Zenodotos (student of Proclus)

Zenodotos was a late ancient Neoplatonic philosopher who lived in Athens in the late 5th century .

Zenodotos is only known from a mention in the library of the Byzantine scholar Photios (9th century). Photios relied on the biography of the Neoplatonic philosopher Isidore , which is only preserved in fragments , and which his pupil Damascius had written between 517 and 526. According to him, Zenodotus was one of the philosophy teachers of Damascius at the Neoplatonic school in Athens, which continued the tradition of the Platonic Academy . Zenodotos was a student of the famous philosopher Proclus , who directed the Neoplatonic school until his death in 485. Photios (or Damascius) reports that Proclus had high hopes for Zenodotus. However, Proklos' successor as head of the school was not Zenodotus, but Marinos of Neapolis . Photios claims that Zenodotos also became headmaster, either as colleague and deputy of Marinos or as his successor (the wording is unclear). According to a modern hypothesis, Zenodotus only became head of the school later, namely as the successor to Isidore and predecessor of Damascius, the last head of the school. However, there is no evidence to support this assumption, and whether Zenodotos ever directed the school is debatable.

literature

Heinrich Dörrie : Zenodotos . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume XA, Munich 1972, Col. 51-52.
Richard Goulet: Zénodote. In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques. Volume 7, CNRS Éditions, Paris 2018, ISBN 978-2-271-09024-9 , p. 341 f.

Remarks

^ Philippe Hoffmann: Damascius . In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques , Vol. 2, Paris 1994, pp. 541-593, here: 543 f., 547 (with discussion of the older literature).
^ Heinrich Dörrie: Zenodotos . In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswwissenschaft (RE), Vol. XA, Munich 1972, Col. 51 f .; Philippe Hoffmann: Damascius . In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques , Vol. 2, Paris 1994, pp. 541-593, here: 547.

personal data
SURNAME	Zenodotos
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	late antique Neoplatonic philosopher
DATE OF BIRTH	5th century
DATE OF DEATH	5th century or 6th century

[1] Philippe Hoffmann: Damascius . In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques , Vol. 2, Paris 1994, pp. 541-593, here: 543 f., 547 (with discussion of the older literature).

[2] Heinrich Dörrie: Zenodotos . In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswwissenschaft (RE), Vol. XA, Munich 1972, Col. 51 f .; Philippe Hoffmann: Damascius . In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques , Vol. 2, Paris 1994, pp. 541-593, here: 547.