Porphyry’s Definitions of Death and their Interpretation in Georgian and Byzantine Tradition
Beginning from Plato, there exists a philosophical tradition, which interprets philosophy
as preparation for death. However, for Plato the death of a philosopher
does not necessarily imply death in its ordinary meaning, but rather a spiritual
way of life maximally free from corporeal affections. This kind of relationship between philosophy and death was intensively discussed
in late antique philosophy, Patristics, medieval Byzantine philosophy, and
also in medieval Georgian literature. Based on Plato’s and Plotinus’ philosophy,
Porphyry presented definitions of three kinds of death in his Sententiae (8; 9; 23):
(1) ‘death’ of a philosopher, (2) natural death, (3) ‘death’ of a soul.
The aim of this paper is to provide a philosophical analysis of three concepts
of death in the post-Porphyrian tradition, mainly in Byzantine and Georgian
texts. The paper is based on the analysis of the above mentioned issues in the texts
of Porphyry (also of Plotinus, as of his predecessor), Macrobius, Michael Psellos,
as well as in the old Georgian versions of the works of Ammonios Hermiae, John
of Damascus and John Sinaites. We also take into consideration the views on
the relation between philosophy and death in the thought of the philosophers
of Humanism and Renaissance, such as Georgios Gemistos Plethon, Marsilio
Ficino, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, and Michel de Montaigne, whether or not
and to what extent their views on the relation between philosophy and death are
different from the theories of ancient and medieval Platonists.