Σώπατρος
Sopater, Sopatros
Translated by Malcolm Heath26 Mar 1999Vetting: high8 revisions
Translation
Apamean,1 sophist and philosopher, pupil of Iamblichus.2 The Caesar Constantine killed him as a pledge that he had given up the Greek religion, which had previously been his usage.3 He wrote On providence and those who have undeserved good or bad fortune.
'Constantine killed Sopater, but was wrong to do so: a Christian [sc. is so] out of love, not coercion.'4
'Constantine killed Sopater, but was wrong to do so: a Christian [sc. is so] out of love, not coercion.'4
Greek original · Adler’s text
Σώπατρος, Ἀπαμεύς, σοφιστὴς καὶ φιλόσοφος, μαθητὴς Ἰαμβλίχου· ὃν ὁ Καῖσαρ Κωνσταντῖνος ἀνεῖλεν εἰς πίστιν τοῦ μὴ ἑλληνίζειν ἔτι τὰ κατὰ θρησκείαν· ἦν γὰρ αὐτῷ συνήθης πρότερον. ἔγραψε Περὶ προνοίας καὶ τῶν παρὰ τὴν ἀξίαν εὐπραγούντων ἢ δυσπραγούντων. ὅτι τὸν Σώπατρον Κωνσταντῖνος ἀνεῖλεν, οὐ καλῶς ποιῶν· ὁ γὰρ Χριστιανὸς ἐξ ἀγάπης, οὐκ ἐκ ἀνάγκης.
Betacode
*sw/patros, *)apameu/s, sofisth\s kai\ filo/sofos, maqhth\s *)iambli/xou: o(\n o( *kai=sar *kwnstanti=nos a)nei=len ei)s pi/stin tou= mh\ e(llhni/zein e)/ti ta\ kata\ qrhskei/an: h)=n ga\r au)tw=| sunh/qhs pro/teron. e)/graye *peri\ pronoi/as kai\ tw=n para\ th\n a)ci/an eu)pragou/ntwn h)\ duspragou/ntwn. o(/ti to\n *sw/patron *kwnstanti=nos a)nei=len, ou) kalw=s poiw=n: o( ga\r *xristiano\s e)c a)ga/phs, ou)k e)k a)na/gkhs.
Notes (4)
- RE Sopatros (11); PLRE I Sopater (1); Eunapius Lives of the Sophists 462-3. See also under sigma 848.
- 1i.e. from one of the several cities in Asia Minor called Apamea (the best-known of them in Syria: see under alpha 4107 and pi 2107). ↩
- 2[iota 27] Iamblichus. ↩
- 3(For Constantine see generally kappa 2284, kappa 2285.) Other reasons are given elsewhere, notably (in Eunapius) accusations that by magic arts Sopater had raised winds that prevented the grain-ships from reaching Constantinople. ↩
- 4This comment on Constantine's action seems to be presented as a quotation (though the introductory
o(/ti is lacking in ms G, Adler reports); if so it is unidentifiable. Alternatively it is simply the response of the lexicographer himself. Either way,ou) kalw=s poiw=n echoes (whether consciously or not) a phrase from Plato, Theaetetus 166C (cf. under upsilon 77); and the substantive sentiment itself can be traced back to Philippians 1.15-16. ↩
Linked from2 entries
- π1811ΠλωτῖνοςPlotinos, PlotinusOf Lykopolis, [descended] from philosophers; student of the Ammonius who had once been a sakkophoros; teacher of Amelios. Porphyry learned from him, and Iamblichos from him, and Sopatros from him. During the reign of…
- σ848ΣώπατροςSopater, SopatrosOf Apamea, sophist, or rather of Alexandria. [He wrote] epitomes of very many [authors]. Some say that the Selection of Histories is also his.
Neighbouring entries
Revision history8 revisions · last 16 Jun 2016
- more notes; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- more coding — David Whitehead
- coding — Catharine Roth
- another note — David Whitehead
- another x-ref; more keywords; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- another keyword — David Whitehead
- cosmetics — David Whitehead
- cosmetics, added keywords — Joseph L. Rife
- Translated — Malcolm Heath