Home Classical, Ancient Near Eastern & Egyptian Studies The Philosopher and the Magician (Porphyry, Vita Plotini 10.1–13). Magic and Sympathy
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The Philosopher and the Magician (Porphyry, Vita Plotini 10.1–13). Magic and Sympathy

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Antike Mythen
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The Philosopher and the Magician (Porphyry, Vita Plotini 10.1–13).Magic and Sympathyluc brissonIn Chapter 10 of the Life of Plotinus 1, Porphyry narrates three anecdotes 2. The fi rst two show the superiority of Plotinus’ soul, and explain the answer he gave to Amelius in the third. – Olympius’ attempt to call down the malevolent infl uence of the stars upon Plotinus (1–13); – The evocation of Plotinus’ familiar demon by an Egyptian priest in the Iseion of Rome (14–33); – Plotinus’ answer to Amelius, who wanted to take him on a tour of the sanctuaries during the religious festivals (33–38).Although these three anecdotes are linked to one another, I shall only deal with the fi rst one here.From a purely literary viewpoint, the anecdote concerning Olympius of Alexandria seems to be called for by the last words of the chapter: “al-though he had spent twenty-six years at Rome [...] Plotinus never had a single enemy among the politicians.” His only real enemy was to be found among the philosophers.One of those claiming to be philosophers, Olympius of Alexandria, who had been for a short time a pupil of Ammonius, adopted a superior attitude towards Plotinus out of rivalry. This man’s attacks on him went to the point of trying to bring a star-stroke 3 upon him by magic 4. But when he found his attempt recoiling upon himself, he told his intimates that the soul of Plotinus had such great power as to be able to 1 For a plan of this biographical text, see Goulet (1992).2 For an analysis of the whole chapter, see Brisson (1992), as well as Bonanate (1985), Scazzoso (1950), Taormina (1984), Zintzen (1965).3 In ancient Greek, ἀστροβολῆσαι. The term is generally used to designate sun-stroke.4 In ancient Greek, μαγεύσας. On the terms μάγος, μαγεία, μαγικός and μαγεύειν, see Graf (1994) 31.

The Philosopher and the Magician (Porphyry, Vita Plotini 10.1–13).Magic and Sympathyluc brissonIn Chapter 10 of the Life of Plotinus 1, Porphyry narrates three anecdotes 2. The fi rst two show the superiority of Plotinus’ soul, and explain the answer he gave to Amelius in the third. – Olympius’ attempt to call down the malevolent infl uence of the stars upon Plotinus (1–13); – The evocation of Plotinus’ familiar demon by an Egyptian priest in the Iseion of Rome (14–33); – Plotinus’ answer to Amelius, who wanted to take him on a tour of the sanctuaries during the religious festivals (33–38).Although these three anecdotes are linked to one another, I shall only deal with the fi rst one here.From a purely literary viewpoint, the anecdote concerning Olympius of Alexandria seems to be called for by the last words of the chapter: “al-though he had spent twenty-six years at Rome [...] Plotinus never had a single enemy among the politicians.” His only real enemy was to be found among the philosophers.One of those claiming to be philosophers, Olympius of Alexandria, who had been for a short time a pupil of Ammonius, adopted a superior attitude towards Plotinus out of rivalry. This man’s attacks on him went to the point of trying to bring a star-stroke 3 upon him by magic 4. But when he found his attempt recoiling upon himself, he told his intimates that the soul of Plotinus had such great power as to be able to 1 For a plan of this biographical text, see Goulet (1992).2 For an analysis of the whole chapter, see Brisson (1992), as well as Bonanate (1985), Scazzoso (1950), Taormina (1984), Zintzen (1965).3 In ancient Greek, ἀστροβολῆσαι. The term is generally used to designate sun-stroke.4 In ancient Greek, μαγεύσας. On the terms μάγος, μαγεία, μαγικός and μαγεύειν, see Graf (1994) 31.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Inhaltsverzeichnis VII
  3. Vorwort XI
  4. A New Web for Arachne 1
  5. Verbindlichkeit
  6. The Invention of Mythic Truth in Antiquity 25
  7. Under Which Conditions Did the Greeks “Believe” in Their Myths? The Religious Criteria of Adherence 38
  8. Die Religion im modernen Europa erhält eine Vorgeschichte 55
  9. Kult und Ritual
  10. Meta-mythology of “Baetyl Cult”. The Mediterranean Hypothesis of Sir Arthur Evans and Fritz Graf 73
  11. Prométhée fonde-t-il le sacrifice grec? En relisant Jean Rudhardt 81
  12. Equus October und ludi Capitolini: Zur rituellen Struktur der Oktober-Iden und ihren antiken Deutungen 96
  13. Théologie romaine et représentation de l’action au début de l’Empire 122
  14. Astrologie, Magie und Mantik
  15. Influencia del mito hesiódico de la sucesión en los textos astrológicos grecorromanos 135
  16. The Portrait of a Seer. The Framing of Divination Paradigms through Myth in Archaic and Classical Greece 158
  17. The Philosopher and the Magician (Porphyry, Vita Plotini 10.1–13). Magic and Sympathy 189
  18. Does Tantalus Drink the Blood, or Not? An Enigmatic Series of Inscribed Hematite Gemstones 203
  19. The Laments of Horus in Coptic: Myth, Folklore, and Syncretism in Late Antique Egypt 229
  20. Orte
  21. Gentrifying Genealogy: On the Genesis of the Athenian Autochthony Myth 251
  22. Récits étiologiques argiens du temps des hommes 276
  23. Zeus’ Own Country: Cult and Myth in the Pride of Halicarnassus 292
  24. Myths and Contexts in Aphrodisias 313
  25. Sacred Precinct: Cattle, Hunted Animals, Slaves, Women 339
  26. The Great Medieval Mythogenesis: Why Historians Should Look Again at Medieval Heroic Tales 356
  27. In Praise of the Chaotic 372
  28. Mensch und Tier
  29. Dogs as Dalits in Indian Literature 391
  30. The Fluttering Soul 406
  31. Mythe et émotion. Quelques idées anciennes 415
  32. Bubbling Blood and Rolling Bones: Agency and Teleology in Rabbinic Myth 432
  33. Protagonisten
  34. Orpheus und die Buchrolle 453
  35. Orpheus als Lehrer des Musaios, Moses als Lehrer des Orpheus 469
  36. Mopsos and Cultural Exchange between Greeks and Locals in Cilicia 487
  37. Sardanapal zwischen Mythos und Realität: Das Grab in Kilikien 502
  38. Biographical Mythology 516
  39. Imago mortis – imago vitae: Senecas Aufführung von Sokrates’ Tod – Repräsentation, Performance, Theatralität 532
  40. Literatur und Kunst
  41. Iolaos 565
  42. The Libation of Oinomaos 576
  43. Penélope en la Odisea 599
  44. The Motif of the Exiled Killer 628
  45. The Abduction of Helen and the Greek Poetic Tradition: Politics, Reinterpretations and Controversies 645
  46. A Hermeneutic Commentary on the Eschatological Passage in Pindar Olympian 2 (57–83) 662
  47. Troy and Tragedy: The Conscience of Hellas 678
  48. Ursprungsfragen. Aristoteles über die Genese der dramatischen Gattungen 696
  49. Der griechische Roman – ein Mythos? Gedanken zur mythischen Dimension von Longos’ Daphnis und Chloe 709
  50. Stoff und Performance in pantomimischen Mytheninszenierungen der Antike 740
  51. Backmatter 757
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110217247.3.189

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Inhaltsverzeichnis VII
  3. Vorwort XI
  4. A New Web for Arachne 1
  5. Verbindlichkeit
  6. The Invention of Mythic Truth in Antiquity 25
  7. Under Which Conditions Did the Greeks “Believe” in Their Myths? The Religious Criteria of Adherence 38
  8. Die Religion im modernen Europa erhält eine Vorgeschichte 55
  9. Kult und Ritual
  10. Meta-mythology of “Baetyl Cult”. The Mediterranean Hypothesis of Sir Arthur Evans and Fritz Graf 73
  11. Prométhée fonde-t-il le sacrifice grec? En relisant Jean Rudhardt 81
  12. Equus October und ludi Capitolini: Zur rituellen Struktur der Oktober-Iden und ihren antiken Deutungen 96
  13. Théologie romaine et représentation de l’action au début de l’Empire 122
  14. Astrologie, Magie und Mantik
  15. Influencia del mito hesiódico de la sucesión en los textos astrológicos grecorromanos 135
  16. The Portrait of a Seer. The Framing of Divination Paradigms through Myth in Archaic and Classical Greece 158
  17. The Philosopher and the Magician (Porphyry, Vita Plotini 10.1–13). Magic and Sympathy 189
  18. Does Tantalus Drink the Blood, or Not? An Enigmatic Series of Inscribed Hematite Gemstones 203
  19. The Laments of Horus in Coptic: Myth, Folklore, and Syncretism in Late Antique Egypt 229
  20. Orte
  21. Gentrifying Genealogy: On the Genesis of the Athenian Autochthony Myth 251
  22. Récits étiologiques argiens du temps des hommes 276
  23. Zeus’ Own Country: Cult and Myth in the Pride of Halicarnassus 292
  24. Myths and Contexts in Aphrodisias 313
  25. Sacred Precinct: Cattle, Hunted Animals, Slaves, Women 339
  26. The Great Medieval Mythogenesis: Why Historians Should Look Again at Medieval Heroic Tales 356
  27. In Praise of the Chaotic 372
  28. Mensch und Tier
  29. Dogs as Dalits in Indian Literature 391
  30. The Fluttering Soul 406
  31. Mythe et émotion. Quelques idées anciennes 415
  32. Bubbling Blood and Rolling Bones: Agency and Teleology in Rabbinic Myth 432
  33. Protagonisten
  34. Orpheus und die Buchrolle 453
  35. Orpheus als Lehrer des Musaios, Moses als Lehrer des Orpheus 469
  36. Mopsos and Cultural Exchange between Greeks and Locals in Cilicia 487
  37. Sardanapal zwischen Mythos und Realität: Das Grab in Kilikien 502
  38. Biographical Mythology 516
  39. Imago mortis – imago vitae: Senecas Aufführung von Sokrates’ Tod – Repräsentation, Performance, Theatralität 532
  40. Literatur und Kunst
  41. Iolaos 565
  42. The Libation of Oinomaos 576
  43. Penélope en la Odisea 599
  44. The Motif of the Exiled Killer 628
  45. The Abduction of Helen and the Greek Poetic Tradition: Politics, Reinterpretations and Controversies 645
  46. A Hermeneutic Commentary on the Eschatological Passage in Pindar Olympian 2 (57–83) 662
  47. Troy and Tragedy: The Conscience of Hellas 678
  48. Ursprungsfragen. Aristoteles über die Genese der dramatischen Gattungen 696
  49. Der griechische Roman – ein Mythos? Gedanken zur mythischen Dimension von Longos’ Daphnis und Chloe 709
  50. Stoff und Performance in pantomimischen Mytheninszenierungen der Antike 740
  51. Backmatter 757
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