Cambridge University Press Plato's Timaeus and the Latin Tradition (Cambridge Classical Studies)

This book focuses on the development of Platonic philosophy at the hands of Roman writers between the first century BCE and the early fifth century CE. It discusses the interpretation of Plato's Timaeus by Cicero, Apuleius, Calcidius, and Augustine, and examines how these authors created new contexts and settings for the intellectual heritage they received and thereby contributed to the construction of the complex and multifaceted genre of Roman Platonism. It takes advantage of the authors' treatment of Plato's Timaeus as a continuous point of reference to illustrate the individuality and originality of each writer in his engagement with this Greek philosophical text; each chooses a specific vocabulary, methodology, and literary setting for his appropriation of Timaean doctrine. The authors' contributions to the dialogue's history of transmission are shown to have enriched and prolonged the enduring significance of Plato's cosmology. Review '… this work is well written, well structured, and very clear. It contributes a great deal on history of infulence of platonism among Latin philosophers.' Luc Brisson, History of Science Book Description Explores Cicero, Apuleius, Calcidius, and Augustine as interpreters of Plato's Timaeus in the context of the Roman philosophical tradition. About the Author Christina Hoenig is an Assistant Professor of Classics at the University of Pittsburgh. Her academic research specialises in the cross-cultural and cross-linguistic transmission of philosophical concepts and ideas in Greco-Roman antiquity, with a focus, specifically, on the role of Greek-Latin translation as an exegetical tool in the history of Greek and Roman Platonism.