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The Pseudo-Dionysios, the Esoteric, and (Christian) Mysticism
We turn to the questions: What is ‘mystical’ in the Corpus Dionysiacum? What is esoteric? The answers we come up with involve pretty much every aspec…
1 year, 8 months ago
Naming Divine Nothingness: Introducing the Pseudo-Dionysios
Into the divine darkness of a hyper-non-existent god walks the Pseudo-Dionysios. In this episode we join many esoteric currents from the antique and …
1 year, 8 months ago
One Empire, Many Names: Reading “Byzantium” with Anthony Kaldellis
We are delighted to speak with Anthony Kaldellis about ‘Byzantium’, fabled empire full of Greek-speaking Romans which never fell until the fifteenth …
1 year, 10 months ago
Contested Esotericisms at the End of Antiquity: Simplicius, Philoponus, and Olympiodorus
We discuss three of the most important thinkers from the final generations of philosophical teaching at Alexandria. One is an upstart Christian. Two …
1 year, 10 months ago
The Last Platonists? Philosophic Teaching, Christianity, and Polytheism in Late-Antique Alexandria
We discuss how Platonist philosophical teaching played out at Alexandria before Justinian's edict of 529 and in its aftermath. Featuring cameo appear…
1 year, 11 months ago
All from Nothing: Sara Rappe on Damascius
We discuss the great Damascius, final scholarch of the Athenian Academy, with Sara Rappe. Things become very apophatic.
1 year, 11 months ago
Hagia Sophia and the Problem of ‘Esoteric Architecture’
We discuss Justinian's great church, Hagia Sophia, the gem of Constantinople and of Orthodox Christianity. We then look at a number of theories out t…
1 year, 11 months ago
Kevin van Bladel on the Ṣābians of Ḥarrān and the Fate of the Athenian Academy
We discuss the fascinating town of Ḥarrān (in present-day Türkiye), a place known from late antiquity until at least the eleventh century for its con…
2 years ago
Edward Watts on the Age of Justinian and the Closing of the Athenian Academy
We discuss the life, times, and reign of Justinian, ‘probably the most consequential Roman emperor, at least since Constantine, and maybe since Augus…
2 years, 1 month ago
Danielle Layne on Proclus’ Religious Life and Thought
We are delighted to discuss what you might call Proclean spirituality with Danielle Layne. Platonic prayer as a way of living, the erotic quest for t…
2 years, 2 months ago