Editing Damascius (section)

==Life==
Much of what is known about Damascius' life comes from his semi-autobiographical work called ''The Philosophical History'', or ''Life of Isidore'', and from a work called ''Vita Severi'' written by the 6th-century bishop and historian [[Zacharias Rhetor|Zacharias Scholasticus]].{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=3, 423 (note 4)|loc=}} Damascius, as his name suggests, was born in [[Damascus]] in c. 462 AD, and travelled to [[Alexandria]] in the 480s AD to study rhetoric at the coeducational school of the late 5th-century Alexandrian professor{{Sfn|Remes|Slaveva-Griffin|p=35|loc=The Alexandrian classrooms excavated and sixth-century philosophy teaching by Sorabji|2014}} [[Horapollo]], where students of different religions and philosophies studied together.{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=3, 423|loc=}} Zacharias reports that there was a close relationship between the neoplatonic communities of [[Athens]] and Alexandria, as [[Agapius of Athens]] and [[Severianus of Damascus]], students of [[Proclus]]' neoplatonic school in Athens, also studied in neoplatonic schools in Alexandria.{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=3, 423 (note 6)|loc=}} Damascius may have travelled to Athens shortly before Proclus died in 485 AD, to teach rhetoric, and travelled back to Alexandria before 488 AD.{{Sfn|Remes|Slaveva-Griffin|2014|p=36|loc=The Alexandrian classrooms excavated and sixth-century philosophy teaching by Sorabji}}
[[File:Mosaic of Justinianus I - Basilica San Vitale (Ravenna).jpg|thumb|6th-century [[mosaic]] of [[Justinian I]] in the [[Basilica of San Vitale|Basilique San Vitale]] in [[Ravenna]], [[Italy]]. Damascius was head of the last neoplatonic school in [[Athens]] when the laws of Justinian I forced its closure.{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=4|loc=Introduction to the Life and Philosophy of Damascius}}|310x310px]]
Late 5th-century Alexandria was a tumultuous place; there were conflicting factions of pro-[[Chalcedonian Christianity|Chalcedonian]] and [[Monophysitism|Monophysite]] Christians, and a growing hostile sentiment towards neoplatonists and people of other non-Christian religions and philosophies that sometimes led to rioting and arrests of leaders of non-Christian schools, resulting in students having to flee and go into hiding.{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=4|loc=Introduction to the Life and Philosophy of Damascius}} Damascius' accounts of these times paints a picture of a circle of intellectuals that was under siege, arrested, interrogated and who were sometimes courageous, but at other times capitulated.{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=4|loc=Introduction to the Life and Philosophy of Damascius}} Horapollo, the head of the school at which Damascius had studied and taught rhetoric for nine years,{{Sfn|Remes|Slaveva-Griffin|2014|p=36|loc=The Alexandrian classrooms excavated and sixth-century philosophy teaching by Sorabji}} was arrested in 489 AD, causing Damascius and the neoplatonic philosopher [[Isidore of Alexandria]] to flee Alexandria and start on a journey to Athens with the aim of studying in the neoplatonic school in Athens.{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=4|loc=Introduction to the Life and Philosophy of Damascius}}

That journey took eight months, and during that time Damascius writes that he lost interest in pursuing a profession as a rhetorician.{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=4|loc=Introduction to the Life and Philosophy of Damascius}} When they finally arrived in Athens, Damascius and Isidore became students of the 5th-century neoplatonist [[Marinus of Neapolis]], Proclus' successor, at the neoplatonic school of Athens.{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=4|loc=Introduction to the Life and Philosophy of Damascius}} By 515 AD, Damascius had become head of the neoplatonic school in Athens, succeeding Marinus of Neapolis successor Isidore,{{Sfn|Remes|2008|p=29|loc=Introduction}} and continued Isidore's path of steering the school back to the philosophical studies of Aristotle, Plato, Orphic theogony and the Chaldean Oracles, and away from theurgy and rituals, which were previously being favoured, most likely due to the increasing external pressure on the school's philosophical teachings.{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=4-5|loc=Introduction to the Life and Philosophy of Damascius}} Damascius was still the head of the school in 529 AD after the [[Byzantine emperor]] [[Justinian I]] confirmed his ''[[Code of Justinian|Novum Justinianeum Codicem]]'', or ''[[Code of Justinian|Codex Justinianus]]'',{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=424 (note 17)|loc=Notes to Pages 4-7}} on the 7th of April 529 AD;{{Sfn|Smith|1870|p=667|loc=Justinianus}} and administrators{{Sfn|Lang|Macro|McGinnis|2001|p=4 (note 9)|loc=Introduction}} enforcing the new laws, after they had legal force on the 16th of April 529 AD,{{Sfn|Smith|1870|p=667|loc=Justinianus}} closed the last neoplatonic school in Athens.{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=4|loc=Introduction to the Life and Philosophy of Damascius}}

According to the 6th-century historian [[Agathias]], soon after the school closed in 529 AD, Damascius, Isidore and the 6th-century neoplatonic philosophers [[Simplicius of Cilicia]], [[Eulamius|Eulamius of Phrygia]], [[Priscian of Lydia|Priscianus of Lydia]], [[Hermias (philosopher)|Hermias]] and [[Diogenes of Phoenicia]] left Athens and travelled to Persia, where they had heard that the intellectual climate might be more suited to them,{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=424 (note 18)|loc=Notes to Pages 4-7}}{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|loc=Introduction to the Life and Philosophy of Damascius|pp=5-6}} under the refuge of the Persian King [[Khosrow I|Chosroes]].{{Sfn|Remes|2008|p=30|loc=Introduction}} It is not known if Damascius and his retinue of philosophers arrived in Persia, although late 20th- and early 21st-century scholarship by the French historian and philosopher [[Pierre Hadot]], French scholar [[Michel Tardieu]] and German historian and philosopher [[Ilsetraut Hadot]] advanced the establishment of a neoplatonic school in Charrae (present-day [[Harran]],{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=423 (note 3)|loc=Notes to Pages 3-4}} [[Turkey]]) in the Persian Empire,{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=6|loc=Introduction to the Life and Philosophy of Damascius}} a view that is disputed by other 21st-century scholarship.{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=8, 425}} The last known trace of Damascius is an epigram carved in [[stele]] in [[Homs|Emesa]] that confirms Damascius returned to Syria in 538 AD, and that is also the year scholars say he died.{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=3, 8|loc=Introduction to the Life and Philosophy of Damascius}} Damascius composed a number of works, and a significant number of his works in fragments or derived from his writings survived, the more complete works being: the literary work ''Life of Isidore'', or ''Philosophical History'', preserved by [[Photios I of Constantinople|Photius]];{{Sfn|Remes|2008|p=30|loc=Introduction}} and the philosophical works: ''Problems and Solutions Concerning First Principles''; ''Commentary on the [[Parmenides (dialogue)|Parmenides]]''; ''Commentary on the [[Phaedo]]''; and ''Lectures on the [[Philebus]]''.{{Sfn|Ahbel-Rappe|2010|p=3-4, 10-12|loc=Introduction to the Life and Philosophy of Damascius}}