Iamblichus

• an Arabian emir, Cic. Fam. 15, 1, 2.

(Ἰάμβλιχος), one of the phylarchs, or petty princes of the Arab tribe of the Emesenes. (Strab. xvi. p.753.) He was the son of Sampsicceramus, and is first mentioned by Cicero in a despatch, which he sent fiom Rome to Cilicia in B. C. 51, and in which he states that Iamblichus had sent him intelligence respecting the movements of the Parthians, and he speaks of him as well disposed to the republic. (Cic. Fam. 15.1.) In the war between Octavianus and Antony in B. C. 31, Iamblichus supported the cause of the latter; but after Cn. Domitius had gone over to Octavianus, Antony became suspicious of treachery, and accordingly put Iamblichus to death by torture, along with several others. (D. C. 1. 13.) It appears, moreover, that Antony's suspicions had been excited against Iamblichus by the charges of his own brother Alexander, who obtained the sovereignty after his brother's execution, but was shortly afterwards deprived of it by Octavianus, taken by the latter to Rome to grace his triumph, and then put to death. (Ibid. 51.2.) At a later period (B. C. 20), the son of Iamblichus, who bore the same name, obtained from Augustus the restoration of his father's dominions. (Ibid. 54.9.)

(Ἰάμβλιχος).

1. A Syrian who lived in the time of the emperor Trajan. He was educated at Babylon, and did not become acquainted with the Greek language till a late period of his life. After having lived at Babylon for a number of years, he was taken prisoner and sold as a slave to a Syrian, who, however, appears to have set him free again. He is said to have acquired such a perfect knowledge of Greek, that he even distinguished himself as a rhetorician. (Suidas, s.c. Ἰάμβλιχος; Schol. ad Phot. Bibl. Cod. 94, p. 73, ed. Bekker.) Works Βαβυλωνικά

Iamblichus was the author of a love story in Greek, which, if not the earliest, was at least one of the first productions of this kind in Greek literature. It bore the title Βαβυλωνικά, and contained the story of two lovers, Sinonis and Rhodanes. According to Suidas, it consisted of 39 books; but Photius (Bibl. Cod. 94), who gives a tolerably full epitome of the work, mentions only 17. (Comp. Phot. Bibl. Cod. 166; Suid. s. vv. γάρμος, φάσμα.)

A perfect copy of the work in MS. existed down to the year 1671, when it was destroyed by fire. A few fragments of the original work are still extant, and a new one of some length has recently been discovered by A. Mai. (Nov. Collect. Script. Vet. vol. ii. p. 349, &c.) Editions

The epitome of Photius and the fragments are collected in Chardon de la Rochette's Mélanges de Critique et de Philologie, pp. 18, &c., 34, &c., 53, &c., and in Passow's Corpus Erotic. vol. i.. Further Information

Comp. Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. viii. p. 152, &c.; Vossius, De Hist. Graec. p. 275, ed. Westermann.

2. A celebrated Neo-Platonic philosopher, was born at Chalcis in Coele-Syria, and was perhaps a descendant of No. 1. He was a pupil of Anatolius and Porphyrius. Respecting his life we know very little beyond the fact that he resided in Syria till his death, making every year an excursion to the hot springs of Gadara. He died in the reign of Constantine the Great, and probably before A. D. 333. (Suidas, s.v. Ἰάμβλιχος; Eunapius, Iamblich.) He had studied with great zeal the philosophy of Plato and Pythagoras, and was also acquainted with the theology and philosophy of the Chaldaeans and Egyptians. The admiration which he enjoyed among his contemporaries was so great that they declared him to be equal to Plato himself, and that the difference of time was the only one existing between them. (Julian, Orat. iv. p. 146, Epist. 40.) We cannot join in this admiration, for although he pretended to be a follower of Plato, his Platonism was so much mixed up with notions and doctrines derived from the East, and with those of other Greek philosophers, especially Pythagoras, that it may justly be termed a syncretic philosophy. By means of this philosophy, which was further combined with a great deal of the superstition of the time, he endeavoured to oppose and check the progress of Christianity. He did not acquiesce in the doctrines of the earlier New Platonists, Porphyrius and Plotinus, who regarded the perception and comprehension of the Deity, by means of ecstasies, as the object of all philosophy; but his opinion was that man could be brought into direct communion with the Deity through the medium of theurgic rites and ceremonies, whence he attached particular importance to mysteries, initiations, and the like. Works

Iamblichus was the author of a considerable number of works, of which a few only have come down to us. The most important among them are: 1. Περὶ Πυθαγόρου αἱρέσεως (on the Philosophy of Pythagoras)

It was intended as a preparation for the study of Plato, and consisted originally of ten books, of which five only are extant. Book 1. Περὶ τοῦ Πυθαγορικοῦ Βίου (On the Life of Pythagoras

The first book, entitled Περὶ τοῦ Πυθαγορικοῦ Βίου, contains a detailed account of the life of Pythagoras and his school, but is an uncritical compilation from earlier works; as howeverthese works are lost, thecompilation of Iamblichus is not without its peculiar value to us. Editions

This life of Pythagoras was first edited by J. Arcerius Theodoretus in Greek and Latin, Franeker, 1598, 4to. The most recent and best editions are those of L. Kuster (Amsterdam, 1707, 4to.) and Th. Kiessling (Leipzig, 1815, 2 vols. 8vo.) Book 2. Προτρεπτικοὶ λόγοι εἰς φιλοσοφίαν (Introduction to Philosophy)

The second book, entitled Προτρεπτικοὶ λόγοι εἰς φιλοσοφίαν, forms a sort of introduction to the study of Plato, and is, like the former, for the most part compiled from the works of earlier writers, and almost without any plan or system. The last chapter contains an explanation of 39 Pythagorean symbols. Editions

The first edition is that of Arcerius Theodoretus, and the best that of Th. Kiessling, Leipzig, 1813, 8vo. Book 3. Περὶ κοινῆς μαθηματικῆς ἐπιστήμης (On common mathematical knowledge

The third book is entitled Περὶ κοινῆς μαθηματικῆς ἐπιστήμης, and contains many fragments of the works of early Pythagoreans, especially Philolaus and Archytas. Editions

It exists in MS. in various libraries, but for a long time only fragments were published, until at length Villoisonin his Anecdota Graeca (vol. ii. p. 188, &c.) printed the whole of it, after which it was edited separately by J. G. Fries, Copenhagen, 1790, 4to. Book 4. Περὶ τῆς Νικομάχου ἀριθμητικῆς εἰσαγωγῆς (On the Arithmetical Education of Nikomachus Editions

The fourth book, entitled Περὶ τῆς Νικομάχου ἀριθμητικῆς εἰσαγωγῆς, was first edited by Sam. Tennulius, Deventer and Arnheim, 1668, 4to. Books 5 and 6. On Physics

The fifth and sixth books, which treated on physics and ethics, are lost. Book 7. Τὰ Θεολογούμενα τῆς ἀριθμητικῆς (Theologoumena arithmeticae) Editions

The seventh, entitled Τὰ Θεολογούμενα τῆς ἀριθμητικῆς, is still extant, and has been published by Ch. Wechel (Paris, 1543, 4to) and Fr. Ast (Leipzig, 1817, 8vo.). Books 8, 9, 10. Music, Geometry, and Spheric Theory

With regard to the other books of this work, we know that the eighth contained an introduction to music (Iambl. Vit. Pyth. 120, ad Nicom. Arithm. pp. 73, 77, 172, 176), the ninth an introduction to geometry (ad Nicom. Arithm. pp. 141, 176), and the tenth the spheric theory of Pythagoras (ad Nicom. Arithm. p. 176). 2. Περὶ μυστηρίων (On the Mysteries)

Περὶ μυστηρίων, in one book. An Egyptian priest of the name of Abammon is there introduced as replying to a letter of Porphyrius. [Porphyrius.] He endeavours to refute various doubts respecting the truth and purity of the Egyptian religion and worship, and to prove the divine origin of the Egyptian and Chaldaean theology, as well as that men, through theurgic rites, may commune with the Deity. Many critics have endeavoured to show that this work is not a production of Iamblichus, while Tennemann and others have vindicated its authenticity; and there are apparently no good reasons why the authorship should be denied to Iamblichus. Editions

The work has been edited by Ficinus (Venice, 1483, 4to, with a Lat. translation), N. Scutellius (Rome, 1556, 4to.), and Th. Gale (Oxford, 1678, fol., with a Lat. translation). Other Works

Besides these works, we have mention of one. Περὶ ψυχῆς, of which a fragment is preserved in Stobaeus (Flor. tit. 25, 6), Epistles, several of which are quoted by Stobaeus, on the gods and other works, among which we may notice a great one, Περὶ τῆς τελειοτάτης Χαλκιδαϊκῆς φιλοσοφίας of which some fragments are preserved by Damascius in his work, Περὶ ἀρχῶν. Iamblichus further wrote commentaries on some of Plato's dialogues, viz., on the Parmenides, Timaeus and Phaedon, and also on the Analytica of Aristotle. Further Information

Comp. Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. viii. p. 758, &c.; G. E. Hebenstreit, Dissertatio de Iamblicho, philos. Syr. Lipsiae, 1764, 4to.)

3. A later Neo-Platonic philosopher of Apameia, who was a contemporary of the emperor Julian and Libanius. He has often been confounded with the other [No. 2], but the time at which he lived, and his intimacy with Julian, clearly show that he belongs to a later date. The emperor, where he speaks of him, bestows extravagant praise upon him. (Libanius, Epist. p. 509, ed. Wolf; Julian, Epist. 34, 40; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. v. p. 761. There was an Iamblichus, a physician at Constantinople, mentioned in an epigram of Leontius, in the Greek Anthology. [L.S]

(Ἰάμβλιχος). (1) A Syrian who lived in the time of the emperor Trajan. He wrote in Greek a romance called Βαβυλωνικά on the loves of Rhodané and Sinonis, which is now lost, though an epitome of it is given by Photius. (See Novels and Romances.)

(2) A NeoPlatonic philosopher, a native of Chalcis in CoeleSyria. He died about A.D. 330. He was a pupil of Porphyry and a follower of Plotinus; but pushing their teachings to the point of absurdity, became a mere charlatan and impostor, seeking the reputation of a magician and wonder-worker. His writings include (i.) a life of Pythagoras (Περὶ τοῦ Πυθαγορικοῦ Βίου) in ten books, of which four parts are extant, edited by Nauck (1884); (ii.) a work on mathematics (Περὶ Κοινῆς Μαθηματικῆς Ἐπιστήμης), edited by Friès (1790); (iii.) two treatises on mystical arithmetic (Περὶ Νικομάχου Ἀριθμητικῆς Εἰσαγωγῆς and Τὰ Θεολογούμενα τῆς Ἀριθμητικῆς), the latter edited by Ast (1817); (iv.) a treatise on the Egyptian mysteries (Περὶ Μυστηρίων), and intending to prove their divine origin, edited by Parthey (1857); and (v.) a sort of introduction to the study of Plato (Προτρεπτικοὶ Λόγοι εἰς Φιλοσοφίαν), edited by Kiessling (1813). The treatise on the mysteries and those on arithmetic are possibly not the work of Iamblichus. On the De Mysteriis, see Harles, Das Buch von d. ägypt. Myst. (Munich, 1858). It has been rendered into English by Thomas Taylor with the life of Pythagoras (2d ed. Chiswick, 1821). The best account of Iamblichus will be found in Zeller, Philosophie der Griechen, iii. 2, pp. 613 foll. in the second edition; and in Vacherot, Histoire Critique de l'École d'Alexandrie, ii. pp. 57 foll. (Paris, 1851).