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Apollonius of Tyana, Volume III: Letters of Apollonius. Ancient Testimonia. Eusebius’s Reply to Hierocles
Philostratus's colorful biography of Apollonius of Tyana, recounting the sayings and miracles of a Pythagorean sage, incidentally provoked a long-lasting debate between pagans and Christians. This volume, which completes the new Loeb Classical Library edition of the "Life of Apollonius of Tyana," provides historical context for that much discussed third-century portrayal of a charismatic religious teacher.
Here is a new translation of the surviving letters of Apollonius, augmented and illuminated by recent discoveries. These letters reveal Apollonius's personality and his religious and philosophical ideas. New for this edition is a selection of ancient reports about Apollonius from authors such as St. Jerome and St. Augustine.
Philostratus's biography was quickly caught up in the religious struggles that marked the rise of Christianity. An official in Diocletian's empire named Hierocles used it as ammunition in an anti-Christian polemic, initiating a controversy that lasted well into modern times. The reply by Eusebius, the fourth-century bishop of Caesarea, was originally included in editions of the "Life of Apollonius" in order to serve as a spiritual antidote and to provide cover for the publishers; today it is an essential chapter in the history of Philostratus's masterpiece.
Here is a new translation of the surviving letters of Apollonius, augmented and illuminated by recent discoveries. These letters reveal Apollonius's personality and his religious and philosophical ideas. New for this edition is a selection of ancient reports about Apollonius from authors such as St. Jerome and St. Augustine.
Philostratus's biography was quickly caught up in the religious struggles that marked the rise of Christianity. An official in Diocletian's empire named Hierocles used it as ammunition in an anti-Christian polemic, initiating a controversy that lasted well into modern times. The reply by Eusebius, the fourth-century bishop of Caesarea, was originally included in editions of the "Life of Apollonius" in order to serve as a spiritual antidote and to provide cover for the publishers; today it is an essential chapter in the history of Philostratus's masterpiece.
- GenresPhilosophy
272 pages, Hardcover
Published May 31, 2006
15 people want to read
About the author
Philostratus of Athens
95 books7 followersLucius Flavius Philostratus Greek sophist.
b. circa 172 - died 250
b. circa 172 - died 250
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 15, 2026
It is extremely easy to dismantle all of Eusebius’ argumentation, since the works of his arch-opponent, Hierocles, were consistent and well formed. I could easily write a rebuttal of Eusebius’ nonsense from a Heathen, Neoplatonic perspective; however, the aim here was to reconstruct Hierocles’ line of thought from the words of his enemies. Inasmuch as Neoplatonism tears to shreds all Judeo-Christian dogma and philosophy—including their modern offshoots, this form of mob-thinking dressed in the garments of fake philosophy, fake doctrine, and fake divinity—this task is not difficult.
Apollonius was a magos attended by a demi-god daimon. Jesus, by contrast, was a Galilean amateur sorcerer, a Jew as irrelevant as the rest of the gnostic-Jewish goetes (goēteia). The first argument may be summarized thus: by following an idiot as a vile mob and achieving victory, the mob merely proves the idiot correct. Reframed, this is precisely Eusebius’ own point.
Out of respect for the defenselessness of Christian arguments when confronted with Solar, Apollonic Intellect, I will refrain from striking a fool who died long ago. Such clementia was never granted to the nobilitas—pagans and Heathens—whose works of high standing, outshining Judeo-Christian mongrel exegesis, were simply destroyed. Let us not imitate such vulgar and utter barbarism.
After all, the demi-god magician Apollonius left behind writings that survived Christian mobs, whereas the figure called “Jesus, King of the Jews” left not a single work. His absence was compensated for by overzealous scholastic followers, who wrote in his stead a narrative of utter nonsense to justify the existence of this alleged son of a Hebrew god and his so-called “salvation,” supposedly delivered to the Jews for sins committed against their god, and against Pagan Rome above all, as well as against our Intellectual Gods, winged beauties, and noble Muses.
One need not look far to deconstruct the idiocies of Jews and Christians at their very root. It is sufficient to listen to the superior intellect of the Heathens of Greece, Rome, Egypt, Chaldea, and the Magoi, and to acquaint oneself with their writings.
Speaking from reason and axiom, I may further confirm the truth of the Heathens personally, as an Isiac seer. Inasmuch as Apollonius had a daimon of demi-god origin, so too do I possess a draconian spirit-daimon. Under oath, I discredit the false figure called “Jesus” and Christianity itself as a system of vile lies that has colonized the minds, hearts, and souls of bigoted populist mobs for centuries.
Apollonius was submerged in the waters of Tantalus and Tartarus; so too was I during Eleusinian initiation. Apollonius possessed second sight—vision of gods seen and unseen—and so do I. Why, then, should I deny the humane side of Apollonius and instead worship a fabricated “Jesus,” as his followers do, flocking to the corpse of a crucified criminal?
May this lie not endure. Yet I am not here to overturn the world or restore it to honesty and providential truth, but merely to witness Judeo-Christian liars and the deceived ignorant follow their own spiritual demise into the shadows of their stupidity.
It took them two thousand years to fill the Earth with their lies. They move against me with accusations—“antichrist,” “beast,” and the like—while I pursue a more civilized form of divine learning. Let me laugh openly at their global stupidity, as the Gods, in the plural, delight in the trick they have played upon these Earth-ruiners, nature-scorners, and god-haters called Judeo-Christians. In this laughter, reverberating through the spheres and the moving stars, I too participate.
Apollonius was a magos attended by a demi-god daimon. Jesus, by contrast, was a Galilean amateur sorcerer, a Jew as irrelevant as the rest of the gnostic-Jewish goetes (goēteia). The first argument may be summarized thus: by following an idiot as a vile mob and achieving victory, the mob merely proves the idiot correct. Reframed, this is precisely Eusebius’ own point.
Out of respect for the defenselessness of Christian arguments when confronted with Solar, Apollonic Intellect, I will refrain from striking a fool who died long ago. Such clementia was never granted to the nobilitas—pagans and Heathens—whose works of high standing, outshining Judeo-Christian mongrel exegesis, were simply destroyed. Let us not imitate such vulgar and utter barbarism.
After all, the demi-god magician Apollonius left behind writings that survived Christian mobs, whereas the figure called “Jesus, King of the Jews” left not a single work. His absence was compensated for by overzealous scholastic followers, who wrote in his stead a narrative of utter nonsense to justify the existence of this alleged son of a Hebrew god and his so-called “salvation,” supposedly delivered to the Jews for sins committed against their god, and against Pagan Rome above all, as well as against our Intellectual Gods, winged beauties, and noble Muses.
One need not look far to deconstruct the idiocies of Jews and Christians at their very root. It is sufficient to listen to the superior intellect of the Heathens of Greece, Rome, Egypt, Chaldea, and the Magoi, and to acquaint oneself with their writings.
Speaking from reason and axiom, I may further confirm the truth of the Heathens personally, as an Isiac seer. Inasmuch as Apollonius had a daimon of demi-god origin, so too do I possess a draconian spirit-daimon. Under oath, I discredit the false figure called “Jesus” and Christianity itself as a system of vile lies that has colonized the minds, hearts, and souls of bigoted populist mobs for centuries.
Apollonius was submerged in the waters of Tantalus and Tartarus; so too was I during Eleusinian initiation. Apollonius possessed second sight—vision of gods seen and unseen—and so do I. Why, then, should I deny the humane side of Apollonius and instead worship a fabricated “Jesus,” as his followers do, flocking to the corpse of a crucified criminal?
May this lie not endure. Yet I am not here to overturn the world or restore it to honesty and providential truth, but merely to witness Judeo-Christian liars and the deceived ignorant follow their own spiritual demise into the shadows of their stupidity.
It took them two thousand years to fill the Earth with their lies. They move against me with accusations—“antichrist,” “beast,” and the like—while I pursue a more civilized form of divine learning. Let me laugh openly at their global stupidity, as the Gods, in the plural, delight in the trick they have played upon these Earth-ruiners, nature-scorners, and god-haters called Judeo-Christians. In this laughter, reverberating through the spheres and the moving stars, I too participate.
February 4, 2020
Tyanalı Apollonios'un mektuplarını çevirirken bu kitaptaki Yunanca metni temel aldım.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews