Chaeremon of Alexandria (/kəˈriːmən, -mɒn/; Ancient Greek: Χαιρήμων ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, gen.: Ancient Greek: Χαιρήμονος; fl. 1st century AD) was a Stoic philosopher and historian[1] who wrote on Egyptian mythology from a "typically Stoic" perspective.[2]
Chaeremon of Alexandria | |
|---|---|
| Χαιρήμων ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς | |
| Born | c. 1st century AD |
| Died | before 96 AD |
| Nationality | Ancient Egyptian |
| Occupation | Ancient Egyptian priest |
| Era | Ancient Roman philosophy |
| Region | Roman Alexandria |
| School | Stoicism |
| Institutions | Mouseion |
| Language | Ancient Greek |
Main interests | Ancient Egyptian religion |
Life
editAccording to the Suda, he was the head of the Alexandrian school of grammarians, and he may also have been head of the Museion.[2] He was probably one of the ambassadors to Claudius from Alexandria in 40 AD.[2] He also taught Nero, probably before 49 AD when Seneca the Younger became Nero's tutor.[2] He may have been the grandson of the Chaeremon who accompanied the Roman prefect Aelius Gallus on his tour of Egypt in 26 AD.[1] His father – about whom nothing is known – was called Leonidas, and he was probably born no later than 10 AD.[1]
One of the poems from Martial's eleventh book of Epigrams mocks Chaeremon; as Martial did not usually attack living figures Chaeremon presumably died before 96 AD when Epigrams XI was published.[2]
Works
editAll of Chaeremon's works are lost, though a number of fragments are quoted by later authors.[2] Three titles are preserved: the History of Egypt, Hieroglyphika, and On Comets, with another fragment quoted from an unknown grammatical treatise of his.[2]
Josephus quotes an extensive fragment from Chaeremon's Egyptian history, in which he scornfully recounts and ridicules, in a manner similar to that of Manetho, the departure of the Jews from Egypt. Josephus boasts of having refuted Chaeremon as well as Manetho and others.[3] Chaeremon's history is also mentioned by Porphyry.[4] Chaeremon's description of Egypt recalls the ideas which Philo, Clement, Origen, and others introduced into the Old and the New Testament.[5] The asceticism especially, which he ascribes to the ancient Egyptian priests, is analogous to the description in Philo's work, "De Vita Contemplativa"; still there is no literary connection between the two authors.[6] Fragments of the "History of Egypt" may still exist in a treatise of Psellus published in 1877.[7][5]
According to the Suda, [8] another work of Chaeremon was entitled "Hieroglyphica," and probably contained interpretations of the hieroglyphics [9] while a third work may be the book "On the Comets" mentioned by Origen.[10] Origen also made use of other writings of Chaeremon that are now lost.[11][5]
Notes
edit- ^ a b c Gates 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g van der Horst 1987, pp. ix–xi.
- ^ ("Contra Ap." i. 32, 33)
- ^ (Eusebius, "Præ-paratio Evangelica," iii. 4, v. 10; Porphyry, "De Abstinentia," iv. 6-8)
- ^ a b c Gottheil & Krauss.
- ^ van der Horst 1982, p. 62-63.
- ^ Sathas, in "Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique," vol. i.)
- ^ (s. v. Xαιρήμωυ),
- ^ (collected from the works of the Byzantian Tzetzes, in Müller's "Fragmenta Historicorum Grœcorum," iii. 499);
- ^ ("Contra Celsum," i. 59)
- ^ (Suidas, s.v. 'Ωριγένης).
Editions and Translations
edit- P. Charvet, S. Aufrère, J-M. Kowalski, A. Zucker, Le Quartette d'Alexandrie - Hérodote, Diodore, Strabon, Chérémon, Collection Bouquins, Paris, 2021, (1563 p). Aufrère provides a translation of Chaeremon's Book of Phtomyris or Critics des Aigyptiaka
- van der Horst, Pieter Willem (1987). Chaeremon: Egyptian Priest and Stoic Philosopher. Leiden: Brill.. Pieter van der Horst includes 14 certain and 14 doubtful fragments in his edition of Chaeramon's works.
References
edit
Gottheil, Richard; Krauss, Samuel (1901–1906). "CHÆREMON". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.- van der Horst, Pieter Willem (1982). "The Way of Life of the Egyptian Priests According to Chaeremon". Egyptian Festivals: Enactment of Religious Renewal. BRILL. pp. 61–71. ISBN 978-90-04-37804-9. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- Gates, ed. (2012). "Chaeremon". Oxford Dictionary of African Biography. ISBN 9780195382075.
