Synesius of Cyrene was a representative of the complex late antique cultural and intellectual milieu. I would — paradoxically at first glance — add that he was not only a curious, but also a very typical representative of different streams, with the modern then (Neo)Platonism prevailing. In the present article, I would like to scrutinize again the place of philosophy and culture in Synesius' view-of-life by, firstly, determining the level of discrepancy between contemplative and active life and how it was solved in the case of Synesius. Secondly, the corresponding notions of ascent and descent follow, including the question how they were understood by the Cyrenian intellectual and bishop of Ptolemais. Neoplatonic and Chaldaean influence will be analyzed in order to clarify the place of Intelligence (Nous) and Wisdom in the conceptual framework of Synesius, to what extent they impressed to his intellectual adjustment and how traditional and individual features were combined in both his writings and behaviour. Finally, Synesius' understanding of culture/paideia, based mostly but not solely on Dio, will be put on focus with respect to the idea of the universal Bildung of the spiritual and intellectual human being as the first step towards a highly intellectualized and deritualized deification.

Philosophy as leisure

“Even if God accepted me as suitable for the office, I should nevertheless love Truth first as the most divine thing of all, and I must not slip into His service through ways opposed to it, such as falsehood”.