Allegorical interpretation of the ancient Greek myths began not with the grammarians, but with the philosophers. As speculative thought developed, there grew up also the belief that in mystical and symbolic terms the ancient poets had expressed profound truths which were difficult to define in scientifically exact language. Assuming that the myth-makers were concerned to edify and to instruct, the philosophers found in apparent immoralities and impieties a warning that both in offensive and in inoffensive passages one must look beneath (...) the surface for the true significance of the tales. Thus allegory was originally positive, not negative, in its aim; its purpose was not so much to defend the poetic traditions against charges of immorality as to make fully explicit the wealth of doctrine which ex hypothesi the myths contained. Those who wrote to defend the poets could, if they chose, make some use of the results of the allegorical method; passages to which exception had been taken could be shown by allegorical treatment to be quite consistent with the view that the poets were wise and divinely inspired. But the first dim beginnings of allegory can be traced to another and a weightier motive—namely, the desire of speculative thinkers to appropriate for their own use some at least of the mythical traditions. Nor is there any reason to doubt that the same motive was the main driving force in the later history of allegorical interpretation. Objectionable passages were, indeed, regarded as among the richest in deeper meaning; but the leading allegorists applied their method to offensive and inoffensive passages alike. (shrink)

It is clear, then, that Plato's strictures on Homer ought not to have given any encouragement to allegorical interpretation. The eulogists of Homer ought to have sought other grounds for the defence which he invited them to make; while the allegorizing philosophers, if they persisted in treating interpretation of the poets as an instrument of knowledge, ought to have answered Plato not by multiplying allegories but by producing a defence of the allegorical method. The question with which we are concerned (...) is, of course, not what ought to have been done, but what actually happened. But the foregoing considerations ought to warn us against assuming without evidence that all those who allegorized after Plato did so in order to answer his attack on the poets, and were directly incited by that attack to engage in allegorical interpretation. The fact that the early Stoics were prolific in such interpretations is in itself no proof that they intended in this way to answer Plato's criticism of the myths. Other evidence is required to prove that it was the desire to answer Plato which impelled them to wallow in allegory. (shrink)

Proclus of Lycia was one of the greatest philosophers of antiquity, producing the most systematic version of late Neoplatonic thought. He exercised enormous influence on Byzantine, medieval, Renaissance and German Classical philosophy, ranking among the top five of ancient philosophers in terms of the number of preserved works. Despite this he is rarely studied now, the enormous intricacy of his system making the reading of his treatises difficult for beginners. This book provides the first comprehensive introduction to all the basic (...) areas of Proclus' thought. It carefully guides the reader through his metaphysics, theology, epistemology and theory of evil, as well as his sophisticated philosophy of religion. It also sets Proclus in the historical, social and religious context of late antiquity, offering a synthetic account that will appeal to historians and students of ancient religion. (shrink)

Le but de cet article est de démontrer que l’étymologie faisait intégralement partie de la théologie stoïcienne. Suivant leur conception panthéiste et hylozoiste du cosmos, les stoïciens utilisaient l’étymologie pour découvir diverses manifestations de Dieu dans l’univers. Ainsi, la thèse principale de cet article est de montrer que, dans le stoïcisme, l’étymologie était moins une étude sur l’histoire des mots que l’étude de la façon dont Dieu se développe et se manifeste à travers divers phénomènes de notre monde. Attendu que (...) pour les stoïciens le fait d’étudier les noms des dieux équivalait à rechercher Dieu, l’étymologie jouait un triple rôle : premièrement, elle était un moyen de rendre un culte à Dieu; deuxièmement, elle était une manière d’interpréter la poésie; et, enfin, elle était un outil de transformation de sa propre existence. Par conséquent, cet article se veut une recherche sur la dimension théologique, allégorique et existentielle de l’étymologie stoïcienne. (shrink)

INTRODUCTION The present volume is a study of the extant commentaries on a number of Plato's dialogues which were written by Neoplatonist philosophers of ...

Homere fascine, et son rayonnement demeure encore immense et ce de l'Antiquite a nos jours (Paul Claudel, Gabriel Audisio, Joyce, Cavafy, Kazantsakis). Mais certains ont severement critique la poesie homerique (Xenophane, Platon, Epicure). Xenophane (6e a.C.) reprochait a Homere de donner aux dieux une image peu flatteuse et immorale; quant a Platon il estimait que l'etude la philosophia devait sublimer l'etude la poesie homerique alors fondement de l'education de la jeunesse grecque. Pourtant les Anciens n'ont cesse de se pencher sur (...) les mythes d'Homere afin d'y deceler des arriere-plans. Ils leur fallait reconcilier la poesie homerique et la philosophie dans une recherche de la signification cachee des mythes. C'est ce qu'on nomme l'exegese allegorique. Elle debute des le 6e a.C. avec Theagene de Rhegium et perdure jusqu'a Proclos (5e p.C.). Pour les Grecs, le mythe est une enveloppe trompeuse dont il faut percer le secret et tirer l'idee de l'image. L'exegese homerique s'est developpee dans trois directions: La physique: pour les allegoristes, les mythes d'Homere recouvrent des notions scientifiques sur les structures memes de l'univers. Exemple: les dieux ne sont rien d'autres que des elements primordiaux (air, ether, eau, feu, terre) qui se livrent a des conflits cosmiques. La morale: les mythes sont une reflexion sur la vertu (Plutarque, Maxime de Tyr) et apprennent aux individus a avoir une conduite heroique, raisonnable, sage. La theologie: pour les neoplatoniciens (Porphyre, Proclus), les dieux d'Homere trouvent leur correspondance avec les dieux et les demons du neoplatonisme et dans la croyance a la transmigration de l'ame (aventures d'Ulysse de Calypso, de Circe, des sirenes). Les mythes d'Homere revelent la structure de la realite du monde car ils ne sont plus des fictions mais des verites pures. La tradition de l'exegese allegorique restera vivante jusqu'a l'epoque byzantine et jusqu'a la Renaissance. Felix Buffiere etait un ecrivain, professeur de langue grecque a l'Institut catholique de Toulouse. Le Pere Felix Buffiere etait helleniste, specialiste d'Homere mondialement reconnu. (shrink)

Western literary, philosophical, and religious traditions from Plato and Paul to Augustine and Avicenna have utilized, exploited, or been subjected to allegorical interpretation. Naturally developing a composite picture of interpretive allegory from such a large landscape faces numerous difficulties. As the editor puts it, “to imagine a ‘definitive’ account of the theory and practice of allegorical interpretation in the West would require something of an allegorical vision in its own right.” With that caveat in mind, however, the international team of (...) contributors—from a variety of disciplines—offers a “historical and conceptual framework” for understanding interpretive allegory in the West, from antiquity through the early and late medieval and renaissance periods, and from the eighteenth through the twentieth centuries._ This publication has also been published in hardback, please click here_ for details. (shrink)