Hermias (; grc-gre, Ἑρμείας ἐκ Φοινίκης ''Hermeias ek Phoinikes'') was a Neoplatonist philosopher who was born in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

c. 410 AD. He went to

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

and studied philosophy under Syrianus. He married Aedesia, who was a relative of Syrianus, and who had originally been betrothed to

Proclus Proclus Lycius (; 8 February 412 – 17 April 485), called Proclus the Successor ( grc-gre, Πρόκλος ὁ Διάδοχος, ''Próklos ho Diádokhos''), was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, one of the last major classical philosophe ...

, but Proclus broke the engagement off after receiving a

divine Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine< ...

warning. Hermias brought Syrianus' teachings back to Alexandria, where he lectured in the school of Horapollo, receiving an income from the state. He died c. 450 AD, at a time when his children, Ammonius and

Heliodorus Heliodorus is a Greek name meaning "Gift of the Sun". Several persons named Heliodorus are known to us from ancient times, the best known of which are: *Heliodorus (minister) a minister of Seleucus IV Philopator c. 175 BC *Heliodorus of Athen ...

, were still small. Aedesia, however, continued to receive an income from the state, in order to raise the children, enabling them to become philosophers. A ''Commentary on the Phaedrus'' written by Hermias survives. It consists of notes based on the lectures conducted by Syrianus concerning

Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...

's '' Phaedrus''.

References

* Gertz, S., (2019)
"Hermias on the Argument for Immortality in Plato’s Phaedrus"
In: ''Studies in Hermias’ Commentary on Plato’s Phaedrus''. Brill: Leiden. *Sorabji, R., (2005), ''The Philosophy of the Commentators, 200-600 AD'', Cornell University Press. *Uzdavinys, A., (2004), ''The Golden Chain: An Anthology of Pythagorean and Platonic Philosophy''. World Wisdom, Inc.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hermias 5th-century Byzantine people 5th-century philosophers Commentators on Plato Neoplatonists Roman-era philosophers 5th-century births 450 deaths Roman-era students in Athens 5th-century Byzantine writers Late-Roman-era pagans