Porphyry: The Polymath
A Panel to be held at the annual meeting of the Society for Classical Studies
in Boston, Massachusetts, January 5-8, 2018
(Sponsored by the International Society of Neoplatonic Studies)
Organizer: John F. Finamore (University of Iowa)
In the 6th CE, David begins his commentary on Porphyry’s Isagoge by citing the Delphic description of Porphyry as a Phoenician polymath (in Porph. Isag. proem. 92.2–6). The label is particularly suitable to him. More than 50 titles (according to the lists provided in the Suda and the Arabic tradition) are attributed to him. He was a prolific author whose scope of research interests mirrors the voracious intellects of Aristotle and Galen. A brief survey of Porphyry’s works reveals the wide array of his literary, historical, and religious interests. He composed philosophical commentaries on Plato and Aristotle, an exhortatory Letter to Marcella, an anthropological study On the Abstinence from Killing Animals, an edition of Plotinus’ Enneads, a treatise on the preface to Thucydides’ History, and a Commentary on Ptolemy’s Harmonics.
In light of the resurgent interest in the study of Porphyry – Zambon (2002), Karamanolis and Sheppard (2007), Wilberding (2011), Brisson (2012), Johnson (2013), Simmons (2015), to mention a few – this panel invites papers which examine the many sides of Porphyry’s intellectual portrait, its poikilia and polutropia. Topics may focus on – but are not limited to – individual works and themes, clusters of related works or subjects, Porphyry’s exegetical methods, intellectual contribution, and reception in East and West.
Abstracts of 500–800 words, double-spaced, for papers requiring 15-20 minutes of presentation time should be sent electronically to John Finamore at john-finamore@uiowa.edu. The member's name should appear only on the cover letter, not on the abstract. All abstracts must be received no later than February 24, 2017. Abstracts will be judged anonymously. The panel organizer will subsequently contact those who have written abstracts with the reviewers’ comments and recommendation.