How Philosophers Saved Myths: Allegorical Interpretation and Classical MythologyThis study explains how the myths of Greece and Rome were transmitted from antiquity to the Renaissance. Luc Brisson argues that philosophy was ironically responsible for saving myth from historical annihilation. Although philosophy was initially critical of myth because it could not be declared true or false and because it was inferior to argumentation, mythology was progressively reincorporated into philosophy through allegorical exegesis. Brisson shows to what degree allegory was employed among philosophers and how it enabled myth to take on a number of different interpretive systems throughout the centuries: moral, physical, psychological, political, and even metaphysical. How Philosophers Saved Myths also describes how, during the first years of the modern era, allegory followed a more religious path, which was to assume a larger role in Neoplatonism. Ultimately, Brisson explains how this embrace of myth was carried forward by Byzantine thinkers and artists throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance; after the triumph of Chistianity, Brisson argues, myths no longer had to agree with just history and philosophy but the dogmas of the Church as well. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Muthos and Philosophia | 5 |
Platos Attitude toward Myth | 15 |
Aristotle and the Beginnings of Allegorical Exegesis | 29 |
Stoics Epicureans and the New Academy | 41 |
Pythagoreanism and Platonism | 56 |
The Neoplatonic School of Athens | 87 |
Other editions - View all
How Philosophers Saved Myths: Allegorical Interpretation and Classical Mythology Luc Brisson No preview available - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
Academy according allegorical interpretation allegory ancient Greece antiquity Aristotle Athens attributed Belles Lettres Byzantine cave century B.C. Chaldean Oracles Christian Cicero commentaries context Cotta Cronius daemons Dionysos disciple divine doctrine dominant Egyptians elements English translation Epicurean Eros Euhemerism Eustathius evoked existence Ficino gods grecque Greek Hesiod Homer Homer and Hesiod human Iliad imitation inspired intellect intelligible forms interpretation of myths Iside et Osiride Kronos Luc Brisson meaning Middle Ages moral Moralia muthos mysteries mythical mythographers mythology narrative natura deorum nature Neoplatonic Numenius Nymphs Odyssey origin Orpheus Orphic Osiride Ouranos pagan Paris pertaining Phaedrus Philo philosophical Plato Platonic Theology Plotinus Plutarch poems Poetics poetry poets Porphyry Proclus Protagoras Psellus published Pythagoras reality referent religion Remp Renaissance Republic Rome School sensible world soul Stoic symbols Syrianus Theogony things thought Timaeus tion tradition trans transmitted treatise truth type of discourse Tzetzes University Zeus