Priscian of
Lydia (or Priscianus;
Greek: Πρισκιανὸς ὁ ΛυδόςPrīskiānós ho Lȳdós;
Latin: Priscianus Lydus; fl. 6th century), was one of the last of the
Neoplatonists. Two works of his have survived.
Life
A contemporary of
Simplicius of Cilicia, Priscian was born in
Lydia, probably in the late 5th century. He was one of the last
Neoplatonists to study at the
Academy when
Damascius was at its head. When
Justinian I closed the school in 529, Priscian, together with Damascius, Simplicius, and four other colleagues were forced to seek asylum in the court of the
Persian king
Chosroes.[1] By 533 they were allowed back into the
Byzantine Empire after Justinian and Chosroes concluded a peace treaty, in which it was provided that the philosophers would be allowed to return.[1]
It has also been suggested that the commentary on
Aristotle's On the Soul attributed to Simplicius, was written by Priscian,[5] but this is disputed.[6]
Notes
^
abGeorge Sarton, (1927), Introduction to the History of Science, Volume 1, page 423. Williams & Wilkins
Priscian (1997). Priscian: On Theophrastus on Sense-Perception with Simplicius: On Aristotle, On the Soul 2.5-12. Ancient Commentators on Aristotle. Translated by Huby, Pamela. London: Duckworth.
ISBN0-7156-2752-X.
Priscian (2018). Priscian: Answers to King Khosroes of Persia. Ancient Commentators on Aristotle. Translated by Huby, Pamela. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
ISBN978-1-35006058-6.