Customer Reviews

Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana: Volume I. Books 1-5 (Loeb Classical Library No. 16)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It is an interesting habit of many Amazon reviewers, when touching on topics relating to religion, to use their reviews as platforms for the expression of not infrequently bizarre ideas of tenuous or even non-existent relationship to the book being reviewed. As for Philostratus Life of Apollonius, the book is of interest despite its real or imagined relationship to Christianity. It recounts the story of a philosopher, wizard, sage or charlatan (there is evidence for all these descriptions) who lived an apparently long and well-traveled life in the first century of the common era. Did he actually exist? The texts suggest a strong parallel to the same question in regard to Jesus. While it is not impossible that stories about both were made up by various authors for purposes which defenders of such ideas never make too clear, responsible historical scholarship takes the less sensational route of positing a historical figure around whom stories grew reflecting both historical and legendary components. While this is much more boring than positing ancient conspiracies, common sense should tell us that it is, absent compelling contrary evidence, the most logical and parsimonious way to interpret the texts that have come down to us. Why indeed should the presence of supernatural attributions mean that the persons to whom they are ascribed never existed? Surely it makes more sense to have a historical view that recognizes our sources as containing fact, myth, and that hazy in between that so many modern readers seem to have trouble accepting. As to the juicy question whether the Gospels are derived from stories about Apollonius, I invite readers to read Philostratus for themselves, along with accounts of other pagan wonder-workers of antiquity from Pythagoras on. They will see that the peculiarly Judaeo-Hellenistic features of the Gospel story are no more or less similar to tales about Apollonius than they are to virtually any other ancient myths or legends, and that authors who pretend otherwise are either misleading their readers or have not read the texts they presume to expound. There is also no evidence that Philostratus was trying to set up Apollonius as an alternative to Christ, although a certain Hierocles tried to do this in the third century, earning a comprehensive (and rather entertaining) rebuke by the church historian Eusebius, conveniently included in volume two of this edition of the Life. The Life is basically a kind of historical novel, with many fictional elements woven around a historical core. Aside from its tenuous relationship to Christianity, it is worth reading in its own right. There are many amusing stories, more than a little natural history (real and fantastic), and some gripping accounts of Apollonius dealings with the Roman emperors Vespasian and Domitian. I must say that much of the first volume can be rather slow, but towards its end, and pretty much throughout the second volume, the pace picks up as our author becomes more the novelist and less the dry compiler, to the benefit of his readers. Check it out for yourself!

Conybeare's is the classic translation of Philostratus' 3rd century Greek work. I look forward with interest to C.P.Jones' updated loeb translation later this year but he will have a hard time rendering the Greek as well as Conybeare who makes an attractive read for non-specialists but sticks faithfully to the original Greek as best he can too.

The index at the back of the volumes is also extremely useful and comprehensive.

This biography, written about 170 C.E. is of the life of the person who could well have been the model for the legendary Jesus Christ. Even if one accepts "on faith" that the Gospels, which appeared about 325 C.E., conveniently back dated, this is an important book. It was written between the times when the first Christians were wiped out by the legions of Caligula and when the modern religion claiming the name was custom created for Constantine to support his conquests. It's author had no involvement in the contraversies between the Jewish sects, nor did his subject, both being Greek.

Philostratus' account of the life of Apollonius makes fascinating reading. Here is one of those peripatetic preachers and miracle men that were well know at the time. Long suppressed by the church and vilified as a serious contender to the life of Jesus, the most contentious issue is that some of Apollonius deeds and words have slipped into Christian tradition, and are falsely attributed to Jesus.

Never mind Jesus - read up on this fascinating man who was just as much a saviour of mankind as any prophet before and since.