Philostratus: Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Vol. 1: Books 1-4 (Loeb Classical Library, No. 16) Abridged edition Edition

by Philostratus (Author), Christopher P. Jones (Translator)

6 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0674996137

ISBN-10: 0674996135

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This biography of a first-century CE holy man has become one of the most widely discussed literary works of later antiquity. With an engaging style, Philostratus portrays a charismatic teacher and religious reformer from Tyana in Cappadocia (modern central Turkey) who travels across the known world, from the Atlantic to the Ganges. His miracles, which include extraordinary cures and mysterious disappearances, together with his apparent triumph over death, caused pagans to make Apollonius a rival to Jesus of Nazareth.

In a new three-volume Loeb Classical Library edition of Philostratus's third-century work, Christopher Jones provides a freshly edited Greek text and a stylish translation with full explanatory notes. Apollonius of Tyana is by far the longest biography that survives from antiquity. Jones in his Introduction asks how far it is history and how far fiction, and discusses its survival from Late Antiquity to modern times.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Jones has produced a superlative edition. Loebs are hard to get right. A good Loeb should (if we are honest) be easily usable as a clandestine crib for the (lazy, hurried, or linguistically challenged) reader who wants to translate the Greek with an eye on the English; at the same time, it should meet exacting standards of scholarship. Jones's is accessible and erudite. His discussion of how he has established his text is fuller and clearer than most, and allows the non-specialist to take some pleasure in the detective work involved in the process; in tracing, for example, Richard Bentley's marginalia preserved in his copy of a previous edition. The text is judicious and the translation stylishly capture's the sophist's rhetorical range. It is based on, but betters, Christopher Jones's abridged translation for Penguin Classics, published in 1970. It is a good read in its own right: no mean feat. Excellent introductory material and maps help chart Apollonius's imaginary journey. He may no longer be worshipped (except in the wackier corners of cyberspace), but nonetheless we can rightly say: Apollonius Lives!”―Helen Morales, Times Literary Supplement

“This new Loeb edition of Apollonius...fulfills admirably the aims of this series...The introduction, as one would expect from Jones, touches upon all the important features of this rich text and reflects great familiarity with the scholarship in all fields--from history and literature to philosophy and theology--which have been concerned with it.”―Owen Hodkinson, Classical Bulletin

About the Author

Christopher P. Jones is George Martin Lane Professor of the Classics and of History, Emeritus, at Harvard University.

Product details

Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Harvard University Press; Abridged edition edition (June 30, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0674996135
ISBN-13: 978-0674996137
Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 6 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,163,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #844 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Philosophers
- #1285 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Movements & Periods > Ancient & Classical
- #7025 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Religious

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Regina M. Joseph

Insight into a forgotten titan of history

September 20, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This is one of those ancient literary works that is valuable not for its literary merit, but for the historical insight it gives to a man who is largely forgotten in modern times. This was not so antiquity. Apollonius was famous and considered divine.
It makes the reader pause and ponder how much truth about the past has been lost.
Apollonius had a background strikingly similar to that of Jesus Christ. He disdained the trappings of wealth and traveled widely to spread his wisdom, although his teaching sounds more similar to Socrates than to the apocryphal pronouncements reported in the New Testament gospels. It was reported that he even performed miracles.

7 people found this helpful

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For Scholars, not Casual Readers

June 22, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I found English translation to flow rather poorly, this text is in desperate need of a modern translation. That said, if you wish to study the Greek and English side by side, this is the book for you. This book is for scholars less than common spiritual aspirants who are interested in Greco-Roman spirituality; this is fine, but I do wish these stories and teachings were more accessible to common folk because I think they have much to offer.

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What an eye opener.

January 15, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Amazing that there are so many books written on Apollonius in his lifetime and how closely it paralleled Jesus, 100s of statues to him and his statues seems to be almost exactly like the image on the shroud if Turin. Great read all of them.

5 people found this helpful

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Steven C Krueger

May 30, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

On time, as advertised

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The archetype of the Good man in the classical world

February 27, 2006

Format: Hardcover

This is the definative, unabridged translation of Philostratus' _Life of Apollonius_ for your permanent library. The Jones translation was made from the Teuber text of C.L. Kayser.

_Philostratus completed this work in C.E. 220, while the historical Apollonius was generally thought to have left this world around C.E. 98. Apollonius is presented as an example of the ideal spiritual and good man in the classical world. In a Roman Empire ruled increasingly by force, violence, and greed, this Apollonius would be the ideal role model. Indeed, that is what you encounter in the books, example after example of Apollonius encountering worldly and wicked men and setting them straight. It is still rather inspiring, even though you realize that this Apollonius is probably a composite character of many philosophical and religious characters of the classical world. This is not to categorically state that there was no original, Pythagorean, named Apollonius that served as the original inspiration- it is just that we do not know how much of the original is still there.

_Apollonius was to be understood as the champion of traditional "pagan" cults and philosophy against the new religion of Christianity. Apollonius is shown to be tolerant to other religions and faiths- something that the new cult, even then, was not. Perhaps his very name reflected this tolerance and defense of the traditional. This is also no doubt why he visits India during his travels, for even in those days the Vedic tradition was seen as the "root" of all religious tradition.

_In any case, the account is still quite edifying in its depiction of what was considered the archetypical example of the good, just, and tolerant man in the late classical world.

28 people found this helpful

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Iraklis K. Voridis

January 30, 2017

Format: Hardcover

unbelievable but words of the Greek are missing from the translation-overlooked!

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