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Antonius in the Orator, and De Oratore, was of the two superlative orators of the previous generation, along with Crassus (elder relative to L. Crassus of Cicero's generation). Both of those two men form the chief discussion in De Oratore which is a dialogue between the two men. I doubt that Antonius could've been so famous as to be ranked alongside Zoroaster, if for no other reason than that he scorned putting his principles down in writing, so as to appeal more to the common folk (whereas Crassus did publish his speeches).
So I'm not clear who that Antonius could have been. I've been thinking of the great Roman philosophers -- Musonius Rufus, Helvedius Priscus, of course Seneca Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, but none of them except the last could qualify for that name. I don't remember if Marcus Aurelius published anything other than his Meditations.
Multi viri et feminae philosophiam antiquam conservant.
James S.
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Jona, I may have found your "Antonius". Take a look at this link:
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/enc ... apeum.html
The Antonius of
de Oratore without a doubt
could not have been the one referenced by Synesius, as he had absolutely no fame or pretense to the mystical, and besides he left no books or any kind of students or patrimony, on basically anything. Cicero wrote
de Oratore in part because of his fear that were it not for him, Antonius would be forgotten almost instantly.
But this Antonius (or Antoninus as he's spelled) is much more likely. This Antonius seems to aspire to mystical powers, something some late Roman might have done, and something totally uncharacteristic of Marcus Aurelius. So it is likely some long-lost prophet of Late Empire, whom Synesius counts among the ranks of Zoroaster and the like, and who in the above link foretells of the desctruction of temples (successfully).
Multi viri et feminae philosophiam antiquam conservant.
James S.
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Quote:I'm now in a rush for a brief holiday
You mean you're discarding your underwear? Is this the forum for that?? :lol: :wink:
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
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From a website:
Quote:In his Lives of the Philosophers, the pagan poet Eunapius speaks of Antoninus, who had foretold the destruction of the Serapeum shortly before his death, when "the temples would become tombs."
"For no sooner had he left the world of men than the cult of the temples in Alexandria and at the shrine of Serapis was scattered to the winds, and not only the ceremonies of the cult but the buildings as well, and everything happened as in the myths of the poets when the Giants gained the upper hand....this they accounted piety, to show contempt for things divine" (472).
Antonius is referenced again, so it must be some sort of late prophet on the line with Hermes and Zoroaster. I don't have my Eunapius on hand at the moment, but it might be worthwhile to follow the citation.
Multi viri et feminae philosophiam antiquam conservant.
James S.
