Synesius of Cyrene

Who is Synesius of Cyrene?

Synesius of Cyrene was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, statesman, and later Christian bishop, born into a wealthy and ancient family near Cyrene in the region of Cyrenaica in what is now eastern Libya. As a young man he traveled to Alexandria, where he studied under the celebrated philosopher and mathematician Hypatia and became a lifelong devotee of Neoplatonist thought, maintaining an admiring correspondence with her for the rest of his life. In 398 he was sent as an envoy of the Pentapolis cities to the imperial court in Constantinople, where he petitioned the emperor for tax relief and greater protection for his home region against raids by nomadic tribes. Despite having only a loosely defined Christian faith at the time, he was chosen by popular acclaim to become bishop of Ptolemais around 410, a role he accepted only after extended hesitation over doctrinal points, and which he was allowed to take up while unusually remaining married. His tenure as bishop was marked by personal tragedy, including the deaths of his sons, and by conflict with a corrupt local governor whom he excommunicated. His surviving letters, hymns, and philosophical treatises remain a valuable record of the blending of pagan philosophy and early Christianity in late antique North Africa.

Sources: Britannica, "Synesius of Cyrene" · Livius.org, "Synesius of Cyrene" · Wikipedia, "Synesius"