QUOTES FROM SCHOLARLY RESEARCH REGARDING PHILOSTRATUS' ACCOUNT OF THE GOD-MAN APOLLONIUS
From biblequery.org
Apollonius of Tyana
Philostratus writes about the other Jesus, Apollonius. This account contains his
teachings and his miracles and his being seen after he died.
Philostratus (c.170-245 A.D.) wrote The Life of Apollonius.
http://www.livius.org/ap-ark/apollonius/apollonius01.html says "The LoA is not a
biography in our sense. It is written by a professional orator who wanted to
show that the divine Apollonius was above all a champion of the Greek culture
and a wise philosopher. Unfortunately, Philostratus had little affinity with
philosophy; when the sage of Tyana speaks his words of wisdom, they are very
hackneyed (e.g., an emperor must act as emperor as far as his imperial duties
require, but as a private citizen as far as his own person is concerned) or even
silly (e.g., although the soul wants to ascend to heaven, mountaineering does
not bring it closer to God). Philostratus' lack of interest in philosophy and
his own preoccupation with rhetoric, make the LoA a very unreliable source, as
was already recognized by the Byzantine scholar Photius."
MY COMMENT: The same problem exists with the philosophy of Jesus in the gospels.
The teaching at times is hard to interpret. Silly things such as flowers being
clothed better than Solomon were said. Plus there is the repeated threatening
tone of Jesus.
In the Life of Apollonius 5.21, Philostratus describes a visit of the sage and
his disciple Damis to the island of Rhodes in the winter of 68/69.
With a favorable wind Apollonius made the passage and held the following
conversation in Rhodes. As he approached the statue of the Colossus, [his
disciple] Damis asked him, if he thought anything could be greater than that;
and he replied, 'Yes, a man who loves wisdom in a sound and innocent spirit.'
(LoA 5.21)
This story cannot be true. The giant statue of the sun god had collapsed in
227/226 BCE, and it is impossible that Apollonius of Tyana has ever seen this
wonder of the ancient world. The explanation of Philostratus' mistake must be
that he has confused two Apollonii; when he visited Rhodes, he heard a bon mot
of an Apollonius, and unaware of the chronological implausibility, he assumed
that the speaker must have been the Tyanean Apollonius. (The man who was really
responsible for the saying may have been the poet Apollonius of Rhodes, who was
staying on the island when the Colossus collapsed.)
All that he says about the Indians is a tissue of absurd and incredible
statements. He asserts that they have certain jars full of rains and winds, with
which in time of drought they are able to water the country, and again to
deprive it of moisture, after the rain has fallen, since in these casks they
have the means of controlling the alternate supply of wind and rain. He tells
similar stories, equally foolish and preposterous, and these eight books are so
much study and labor lost.
There exists a large collection of Letters of Apollonius: it contains more than
hundred pieces, most of them said to be written by the Tyanean, some by others,
often short, sometimes long. Some letters are likely to be older than Life of
Apollonius (LoA): e.g., Philostratus' description of Apollonius visit to Sparta
(LoA 4.27) seems to be derived from Letter 63. Unfortunately, other letters are
suspiciously similar to compositions by the author of the LoA. However, we can
be certain that, although most letters were not written by the sage of Tyana, at
least a substantial part of it is based on information about Apollonius that is
older and perhaps more reliable than Philostratus' vie romancée. The problem is
that we do not know which part.
If we exclude the letters that are obviously inspired by the LoA and some
anti-christian fabrications, we get a remarkable picture. To start with, the
author of the letters -whoever he was- wants us to believe that Apollonius was a
neo-Pythagorean philosopher. Next, he shows us an Apollonius who is a hero of
the Greek culture; the odd thing is that this Apollonius is sometimes
anti-Roman. The first element pervades Philostratus' books too, but the second
element is almost absent from the LoA. Because of this anti-Roman tendency, it
may be argued that the Letters of Apollonius were composed in the 140's by
someone living in Athens.
An additional element for dating the letters in these years, is the polemic
between the stoic philosopher Euphrates of Tyre (†119) and the neo-Pythagorean
Apollonius; this was an important debate in the mid-second century. Reading the
letters said to be sent to the Roman philosopher C. Musonius Rufus (c.30-c.100),
we get the impression that Musonius is the winner of the polemic [note 4]; this
is, of course, too embarrassing to be invented by an admirer of the Tyanean. It
must antedate the composition of the collection in the 140's, and may even
reflect a real polemic.
In two of the letters to Euphrates, #16 and #17, we encounter an Apollonius who
would have scared Philostratus to death: the author of these letters proudly
confesses he is a magician, and goes on to give a positive interpretation of
that word. These letters were certainly not invented by Philostratus.
Having discussed what little we know about the pre-Philostratean traditions, we
can try to add things up, using four criteria of authenticity.
Independent confirmation: when an author who is not primarily interested in
Apollonius confirms something in a source on Apollonius, we may assume that we
are approaching the historical truth.
Multiple attestation: when independent, pre-Philostratean traditions about
Apollonius are in agreement, we may be reasonably certain that they contain some
historical truth. The problem with this method is, of course, that it is not
always easy to establish independence.
Embarrassment: embarrassing information about the man from Tyana also has a
claim to historical reliability.
Consistency: sometimes the truth of statement can be confirmed after other facts
have been established.
Using these criteria, we can say that the following elements are almost certain:
Apollonius was considered a magician. Independent confirmation: it is taken for
granted by Cassius Dio, Lucian (the latter referring to a disciple) and
Anastasius Sinaitica. Fourfold attestation: to be found in the Reminiscences of
Moeragenes, in the memoirs of Damis, in the Letters of Apollonius, and in the
Antiochene tradition. Embarrassment: Philostratus clearly felt uncomfortable
with this, and three times offers apologies.
Apollonius performed healings. Independent confirmation: taken for granted by
Cassius Dio, Lucian (both referring to Apollonius' disciples) and Anastasius
Sinaitica [note 8]. Fivefold attestation: to be found in the infancy narrative
by Maximus of Aegae, in the Tyanean tradition, the story about the plague in
Ephesus, the story of the rabies patient in Tarsus, and in Damis.
Apollonius lived in the second half of the first century. Independent
confirmation: Lucian mentions a disciple of Apollonius who lived in the first
half of the second century. Sixfold attestation: Moeragenes, Letters of
Apollonius (especially 58, a consolation of a Roman governor whose governorship
can be dated in 82/83), Damis, Anastasius Sinaitica [note 8], mentioned by one
Domninus [note 9]. Consistency: Apollonius must have been a contemporary of
Euphrates of Tyre (and Domitian).
Apollonius was a neo-Pythagorean philosopher. Independent attestation: Lucian,
Life of Alexander. Fourfold attestation: to be found in the Letters of
Apollonius, implied in the title of one Apollonius' publications, to be found in
Damis, which presupposes a conflict with Stoicism and Cynicism. Consistency: the
ideas expressed in the fragment of On sacrifices resemble what is known of first
century Pythagoreanism [note 10].
Apollonius wrote a book On sacrifices. This cannot be established by the
criteria used, but it is quoted by Porphyry.
Apollonius wrote a book On astrology. Twofold attestation: On astrology is
mentioned by Moeragenes and Damis. Embarrassment: Philostratus expresses his
disbelief about the existence of On astrology.
The following elements are likely:
Apollonius wrote a book on Pythagoras' doctrines (or a biography). Independent
confirmation: Probably used by Iamblichus and Porphyry.
Apollonius traveled to India. Threefold attestation: Damis, Letter 59, mentioned
in Porphyry, The Styx [note 11]. (Independent confirmation from India remains
possible.)
Apollonius traveled to Egypt. Twofold attestation: Damis, John Malalas.
The following elements may be very ancient elaborations:
Apollonius could predict the future: Twofold attestation: Mentioned in the
Ephesian tradition and Damis. Embarrassment: Philostratus tries to explain this
away.
Euphrates of Tyre and Apollonius were quarreling. Threefold attestation: To be
found in the Letters of Apollonius; Moeragenes and Damis tell the same story.
Apollonius tried to reform certain cultic practices. Twofold attestation: First,
there is the quote from On sacrifices; furthermore, it is expressed in the
Letters of Apollonius.
The story of Apollonius' vision of the murder of Domitian: Independent
confirmation: Philostratus has picked up the story in Ephesus, and Cassius Dio
tells it too.
The story about the birds' language: Independent confirmation: Philostratus
claims to have heard this story at Ephesus and there is a different account of
it in Porphyry's treatise On abstinence.
Apollonius' relation to the common cults was strained: Embarrassment:
Philostratus tries to explain away failures (at the oracle of Trophonius, at
Eleusis, and on Crete).
http://www.livius.org/ap-ark/apollonius/apollonius01.html
When in Ephesus he warned the citizens of a forthcoming plague. The people
disregarded his warning until the pestilence was upon them. Then they remembered
his words and sought further counsel of the mighty magician. He told them that
there was a wretched beggar among them who they should stone to death. At first
the people were hesitant to do such a drastic act, but the continued appearance
of the beggar and the magician's stern accusations changed their minds. After
the deed was done, the people removed the mound of stone under which they
thought the beggar laid. But a black dog appeared which Apollonius pronounced
was the caused of the plague.
When in Rome it is said he brought the daughter of a consular back to life.
(Even Apollonius' biographer was not certain whether this girl just appeared to
be dead or was actually dead.) However, this feat won Apollonius notoriety for
the girl was well liked among the people and betroth.
He is allegedly said to have prevented one of his former students, Menippus of
Corinth, from marrying a vampire. The young man had not heeded earlier warnings.
The wedding festivities had proceeded up to the banquet when Apollonius appeared
as a guest. He then made all the luxuries of the banquet and the guests
disappear, proving they were a hoax. After doing this he forced the girl to
confess as to being a lima, a type of a vampire.
Another legend has it that an Indian magician made seven rings representing the
seven planets and presented then to Apollonius who wore a different one each
day. It is said this enabled him to maintain his youthful vigor well into old
age. He is reputed to have live to one hundred.
Apollonius' death is a mystery. According to some he fell out of favor with
Emperor Severus, who put him on trail and had his hair cut off to eliminate his
magical powers. Apollonius simply disappeared from the courtroom never to be
seen again.
His followers admitted he died but said he was caught up and taken up into
heaven. Other people did not even know he had died. In Tyana a temple was built
and dedicated to him, and statues of him reside in other temples.
The only extensive work about Apollonius was written by Philostratus at the
insistence of Julia, the mother of the Emperor Severus.
http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/a/apollonius_of_tyana.html
The work of Philostratus is generally regarded as a religious work of fiction.
It contains a number of obviously fictitious stories, through which, however, it
is not impossible to discern the general character of the man. In the 3rd
century, Hierocles endeavoured to prove that the doctrines and the life of
Apollonius were more valuable than those of Christ, and, in modern times,
Voltaire and Charles Blount (1654-1693), the English freethinker, have adopted a
similar standpoint. Apart from this extravagant eulogy, it is absurd to regard
Apollonius merely as a vulgar charlatan and miracle-monger. If we cut away the
mass of mere fiction which Philostratus accumulated, we have left a highly
imaginative, earnest reformer who attempted to promote a spirit of practical
morality.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollonius_of_Tyana
It has been argued that the work of Damis never really existed, and that he was
a mere man of straw invented by Philostratus. This view was adopted as recently
as the year 1910 by Professor Brigg, in his history on the origins of
Christianity. But it seems unnecessarily skeptical. It is quite true that
Philostratus puts into the mouth of the sage, on the authority of Damis,
conversations and ideas which, as they recur in the Lives of the Sophists of
Philostratus, can hardly have been reported by Damis. But because he resorted to
this literary trick, it can hardly have been invented as late as the year 217,
when the life was completed and given to the literary world.
It is rather to be supposed that Damis himself was not altogether a credible
writer, but one who, like the so-called aretalogi of that age, set himself to
embellish the life of his master, to exaggerate his wisdom and his supernatural
powers; if so, more than one of the striking stories told by Philostratus may
have already stood in the pages of Damis.
However this is to be, the evident aim of Philostratus is to rehabilitate the
reputation of Apllonius, and defend him from the charge of having been a
charlatan or wizard addicted to evil magical practices. This accusation had been
levelled against the sage during his lifetime by a rival sophist Euphrates, and
not long after his death by the author already mentioned, Moeragenes.
Unfortunately the orations of Euphrates have perished, and we know little of the
work of Moeragenes. Origen, the Christian father, in his work against Celsus,
written about the year 240, informs us that he had read it, and that it attacked
Apollonius as a magician addicted to sinister practices. It is certain also that
the accusations of Euphrates were of a similar tendency, and we only need to
read a very few pages of this work of Philostratus to see that his chief
interest is to prove to the world that these accusations were ill-founded, and
that
Apollonius was a divinely-inspired sage and prophet, and a reformer along
Pythagorean lines of the Pagan religion. It is possible that some of the stories
told by Byzantine writers of Apollonius, notably by John Tzetzes, derived from
Moeragenes.
And a certain Hierocles, who was a provincial governor under Emperor Diocletian,
wrote a book to show that Apollonius had been as great a sage, as remarkable a
worker of miracles, and as potent an exorcist as Jesus Christ. His work gave
great offence to the missionaries of the Christian religion, and Eusebius the
Christian historian wrote a treatise in answer, in which he alleges that
Apollonius was a mere charlatan, and if a magician at all, then one of very
inferior powers; he also argues that if he did achive any remarkable results, it
was thanks to the evil spirits with whom he was in league. Eusebius is careful,
however, to point out that before Hierocles, no anti-Christian writer had
thought of putting forward Apollonius as the rival or equal of Jesus of
Nazareth.
It is possible of course that Hierocles took his cue from the emperor
Alexander Severus (AD 205-235), who instead of setting up images of the gods in
his private shrine, established therein, as objects of his veneration, statues
of Alexander the Great, Orpheus, Apollonius of Tyana, Abraham, and Christ. This
story however in no way contradicts the statement of Eusebius, and it is a pity
that this significant caution of the latter has been disregarded by Christian
writers of the last three centuries, who have unanimously adopted a view that is
utterly unwarranted, namely, that Philostatus intended his life of Apollonius as
a counterblast to that of the Christian gospel.
http://www.mountainman.com.au/atyana00.html
COMMENT: The story of this man seems to be riddled with lies but not if you
believe in magic. There are elements that seem to ring true unlike Jesus.
Apollonius wrote, "The gods are in no need of sacrifices. What then can one do
in order to win their favour? One can, in my opinion, acquire wisdom, and, so
far as one can, do good to such men as deserve it. This pleases the gods;
atheists however can offer sacrifice." This is a rejection of the sacrificial
death of Jesus and the Eucharist. The death and resurrection of Jesus are ruled
out by the following, "There is no death of anyone save in appearance only, even
as there is no birth of anyone or becoming, except only in appearance. For when
a thing passes from essence into nature we consider that there is a birth or
becoming, and in the same way that there is death when it passes from nature
into essence; though in truth a thing neither comes into being at any time nor
is destroyed. But it is only apparent at one time and later on invisible, the
former owing to the density of its material, and the latter by the reason of the
lightness or tenuity of the essence, which however remains always the same, and
is only subject to differences of movement and state. For this is necessarily
the characteristic of change caused not by anything outside, but by a conversion
of the whole into the parts, and by a return of the parts into the whole, due to
the oneness of the universe. But if someone asks: What is this, which is at one
time visible, and at another invisible, as it presents itself in the same or in
different objects? It may be answered, that it is characteristic of each of the
several genera of things here, when it is full, to be apparent to us because of
the resistance of its density to our senses, but to be unseen in case it is
emptied of its matter by reason of its tenuity, the latter being perforce shed
abroad, and flowing away from the eternal measure which confined it; albeit the
measure itself is never created nor destroyed." That is from the epistle of
Apollonius to Valerius. To Euphrates he wrote that people like himself can only
be magicians. So that would cover Jesus too. "You think it your duty to call
philosophers who follow Pythagoras magicians, and likewise also those who follow
Orpheus. For my own part I think that those who follow no matter whom, ought to
be called magicians, if only they are determined to be divine and just men."