Apollonius of Tyana in Legend and History 8870625990

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PROBLEM! E RICERCHE DI STORIA ANTICA ~~~~~10~~~~~

MARIA DZIELSKA

APOLLONIUS OF TYANA IN LEGEND AND HISTORY Translated by Piotr Pienkowski

"L,ERMA" di BRETSCHNEIDER

Opera pubblicata con il contributo del Consiglio N azionale delle Ricerche

ISBN 88-7062-599-0

©COPYRIGHT 1986 cc L'ERMA » di BRETSCHNEIDER Roma - Via Cassiodoro, 19

CONTENTS

Select Bibliographical Abbreviations ......... . Introduction

Page 7 9

I On the Memoirs of «Damis» . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19

II Apollonius' and his Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

51

CHAPTER

CHAPTER

CHAPTER

III

Tradition on Apollonius' Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER

IV

Apollonius' ·Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER

85

129

v

Apollonius' Legend from Hierocles to Nicomachus Flavianus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Appendix - Modern polemics over Apollonius of Tyana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selected Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Index of classical names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

153 18 S 193 213 225

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ABBREVIATIONS ANRW

Aufstieg und Niedergang der romischen Welt, Geschichte und Kultur Rams im Spiegel der Neureren Forschung, Berlin-New York 1972 and ff. Bonn. Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae CAH Cambridge Ancient History CH Contra Hieroclem (in) Vita Apollonii Tyanei (ed. F.C. Conybeare). CIL Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum Epp. Apoll. Epistolae Apollonii Tyanei (ed. R.J. Penella) ILS Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae (ed. H. Dessau) HA Scriptores Historiae Augustae MGHAA Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Auctores Antiquissimi PG Patrologia Graeca (ed. J.P. Migne) Prosopographia Imperii Romani (ed. A. PIR2 Groag, A. Stein et alii) PL Patrologia Latina (ed. J.P. Migne) PLRE The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire (ed. A.H.M. Jones, J.R. Martindale, J. Morris) RAC Reallexicon fur Antike und Christentum (ed. H. Klauser) RE Real-Encyclopadie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft REG Revue des Etudes Grecques VA Vita Apollonii Tyanei (ed. F.C. Conybeare) VS Vitae Sophistarum (ed. W.C. Wright)

INTRODUCTION A historian assuming that Apollonius of Tyana existed solely as a hero of an extensive legend which has persisted till this day, would not stray far from the truth. This is because Apollonius, as a historical figure, is shrouded in the obscurity of history. Historical sources contemporary with Apollonius, who lived in the first and at the beginning of the second centuries, keep silent about him. Historians and philosophers of those times did not even mention his name. Only several dozen years after his death, in the age of the Antonines, did there begin to appear some pieces of information about the first biographies of Apollonius, some opinions on him, and some letters signed with his name. The first biography of Apollonius written by Philostratus of Lemnos 1 and fully preserved till our times, dates back to the third century, that is to the reign of the Severi. The silence kept by the writers contemporary to Apollonius and the poor condition of the sources from the second century which supply information on him, make all attempts to reveal the true Apollonius well-nigh impossible. Yet these difficulties have never made scholars abandon their hopes to solve the riddle of the sage of Tyana. As we know, studies of Apollonius have a long tradition. The studies undertaken by Eduard Meyer and Ewen Lyall Bowie provide the framework for the course of serious research

1 On Philostratus see G.W. BOWERSOCK, Greek Sophists in the Roman, Empire, Oxford 1969, pp. 1-16; B.P. REARnoN, Courants Litteraires Grecs des Ir et 11r Siecles apres ].-C. (Annales Litteraires de l'Universire de Nanres, fasc. 3), Paris 1971, pp. 185-98 and passim.

MARIA DZIELSKA

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on the truth and fiction in the work of Philostratus, on pre-Philostratean accounts of Apollonius, and on the origin of the writings connected with his name. In 1917 Meyer published his fundamental work Apollonius von Tyana und die Biographie des Philostratus 2 • In 1978 it was thoroughly revised by Bo~ie in his brilliant treatise Apollonius of Tyana: Tradition and Reality 3 , where, at the same time, he paid homage to Meyer's achievements. At present, ~his is the last word on the pre-Philostratean Apollonius and on the role of Philostratus in the shaping of his legendary picture. Recently we have witnessed some revival of interest in the figure of Apollonius. Suffice it to mention here two new editions of VA: the English one by C.P. Jones 4 and the Italian by D. Del Corno 5 , as well as a long awaited, excellent edition of the letters of Apollonius by R.J. Penella 6 • Penella is also the author of numerous and valuable works both on Apollonius and on the VA of Philostratus. Moreover, the study of the Arabic tradition of Apollonius have made considerable progress. In 1980 U. Weisser edited Das Buch uber das Geheimnis der Schopfung 7 - an Arabic pseudoepigraph attributed to Apollonius of Tyana in the Arabic occuitist literature. In recent times, a wide debate has been provoked over an Inscription with an epigram glorifying Apollonius which

Hermes 52, 1917, pp. 371-424. ANR W. Teil 'II: Principat. Bd, 16, 2, 1978, pp. 1652-99. 4 Philostratus, Life of Apollonius, ed. abr. and introd. by G.W. Bowersock, Harmondswonh 1970. 5 Filostrato, Vita di Apollonio di Tiana, Milano 1978; I should also mention the latest edition of VA in Spanish translated by A.B. Pajares (Vida de Apolonia de Tiana. Madrid 1979). 6 The Letters of Apollonius of Tyana, a critical Text with Prolegomena, Translation and Commentary, Mnemosyne Supplementum 56, Leiden 1979. 7 Das Buch uber das Geheimnis der Schopfung van Pseudo-Apollonius von Tyana (Texte und Untersuchungen zur Quellekunde der alten Medizin, III abt. Bd. 2, Arabische Medizin), Berlin-New York 1980. 2 3

INTRODUCTION

11

was found among the exhibits of the Adana Museum. The debate was initiated almost simultaneously in 1978 by G. Dagron, J. Marcillet-Jaubert 8 , and Bowie 9 , then continued by J. and L. Robert 10 , and Jones 11 • In 1981 they were joined by other scholars. Now the last word in this matter belongs to W. Peek 12 • Recent works on Dio Chrysostom provide a considerable help in the attempts to establish the model Philostratus had in mind when shaping the figure of his hero in VA. Here I mean the books by P. Desideri 13 , Jones 14 , and an innovatory treatise by J. Moles 15 , all of them dealing with the problems of D~o Chrysostom's career and philosophical conversion. It is in this context that the question of the relationship between Dio Chrysostom and Apollonius, extensively discussed in VA by Philostratus, is being considered. It should be self-evident that in the absence of proper sources the studies on Apollonius have always been interlinked with the analysis of Philostratus' VA. The latter has been dealt with from various angles, and the Philostratean studies constitute a separate branch in the research on culture of the Early Roman Empire. The present work, devoted to Apollonius, does not aim at enumerating all the trends in the studies of VA. I would only like to add that the 8 Inscriptions de Cilicie et d'Isaurie, Tiirk Tarih Kurumu Belleten 42, 1978, pp. 402-5 and pl. 6. 9 Op. cit., pp. 1687-88. 10 Bulletin Epigraphique, Revue des Etudes grecques XCII, 1979, No 592. 11 An Epigram on Apol/onius of Tyana, Journal of Hellenic Studies 100, 1980, pp. 190-94 and pl. lb. 12 Epigramm au/ Apol/onius von Tyana, Philologus 2, Bd. 125, 1981, pp. 297-98. 13 Dione di Prusa, Un lnte//ettuale greco nell'Impero Romano, (Biblioteca di Cultura Contemporanea CXXXV), Messina-Firenze 1978. 14 The Roman World of Dio Chrysostom, Cambridge Mass., London 1978. u The Career and Conversion of Dio Chrysostom, Journal of Hell. Stud. 98, 1978, pp. 79-100.

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MARIA DZIELSKA

publication of Die griechisch-romische Biographie by F. Leo 16 initiated discussion about the literary form of VA. Scholars keep wondering at the true character of this work: what sort of biography it is (Leo), whether it is a Heliodoran romance 17 , romantic hagiography 18 , or whether, according to J. Palm's recent suggestion 19 , it is a documentary romance. From among the works concerning the study of VA as a source of the history of the Early Empire, La Vita di Apollonio di Tiana come Jonte storica by F. Grosso 20 is quoted most frequently. Grosso not only tries to represent the advantages of VA as a historical source, but also to prove·that the Philostratean picture of Apollonius conforms to reality. Grosso believes in Philostratus' assertion that in the description of his hero he utilized the memoirs of Damis who, according to him, had been one of the most faithful pupils of Apollonius. FurtJ:termore, Grosso assumes that Damis did exist in reality and compiled his notebooks during the reign of N erva. As we know, Philostratus refers to Damis when he describes the whole series of events which took place in the first century and in which Apollonius was an active participant. The events among which he places Apollonius are widely known from the works of Roman Leipzig 1901, pp. 261-62. E. ROHDE, Der Griechische Roman und Seine Vorlliu/er, Leipzig 1914, p. 476 ff. 18 L. Lo CASCIO, LA Forma letteraria de/la Vita di Apollonio Tianeo, Quaderni dell'Istituto di Filologia Greca dell'Universita di Palermo 6, 1974, pp. 82-96. 19 Om Fif.ostratos och Hans Apollonios-Biografi, Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis (Studia Graeca Upsaliensia 10), Uppsala 1976, p. 38 ff., and my review of this work (in) Eos LXVI, 1978, pp. 331-33. Recently, the links between VA and the Greek romance from the times of the Empire were noticed by. D. DEL CORNO in his work Lo Scritto di Filostrato 'su Apollonio Tianeo e la Tradizione de/la nattariva (in) La struttura del/a Fabu/azione antica, (Pubblicazioni dell'Istituto di Filologia classica e medievale 54), Genova 1979, pp. 65-87. 20 Acme 7, 1954, pp. 333-352; scholars' views on Grosso's work are presented by Bowie, op. cit., p. 1654 note 7. 16

17

INTRODUCTION

13

historians. Only occasionally does Philostratus enrich them with interesting details. Yet Bowie 21 is right to suggest that the conformability of historical accounts contained in VA to historical events of the first century does not prove in itself the historicity of the events of Apollonius' life as outlined in VA. That is why Grosso's work should be treated most cautiously. It is sufficient to refer to Bowersock's short introduction to Jones's translation of VA to find a more reliable criticism of historical facts contained in VA than that supplied in Grosso's comprehensive treatise. What appears to be an important trend in the studies of VA is the analysis of its relationship with the literature of the nineteenth century in F. Baur's work Apollonius von Tyana und Christus oder das Verhaltnis des Pythagoreismus zum Christentum 22 • After the Second World War Baur's analysis has been resumed by some German scholars who carried out their research according to the Formgeschichtliche Forschung methods. Among them we should mention here three authors: H.J. Schiltz 23 , G. Petzke 24 , and D. Esser 25 , whose findings allowed to place VA in the context of the Hellenic aretologic tradition. Studies of the multistructural work of Philostratus are under way 26. Philostratus' biographic work is most hampering for a

Op. cit., pp. 1654-55. (in) Drei Abhandlungen zur Geschichte der a/ten Philosophie und ihres Verhii/tnisses zum Christentum, ed. E. Zeller, Leipzig 1876, pp. 1-227. 23 Beitriige zur Formgeschichte synoptischer Wundererzah/ungen, dargeste//t an der Vita Apo//onii des Philostratus, Diss, Jena 1953. 24 Die Traditionen uber Apo//onius von Tyana und das Neue Testament (Studia ad Corpus Hellenisricum Novi Testamenti Bd. 1), Leiden 1970. 2s Formgeschichtliche Studien zur he//enistichen und zur fruhchrist/ichen Literatur unter besonderer Berucksichtingung der Vita Apollonii des Phi/ostrat und der Evange/ien, Diss. Bonn 1969. 26 See L. BELLONI, Aspetti dell'antica EOoc; 41

Tuavrov.

·

Das Epigra'm au/ Apollonius von Tyana, Zeitschrift fiir Papirologie und Epigraphie 41, 1981, p. 270. 44 The Epigram of Apollonius ot Tyana, Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies 22, 3, 1981, p. 284. 45 Epigramm au/ Apol/onius von Tyana, op. cit., p. 298. 43

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presented above which connects Apollonius with Apollo worshipped in a definite place, that is in Tyana (the sacred meadow). Apollonius' activity was beneficial because he "undid (or more precisely: extingu_ished) the faults of men". Suggestions put forward as regards the content of the first line in the second couplet are so numerous that they render the elucidation of the actual message impossible. Personally, I incline to those offered by Dagron and Marcillet-Jaubert or by Richardson and Burian. The solutions claiming that Apollonius' tomb was in Tyana (Bowie, Jones) 46 I consider fallacious. As we have already written it is not only Philostratus who keeps silent about Apollonius' tomb or cenotaph at Tyana; none of all the available sources and materials bring forth any information on this matter. As far as the second line of the second couplet is concerned, I agree with those interpretations which explain that "heaven sent him" or that. "heaven begot him" so that he could "drive out the pains of men" (Dagron and MarcilletJ au bert, Merkelbach, Richardson and Burian, Peek). This interpretation finds its corroboration in the available sources. They include Philostratus, in spite of the fact that Jones 47 refers to him when he argues that Apollonius was "received by heaven" and from there beneficially assisted the sufferers. It is true that following a certain tradition Philostratus describes Apollonius' ascension in the temple of Dictynna in Crete (VIII 30); yet he also writes about the "heaven" which announced Apollonius. His birth was apparently preceded by the revelation of the god Proteus to his mother (I 4 ), who prophesied her that she would give birth to Apollonius himself. In VA I 6 Philostratus reports the view prevalent in Tyan~ during Apollonius' lifetime that he was a son of Zeus. So it was already then 46

47

Cf. Jones' explanation (op. cit., p. 192}. Ibid.

APOLLONIUS AND HIS CITIES

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that he was said to have been "sent" or "begot" by heaven. People deemed him to be a hero and consequently they built his heroum after his death. Elsewhere Philostratus writes that people regarded Apollonius as a demon (I 19) or as god (IV 31). This opinion appears in the letters too. We already know Apollonius' letter to his brother Hestiaeus (Epp. Apoll. 44) which makes it clear that Apollonius was considered the equal to gods, or even that some thought him to be a god himself. In Epp. Apoll. 48 Apollonius admits that gods often talked about him, both in their personal oracles and publicly, and that his nature resembled that of the gods (9eioc; avnp). The content of this letter remains in an interesting connection with the second couplet of the epigram, as reconstructed by Peek. We remember that he interprets this couplet as an oracle announcing that Apollonius was sent by heaven so that he could pursue his beneficial and humane activities on the earth. The fact that Apollonius was treated as a superhuman being begotten by heaven was also mentioned by a wellknown orator and defender of Hellenism, Eunapius of Sardis. He claimed that Philostratus should have entitled his work A Visit of God to Mankind (tn1811µia de; av9pc.t:mouc; 9eou) 48 , instead of The Life of Apollonius. Eunapius adds that worshippers of Apollonius thought that he had his human frame and shape only for the sake of appearance 49 , whereas in fact he was a god or rather an intermediate being: half-god and half-human: 'tt 9erov 'te Kat av9pc01tOU µEaov. The usage of the verb t~eA.auvew (9un'trov t~eA.