1 - 400 CE

Question 1

Jesus Christ

Answer 1

c. 4 BCE - 30 CE

Believed to exist historically.

Taught in parables.

Question 2

Philo

Answer 2

20 - 50 CE

Used allegory to harmonise Jewish scripture ( the torah) with Greek philosophy.

Question 3

Seneca the Younger

Answer 3

4 BCE - 65 CE

Important Stoic writer.

Tutor and adviser to emperor Nero.

Was forced to take his own life by the paranoid emperor.

Question 4

Epictetus

Answer 4

c. 50 - 135 CE

Born into slavery in western Turkey he lived in Rome until he was banished. Then he went to Greece and became a philosopher.

Taught that philosophy is a way of life and not merely a theoretical discipline.

All external events are beyond our control - we should accept it calmly and dispassionately.

Individuals are responsible for their own actions which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline.

Question 5

Marcus Aurelius

Answer 5

121 - 180 CE

Stoic roman emperor who wrote Meditations which is popular to this day.

Question 6

Sextus Empiricus

Answer 6

c. 180 CE

Pyrrhonist philosopher whose works provide valuable insights into Pyrrhonism and other Hellenistic philosophies of the day (mostly through polemics).

Doubted the validity of induction and raised the regress argument against all forms of reasoning:

“Those who claim for themselves to judge the truth are bound to possess a criterion of truth. This criterion, then, either is without a judge’s approval or has been approved. But if it is without approval, whence comes it that it is trustworthy? For no matter of dispute is to be trusted without judging. And, if it has been approved, that which approves it, in turn, either has been approved or has not been approved, and so on ad infinitum.”

Question 7

Plotinus

Answer 7

c. 204 - 270 CE

Hellenistic tradition, born and raised in Roman Egypt.

Founder of Neoplatonism which was very influential in late antiquity, the middle ages and the renaissance.

Metaphysics held that there was 3 fundamental principles: the one, the intellect and the soul. This had a big impact on pagan, jewish, christian, gnostic and islamic metaphysicians and mystics.

Influenced mainstream theological concepts within religions through work on duality of the one in two metaphysical states.

Question 8

Porphyry of Tyre

Answer 8

c. 234 - 305 CE

Known for anti-Christian polemics and controversy with early Christians.

Question 9

Iamblichus

Answer 9

c. 245 - 325 CE

Neoplatonism - he determined a direction later taken by neoplatonism.

Also was a biographer of Pythagoras and provided important insights into the sophists.

Question 10

Augustine of Hippo

Answer 10

c. 354 - 430 CE

In his youth he was drawn to Manichaean faith.

Later to Hellenistic philosophy.

Was later converted to Christianity and baptised.

Believed the grace of God was indispensable to human freedom.

Helped formulate the doctrine of original sin.

Significant contributions to “just war theory”.

Important figure in Christianity. Including Protestantism such as the Calvinists and the Lutherans.

Question 11

Proclus

Answer 11

412 - 485 CE

Contributed an elaborate and well developed system of Neoplatonism.

One of the last major classical philosophers of late antiquity.

Exerted an influence on Byzantine philosophy, Early Islamic philosophy and Scholastic philosophy.