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Unknown Platonic Essays on Love and Beauty by George Pachymeres

    Pantelis Golitsis, Georgios Savoidakis

Jahrbuch der Österreichischen Byzantinistik 74, pp. 271, 2025/03/05

doi: 10.1553/joeb74s271

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doi:10.1553/joeb74s271

Abstract

This article brings to light a collection of hitherto unknown philosophical texts - three essays and three shorter notes-by George Pachymeres. These texts are preserved in the last folios of the codex Wien, Österreichische Nationalbiblio­thek, Vind. phil. gr. 150, and were primarily copied by Pachymeres' pupil, Nikephoros Kallistos (or Kallistou) Xanthopoulos. Pachymeres' essays explore the Platonic themes of divine love and moral beauty, including queries about the state of knowledge and virtue in the human soul. They were mainly written in response to Proclus' Commentary on Plato's First Alci­biades but were also inspired by other Platonic dialogues such as the Theaetetus, the Timaeus, the Phaedo and the Phaedrus. Pachymeres' essays restify to the Byzantine reception of Plato from the perspective of a Christian pbilosopher interested in exploring Hellenic doctrines so as to better understand and teach the true doctrine of Christianity.

Keywords: George Pachymeres; Nikephoros Xanthopoulos; Byzantine Reception of Plato