Philopatris
Encyclopedia
The Philopatris is a work of Byzantine literature
, a dialogue
formerly attributed to Lucian
, but now generally admitted to be spurious. Its date and purpose have long formed the subject of discussion.
. A certain Trephon, who has been converted to Christianity
by a bald, long-nosed Galilaean, who was carried up through the air into the third heaven (an evident allusion to St. Paul
), meets a friend, Critias, who is in a state of great excitement.
Trephon inquires the reason for Critias' excitement, and the invocation of Zeus
by Critias leads to a discussion on paganism
and Christianity, in which all the gods proposed by Critias are rejected by Trephon, who finally suggests that Critias should swear by the Trinity. (The Greek subtitle, ἤ διδασκόμενος, refers to this "instruction" of Critias in matters relating to Christianity.)
Critias goes on to relate how he had been introduced to a gathering of pessimists, who predicted all kinds of disturbances in the empire and defeat at the hands of its enemies. In the meantime a third person appears on the scene, with the news that the imperial armies have obtained a glorious victory. The hope is expressed that Babel
(Baghdad
, the chief city of the caliph
s) may soon be destroyed, Egypt
subdued (that is, reconquered from the Arab
s), and the attacks of the "Scythians" (Russians
or Bulgarians
) repulsed.
The dialogue concludes with thanks to the unknown god of Athens
that they have been permitted to be the subjects of such an emperor and the inhabitants of such an empire.
(emperor 361-363). Chronological indications (e.g., the allusion to a massacre of women in Crete
) led Niebuhr
to ascribe it to the reign of Nicephorus Phocas (963-969), and this view is now generally supported.
There being at that time no pagans in Constantinople, the pessimists referred to must be Christians; either monks, especially the intimate friends of the patriarch of Constantinople
, who, aggrieved at the measures taken by Phocas in regard to the property of the Church, were ready to welcome the defeat of the imperial arms and the ruin of the empire; or harmless visionaries, who claimed to predict the future by fasting, prayer and vigil.
In any case, the author, whether he was a sophist commissioned by Phocas to attack the monks, or some professor who hoped to profit by singing the imperial praises, represents the views of the patriotic (as the title shows) as opposed to the unpatriotic party.
According to another view, which assigns the dialogue to the time of Heraclius
(610-641), the author was a Christian fanatic, whose object was to make known the existence of a conventicle of belated pagans, the enemies alike of the Christian faith and the empire; it is doubtful, however, whether such a pagan community, sufficiently numerous to be of importance, actually existed at that date. The object of the first and longer portion of the dialogue was to combat the humanism
of the period, which threatened a revival of polytheism
as a rival of Christianity.
Byzantine literature
Byzantine literature may be defined as the Greek literature of the Middle Ages, whether written in the territory of the Byzantine Empire or outside its borders...
, a dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
formerly attributed to Lucian
Lucian
Lucian of Samosata was a rhetorician and satirist who wrote in the Greek language. He is noted for his witty and scoffing nature.His ethnicity is disputed and is attributed as Assyrian according to Frye and Parpola, and Syrian according to Joseph....
, but now generally admitted to be spurious. Its date and purpose have long formed the subject of discussion.
The story
The scene is laid at ConstantinopleConstantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. A certain Trephon, who has been converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
by a bald, long-nosed Galilaean, who was carried up through the air into the third heaven (an evident allusion to St. Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
), meets a friend, Critias, who is in a state of great excitement.
Trephon inquires the reason for Critias' excitement, and the invocation of Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
by Critias leads to a discussion on paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
and Christianity, in which all the gods proposed by Critias are rejected by Trephon, who finally suggests that Critias should swear by the Trinity. (The Greek subtitle, ἤ διδασκόμενος, refers to this "instruction" of Critias in matters relating to Christianity.)
Critias goes on to relate how he had been introduced to a gathering of pessimists, who predicted all kinds of disturbances in the empire and defeat at the hands of its enemies. In the meantime a third person appears on the scene, with the news that the imperial armies have obtained a glorious victory. The hope is expressed that Babel
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
(Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, the chief city of the caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
s) may soon be destroyed, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
subdued (that is, reconquered from the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s), and the attacks of the "Scythians" (Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
or Bulgarians
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
) repulsed.
The dialogue concludes with thanks to the unknown god of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
that they have been permitted to be the subjects of such an emperor and the inhabitants of such an empire.
Who Was Responsible?
The Philopatris was for a long time regarded as an attack upon Christianity, and assigned to the time of Julian the ApostateJulian the Apostate
Julian "the Apostate" , commonly known as Julian, or also Julian the Philosopher, was Roman Emperor from 361 to 363 and a noted philosopher and Greek writer....
(emperor 361-363). Chronological indications (e.g., the allusion to a massacre of women in Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
) led Niebuhr
Barthold Georg Niebuhr
Barthold Georg Niebuhr was a Danish-German statesman and historian who became Germany's leading historian of Ancient Rome and a founding father of modern scholarly historiography. Classical Rome caught the admiration of German thinkers...
to ascribe it to the reign of Nicephorus Phocas (963-969), and this view is now generally supported.
There being at that time no pagans in Constantinople, the pessimists referred to must be Christians; either monks, especially the intimate friends of the patriarch of Constantinople
Patriarch of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarch is the Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome – ranking as primus inter pares in the Eastern Orthodox communion, which is seen by followers as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church....
, who, aggrieved at the measures taken by Phocas in regard to the property of the Church, were ready to welcome the defeat of the imperial arms and the ruin of the empire; or harmless visionaries, who claimed to predict the future by fasting, prayer and vigil.
In any case, the author, whether he was a sophist commissioned by Phocas to attack the monks, or some professor who hoped to profit by singing the imperial praises, represents the views of the patriotic (as the title shows) as opposed to the unpatriotic party.
According to another view, which assigns the dialogue to the time of Heraclius
Heraclius
Heraclius was Byzantine Emperor from 610 to 641.He was responsible for introducing Greek as the empire's official language. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the exarch of Africa, successfully led a revolt against the unpopular usurper Phocas.Heraclius'...
(610-641), the author was a Christian fanatic, whose object was to make known the existence of a conventicle of belated pagans, the enemies alike of the Christian faith and the empire; it is doubtful, however, whether such a pagan community, sufficiently numerous to be of importance, actually existed at that date. The object of the first and longer portion of the dialogue was to combat the humanism
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
of the period, which threatened a revival of polytheism
Polytheism
Polytheism is the belief of multiple deities also usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own mythologies and rituals....
as a rival of Christianity.
Editions & Translations
- Editions by J.M. Gesner (1715) and C.B. Hase in the Bonn CSHB (1828), vol. xi.
- Included in Jacobitz's edition of Lucian (1839).
- Translation in French (1912).
- M.D. Macleod (ed.), in Lucian vol. 8 (1967, LoebLoeb Classical LibraryThe Loeb Classical Library is a series of books, today published by Harvard University Press, which presents important works of ancient Greek and Latin Literature in a way designed to make the text accessible to the broadest possible audience, by presenting the original Greek or Latin text on each...
), with EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translation.
Studies
- B.G. Niebuhr, "Über das Alter des Dialogs Philopatris" in his Kleine historische Schriften (1843), vol. ii.
- R. Crampe, Philopatris. Ein heidnisches Konventikel des siebenten Jahrhunderts zu ConstantinopelConstantinopleConstantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
(1894) Google Books - C. Stach, De Philopatride (Cracow, 1894), who shows its late origin by linguistic tests
- R. Garnett, "Alms for Oblivion" in Cornhill MagazineCornhill MagazineThe Cornhill Magazine was a Victorian magazine and literary journal named after Cornhill Street in London.Cornhill was founded by George Murray Smith in 1860 and was published until 1975. It was a literary journal with a selection of articles on diverse subjects and serialisations of new novels...
(May, 1901) - S. Reinach in Revue archéologiqueRevue ArcheologiqueLa Revue Archéologique, published in Paris is one of the oldest, longest-running scientific journals. First appearing in 1844, it is neither the organ of an institution nor of any school, but has complete independence, under the guidance of its current editor, Marie-Christine Hellmann...
(1902), vol. i. - For further authorities, see the article by Von Dobschütz in Herzog-Haucks Realencyklopädie für protestantische Theologie (1904).