• ISBN13: 9781472558190
• Binding: Paperback
• Subject: N/A
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Publisher Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Publication Date: April 10, 2014
• Pages: 192
• Original Price: GBP 37.99
• Language: English
• Edition: N/A
• Item Weight: 313 grams
• BISAC Subject(s): History & Surveys / Ancient & Classical and Free Will & Determinism

Proclus' commentary on Plato's Cratylus is the only ancient commentary on this work to have survived, and is illuminating in two particular respects. First, it is actually the work of two Neoplatonists. The majority of the material is supplied by the Athenian-based Proclus (c. 411-485 AD), who is well known for his magisterial commentaries on Plato's Timaeus and Parmenides, as well as for a host of other works involving the study of Plato. This material we have consists of excerpts from Proclus' commentary edited by another figure who appears to be a Platonist working somewhat later in Alexandria. Consequently it contains insights into the philosophy of both of the principal late antique centres of Platonism: Athens and Alexandria. Secondly, the material is divided between the grittier issues of language-theory, on which it engages freely with other ancient philosophies, and theological discussion, mostly involved with the etymologies of the names of Greek gods, in which Proclus is more concerned to relate his own brand of Platonism to the 'Orphic' and 'Chaldaean' theological systems, and also to Homer. This English translation, accompanied by Brian Duvick's extensive notes, explicates all these facets of the ancient text.

Griffin, Michael: - Michael Griffin is Associate Professor of Classics and Philosophy at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. He is co-editor of the series Ancient Commentators on Aristotle and translator of two of its volumes: Olympiodorus: Life of Plato and On Plato First Alcibiades 1-9 (Bloomsbury 2014) and Olympiodorus: On Plato First Alcibiades 10-28 (Bloomsbury 2015).

Proclus: - Jan Opsomer is Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of South Carolina, USA. Carlos Steel is Professor of Philosophy, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium and was for 10 years President of the Higher Institute of Philosophy at Leuven

Sorabji, Richard: - Richard Sorabji is Research Professor of Philosophy at King's College London and a Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford, UK. He is the author of many books, including Necessity, Clause and Blame, Matter, Space and Motion, and Time, Creation and the Continuum, all published by Bloomsbury, and general editor of the Ancient Commentators on Aristotle series.