#hierocles

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Each of us is, as it were, circumscribed by many circles; some of which are less, but others larger, and some comprehend, but others are comprehended, according to the different and unequal habitudes with respect to each other.

For the first, indeed, and most proximate circle is that which everyone describes about his own mind as a centre, in which circle the body, and whatever is assumed for the sake of the body, are comprehended … The second from this, and which is at a greater distance from the centre, but comprehends the first circle, is that in which parents, brothers, wife, and children are arranged. The third circle from the centre is that which contains uncles and aunts, grandfathers and grandmothers, and the children of brothers and sisters … Next to this is that which contains the common people, then that which comprehends those of the same tribe, afterwards that which contains the citizens; and then two other circles follow, one being the circle of those that dwell in the vicinity of the city, and the other, of those of the same province. But the outermost and greatest circle, and which comprehends all the other circles, is that of the whole human race … it is the province of him who strives to conduct himself properly in each of these connections to collect, in a certain respect, the circles, as it were, to one centre, and always to endeavour earnestly to transfer himself from the comprehending circles to the several particulars which they comprehend.

It is requisite, likewise, to add a proper measure conformably to the general use of appellations, calling indeed cousins, uncles and aunts, by the name of brothers, fathers and mothers; but of other kindred, to denominate some uncles, others the children of brothers or sisters, and others cousins, according to the difference of age, for the sake of the abundant extension which there is in names. For this mode of appellation will be no obscure indication of our sedulous attention to each of these relatives; and at the same time will incite, and extend us in a greater degree, to the contraction as it were of the above mentioned circles.

—Hierocles (Ἱεροκλῆς), The Elements of Ethics (Ἠθικὴ στοιχείωσις)(c 150 BCE). Below: a graphic presentation of the concentric system of relationship circles in Hierocles' theory of οἰκείωσις. :: [Robert Scott Horton]

[soulsinnerstatues]

Background is a woman walking through a verdant area with trees and bushes. Text reads, “Worth learning are alone those things that lead us to divine likeness; that make us ‘take counsel before the deed, so that no foolishness may arise’; that do not allow us to be led astray by anyone, either ‘by word’ or ‘by deed’; that render us capable of distinguishing the difference of the ‘words that come to men’s ears’; that persuade us to ‘bear heaven-sent fortunes lightly’ and to ‘cure’ them; that teach us fearlessness of death and poverty, the practice of justice, and control over the belly and everything pertaining to the belly; that introduce us to the laws of friendship and the honour of our parents; that indicate to us the respect we owe the superior classes of beings.” Hierocles, Commentary on the golden verses of Pythagoras, trans. Hermann S. Schibli.

[silveryair]

Hes not on the cast list but apparently gladiator 3 is greenlit and i cant imagine who else it would be about

Wait shut up is elagabalus in the new gladiator movie

[stars-in-the-night]

A little late, but here’s Elagabalus and Hierocles for day 16 of Classicstober!

[sabakos]

By a strange series of events, you are put in charge of a university's gen Ed "philosophy" program; what reading do you assign?

So the responsible thing to do here would be to make a well-balanced list of books that covers the "History of Ideas" in the West from Homer to Heidegger. But that's a well-travelled path and I'm assuming that this strange series of events does not presume any sort of responsibility on my part.

So instead, I'm taking the opportunity to recruit a bunch of unwitting "Great Books" undergrads to revive a philosophical movement that died out in the 6th century when Justinian effectively banned it.

Year 1

In the first year, students will develop a mastery of the ancient greek language, with a focus on texts that cover broad topics that do not require much prior knowledge or background, using Simplicius' commentaries as textbooks that can provide any needed context.

Semester 1

Language

Hansen and Quinn - Greek: An Intensive Course

Liddell, Scott, and Jones - A Greek-English Lexicon

Xenophon - Anabasis, Hellenica, Cyropaedeia, Memorabilia

Herodotus - Histories

An Introduction to Logic

Porphyry - Isagoge

Aristotle - Categories, On Interpretation

Simplicius - Commentary on Aristotle's Categories

An Introduction to Ethics

Pythagoras - Golden Verses

Hierocles - Commentary on the Golden Verses

Epictetus - Enchiridion

Simplicius - Commentary on the Enchiridion of Epictetus

Semester 2

Language

Georg Autenreith - A Homeric Dictionary

Homer - Odyssey, Iliad

An Introduction to Platonism

Theon of Alexandria - Mathematics Useful for the Reading of Plato

Anonymous Prolegomena to Platonic Philosophy

Plato - Alcibiades I, Gorgias, Phaedo

Porphyry - Sententiae

An Introduction to Physics

Aristotle - Physics, On the Heavens

Simplicius - Commentary on Physics, Commentary on the Heavens

Year 2

In the second year, students will translate the major works of Euripides and Aristophanes and work their way through the majority of the Iamblichean curriculum. Readings may be supplemented by Plotinus' Enneads where relevant as time permits.

Semester 1

Language

Hesiod - Works and Days, Theogony

Homeric Hymns to Demeter, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hermes

Euripides - Alcestis, Medea, Hippolytus, Andromache, Hecuba

Aristophanes - The Acharnians, The Knights, The Clouds, The Wasps, Peace

Platonic Logic

Heraclitus - Fragments

Anonymous Commentary on the Theaetetus

Parmenides - The Way of Truth

Plato - Cratylus, Theatetus, Sophist, Statesman

An Introduction to Theology

Damascius - On First Principles

Aristotle - Metaphysics

Alexander - Commentary on Aristotle's Metaphysics

Syrianus - Commentary on Aristotle's Metaphysics

Semester 2

Language

Pindar - Odes

Euripides - Trojan Women, Phoenician Women, Orestes, The Bacchae

Aristophanes - Thesmophoriazusae, Lysistrata, The Birds, The Frogs

Menander - Dyskolos

Platonic Ethics

Plato - Philebus, Symposium, Phaedrus

Damascius - Lectures on the Philebus

Introduction to Pythagoreanism

Iamblichus - On Pythagoreanism

Nicomachus - Introduction to Arithmetic

Sallustius - On the Nature of the World and the Cosmos

Year 3

The third year focuses on the "Perfect" Dialogues - each semester consists of a single course focusing on a single major Platonic dialogue. Students will work their way through the Proclean commentaries on each and write their own commentary on the Parmenides.

Semester 1

Plato's Timaeus

Plutarch - On the Generation of the World-Soul in the Timaeus

Alcinous - Handbook of Platonism

Proclus - Elements of Physics

Plato - Timaeus

Anonymous - Timaeus of Locri

Proclus - Commentary on Timaeus

Semester 2

Plato's Parmenides

Proclus - Elements of Theology

Plato - Parmenides

Proclus - Commentary on Parmenides

Proclus - Platonic Theology

Year 4

Students will learn the basics of allegorical interpretation from Porphyry, Philo, and Cornutus, and then apply this knowledge to the plays of Aeschylus and Sophocles, using Proclus' Hymns, and work on the Republic as a model. This year also provides a brief background into the historical practice of theurgy.

Semester 1

Introduction to Allegorical Commentary

Porphyry - On the Cave of the Nymphs, Homeric Questions

Philo of Alexandria - Questions and Answers on Genesis

Cornutus - Compendium of Greek Theology

Introduction to Theurgy

Plutarch - On Isis and Osiris

Hermes Trismegistus - The Perfect Discourse, The Pupil of the Cosmos

Porphyry - Letter to Anebo

Iamblichus - On the Mysteries

Julian - Hymn to the Mother of the Gods

Semester 2

Political Philosophy

Plato - Republic

Proclus - Commentary on the Republic

Drama, Theurgy, and Allegory

Proclus - Hymns

Orphic Hymns

Aeschylus - Oresteia, Persians, Seven Against Thebes, Suppliants

Sophocles - Ajax, Antigone, Oedipus Rex, Philoctetes

[legend-collection]

Monopods

Monopods (also called sciapods, skiapods, skiapodes) were mythological dwarf-like creatures with a single, large foot extending from a leg centred in the middle of their bodies. The names monopod and skiapod (σκιάποδες) are both Greek, respectively meaning "one-foot" and "shadow-foot".

Monopods appear in Aristophanes' play The Birds, first performed in 414 BC. They are described by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History, where he reports travelers' stories from encounters or sightings of Monopods in India. Pliny remarks that they are first mentioned by Ctesias in his book Indika, a record of the view of Persians of India which only remains in fragments. Pliny describes Monopods like this:

He [Ctesias] speaks also of another race of men, who are known as Monocoli, who have only one leg, but are able to leap with surprising agility. The same people are also called Sciapodae, because they are in the habit of lying on their backs, during the time of the extreme heat, and protect themselves from the sun by the shade of their feet.

Philostratus mentions Skiapodes in his Life of Apollonius of Tyana, which was cited by Eusebius in his Treatise Against Hierocles. Apollonius of Tyana believes the Skiapodes live in India and Ethiopia, and asks the Indian sage Iarkhas about their existence.

St. Augustine (354–430) mentions the "Skiopodes" in The City of God, Book 16, Chapter 8 entitled "Whether Certain Monstrous Races of Men Are Derived From the Stock of Adam or Noah's Sons", and mentions that it is uncertain whether such creatures exist.

Reference to the legend continued into the Middle Ages, for example with Isidore of Seville in his Etymologiae, where he writes:

The race of Sciopodes are said to live in Ethiopia; they have only one leg, and are wonderfully speedy. The Greeks call them σκιαπόδες ("shade-footed ones") because when it is hot they lie on their backs on the ground and are shaded by the great size of their foot.

The Hereford Mappa Mundi, drawn c. 1300, shows a sciapod on one side of the world, as does a world map drawn by Beatus of Liébana (c. 730 – c. 800).

A race of the "One-Legged",or the "Uniped" was allegedly encountered by Thorfinn Karlsefni and his group of Icelandic settlers in North America in the early 11th century, according to the Saga of Erik the Red. The presence of "unipedes maritimi" in Greenland was marked on Claudius Clavus's map dated 1427.

According to the saga, Karlsefni Thorvald Eiriksson and others assembled a search party for Thorhall, and sailed around Kjalarnes and then south. After sailing for a long time, while moored on the south side of a west-flowing river, they were shot at by a one-footed man (einfœtingr), and Thorvald died from an arrow wound.

The saga goes on to relate that the party went northward and approached what they guessed to be Einfœtingaland ("Land of the One-Legged" or "Country of the Unipeds").

According to Carl A. P. Ruck, the Monopods's cited existence in India refers to the Vedic Aja Ekapad ("Not-born Single-foot"), an epithet for Soma. Since Soma is a botanical deity the single foot would represent the stem of an entheogenic plant or fungus.

John of Marignolli (1338–1353) provides another explanation of these creatures. Quote from his travels from India:

The truth is that no such people do exist as nations, though there may be an individual monster here and there. Nor is there any people at all such as has been invented, who have but one foot which they use to shade themselves withal. But as all the Indians commonly go naked, they are in the habit of carrying a thing like a little tent-roof on a cane handle, which they open out at will as a protection against sun or rain. This they call a chatyr; I brought one to Florence with me. And this it is which the poets have converted into a foot.

— 

[aurevoirmonty]

Seul celui qui ne confond pas la valeur de ceux qui sont honorés, et qui se rend lui-même en sacrifice, façonnant son âme en une sculpture divine et faisant de son intellect un temple pour la réception de la lumière divine, sait comment rendre hommage [aux divinités].

Hierocles d'Alexandrie, Commentaire sur les Vers Dorés Pythagoriciens

[mattressstoreddx]

to support the transfem romey readings: with logan using ancient roman terms in order to press his ideas of masculinity and sexual scripts (that were prominent in ancient roman society, i.e., there was only the dominant / active / masculine and the submissive / passive / feminine) onto his kids as well as those in his sphere of influence, i would say that roman as a character is at least partially built upon the idea of and inspired by prominent myths surrounding elagabalus, the roman emperor circa ce 218–222. cassius dio, a roman historian who was active around the time, considered elagabalus a transgender woman, stating that he would dress up as a woman, specifically as a prostitute in order to pretend to work at brothels and service men, and that he wanted to find a physician who could supply him with a vagina. he also apparently loved being referred to as a lady, a queen, and a wife. the accuracy of these claims are disputed, but the point here is that they are ones that are rather prolific. elagabalus took on the role of the “exoletus”* in his relationship with a charioteer, hierocles, who was reportedly violent towards elagabalus if he was unfaithful. this relationship relates to roman and his need for verbal flagellation in sexual encounters, which he received via gerri, who was a logan-like figure in roman’s eyes. also, it’s interesting that elagabalus’ father was, of course, an emperor of an empire. there’s also the overarching idea of the roman empire –> italian fascism, and roman’s relationship with fascism, which is explored through his interactions with mencken and mattson. *adult men were expected to engage sexually with only younger men, but the exoletus role specifically indicates an older man, who may have been “used” sexually as a youth, but his “use” is extended into adulthood. additionally, adult men in ancient rome were expected to take on the role of penetrator during sexual encounters, as the ones who “fuck,” if we’re connecting this to the realm of succession. those who took on the role of the “exoletus” did not penetrate their sexual partners, and preferred to receive.

[dabid-motozalea]

Antes de entrar en el desierto

los soldados bebieron largamente el agua de la cisterna.

Hierocles derramó en la tierra

el agua de su cántaro y dijo:

Si hemos de entrar en el desierto,

ya estoy en el desierto.

Si la sed va a abrasarme,

que ya me abrase.

Ésta es una parábola.

Antes de hundirme en el infierno

los lictores del dios me permitieron que mirara una rosa.

Esa rosa es ahora mi tormento

en el oscuro reino.

A un hombre lo dejó una mujer.

Resolvieron mentir un último encuentro.

El hombre dijo:

Si debo entrar en la soledad

ya estoy solo.

Si la sed va a abrasarme,

que ya me abrase.

Ésta es otra parábola.

Nadie en la tierra

tiene el valor de ser aquel hombre.

Jorge Luis Borges.

De poemas y fotos...

[haljathefangirlcat]

Multiamory March: Self-Recs

My fics featuring non-monogamous characters, relationships, dynamics, and themes in significant, unambiguous ways. Or, at the very last, the ones I've written in or translated into English up until now.

Ace Attorney

The Mysterious Mx W.: Apollo Justice/Athena Cykes/Maya Fey, Athena Cykes/Maya Fey/Surprise Character, T. Complete and utter crack.

An Invitation: Dick Gumshoe/Miles Edgeworth/Phoenix Wright, M.

A Necessary Corruption: Dick Gumshoe/Miles Edgeworth/Phoenix Wright, M.

Common Interests: Maya Fey/Miles Edgeworth, Miles Edgeworth/Others, T.

first kiss, times three: Maya Fey/Miles Edgeworth/Phoenix Wright, G.

The Best-Laid Plans: Maya Fey/Miles Edgeworth/Phoenix Wright, G.

might be a need for love (better not say): Mia Fey/Miles Edgeworth/Phoenix Wright, past Diego Armando/Mia Fey/Lana Skye, E.

Il sole invincibile. Eliogabalo, il regno della libertà

Meadows of Heaven (Perhaps, in six thousand years): Aquilia Severa/Elagabalus/Hierocles, M.

Mozart! L'Opéra Rock

Bad Manners: Mozart/Constance, Mozart/Salieri, Constance/Nannerl, T.

things we won't talk about on our coffee break: Da Ponte/Stephanie, Mozart/Constance, implied Mozart/Constance/Others, Salieri/Others, M.

Norse Mythology

The Unseen Guest: Loki/Sif/Thor, M.

Steven Universe

Smaller, weaker, better: Opal/Garnet, Ruby/Sapphire, Amethyst/Garnet/Pearl, M.

[soulsinnerstatues]

The Golden Verses and other ethical texts are meant to be a foundation for thinking about ethics/morals/virtue, and Hierocles wrote a commentary on them — here's how he approached thinking about vice and virtue.

Text: “There are several forms of vice: in regard to the rational element, thoughtlessness, in regard to the spirited element, cowardice, in regard to the desiderative element, love of pleasure and love of money, and in regard to all of the faculties alike, injustice. Therefore we need a tetrad of virtues to be able to turn away from such vices: for that which reasons, practical wisdom, for that which is spirited, courage, for that which desires, self-control, and for all these faculties alike, justice, which is the most perfect and all-pervading, a virtue that contains all the others as though parts of itself.” Hierocles, Commentary on the golden verses of Pythagoras, trans. Hermann S. Schibli. Background image of a sea of people all glued to their phones.

[kebbopulos]

had to look this up! From wikipedia:

"Dio says Elagabalus delighted in being called Hierocles's mistress, wife, and queen.[85] The emperor reportedly wore makeup and wigs, preferred to be called a lady and not a lord, and supposedly offered vast sums to any physician who could provide him with a vagina by means of incision.[85][88]".

So this decision was based on more than just one quote!

I bring you… my silly little comics. Saw a tik tok this morning about British Museum recognizing emperor Elagabalus as a trans woman 🏳️‍⚧️, and I just had to draw this.

[unversodenso]

El desierto

Antes de entrar en el desierto los soldados bebieron largamente el agua de la cisterna.

Hierocles derramó en la tierra el agua de su cántaro y dijo:

Si hemos de entrar en el desierto, ya estoy en el desierto.

Si la sed va a abrasarme,

que ya me abrase.

Ésta es una parábola.

Antes de hundirme en el infierno los lictores del dios me permitieron que mirara

una rosa.

Esa rosa es ahora mi tormento en el oscuro reino.

A un hombre lo dejó una mujer.

Resolvieron mentir un último encuentro.

El hombre dijo:

Si debo entrar en la soledad ya estoy solo.

Si la sed va a abrasarme, que ya me abrase.

Ésta es otra parábola.

Nadie en la tierra

tiene el valor de ser aquel hombre.

-Jorge Luis Borges

[pagemado]

Hierocles: Extendiendo el Círculo Estoico de Compasión

[bestreadingbooks]

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Description

The?one?book you need to master stoic philosophy!This classic collection, newly revised and with a foreword by classicist Spencer Klavan, includes the famed original introduction by Russell Kirk, the full text of the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, the complete Enchiridion of Epictetus, and key selections from Seneca and Hierocles of Alexandria in one compact volume.

[thicc-astronaut]

Wanna add some of this common-knowledge-known-from-history in case some people didn’t know

-Roman Emperor Elagabalus (204 ad - 222 ad) preferred being called a ‘lady’ over being called a ‘lord’ and was married to a man named Hierocles and “delighted in being called Hierocles’s mistress, wife, and queen” (wikipedia’s words, not mine). Elagabalus also offered a large sum of money to any surgeon who could give him a vagina.

-The Public Universal Friend (1752 - 1819) was an American preacher who claimed to have died of illness in 1776 and had their body reanimated by God with a new, ungendered spirit in order to preach the Good Word. The PUF rejected all gendered pronouns and refused to answer to their birth name, to the point they would sign documents that would require their legal name with just a big X, even though they were literate and could write.

-Jennie June (1874 - ?) was an American autobiographer who was assigned male at birth, and refers to himself with he/him pronouns in his writings, but also describes himself with terms like “androgyne” (meaning someone with both male and female features), “bisexual” (which at the time meant someone with features of both sexes, since Jennie also said he never was attracted to women) and “instinctive female impersonator” (meaning it was in his nature to want to act like a woman)

These are real people, in the history books, who would probably match our current conceptions of MtF transgender (Elagabalus), agender (PUF), and non-binary* (Jennie June).

[*Jennie June’s story is actually kind of messy to put into any one category. For the time and culture there wasn’t really an understanding of the difference between gender and sex, and it was believed that liking men was a symptom of being part woman. His writings reflect the ideas of the time, so he may well have been genderfluid and gay, or MtF and heterosexual, or something else entirely. But the labels don’t really matter as much knowing the experience happened, right?] 

Really all it should take to convince you to support trans people is the fact that there are many, many studies that say "yeah trans people are real and we've found that the best treatment is to just let them transition" like that should really be the end of the argument

I never had to be convinced that trans people were real because I just. learned about that in school. like, it's common knowledge, and we've known it forever. so people arguing about it constantly like it's new territory is so weird to me