Cambridge Ancient Hi.. - Index of

852 28. philosophy and philosophical schools
instead that a force, or impetus, could be implanted by the thrower directly
into the javelin. This theory was still standard in the time of Galileo.
Philoponus also made novel contributions to the discussion of concepts
such as velocity, space and light. 39
Study of Philoponus and the other Alexandrian philosophers requires
the ability to penetrate the long-winded form of commentary in which
their work is presented. Recent work has highlighted the interesting discussions
buried within the commentaries of Philoponus. It may well be that
equally interesting material lies concealed in the works of Ammonius or
even in those of Olympiodorus, who is commonly dismissed as totally
unoriginal. No final conclusions can be drawn about the philosophical
importance of the Alexandrian Neoplatonists until individual thinkers
have received more detailed and expert study.
iv. philosophy elsewhere in the empire
Students came to both Alexandria and Athens from a wide area. In due
course some of these students became teachers and spread Neoplatonism
to other cities. Aeneas of Gaza, a Christian, appears to have studied at
Alexandria under Hierocles before returning to his native city to teach a
Christian Neoplatonism. 40 Asclepiodotus, a native of Alexandria who had
studied in Athens with Proclus, settled as a teacher at Aphrodisias. He
married Damiane, the daughter of another Asclepiodotus, a prominent
local citizen who himself had philosophical interests. In fifth-century
Aphrodisias, both pagans and Christians occupied important positions.
Asclepiodotus of Aphrodisias was a pagan, and the two Asclepiodoti maintained
a philosophical school where pagan worship and theurgy flourished.
It is not clear whether this school built on any local philosophical tradition.
There is some evidence for philosophical activity at Aphrodisias in the
second and third century, including the Aristotelian commentaries of
Alexander, but little to establish a continuing tradition. However, as at
Athens, archaeology confirms the literary evidence for philosophy in the
fifth century. Excavations at Aphrodisias have produced not only inscriptions
honouring Asclepiodotus of Aphrodisias and Pytheas, a member of
the same circle, but also a number of shield portraits and two busts found
in a building complex which appears to be a philosophical school. The
shield portraits depict both philosophers and pagan cultural heroes
(Pindar, Alexander and Alcibiades); the busts appear to represent a philosopher
and a sophist. These sculptures may be earlier than the second half
39 Sorabji (1987).
40 Sheldon-Williams (1967) 483–8. On the problems of dating Aeneas’ dialogue Theophrastus, see
Hadot (1978) 203–4. Glucker (1987) 51–7 argues convincingly that the school of Gaza was primarily a
centre for literary and rhetorical studies.
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