Studies in Hermias’ Commentary on Plato’s Phaedrus is a collection of twelve essays that consider aspects of Hermias’ philosophy, including his notions of the soul, logic, and method of exegesis. The essays also consider Hermias’ work in the tradition of Neoplatonism, particularly in relation to the thought of Iamblichus and Proclus. The collection grapples with the question of the originality of Hermias’ commentary—the only extant work of Hermias—which is a series of lectures notes of his teacher, Syrianus.
John F. Finamore is Professor of Classics at the University of Iowa and editor of The International Journal of the Platonic Tradition. He is currently translating Proclus’ Republic commentary with Dirk Baltzly and Graeme Miles.
Christina-Panagiota Manolea holds a Ph.D. in Classics from University College London (2002). She has been teaching Greek Literature at the Hellenic Open University since 2004. She is currently editing Brill’s Companion to the Reception of Homer from the Hellenistic Age to Late Antiquity.
Sarah Klitenic Wear is Professor of Classics at Franciscan University of Steubenville. She has published articles and monographs, including Syrianus’ Teachings on Plato’s Timaeus and Parmenides (Brill, 2011).
"In sum, the volume represents a high-quality effort to draw attention to a fairly neglected author in the commentary tradition. It helps us situate Hermias in the context of the Neoplatonist philosophy in Athens and see both the merits and the drawbacks of his approach."
- Peter Lautner, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, in: Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 2021.06.23.
IntroductionJohn F. Finamore, Christina-Panagiota Manolea and Sarah Klitenic Wear Journeys in the Phaedrus: Hermias’ Reading of the Walk to IlissusDirk Baltzly Hermias as a Transmitter of Iamblichus’ Exegesis of the DialogueJohn M. Dillon Hermias and the Ensoulment of the PneumaJohn F. Finamore Hermias on Dialectic, the Technē of Rhetoric, and the Methods of Collection and Division in the Phaedrus CommentaryGary Gabor Hermias on the Unity of the PhaedrusQuinton Gardiner and Dirk Baltzly Hermias on the Argument for Immortality in Plato’s PhaedrusSebastian Gertz Hermias on the Activities of the Soul: A Commentary on Hermias, In Phdr. 135.14–138.9Sarah Klitenic Wear What Is the Principle of Movement, the Self-moved (Plato) or the Unmoved (Aristotle)? The Exegetic Strategies of Hermias of Alexandria and Simplicius in Late AntiquityAngela Longo Orphic Elements in Hermias’ In PhaedrumChristina-Panagiota Manolea Gods and Demons according to HermiasClaudio Moreschini Hermias’ TheotaxonomyCarl O’Brien Answering Early Critics of the Phaedrus’ Styles and StrategiesHarold Tarrant BibliographyIndex
Readers may include specialists in ancient philosophy, especially later Neoplatonism, and those interested in the transmission of texts in Neoplatonism.