Apollonius of Tyana

Western Philosophy Ancient philosophy
Name: Appollonius of Tyana
Birth: ca. 1, Tyana, Cappadocia
Death: ca. 97, Ephesus, Anatolia
School/tradition: Hellenistic philosophy, sophism
Main interests
Pythagoreanism, aestheticism
Notable ideas
Influences	Influenced
Pythagoras	Philostratus, Damis

Apollonius of Tyana (Greek: Ἀπολλώνιος ὁ Τυανεύς; ca. 1—97 C.E.) was a Greek Neo-Pythagorean philosopher and teacher. His teaching influenced both scientific thought and occultism for centuries after his death.

Apollonius appears to have been a wandering ascetic/philosopher/wonderworker of a type common to the eastern part of the early empire. He is only known through the medium of Philostratus, whose biography's peripatetic narrative structure is built upon a series of instructive dialogues and the sage's responses to places and events. Apollonius was a vegetarian, and a disciple of Pythagoras.

He acquired a reputation for his magical powers. He is considered a contemporary of Christ. Francis Barrett claimed him to be "one of the most extraordinary persons that ever appeared in the world." Born at Tyana, in Asia Minor, he was educated at Tarsus, and at the Temple of Aesculapius at Aegae, where at sixteen he became an adherent of Pythagoras whose discipline he ascribed to all of his life. He died during the second century AD. In his desire for knowledge he traveled many Eastern countries and according to legend he performed miracles where ever he went.

Biography

Early life

Appolonius was born in the city of Tyana, in the Roman province of Cappadocia in Asia Minor. He was educated in the nearby city of Tarsus, where he devoted himself to the doctrines of Pythagoras and adopted the ascetic habit of life in its fullest sense. He first became a religious teacher as a youth in the temple of Asclepius at Aegae (in Cilicia, not to be confused with Aegae in Macedonia). After Aegae, Apollonius traveled in the neighboring province of Pamphylia.

Travels through the East

Having kept a vow of silence for five years, he decided to travel to India, to learn the wisdom of the Persian magi, the Indian Brahmins, and the Gymnoi ("Naked Ones") of Egypt. On his way through Asia and before reaching the Euphrates, he visited a sacred city of Syria called Hierapolis, where he attracted a disciple, Damis, who kept a diary of Apollonius's deeds and sayings. These notes reportedly described a number of incidents and adventures, including events relating to Roman emperors from Nero (54-68 C.E.) to Nerva (96-98). Eventually Damis's notes are said to have come into the possession of the Empress Julia Domna, wife of the emperor Septimius Severus (194-211), who commissioned Philostratus the Athenian to use them to assemble a biography of the sage.

The narrative of Apollonius's travels, as they are reported by Philostratus, replete with miracles and legends. In the words of historian Edward Gibbon, "we are at a loss to discover whether he was a sage, an imposter, or a fanatic." If we can believe Philostratus, Apollonius continued to travel widely after his return from Europe, going far up the river Nile as far as Ethiopia, and in Spain as far as Gades (modern Cádiz). Though he had many followers and admirers, Philostratus maintains that he also had many enemies, notably the Stoic philosopher Euphrates of Tyre.

Both Apollonius's friendships and his quarrels are also reflected in his extant letters. He himself claimed only the power of foreseeing the future. Yet, again according to Philostratus, he either raised from death or revived from a death-like state the daughter of a Roman senator. In the biographer's account, he is accused of treason both by Nero and by Domitian, but miraculously escaped, and after further travels in Greece finally settled in Ephesus. Philostratus keeps up the mystery of his hero's life by saying, "Concerning the manner of his death, if he did die, the accounts are various." Philostratus seems to prefer a version in which Apollonius disappears mysteriously in the temple of the goddess Dictynna in Crete.

Teachings

The only extensive work about Apollonius was written by Philostratus at the insistence of Julia, the mother of the Emperor Severus.

However, Philostrstus' work is criticized for being based on the work of "Dennis the Assyrian" who was a disciple of Apollonius. Some consider the latter work could be literary fiction. But, Philostratus substantiated the work by stating it described the life of Apollonius, showing him to be an ascertic, and his personal knowledge was combined with revelations which he received from the gods. Philostratus, continued by saying this did not take away from Apollonius' integrity because other great Greek philosophers such as Plato also claimed to have received divine revelation.

It is probable, however, some of the writings about Apollonius was borrowed from Occidental philosophy and are more Brahminical than magical.

Although the Athenian sophist (professional orator) Philostratus wrote a lengthy Life of Apollonius, hardly anything about the sage is certain. However, there are several bits and pieces of information that may help us reconstruct something of the life of this man, who was and is frequently compared to the Jewish sage and miracle worker Jesus of Nazareth.

The author of the Life of Apollonius (LoA) takes a special stand against the accusation that the man from Tyana had been a magician and stresses that the miracles that Apollonius performed were the result of his superior knowledge, not of wizardry (summary). The LoA is not a biography in our sense. It is written by a professional orator who wanted to show that the divine Apollonius was above all a champion of the Greek culture and a wise philosopher.

Miracles

When in Ephesus he warned the citizens of a forthcoming plague. The people disregarded his warning until the pestilence was upon them. Then they remembered his words and sought further counsel of the mighty magician. He told them that there was a wretched beggar among them who they should stone to death. At first the people were hesitant to do such a drastic act, but the continued appearance of the beggar and the magician's stern accusations changed their minds. After the deed was done, the people removed the mound of stone under which they thought the beggar laid. But a black dog appeared which Apollonius pronounced was the caused of the plague.

When in Rome it is said he brought the daughter of a consular back to life. (Even Apollonius' biographer was not certain whether this girl just appeared to be dead or was actually dead.) However, this feat won Apollonius notoriety for the girl was well liked among the people and betroth.

He is allegedly said to have prevented one of his former students, Menippus of Corinth, from marrying a vampire. The young man had not heeded earlier warnings. The wedding festivities had proceeded up to the banquet when Apollonius appeared as a guest. He then made all the luxuries of the banquet and the guests disappear, proving they were a hoax. After doing this he forced the girl to confess as to being a lima, a type of a vampire.

Another legend has it that an Indian magician made seven rings representing the seven planets and presented then to Apollonius who wore a different one each day. It is said this enabled him to maintain his youthful vigor well into old age. He is reputed to have live to one hundred.

Apollonius' death is a mystery. According to some he fell out of favor with Emperor Severu, who put him on trail and had his hair cut off to eliminate his magical powers. Apollonius simply disappeared from the courtroom never to be seen again.

His followers admitted he died but said he was caught up and taken up into heaven. Other people did not even know he had died. In Tyana a temple was built and dedicated to him, and statues of him reside in other temples.

Quotes

"For I discerned a certain sublimity in the discipline of Pythagoras [of Samos (ca. 560-ca. 480 B.C.E.)] and how a certain secret wisdom enabled him to know, not only who he was himself, but also who he had been; and I saw that he approached the altars in purity, and suffered not his belly to be polluted by partaking of the flesh of animals; and that he kept his body pure of all garments woven of dead animal refuse; and that he was the first of mankind to restrain his tongue, inventing a discipline of silence described in the proverbial phrase, `An ox sits upon it.' I also saw that his philosophical system was in other respects oracular and true. So I ran to embrace his teachings..."

In the The Prayer of Apollonius of Tyana(ca. 23), we find a window to the philosopher's worldview:

"Oh, Thou Sun, send me as far around the world as is my pleasure and thine; and may I make the acquaintance of good men but never hear anything of bad ones, nor they of me."

Legacy

Around 300, a certain Hierocles endeavored to prove that pagans were more reasonable in believing the sayings and doings of Apollonius, as recounted by Philostratus, than Christians were in believing the "ignorant" followers of Jesus who had recounted his life. The Christian bishop, Eusebius of Caesarea, wrote a Reply to Hierocles, in which he argued that Philostratus' account of Apollonius was much more incredible than anything that Christian sources said about Jesus, and if what Philostratus said was true, then Apollonius must have been in league with demons. This started a debate on the relative merits of Jesus and Apollonius that has gone on in different forms into modern times; Voltaire and Charles Blount (1654-1693), the English freethinker, have adopted a similar standpoint.

In Late Antiquity, Apollonius became a hero of "pagan" culture, though Christian writers were sometimes sympathetic towards him because of his lifelong chastity, avoidance of alcohol, and devotion to religion. The late fourth-century Historia Augusta says that Apollonius appeared to the Emperor Aurelian when he was besieging Tyana, Apollonius' hometown. In a dream or vision, Aurelian claimed to have seen Apollonius speak to him, beseeching him to spare the city of his birth. In part, Aurelian said Apollonius told him "Aurelian, if you desire to rule, abstain from the blood of the innocent! Aurelian, if you will conquer, be merciful!" Aurelian, who admired Apollonius, therefore spared Tyana. However, the Historia Augusta is another source which contains a great deal of fiction.

Medieval Islamic alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan's Book of Stones is a lengthy analysis of alchemical works attributed to Apollonius (called "Balinas").

In some of the teachings of Theosophy, Apollonius of Tyana has been regarded as an Ascended Master and an embodiment of the Master Jesus. However Helena Blavatsky wrote in 1877: "Apollonius, a contemporary of Jesus of Nazareth, was, like him, an enthusiastic founder of a new spiritual school. Perhaps less metaphysical and more practical than Jesus, less tender and perfect in his nature, he nevertheless inculcated the same quintessence of spirituality, and the same high moral truths."

The Tablet of Wisdom, from the Baha'i Writings, names "Balinus" (apparently Apollonius) as a great philosopher, who "surpassed everyone else in the diffusion of arts and sciences and soared unto the loftiest heights of humility and supplication." [[1]]

Apollonius in modern culture

• Apollonius of Tyana appears as a fictional character in the 1935 novel The Circus of Dr. Lao, as well as the 1964 film adaptation 7 Faces of Dr. Lao. In these works, Apollonius works as a fortune-teller in the Circus, who is under a curse — he sees the future, but can only speak the exact truth, thus seems to be cruel and hateful. He also is portrayed as being blind, and apparently weary of many years of predicting disappointment for his listeners.
• Apollonius appears as a fictional character in the 1977 television series The Fantastic Journey in the seventh episode named Funhouse. In this episode, Apollonius attempts to take possession of the scientist Willaway in a funhouse but is thwarted by Varian, "a man from the future possessing awesome powers."

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Anderson, Graham. Philostratus: Biography and Belles Lettres in the Third Century C.E. Dover, N.H.: Croom Helm, 1986. ISBN 978-0709905752
• Francis, James A. Subversive Virtue: Asceticism and Authority in the Second-Century Pagan World. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1995. ISBN 978-0271013046
• Panella, Robert J. (ed.) Apollonius' letters in The Letters of Apollonius of Tyana: A Critical Text. Leiden: Brill, 1979. ISBN 9004059725 ISBN 978-9004059726

External links

All links retrieved October 4, 2007.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Apollonius of Tyana

• Apollonius as Saint Paul - geocities.com
• Apollonius article by Jona Lendering, - Livius.org.
• Philostratus's Life of Apollonius of Tyana - Livius.org.
• Apollonius of Tyana - andras-nagy.com
• Apollonius of Tyana: ANCIENT HISTORICAL RESOURCES - His writings & letters, Adana Inscription, Maria Dzielska, GRS Mead, RW Bernard, Eusebius, Hermes Trismegistus, etc. - mountainman.com

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