Pagan Political Ideas in a Christian World: Power, its Limits and Legitimization in the Eyes of the Author of "De scientia politica"

Teresa Wolińska

Uniwersytet Łódzki , Poland


Abstract

De scientia politica was written in the form of a Platonist dialogue and constituted a political and philosophical theory of a state and its ruling king or emperor. The writing was created in the 6th century A.D., during the reign of Justinian I. The information about its existence had been known from a short note in Photios Library, long before its parts were found and published in 1827. The author – excellently educated and continuing the Platonist and Neo-Platonist tradition – preferred to remain anonymous, despite some at­tempts of identification. The work is highly intellectual, addressed to educated readers, capable of understanding sophisticated literary references and allusions. The author’s effort to give it a scholarly character is clearly visible. Book IV was devoted to military affairs, whereas Book V – to imperial power, where the author discussed the problem of its origin, limitations, principles of choosing a ruler and ruler’s obligations. While expressing the principles which a 6th century ruler (i.e. already a Christian ruler) should obey, the author makes references to the Greek and Roman writers – Homer, Plato and Neo-Platonists, Cicero, Seneca, Titus Liv­ius and others. The Persian model was not alien to him either and it is not always clear if he took from the pagan or the Christian heritage. Frequent references to the predecessors’ thought do not mean that the author of De Scientia politica uncritically took over all of their views. He rather selected from the antique heritage what he thought to be current and at the same time he tried to adjust his work to the reality of a 6th century world. The work, albeit pre­served only in fragments is, according to P. N. Bell: „the only surviving example of a Neo-Platonic political theory outside the Arab world”.

Keywords:

Justinian I, emperor, imperial power, Platonism, political theory, De scientia politica

Agapetus Diakonus, Expositio capitum admonitoriarum, hrsg. von. R. Riedinger: Agapetos Dianokons, Der Fürstenspiegel für Kaiser Iustinianos, Athenai 1995, transl. P.N. Bell: Advise to the Emperor Justinian, w: Three Political Voices from the Age of Justinian: Agapetus, „Advice to the Emperor”; Dialogue on Political Science; Paul the Silentiary, „Description of Hagia Sophia”, Liverpool 2009, 99-122.
The Greek Anthology, ed. W.R. Paton with an English translation, vol. 3, Cambridge (Mass.) – London 1958.
Cicero, De re publica, rec. K. Ziegler, Lipsiae 1955, tłum. W. Kornatowski: Cicero, O państwie, w: tenże, O państwie. O prawach. O powinnościach. O cnotach, Biblioteka Klasyków Filozofii, Warszawa 1960, 261-331.
Codex Iustinianus, ed. P. Krueger, w: Corpus Iuris Civilis, t. 2: Berolini 1954.
Homerus, Ilias, ed. G. Dindorf, vol. 1-2, Lipsiae 1927-19285, tłum. K. Jeżewska: Homer, Iliada, Biblioteka Antyczna, Warszawa 19993.
Livius, Ab Urbe condita, ed. M. Müller, Pars 1: Libri I-VI, Lipsiae 19102, tłum. A. Kościółek: Liwiusz, Dzieje Rzymu od założenia Miasta. Księgi VI-X, Biblioteka Przekładów z Literatury Antycznej 17, Wrocław – Warszawa 1971.
Menae patricii cum Thoma referendario De scientia politica dialogus, iteratis curis quae exstant in codice Vaticano palimpsesto, ed. C.M. Mazzucchi, Bibliotheca Erudita. Studi e Documenti di Storia e Filologia 17, Milano 2002.
Photius, Bibliotheca, ed. R. Henry, vol. 1, Paris 1959, tłum. O. Jurewicz: Focjusz, Biblioteka, t. 1: „Kodeksy” 1-150, Warszawa 1986.
Plato, De re publica, ed. P. Shorey with an English translation: Plato, The Republic, vol. 1-2, London 1937-1942, tłum. W. Witkowski: Platon, Państwo, t. 1-2, Warszawa 1994.
Plato, Timaeus, ed. R.D. Archer-Hind with English translation, New York 1888, tłum. P. Siwek: Platon, Timajos. Kritias, Warszawa 1986.
Plato, Protagoras, ed. W.R.M. Lamb with English translation: Plato, Laches. Protagoras. Meno. Euthydemus, London 1952, tłum. W. Witwicki: Platon, Dialogi, t. 1, Kęty 1999, 246-331
Plato, Politicus, ed. M. Wohlrab, w: Plato, Dialogi, vol. 1, Lipsiae 1915, 466-555, tłum. W. Witwicki: Platon, Sofista. Polityk, Kęty 2002.
Plato, Leges, ed. R.G. Bury with an English translation: Plato, Laws, vol. 1, London 1961, tłum. M. Maykowska: Platon, Prawa, Warszawa 19972.
Plotinus, Enneades, ed. R. Volkmann, vol. 1-2, Lipsiae 1883-1884, tłum. A. Krokiewicz: Plotyn, Enneady, t. 1-2, Biblioteka Klasyków Filozofii, Warszawa 1959.
Procopius Caesariensis, De bellis libri, rec. J. Havry, addenda et corrigenda adiecit G. Wirth: Procopius, Opera omnia, vol. 1: I-IV, vol. 2: V-VIII, Lipsiae 1962-1963, tłum. D. Brodka: Historia wojen, t. 1: Wojny z Persami i Wandalami, t. 2: Wojny z Gotami, Źródła Historyczne, Kraków 2013.
Scriptorum veterum nova collectio, ed. A. Mai, vol. 2, Romae 1827.
Three Political Voices from the Age of Justinian: Agapetus, „Advice to the Emperor”; Dialogue on Political Science; Paul the Silentiary, „Description of Hagia Sophia”, transl. P.N. Bell, Liverpool 2009, 123-188.
Antonopoulos P., Peter the Patrician, The Byzantine diplomat, official and author, Historical Monographs 7, Athenes 1990.
Behr C.A., A New Fragment of Cicero’s De Republica, „American Journal of Philology” 95 (1974) nr 2, 141-149.
Bell P.N., Introduction, w: Three Political Voices from the Age of Justinian: Agapetus, „Advice to the Emperor”; Dialogue on Political Science; Paul the Silentiary, „Description of Hagia Sophia”, transl. P.N. Bell, Liverpool 2009, 1-98.
Cambiano G., Platone e il governo misto, w: Governo misto. Ricostruzione di un’idea, ed. D. Felice, Napoli 2011, 3-22.
Cameron A., Old and New Rome: Roman Studies in Sixth-Century Constantinople, w: Transformations of Late Antiquity. Essays for Peter Brown, ed. Ph. Rousseau – M. Papoutsakis, Farnham 2009, 171-184.
Cameron A., Procopius and the Sixth Century, London 1985.
Erhart V., Priscianus of Lydia at the Sasanian Court: Solutionum ad Chosroem, „Falsafeh” 37 (2009) nr 1, 21-31.
Evans A.S., The Age of Justinian: The Circumstances of Imperial Power, London 1996.
Falcone G., The „mysterious” beauty of Laws, „Annali del Seminario Giuridico dell’Università degli Studi di Palermo” 77 (2014) 339-352.
Fiaccadori G., Intorno all’anonimo Vaticano „Peri politikes epistemes”, „La Parola del Passato” 185 (1979) 127-147.
Fotiou A.S., Plato’s Philosopher King in the Political Thought of Sixth-Century Byzantium, „Florilegium” 7 (1985) 17-29.
Fotiou A.S., Dicaearchus and the mixed constitution in sixth century Byzantium. New evidence from a treatise on „political science”, „Byzantion” 51 (1981) 533-547.
Galgano F., Mundi totius elementa… et eorum dispositio, „Studia et Documenta Historiae et Iuris” 80 (2014) 359-371.
García C.C., El camino hacia una constitución ideal: la res publica romana (decenvirato y res publica como constitución mixta: Polibio y Cicerón), w: „Res publica litterarum”. Documentos de trabajo del grupo de investigación „Nomos”, Madrid 2005, 3-16.
Henry III P., Mirror for Justinian: The Ekthesis of Agapetus Diaconus, GRBS 8 (1967) 281-308.
Kaldellis A., Procopius of Caesarea. Tyranny, History, and Philosophy at the End of Antiquity, Philadelphia 2004.
Kaldellis A., The Religion of Ioannes Lydos, „Phoenix” 57 (2003) 300-316.
Krumbacher K., Geschichte der byzantinischen Litteratur von Justinian bis zum Ende des oströmischen Reiches (527-1453), München 1891.
Laniado A., Recherches sur les notables municipaux dans l’empire protobyzantin, Paris 2002.
Laniado A., Un fragment peu connu de Pierre le Patrice, ByZ 90 (1997) nr 2, 405-412.
MacCoull L.S.B., Menas and Thomas: Notes on the Dialogus de scientia politica, GRBS 46 (2006) 301-313.
Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, ed. A.H.M. Jones – J.R. Martindale – J. Morris, vol. 1: 260-395 AD, Cambridge 1971; vol. 2: 395-527 AD, Cambridge 1980.
Mazzucchi C.M., Praefatio, w: Menae patricii cum Thoma referendario De scientia politica dialogus, VIII-XVIII.
Mazzucchi C.M., Per una rilettura del palinseto Vaticano „Sulla scientia politica” del tempo di Giustiniano, w: L’Imperatore Giustiniano. Storia e mito, a cura di G.G. Archi, Circolo Toscano di Diritto Romano e Storia del Diritto 5, Milano 1978, 237-247.
Medvedev I.P., L’égalité comme principe de justice sociale chez les byzantins, „Symmeikta” 9 (1994) nr 2, 121-138.
O’Meara D.J., Platonopolis: Platonic Political Philosophy in Late Antiquity, Oxford 2003.
O’Meara D.J., The Justinianic Dialogue on Political Science and its Neoplatonic Sources, w: Byzantine Philosophy and its Ancient Sources, ed. K. Ierodiakonou, Oxford 2004, 49-62.
Roberto U., Aspetti della riflessione sul governo misto nel pensiero politico romano da Cicerone all’età di Giustiniano, w: Governo misto. Ricostruzione di un’idea, a cura di D. Felice, Napoli 2011, 119-160.
Roberto U., Aspetti della conoscenza di Cicerone nella riflessione giuridica tardoantica, „Ciceroniana” N.S. 13 (2009) 217-244.
Rashed M., Menas, préfet du Prétoire (528/9) et philosophe: une épigramme inconnue, „Elenchos” 21 (2000) nr 1, 89-98.
Sheppard A., Philosophy and Philosophical Schools, w: Cambridge Ancient History, vol. 14, Cambridge 20002, 835-854.
Soto Ayala R., Los „espejos de príncipe” en el mundo bizantino como continuidad de la tradición retórico-política isocrática, Tesis doctoral, Universidad de Granada. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Granada 2009 (dostępne na stronie: http://hera.ugr.es/ tesisugr/18504498.pdf).
Steiris G., Politique, Religion et Hérésie dans le dialogue anonyme protobyzantin "Per Politikas Epistemes" et dans l’oeuvre philosophique d’al-Fārābī, ByF 31 (2013) 121-141.
Valdenberg V., Les idées politiques dans les fragments attribués à Pierre le Patrice, „Byzantion” 2 (1925) 55-76.
Watts E., Where to Live the Philosophical Life in the Sixth Century? Damascius, Simplicius and the Return from Persia, GRBS 45 (2005) 285-315.
Wiśniewski R., „I los padł na Macieja…”. Kilka uwag o późnoantycznym stosunku do losów i pewnym epizodzie z początków Kościoła, „U schyłku starożytności” 10 (2011) 229-236.
Wolińska T., Sympatyk pogan i heretyków? Prokopiusz z Cezarei o polityce religijnej Justyniana, „Christianitas Antiqua” 6 (2014) 194-211.

Published
2016-12-15


Wolińska, T. (2016). Pogańskie idee polityczne w chrześcijańskim świecie. Władza, jej granice i źródła legitymizacji w ocenie autora dialogu περι πολιτικησ επιστημεσ (De scientia politica). Vox Patrum, 66, 327–351. https://doi.org/10.31743/vp.3464

Teresa Wolińska 
Uniwersytet Łódzki



License

Papers published in Vox Patrum are covered by the Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) licence. Authors and users can use published works licensed under the CC-BY-ND since 2018. For earlier publications, copyrights are available under fair use rights in accordance with the Act of February 4, 1994 on copyrights and related rights.