TEMISTIO. — Orator and philosopher of the 4th century A.D. (ca. 320–90). Son of Paphlagonian parents, and probably born in Constantinople, he was highly renowned for his eloquence and teaching, enjoyed the favour of the emperors, and held important offices. He supported the restoration of paganism attempted by Giuliano; nevertheless, he maintained a certain moderation toward Christianity, and was therefore esteemed even by eminent Christians, such as Gregorio Nazianzeno, who calls him βασιλεύς τῶν λόγων (Ep., 139 ff.).
Thirty-three speeches by him survive (one of the thirty-four attributed to him is apocryphal), in which he treats themes of popular philosophy; there also survive Parafrasi of various writings of Aristotle (Analytica post., Physica, De anima, De caelo, Metaphys.). His commentaries on the Analytica pr., the Topica, and the Categoriae are lost.
T. was not an original thinker, but rather an exegete. He was predominantly Aristotelian (of Aristotle he states ὄν προϋταξάμψα βίου τε καὶ τῆς σοφίας), but with Platonic, Pythagorean, and Stoic influences. For T., as generally for the Platonists of the imperial age, philosophy had an essentially ethical and religious purpose. He held the idea of the Divinity to be innate; whereas the nature of God cannot be known, and the variety of religions, cults, and philosophical sects is therefore inevitable. T. thus intended to assume an “irenic” position in the face of the great conflict that agitated his century, between Christianity and the old religion, which was nearing dissolution.
Raffaello Del Re
THEMISTIUS. - Deacon of Alexandria, also called Calonymus, who lived in the 7th century.
He belonged to the Monophysite sect of the Severians and, after the death of Severus, maintained that Jesus, as man, was ignorant of various things, particularly the day of the universal judgment (Mk. 13:32), thus becoming the leader of the Agnoetae (v.). He wrote an apology against Severus, which was refuted by the monk Theodore. Among his other works, one against the doctrine of the resurrection by Giovanni Filopono is noteworthy. All his writings have been lost; their list is provided by Photius (Bibliotheca, 23 and 108) and Maximus the Confessor (PG 91, 172).