The Syrian philosopher Iamblichus is famous for his accounts of ancient religious traditions: this book contains Thomas Taylor's translations of his commentaries regarding Egypt, Assyria and Chaldea.Containing many references to the mystical philosophies of the ancients, Iamblichus' writings are considered early accounts of theurgic traditions for their description of magical rituals and ceremonies. His descriptions hold clues to the origins and development of religious thought—part...

Iamblichus portrays Pythagoras not merely as a mathematician and scientist but as a divine, almost mythological figure whose philosophical teachings were infused with religious and spiritual significance. The biography explores Pythagoras’ early life, travels, and the foundation of his school in Croton, where he taught his famous ideas about numbers, harmony, and the cosmos. Iamblichus emphasizes Pythagoras' belief in the transmigration of souls (metempsychosis), the importance of living a...

When it is considered that Pythagoras was the father of philosophy, authentic memoirs of his life cannot fail to be uncommonly interesting to every lover of wisdom, and particularly to those who reverence the doctrines of Plato, the most genuine and the best of all his disciples. And that the following memoirs of Pythagoras by Iamblichus are authentic, is acknowledged by all the critics, as they are for the most part obviously derived from sources of very high antiquity; and where the sour...

It appears to me that there are two descriptions of persons by whom the present work must be considered to be of inestimable worth, the lovers of antiquity and the lovers of ancient philosophy and religion. To the former of these it must be invaluable, because it is replete with information derived from the wise men of the Chaldeans, the prophets of the Egyptians, the dogmas of the Assyrians, and the ancient pillars of Hermes; and to the latter, because of the doctrines contained in it, so...

It appears to me that there are two descriptions of persons by whom the present work must be considered to be of inestimable worth, the lovers of antiquity and the lovers of ancient philosophy and religion. To the former of these it must be invaluable, because it is replete with information derived from the wise men of the Chaldeans, the prophets of the Egyptians, the dogmas of the Assyrians, and the ancient pillars of Hermes; and to the latter, because of the doctrines contained in it, so...

The third century philosopher Iamblichus of Chalcis was a major figure in the school of Neoplatonism and the founder of its Syrian branch. He was also a notable biographer of the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras. Aside from Iamblichus’ own philosophical contribution, the ‘Protrepticus’ is of importance for the study of the Sophists, owing to its preservation of several pages of an otherwise unknown Sophist philosopher. Delphi’s Ancient Classics series provides eReader...

Iamblichus' "Life of Pythagoras, or Pythagoric Life" intricately intertwines biography, philosophy, and the mystique of Pythagorean thought within a rich literary tapestry. Written in the early 4th century CE, this work emerges from the Neoplatonic tradition, emphasizing the spiritual and metaphysical teachings of Pythagoras. Iamblichus employs a vivid narrative style, blending mythic elements with philosophical discourse, and showcases Pythagoras as a divine figure whose insights extend b...

The greatest of the Neoplatonic philosophers, Plotinus taught a system of thought that would dominate later Greek philosophy and influence both Christian and Islamic ideology. Delphi’s Ancient Classics series provides eReaders with the wisdom of the Classical world, with both English translations and the original Latin and Greek texts. This comprehensive eBook presents Plotinus’ complete extant works, with beautiful illustrations, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonu...

Flourishing in the third century, Herodian of Antioch wrote a ‘Roman History’, covering the period of the Roman Empire from the death of Marcus Aurelius (AD 180) to the accession of Gordian III (238). It was a century of turbulent strife, when a succession of frontier crises and a disastrous lack of economic planning established a pattern of military coups and increasing cultural divides. Herodian’s history is one of the few texts charting this period to have survived and it is more or les...

The Roman historian Velleius Paterculus lived during the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius, serving as a military tribune and later as a cavalry officer and legatus in Germany and Pannonia. Written in a highly rhetorical style, his ‘Compendium of Roman History’ is a summary of Roman history from the mythical fall of Troy to AD 29. As Paterculus approaches his own times, he becomes much fuller in his treatment of history, especially dealing with the years between the death of Julius Caesar in...

A man of unusually complex character, Julian the Apostate was a military commander, philosopher, social reformer and man of letters. He was the last non-Christian ruler of the Roman Empire and it was his wish to bring the Empire back to its ancient Roman values in order to save it from ‘dissolution’. He purged the top-heavy state bureaucracy and attempted to revive traditional Roman religious practices at the expense of Christianity. Delphi’s Ancient Classics series provides eReade...

A historian of the first century BC, Dionysius of Halicarnassus taught rhetoric in Rome while studying the Latin language, collecting material for his magnum opus, ‘Roman Antiquities’. Dionysius states that his objects in writing history were to please lovers of noble deeds and to repay the benefits he had enjoyed while living in Rome, though he wrote also to reconcile Greeks to Roman rule. Delphi’s Ancient Classics series provides eReaders with the wisdom of the Classical world, w...