Works of Porphyry (C): Historica & Metaphysica

Historica

No. 22: “Philosophical History” (193–224)

One of the major sources of knowledge about the history of Greek philosophy in Arabic – although the Arabic version is now lost. In Greek, a Life of Pythagoras is preserved which was originally part of this work. This is available online in Guthrie’s 1920 translation. Importantly, the History only treated the philosophers from Thales to Plato.

No. 23: Chronicle? (edited separately, exc. 225F)

Except for a short mention in an Arabic source (225F Smith; part of No. 22?), these fragments were edited in Jacoby’s Fragmente griechischer Historiker, no. 260. English translation in Brill’s New Jacoby, also under no. 260. As I understand it, this is somewhat of a grab-bag of fragments of a historical nature, which cannot be attributed to named works.

Metaphysica

No. 24: “Against Those who Divide the Intelligible from the Intellect” (226–230a)

Porphyry explains that, when he came to Plotinus, he considered, with his teacher Longinus and many other Middle Platonists, that the Intelligible (essentially, the Forms) and the Intellect were separate entities. Plotinus, developing a different strand of Middle Platonist thinking, posited that the Intelligibles were the Intellect, and had his long-standing student debate Porphyry. In the end, the new student accepted the Plotinian doctrine, and wrote a work in which he defended it. This once existed in Arabic, but we know basically nothing concrete about it.

No. 25: “Aids to the Study of the Intelligibles” (edited separately)

A kind of early predecessor of Proclus’ Elements of Theology, this is probably the most important metaphysical text of Porphyry’s. Unfortunately, it is nowhere near as detailed as Proclus’ work, and also much less systematic. But it seems to have served a similar function, i.e. presenting the metaphysical system in a digestible form rather than the more usual format of commentaries and monographs.

The “Aids” (or “Auxiliaries”) are also known as the Sententiae (ad intelligibilia ducentes). Thomas Taylor’s 18th-century translation is online. More recently, K. Guthrie, Launching-Points to the Realm of Mind, 1988.

No. 26: “On First Principles” (231–232)

Only a five-line quotation in Proclus remains.

No. 27: “On Incorporeals” (232)

A work that would be of particular interest on account of Porphyry’s differences with Iamblichus on the nature of incorporeals; unfortunately, nothing beyond the name is known.

No. 28: “On Matter” (233–237)

Not well-preserved, but there is a relatively long quotation in Simplicius’ commentary on Aristotle’s Physics.

No. 29: “On the Difference between Plato and Aristotle” (238)

and

No. 30: “About the School of Plato and Aristotle being One” (239)

are known by name only. That both are ascribed to Porphyry is odd, but not impossible to explain. Whatever one says about the issue is likely to be unduly speculative, however.

No. 31: “Against Aristotle on the Soul Being an Entelechy” (240)

is known only by its title and could be the same as

No. 32: “On Soul, Against Boethus” (241–250)

Boethus of Sidon was a 1st-century BCE Aristotelian. Beside the treatise on the soul Porphyry was reacting to, he also wrote one of the earliest commentaries on Aristotle’s Categories. All extant fragments of Porphyry’s work, which come to about 9 pages in Smith, are found in Eusebius’ Preparation of the Gospel.

No. 33: “On the Powers of the Soul” (251–255)

Stobaeus gives ten pages’ worth of excerpts from this work in his great Anthology.

No. 34: “Mixed Questions” (256–263)

Nemesius of Emesa (On the Nature of the Human) and Priscianus (Answers to King Chosroes) made use of this work on Platonic metaphysics.

No. 35: “On Perception”? (264)

Also used by Nemesius; not necessarily a separate work

No. 36: “On Sleep and Awakening”? (265)

Title of a lost Arabic work, and a plausible name for a Greek treatise. But perhaps originally a section of a larger work.

No. 37: “To Gaurus on How Embryos are Ensouled” (edited separately)

Preserved in an incomplete form under the name of Galen, this work has been recently translated with No. 38 by James Wilberding, Porphyry. To Gaurus on How Embryos are Ensouled and On What is in Our Power, 2014.

It was the object of a Byzantine anti-astrological rebuttal: Anonymous Christianus, Hermippus or On Astrology.