Phintys

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Phintys ( Greek  Φίντυς ) was supposedly an ancient Pythagorean woman ; whether it is a historical figure or a literary fiction is uncertain. Nothing has been handed down about their lifetimes and circumstances.

The late antique Neo-Platonist Iamblichus names a Philtys in his list of the most important Pythagoreans who is perhaps (it may be a typo) identical with Phintys; he states that she was the daughter of a Theophris from Croton (now Crotone in Calabria ). The late antique scholar Johannes Stobaios describes her as the daughter of a Kallikrates, about whom nothing else is known. Due to the assumption that Kallikrates could be a typo and perhaps the Pythagorean Kallikratidas is meant, the alleged author of a book "About the happiness of the house", Phintys is sometimes called "Phintys of Sparta " because Kallikratidas is said to have been Spartan. However, this assumption is speculative.

Stobaios handed down two longer fragments from a script attributed to Phintys with the title "On the prudence of women" ( Peri gynaikós sōphrosýnas ) in Doric dialect. The time when this work was created is difficult to determine; it belongs to the Hellenistic period or the Roman imperial period . Whether it originated in the circle of the New Pythagoreans is a matter of dispute. Since the influence of Neo-Platonism cannot be recognized, it can be assumed that it was not written in late antiquity. Phintys is probably not the real name of the author, but that of a (perhaps fictional) early Pythagorean woman (6th / 5th century BC) to whom the work was ascribed as a pseudepigraph . Such literary fictions were popular in popular philosophical literature.

“On the prudence of women” is part of the generally understandable written philosophical literature from Pythagorean-oriented circles, which deals with topics such as marriage, family life, domestic affairs and female virtue. In addition to Platonic ideas, Aristotelian ideas are also recognizable. The question of the specific female virtue is discussed. Just like the man, the woman should be “good”, which presupposes “proficiency” ( aretḗ ), namely a female proficiency. This consists in the sōphrosýnē (prudence, self-control). The view that philosophizing is not an activity suitable for women is rejected. Political and military activities must be reserved for men, but courage, justice, and insight are common virtues for both sexes, and prudence is even a more feminine than masculine quality. The cultivation of virtue presupposes a philosophical education. Therefore philosophizing is not - as the Peripatetic believed - unsuitable for women, but belongs to their tasks. First and foremost, marital fidelity is part of the Sophrosyne. Plain, white clothing is recommended - the Pythagoreans preferred this color - and avoiding expensive jewelry and make-up. Celebrations such as the Bacchanalia , which were associated with excesses and excessive alcohol and were therefore strictly regulated in Rome, should be avoided .

Editions and translations

  • Holger Thesleff (Ed.): The Pythagorean Texts of the Hellenistic Period . Åbo Akademi, Åbo 1965, pp. 151–154 (critical edition of On the Prudence of Women )
  • Kai Brodersen (Ed.): Theano: Letters of an ancient philosopher . Reclam, Stuttgart 2010, ISBN 978-3-15-018787-6 , pp. 112–119 (uncritical edition of On the prudence of women with translation)

literature

Web links

Remarks

  1. ^ Iamblichus: De vita Pythagorica 267.
  2. ↑ Johannes Stobaios: Anthology 4,23,61 and 4,23,61a.
  3. ↑ See Holger Thesleff: An Introduction to the Pythagorean Writings of the Hellenistic Period , Åbo 1961, pp. 57–59, 71, 114 f .; Thesleff draws its origin as early as the 3rd century BC. In consideration.
personal data
SURNAME Phintys
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Phintys of Sparta; Φίντυς
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek Pythagorean woman
DATE OF BIRTH between 6th century BC BC and 5th century
DATE OF DEATH between 6th century BC BC and 6th century