Sopater of Apamea
Sopater of Apamea (Greek: Σώπατρος ὁ Ἀπαμεύς; died before 337 AD), was a distinguished sophist and Neoplatonist philosopher.
He was a disciple of Iamblichus, after whose death (c. 325 AD), he went to Constantinople, where he enjoyed the favour and personal friendship of Constantine I.
The Suda lists that he wrote variety of works, including one On Providence, and another called People who have Undeserved Good or Bad Fortune.[1] He is distinguished from another sophist of that name "Of Apamea ... (Or rather, of Alexandria)", who wrote epitomes of very many authors and probably also the Historical Extracts,[2] of which Photius[3] has preserved a summary, from which it appears that it contained a vast variety of fact and fiction, collected from a great number of authors.
Sozomenus relates "an invention of persons who desired to vilify the Christian religion", that Constantine asked Sopater for purification after having killed his son Crispus and that Sopater denied him.[4]
Sopater was one of many who were put to death by Constantine, sometime before 337 AD. Zosimus ascribes his death to the machinations of Ablabius.[5] Eunapius alleges that Sopater was charged with detaining by magical arts a fleet laden with grain.[6]
Notes
References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "article name needed". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
External links
- Eunapius, Lives of the Sophists
- Photius' Bibliotheca Cod. 161 at The Tertullian Project
- Sigma 845 in Suda On Line project
- Sigma 848 in Suda On Line project