NOTES
- The Neoplatonic corpus includes Plotinus, Porphyry, Iamblichus, Proclus and Damascius through to Stephen of Alexandria as well as Michael Psellos, Plethon and George Pachymeres.
- Iamblichus (250–325) was Porphyry's student who influenced the course of Neoplatonism through his writings and pupils.
- These themes pertain to Plotinus' system, which tries to answer the metaphysical question: ‘What is Being?’ The different metaphysical themes would then be strongly associated with mysticism and personal asceticism, since the Neoplatonic philosophers were inevitably Holists.
- Synesius wrote a number of hymns, letters and discourses, e.g. On Royalty, On Providence and Dion.
- J. Bregman, Synesius of Cyrene: Philosopher-Bishop, California: University of California Press, 1982, 5–6. Proclus (410–485) first studied at Alexandria, and later at Athens. He produced a large corpus including commentaries on Plato's Alcibiades, Republic, Timaeus and Parmenides as well as Platonic Theology, Elements of Theology and numerous hymns.
- H.N. Fowler, Plato's Phaedrus, Loeb Classical Library (I), Harvard University Press, 1971.
- Practical philosophy is a term used to denote the application of philosophy in practical life. In this sense it attempts to be functional, being contributive to more than just pure theoretical science. E.g. Plato's cosmology functions in support of his political theories, concerning the ordering of social categories (Timaeus, 17–20c).
- Laws (700a).
- According to the Hellenistic philosophers, there is no difference between revelation and reason. This gives Bregman, op. cit. 19, cause to speak of Synesius' conversion to philosophy. Thus it is easy to see why Synesius was so ready to reinterpret pagan religious metaphysics in a Christian context, especially referring to the Hellenic religious experience of the divinity of the cosmos.
- Cp. Republic (486d), Timaeus (87c) and Philebius (64d).
- The term ‘measurement’ is used in reference to the practice of analysing quantitative relationships through the application of arithmetic.
- On the life of Plotinus 2, 26–27.
- A.H. Armstrong, ‘Porphyry's Life of Plotinus’ (Vol. 1), and ‘Plotinus' Enneads’ (Vol. 1–6), Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, 1966, XXV.
- Line references to the hymn are given between brackets.
- This is the author's own translation. A French translation is available in C. Lacombrade, Synesios de Cyrene. Tome I: Hymnes, Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 1978, and an Afrikaans translation appears in J.H. Barkhuizen, Carmen Christianum, 'n Inleiding tot die Grieks-Christelike Himnografie van die eerste ses eeue, Pretoria: N.G. Kerkboekhandel, 1985. It must be remembered that this is only a translation and cannot be absolutized. Much significance is lost regarding word play and other poetic devices.
- According to Bregman, op. cit. 120, Synesius had enough religious and philosophical flexibility to accept the incarnation in a cosmological, metaphysical and mystical sense. However, it would be difficult to reconstruct his precise rationalization process, or how he came to his understanding of the Christological predicaments concerning the incarnation and trinity. The most constructive attempts would be derived from parallels between his own corpus (the greater part consisting of hymns and epistles) and Christian and pagan Neoplatonists alike.
- Broader speaking, following Plotinus, the Neoplatonic system involves seeing the material world as an unified whole. It is organized and sustained by the soul, which acts as the transmitter of form to matter. This form is inspired by models found in another radically different type of reality. Soul itself is derived from this reality; it is outside space, time and body, and is the object of thought, the very activity of a transcendent divine Intellect. The Intellect presupposes a first principle, the One, which as prior to being and intellect transcends the knowable and speakable; at the same time it must also be that from which all else derives its existence. Matter remains impassable and is therefore absolute evil. It also gives rise to moral evil in souls that become engrossed in the material world. They forget their original nature and mission as an outward progression from the realm of divine Intellect as expression of the perfection and power of the One. Man's happiness depends on an orientation towards and a return to the One. This flight from the world is balanced by a desire to communicate perfection and reform the lesser, in a political and personal sense alike.
- The references in the hymn to the Source could be considered to be symbolic role elaborations describing God's nature. This reminds of Plotinus who asks: ‘What is it, then, which has made the souls forget their Father, God, and be ignorant of themselves and Him even though they are parts which come from his higher world and altogether belong to it?’ (Enneads VI). In this context it seems applicable to give a Christological interpretation of the reference to the ‘Bringer of the Light from the Source’, where the light (as belonging to the Father and being emanated from him), comes and enlightens those who have forgotten their Father. The Light is thus a metaphorical medium through which the Logos travels.
- Expressed in the negative. The positive would term the Spirit as the pure or Holy Spirit. Plotinus is known for his negative formulations and here Synesius is revealing himself, in a linguistic sense too, as belonging to the philosophical tradition.
- See (c): (31–57) Prayer.
- It is unsure what his circumstances involved at the time of composing the hymn were, but considering the fact that he used to be associated with the royal court, as well as being bishop of Ptolomais, it comes to mind why he would advocate change. The prevailing Barbaric threat must not be overlooked; it threatened both the church and society, the refined culture of old Romania and Hellene. Therefore, his situation compares well to Plato's, who is also striving for a more idealistic situation.
- Republic (499b-501c). The parallels in their situations would easily have led to Synesius' strong identification with Plato's concerns (Synesius adapted Plato's Philosopher-King to suit his situation as Philosopher-Bishop). The iniquity within 4th century society is well known (as St. Augustine also testifies), and the simultaneous Barbarian onslaught reminds strongly of Plato's situation prior to his writing of the Republic. It is therefore understandable that Synesius relates to and reveals so many nuances of Plato's works within his hymns.
- Philebus (31d).
- The hymn's ordered content reflects on an ordered creation.
- What the Cosmos looks like as an ordered and complete whole, regarding the Macro, Messo and Micro Cosmos as we experience it, and how it came about to be what it is (Creation).
- Timaeus (29b).
- Idem (29c).
- A metaphor refers to the transfer of meaning, both in intention and extension. When stating, for example, that Plato uses his Numerical Law metaphorically to illustrate and emphasize the order and cohesion in creation, and therefore also in the cosmology, the metaphor would also imply order and cohesion in society. In a sense, Plato's cosmology could be seen as a metaphor used in support of his political philosophy. Berggren is of opinion that metaphysics must be vitally metaphorical—it must then preserve the stereoscopic vision necessary to creative thought, if it is to overcome such puzzling dualism as mind-body, without losing the identity of the terms. Cf. P. Edwards (ed.). Encyclopedia of Philosophy 5 (1967), 284–288, Crowell Collier and Macmillan, inc.
- Timaeus (32b-c).
- Idem (34b).
- With the reference to Titan, Synesius is harmonizing pagan and Christian soteriology. According to Bregman, op. cit. 103, Synesius saw that the noetic realm could not become incarnate. But since he did not hesitate to allow the Sun God to call the cosmological Christ ‘Offspring of God / Mind of the best artificer, source of his own (Sun-Titan) fire’, Christ becomes a manifestation of the noetic realm.
- Plotinus teaches the existence of a highest Principle, or the ‘One’. Apart from being cause or source of all that exists, it is above being. In this sense it is therefore perfect in itself, or the ‘All Good’ because it is undifferentiated and self-sufficient. Therefore it need not think, in terms of human intelligence, because it is all knowing and possesses self-sufficient thought.
- Timaeus (28c). Along with the thesis that Plato had two philosophies, it is also considered possible to trace two religions in his works (see J.K. Feibleman, Religious Platonism: The influence of religion on Plato and the influence of Plato on religion, Westport: Greenwood Press Publishers, 1971, 67). The one being a type of supernaturalism (idealistic philosophy and Orphic religion) and the other a naturalism (realistic philosophy and traditional Greek religion). For the purpose of continuance with the Neoplatonic tradition more emphasis is placed on the mystical point of view in Plato's concept of God, or of Godliness.
- Cp. with lines 4–5, 10–11, 30, 58–68