precision, and to confess openly that when they met with Ionicus, they learned in practice the things said by the ancients, and brought them out for use, like names hidden until the time of this writing. 22.2.1 Being such a man in knowledge, he was also strong in all philosophy, and in divination, both that which comes from medicine to men for the prognosis of the sick, and that which, being divinely inspired from philosophy, 22.2.2 ends up in and is scattered among those able to receive and preserve it. He also cared for rhetorical precision, and the art of all kinds of prose; therefore he was not uninitiated in poetry either. But he died a short time before this writing, leaving two sons worthy of mention and memory. 22.2.3 And a certain Theon in Galatia at that time enjoyed great fame. 22.2.4 But we must return again to the philosophers from where we digressed. CHRYSANTHIUS. Chrysanthius was the reason for this writing, having educated the one writing these things from boyhood, and having preserved to the end, like some law, the goodwill towards him. 23.1.2 But nothing on this account will be said to please him; for he honored truth pre-eminently and taught this first, and we will not corrupt the gift that was given, except perhaps we shall yield somewhat, leading to an understatement, since we have agreed on these things. 23.1.3 Now Chrysanthius was one of those who belonged to the senate, and was counted among the first for his noble birth; and he had a grandfather, a certain Innocentius, who had come into no small wealth, and had obtained a reputation beyond that of a private citizen, who indeed had legislative power, having been entrusted with it by the emperors of that time. 23.1.4 And his books are preserved, some in the language of the Romans, and others in Greek, interpreting the inquiring and profound character of his mind, and comprising his comprehension of these matters for those who wish to marvel 23.1.5 at them. But Chrysanthius himself, left by his father while young, and having fallen in love with philosophy through the divinity of his nature, hastened to Pergamum and the great Aedesius; 23.1.6 and finding him at the height of his powers for imparting wisdom, thirsting, greedily, having submitted himself, he was filled with such wisdom <not of the> common kind, neither giving up on any lecture, nor appearing inferior to anyone in practice; 23.1.7 for he happened to have an indefatigable and adamantine body, accustomed to serve in every exercise. 23.1.8 And having adequately partaken of the doctrines of both Plato and Aristotle, and having turned his soul to every form of philosophy, and studying every form, so that in the knowledge of the things in the doctrines he was sound and strong, and by constant practice he was ready for their use, and was confident in displaying what he had achieved, able to say some things, and to be silent on others, and being rather prone to display in order to be able to prevail, if ever he were compelled, from there he launched himself to the knowledge of the gods, and the wisdom which Pythagoras concerned himself with and all who emulated Pythagoras, both Archytas the ancient, and Apollonius of Tyana, and those who revered Apollonius, who seemed to have a body 23.1.9 and to be men. And to these things Chrysanthius, having immediately run back and having seized some first hold, using the very first principles as his guides, was to such a degree lightened and lifted up by the perfection of his soul, as Plato says, that every form of all-various education was his to the highest degree, and all foreknowledge was achieved. 23.1.10 At any rate, one might say that he saw things that would be rather than foretold the future, so did he perceive and comprehend all things, as if he were present and consorting with the gods. 23.2.1 And having spent a considerable time on these things, and having †contended alongside† Maximus for a great while, he left his companion. For the one
ἀκρίβειαν, καὶ φανερῶς ὁμολογεῖν ὅτι συντυγχάνοντες Ἰωνικῷ, τὰ παρὰ τοῖς παλαιοῖς εἰρημένα μανθάνουσιν ἔργῳ, καὶ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν ἐξάγουσιν, ὥσπερ ὀνόματα κρυπτόμενα μέχρι τῆς γραφῆς. 22.2.1 Τοιοῦτός τε ὢν κατὰ τὴν ἐπιστήμην, καὶ πρὸς φιλοσοφίαν ἅπασαν ἔρρωτο, καὶ πρὸς θειασμόν, ὅσος τε ἐξ ἰατρικῆς ἐς ἀνθρώπους ἥκει τῶν καμνόντων ἐς πρόγνωσιν, καὶ ὅσος, ἐκ φιλοσοφίας παράβακχος ὤν, ἐς τοὺς δυναμένους 22.2.2 ὑποδέχεσθαι καὶ σώζειν ἀπολήγει καὶ διασπείρεται. ἔμελε δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ῥητορικῆς ἀκριβείας, καὶ λόγων ἁπάντων τέχνης· οὐκοῦν οὐδὲ ποιήσεως ἀμύητος ἦν. ἀλλ' ἐτελεύτα μικρόν τι πρὸ τῆς γραφῆς ἐπὶ δύο παισὶν ἀξίοις λόγου τε καὶ μνήμης. 22.2.3 Καὶ Θέων δέ τις ἐν Γαλατίᾳ κατὰ τούτους τοὺς καιροὺς πολλῆς δόξης ἐτύγχανεν. 22.2.4 Ἐπανιτέον δὲ ἐπὶ τοὺς φιλοσόφους πάλιν ὅθεν ἐξέβημεν. ΧΡΥΣΑΝΘΙΟΣ. Ταυτησὶ τῆς γραφῆς αἴτιος ἐγένετο Χρυσάνθιος, τόν τε γράφοντα ταῦτα πεπαιδευκὼς ἐκ παιδός, καὶ διασεσωκὼς εἰς τέλος, ὥσπερ νόμον τινά, τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν 23.1.2 εὔνοιαν. ἀλλ' οὐδέν γε διὰ τοῦτο ῥηθήσεται πρὸς χάριν· ἐκεῖνός τε γὰρ ἀλήθειαν ἐτίμα διαφερόντως καὶ τοῦτο πρῶτον ἐπαίδευεν, ἡμεῖς τε οὐ διαφθεροῦμεν τὴν δοθεῖσαν δωρεάν, πλὴν ἤ πού τι καὶ ὑφήσομεν ἐπὶ τὸ καταδεέστερον ἄγοντες, ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα συνωμολογήσαμεν. 23.1.3 Τῶν μὲν οὖν εἰς βουλὴν τελούντων ἦν ὁ Χρυσάνθιος, καὶ τῶν ἀνὰ τοὺς πρώτους ἐπ' εὐγενείᾳ φερομένων· ἐγεγόνει δὲ αὐτῷ πάππος, Ἰνοκέντιός τις, εἴς τε πλοῦτον ἐλθὼν οὐκ ὀλίγον, καὶ δόξαν ὑπὲρ ἰδιώτην τινὰ λαχών, ὅς γε νομοθετικὴν εἶχε δύναμιν παρὰ τῶν τότε βασιλευόντων 23.1.4 ἐπιτετραμμένος. καὶ βιβλία γε αὐτοῦ διασώζεται τὰ μὲν εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων γλῶσσαν, τὰ δὲ εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα φέροντα, τό τε ἐξεταστικὸν καὶ βαθὺ τῆς γνώμης ἑρμηνεύοντα, καὶ τὴν περὶ ταῦτα κατάληψιν τοῖς ταῦτα βουλομένοις θαυ23.1.5 μάζειν συνειληφότα. Χρυσάνθιος δὲ αὐτός, νέος ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀπολειφθείς, καὶ φιλοσοφίας ἐρασθεὶς διὰ φύσεως θειότητα, πρός τε τὸ Πέργαμον καὶ τὸν μέγαν Αἰδέσιον 23.1.6 συνέτεινεν· ἀκμάζοντι δὲ πρὸς μετάδοσιν σοφίας διψῶν περιτυχών, χανδόν, ἑαυτὸν ὑποθείς, ἐνεφορεῖτο τῆς τοιαύτης σοφίας <οὐ τῆς συν>τυχούσης, οὔτε πρὸς ἀκρόασιν ἀπαγορεύων τινά, οὔτε εἰς μελέτην ἐλάττων τινὸς φαινόμενος· 23.1.7 καὶ γὰρ ἔτυχεν ἀτρύτου καὶ ἀδαμαντίνου σώματος, ἐς 23.1.8 πᾶσαν ἄσκησιν ὑπουργεῖν εἰωθότος. ὁ δὲ τῶν τε Πλάτωνος καὶ τῶν Ἀριστοτέλους λόγων μετασχὼν ἱκανῶς, καὶ πρὸς πᾶν εἶδος φιλοσοφίας τρέψας τὴν ψυχήν, καὶ πᾶν εἶδος ἀναλεγόμενος, ὡς περὶ τὴν γνῶσιν τῶν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις ὑγίαινεν καὶ ἔρρωτο, καὶ τῇ συνεχεῖ χρήσει πρὸς τὴν χρῆσιν αὐτῶν ἕτοιμος ὑπῆρχεν, καὶ πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν ἐθάρσει τοῦ κατωρθωμένου, τὰ μὲν εἰπεῖν, τὰ δὲ σιωπῆσαι δυνάμενος, καὶ πρὸς τὸ δύνασθαι κρατεῖν, εἴ που βιασθείη, τυγχάνων πομπικώτερος, ἐντεῦθεν ἀφῆκεν αὑτὸν ἐπὶ θεῶν γνῶσιν, καὶ σοφίαν ἧς Πυθαγόρας τε ἐφρόντιζεν καὶ ὅσοι Πυθαγόραν ἐζήλωσαν, Ἀρχύτας τε ὁ παλαιός, καὶ ὁ ἐκ Τυάνων Ἀπολλώνιος, καὶ οἱ προσκυνήσαντες Ἀπολλώνιον, οἵτινες σῶμά 23.1.9 τε ἔδοξαν ἔχειν καὶ εἶναι ἄνθρωποι. καὶ πρὸς ταῦτά γε Χρυσάνθιος εὐθὺς ἀναδραμὼν καὶ πρώτης τινὸς λαβῆς ἐπιδραξάμενος, ταῖς ἀρχαῖς αὐταῖς ἡγεμόσι χρώμενος, εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐκουφίσθη τε καὶ ἀνηγέρθη παρὰ τοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς τελειώματος, ᾗ φησιν ὁ Πλάτων, ὥστε πᾶν μὲν εἶδος αὐτῷ παντοίας παιδείας εἰς ἄκρον ὑπάρχειν, καὶ πᾶσαν κατορθοῦ23.1.10 σθαι πρόγνωσιν. ὁρᾶν γοῦν ἄν τις αὐτὸν ἔφησε τὰ ἐσόμενα μᾶλλον ἢ προλέγειν τὰ μέλλοντα, οὕτως ἅπαντα διήθρει καὶ συνελάμβανε, ὡσανεὶ παρών τε καὶ συνὼν τοῖς θεοῖς. 23.2.1 Χρόνον δὲ ἱκανόν τινα περὶ ταῦτα διατρίψας, καὶ †συναναθλήσας† τῷ Μαξίμῳ πολύ τι, τὸν κοινωνὸν ἀπέλιπεν. ὁ μὲν γὰρ