aristotle and Porphyry.

He was a pupil of Olympiodorus in Alexandria in the late-6th century.[1] His name suggests that he was a Christian.[2] A commentary on Porphyry's Isagoge written in Greek has survived.[1][3] Some fragments survive of a commentary he wrote on the Prior Analytics of Aristotle, and he is known to have written on the De Interpretatione of Aristotle.[4] It is also possible that the extant Commentary on Aristotle's Categories which is attributed to David was actually written by Elias.[5]

In addition, a second extant commentary on Porphyry's Isagoge was falsely ascribed to Elias.[1][6] The commentary was also falsely ascribed to David,[6] and it has been conjectured that it may have been written by Stephen of Alexandria.[6]

Historian's from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy pointed out[7]

Moreover, Elias repeatedly emphasizes the Platonic-Neoplatonic conviction that the purpose of philosophy is the transformation or assimilation of a human being to the godhead, a genuinely Platonic ideal explicitly stated in the Theaetetus, (176A-B).

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Jonathan Barnes, 2006, Porphyry Introduction, page xxi. Oxford University Press
  2. ↑ Richard Sorabji, (1990), Aristotle transformed: the ancient commentators and their influence, page 36.
  3. ↑ D. N. Sedley, 2003, The Cambridge companion to Greek and Roman philosophy, page 249.
  4. ↑ Arnold Hugh Martin Jones, John Robert Martindale, J. Morris, 1992, The prosopography of the later Roman Empire, Volumes 2-3, Elias 6, page 438. Cambridge University Press
  5. ↑ The Cambridge Ancient History: Late antiquity: empire and successors, A.D. 425-600 page 844.
  6. 1 2 3 Pamela M. Huby, R. W. Sharples, Dimitri Gutas, 1995, Theophrastus of Eresus, Sources for His Life, Writings, Thought and Influence, page 17. BRILL.
  7. ↑ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. "Elias". Retrieved 30 May 2015.

External links

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