Chapter 10 Neoplatonic Motifs in Emperor Julian’s Hymn to the Mother of the Gods
In: Women and the Female in Neoplatonism
Author:
Christoph Helmig
Christoph Helmig
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Abstract
In Julian’s writings one detects many allusions to Neoplatonic metaphysical principles that are going to be worked out systematically by later philosophers such as Proclus of Athens. The so-called mother of the gods (Cybele) is an important female principle in the Neoplatonic pantheon. As a matter of fact, her title “mother of the gods” suggests a most prominent place in the divine hierarchy of principles. In my contribution, I shall investigate how Julian integrates the figure of the mother of the gods into Neoplatonic metaphysics. The broader scope of the paper is to identify typical Middle Platonic and Neoplatonic motives throughout the entire hymn.