Porphyry: To Gaurus on How Embryos are Ensouled and On What is in Our Power

by Porphyry; Wilberding, James

• ISBN13: 9780715638583
• ISBN10: 0715638580
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-02-24
• Publisher: Bristol Classical Pr

Summary

Concerning embryos, Porphyry takes an original view on issues that had been left undecided by his teacher Plotinus and earlier by the doctor Galen. What role is played in the developement of the embryo by the souls or the nature of the father, of the mother, of the embryo, or of the whole world? Pophyry's detailed answer, in contrast to Aristotle's, gives a big role to the soul and to the nature of the motehr, without, howeve, abandoning Aristotle's view that the mother supplies no seed. In the fragments of On What is in Our Power Porphyry discusses Plato's idea that we choose each of our incarnations, and so are responsible for what happens in our lives.

Author Biography

James Wilberding is Lecturer in Ancient Thought, School of Historical Studies, Newcastle University.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Conventions	p. ix
Abbreviations	p. xi
To Gaurus On How Embryos are Ensouled	p. 1
Textual Emendations and Conjectures	p. 3
Introduction	p. 7
Translation	p. 31
Notes	p. 57
Anonymous Christianus, Hermippus or On Astrology 2.17	p. 83
Michael Psellus, from On How the Soul of the Body Enters and from When Embryos are Ensouled	p. 86
English-Greek Glossary	p. 89
Greek-English Index	p. 92
Subject Index	p. 114
On What is in Our Power	p. 119
Textual Emendations and Conjectures	p. 121
Introduction	p. 123
Porphyry's Commentary on Plato's Republic (181-187F Smith)	p. 135
Translation	p. 141
Notes	p. 148
English-Greek Glossary	p. 155
Greek-English Index	p. 160
Subject Index	p. 169
Bibliography	p. 171
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