Themistius and the Power of Words: Philosophy and Rhetoric on the Crossroad of Ages and Languages (Beiträge zur Altertumskunde)

Themistius is a case in point for the study of the transmission of Ancient Philosophy to later eras. This book features 15 contributions on his thought and on the paths along which pagan culture became palatable first for a Christian elite, then for a Muslim one. It also shows that his interpretations and thinking are better understood against the background of the rise of a new conception of philosophy in what we label nowadays “Late Antiquity”.

A key personality in the collection and reworking of the classical philosophical sources for a non-specialized, yet cultivated audience, the orator and philosopher Themistius (317–389) is a case in point for the study of the transmission of Ancient Philosophy to later eras. He consciously set for himself the goal to present Aristotle’s doctrines in a simplified manner, thus providing a powerful model for the inculturation of Greek philosophy in other linguistic areas and religious landscapes.

Themistius and the Power of Words, with its twin focus on Themistius’ thought and on the impact of his ideas on Arabic and Latin-speaking areas, provides a survey of Themistius’ distinctive position and a balanced view of his intellectual deeds, both as an orator and as an Aristotelian scholar. In doing so, it explores topics such as Themistius’ philosophical interpretation of the nature and role of the First Cause, the Law and the order of the cosmos, the human mind, and the human assimilation to God from the point of view of a cross-analysis of historical, literary, and philosophical aspects.

This book shows that Themistius’ philosophical interpretations and ‘original’ developments, and their legacy are better understood against the background of the rise of a new conception of philosophy in what we label nowadays “Late Antiquity”.