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Apollonius Of Tyana Quotes

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About Apollonius Of Tyana

Apollonius of Tyana (c. 4 BCE - c. 98 CE) was a renowned philosopher, magician, and religious figure of ancient Greece, celebrated during the Roman Empire for his extraordinary wisdom, miraculous powers, and moral character. Born in the city of Tyana in Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey), Apollonius grew up in a family of wealth and status, where he was exposed to various philosophical traditions that significantly influenced his life's work. Apollonius pursued a rigorous education in Stoicism, Pythagoreanism, and Platonism, becoming an adept scholar and orator. His travels took him across Asia Minor, Greece, Egypt, Syria, and Palestine, where he met with philosophers, sages, kings, and holy men. Apollonius is primarily known for his unconventional approach to religion, blending elements of ancient Greek philosophy with mysticism. He gained a reputation as a miracle-worker who possessed the power to heal the sick, exorcise demons, and even raise the dead. His miracles were often accompanied by profound moral teachings that emphasized compassion, justice, and self-discipline. One of his most famous anecdotes tells of him stopping an impending Roman invasion by persuading Emperor Domitian to spare the city of Jerusalem. Apollonius was also rumored to have converted a group of bandits into peaceful villagers and to have stopped a devastating plague through prayer. Though much of what is known about Apollonius comes from the writings of Flavius Philostratus, who penned the multi-volume "Life of Apollonius," scholars remain divided on the historical accuracy of these accounts. Regardless, Apollonius' legacy endured and influenced figures such as St. Paul, Plotinus, and Boethius, demonstrating the profound impact this ancient philosopher continues to exert on Western thought.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The universe is animate and endowed with a soul."

This quote from Apollonius of Tyana suggests that he believed the universe, not just individual living beings, possesses life, consciousness, and purpose. It implies a view that the cosmos as a whole is not merely an inanimate collection of matter, but rather a living entity with its own spiritual essence or soul. This perspective reflects an ancient philosophy that saw the universe as interconnected, animated, and imbued with intelligence and vitality, rather than just a mechanical system.

"Man should be a bridge and not a dam between God and nature."

This quote by Apollonius of Tyana encourages humans to act as facilitators rather than obstacles in the relationship between divine forces (God) and the natural world. By embracing our role as a "bridge," we allow for an unimpeded flow of interaction, understanding, and harmony between these two realms. This perspective underscores the importance of respecting nature while maintaining a spiritual connection with the universe.

"To know oneself is the beginning of wisdom."

The quote "To know oneself is the beginning of wisdom" by Apollonius of Tyana emphasizes self-awareness as a fundamental aspect of gaining wisdom. It suggests that understanding one's own nature, strengths, weaknesses, and motivations is crucial for making informed decisions and navigating life effectively. In other words, self-knowledge serves as the foundation upon which wisdom can be built. This quote encourages introspection and personal growth, emphasizing the importance of self-understanding in leading a wise and fulfilling life.

"I do not believe in magic, but I have seen its power."

This quote reflects a profound distinction between personal belief and observed reality. Apollonius of Tyana implies that he does not subscribe to the idea of magic as supernatural forces or occult practices, yet he acknowledges that he has witnessed phenomena which have been conventionally attributed to magic. This could suggest an open-minded approach to understanding unexplained events, without committing to the belief in the existence of supernatural entities or powers. It also underscores the importance of empirical observation and questioning established beliefs when confronted with new or seemingly extraordinary experiences.

"Knowledge without virtue is but the learning of a clever devil."

This quote by Apollonius of Tyana emphasizes that mere knowledge or intellectual abilities are insufficient if one lacks virtues such as integrity, compassion, and wisdom in application. Having knowledge alone can be potentially dangerous if it serves selfish or malicious purposes, as it might resemble the cunning of a devil rather than the goodness of a human. The message is to strive for both knowledge and virtue in harmony for a fulfilling and meaningful life.

A man must fortify himself and understand that a wise man who yields to laziness or anger or passion or love of drink, or who commits any other action prompted by impulse and inopportune, will probably find his fault condoned; but if he stoops to greed, he will not be pardoned, but render himself odious as a combination of all vices at once.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Love, Anger, Other, Odious

Do not consider that to be wealth which is hoarded away, for how is it better than sand gathered from the nearest heap? Nor that which comes in from men who groan at their taxes: for the gold that is wrung from tears is of base alloy and black.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Tears, Away, Taxes, Heap

Pythagoras said that medicine is the most godlike of arts. But if the most godlike, it should tend to the soul as well as the body, or else a living thing must be unhealthy, being diseased in its higher part.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Soul, Living, Living Thing, Diseased

Festivals cause diseases, since they lighten cares but increase gluttony.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Festivals, Cares, Lighten, Gluttony

Every argument is incapable of helping unless it is singular and addressed to a single person. Therefore, one who discourses in any other way presumably does so from love of reputation.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Love, Argument, Other, Presumably

In my judgment, excellence and wealth are direct opposites, since when the one shrinks, the other grows, and when one grows, the other shrinks.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Wealth, Other, Grows, Opposites

O ye gods, grant unto me to have little and to want nothing.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Want, Gods, Unto, Grant

O thou Sun, send me as far over the earth as is my pleasure and thine, and may I make the acquaintance of good men, but never hear anything of bad ones, nor they of me.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Sun, Bad, Bad Ones, Thou

Multicolored stones and paintings, walkways, and theaters are useless in a city unless it also contains wisdom and law. Such things are the subject of wisdom and law, not equivalent to them.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Law, City, Equivalent, Theaters

I asked certain rich men if they felt embittered. 'How could we not?' they said. So I asked them what caused this anguish. They blamed their wealth.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Wealth, Could, Caused, Blamed

I delight to lodge in such temples as are not regularly kept closed. None of the gods reject me; they make me partner of their roof.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Roof, Gods, Temples, Delight

The gods, as they are beneficent, if they find anyone who is healthy and whole and unscarred by vice, will send him away, surely, after crowning him, not with golden crowns, but with all sorts of blessings.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Away, Vice, Surely, Crowns

When I review Xerxes' achievements, I praise him, not for having yoked the Hellespont, but for having crossed it. But I can see that Nero will neither sail through the Isthmus nor complete his digging.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Sail, Through, Achievements, Digging

If any man has left us for fear of Nero, I shall not account him a coward; but I shall hail as a philosopher any man who has been superior to this fear, and I shall teach him all I know.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Teach, Been, Philosopher, Hail

As soldiers need not only courage but tactics also, so does a philosopher need not only courage and philosophy but discernment also, to tell what his right time of dying is - so that he neither seek it nor flee it.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Need, Tell, Philosopher, Right Time

I feel friendship towards philosophers, but towards sophists, teachers of literature, or any other such kind of godforsaken people, I neither feel friendship now, nor may I ever do so in the future.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Friendship, Other, May, Philosophers

Nero may have understood how to tune his cithern, but he disgraced his imperial office both by slackening and by tightening the strings.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Office, May, Tune, Understood

Never may a man prone to believe scandal be a despot or a popular leader! Under his guidance, democracy itself will be despotism.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Leader, Will, May, Prone

Plato said that virtue has no master. If a person does not honor this principle and rejoice in it, but is purchasable for money, he creates many masters for himself.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Honor, Principle, Masters, Rejoice

Just as an individual of pre-eminent worth transforms democracy into a monarchy of the best man, even so the rule of one man, if in all things it has an eye to the common welfare, is democracy.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Monarchy, Individual, Rule, All Things

If you have problems of conduct that are difficult and hard to settle, I will furnish you with solutions, for I not only know matters of practice and duty, but I even know them beforehand.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Practice, Solutions, Will, Furnish

Don't keep your good manners to the end another time, but begin with them.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Good Manners, Keep, Another, Manners

You need not wonder at my knowing all human languages; for, to tell you the truth, I also understand all the secrets of human silence.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Need, Tell, Languages, Secrets

In my travels, which have been wider than ever man yet accomplished, I have seen many, many wild beasts of Arabia and India; but this beast, that is commonly called a Tyrant, I know not how many heads it has, nor if it be crooked of claw, and armed with horrible fangs.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Beast, Been, Wider, Heads

It is the duty of the law-giver to deliver to the many the instructions of whose truth he has persuaded himself.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Truth, Himself, Instructions, Persuaded

It is a true man's part not to err, but it is also noble of a man to perceive his error.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Part, His, Err, Error

I pray as follows: May justice reign, may the laws not be broken, may the wise men be poor, and the poor men rich, without sin.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Broken, Laws, May, Wise Men

The gods do not need sacrifices, so what might one do to please them? Acquire wisdom, it seems to me, and do all the good in one's power to those humans who deserve it.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Deserve, Need, Sacrifices, Seems

My ideal is for each to do what he knows and what he can.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Ideal, He, Each, Knows

Virtue comes by nature, learning, and practice, and thanks to virtue, all of the aforesaid may deserve approval.

- Apollonius of Tyana

Practice, Deserve, May, Thanks

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