Hermias (/hɜːrˈmaɪəs/;
Greek: ἙρμείαςHermeias) was a
Neoplatonist philosopher who was born in
Alexandria c. 410 AD. He went to
Athens and studied philosophy under
Syrianus. He married
Aedesia, who was a relative of Syrianus, and who had originally been betrothed to
Proclus, but Proclus broke the engagement off after receiving a
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[citation needed] (but before 470 AD),[1] at a time when his children,
Ammonius and
Heliodorus, 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.[2] It consists of notes based on the lectures conducted by Syrianus concerning
Plato's Phaedrus.
References
^Jackson, Robin; Lycos, Kimon; Tarrant, Harold (1998). Olympiodorus: Commentary on Plato's Gorgias. Leidon, The Netherlands: Brill. p. 1.
ISBN90-04-10972-2.