Bishopric as an Ascent to Philosophy

Abstract

The article delves into the issue of Synesius of Cyrene’s Christianity. While scholars like D. Roques and Alan Cameron have argued that Synesius was a Christian due to his birth into a Christian family, the author disputes these presumptions. Instead, the author proposes that the question should be approached differently. Specifically, the problem lies not in determining whether Synesius was a Christian or a pagan but in understanding how he, as a Hellenic figure, interpreted Christianity. While we lack reliable information about whether he was ever baptized, we can confidently conclude – based on his view of the bishopric as a means to philosophy – that he did not adhere to Christianity in the traditional sense. Instead, Synesius could be considered a Hellenic believer who leveraged a Christian bishopric to sustain the traditional education and culture of Hellenism in the context of the Christian empire.