Pamprepius the Grammarian in Athens: On the History of Relations between Intellectuals and the Urban Nobility in the Second Half of the 5th Century A.D.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52575/2687-0967-2026-53-2-285-293Keywords:
Early Byzantium, intellectuals, grammarians, Pamprepius, Theagenes, Athens, horoscopeAbstract
This paper attempts to elucidate the Athenian period in the life of Pamprepius, an Egyptian grammarian of the second half of the 5th century, in the context of the relations between Athenian intellectuals and the urban nobility. Pamprepius is of particular interest because this Egyptian, nicknamed Typhon the Beast by Damascius, made an imperial career, achieving influence in the capital. He fell victim to the rebellion of Illus and Leontius and was killed by his own conspirators. His rise as a grammarian is unusual, as this stratum of intellectuals was considered the poorest and lowest. Apparently, the Athenian period was crucial to Pamprepius's rise, thanks to a successful marriage and his close ties with the city's senatorial nobility. In late antiquity, Athens enjoyed a special informal status as a cultural and educational capital, and higher schools were a vital source of income for the city community. Senators such as Theagenes sought to associate with intellectuals and profit from this, strengthening their authority. Pamprepius was forced to leave Athens because of a personal conflict with the influential Theagenes.
Downloads
References
Список литературы
Александрова Т.Л. 2024. Позднеэллинистическая и ранневизантийская поэзия II–VI вв. Москва, ИМЛИ РАН, 584 с.
Болгов Н.Н. 2025. Реторий Египетский и ранневизантийская астрологическая традиция. В: Классическая и византийская традиция. 2025. Белгород: 230–237.
Броль Р.В., Кузенков П.В. 2013. Астрология и политика в Византии V века. В: Византийский временник. Т. 72: 179–182.
Ведешкин М.А. 2011. Пампрепий и последняя битва восточноримского язычества. В: Классическая и византийская традиция. 2011. Белгород: 94–99.
Asmus R. 1913. Pamprepios, ein byzantinischer Gelehrter und Staatsmann des 5. Jahrhunderts. In: Byzantinische Zeitschrift. 22: 320–347.
Catalogus Codicum Astrologum Graecorum. 1898. Vol. 1. Bruxellis, In aedibus H. Lamertin, 162.
Delatte A., Stroobant A. 1923. L’Horoscope de Pamprépios, professeur et homme politique de Byzance. In: Bulletin de la Classe des lettres et des sciences morales et politiques de l’Académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique. Classe des lettres. 5e série. T. 9: 58–76.
Edwards M. 2000. Neoplatonic Saints: The Lives of Plotinus and Proclus by their Students. Liverpool, Liverpool University Press, 217.
Gerstinger H. 1928. Pamprepios von Panopolis: Eidyllion auf die Tageszeiten und Enkomion auf den Archon Theagenes von Athen nebst Bruchstücken anderer epischer Dichtungen und zwei Briefe des Gregorios von Nazianz im Pap. Gr. Vindob. 29788A-C. Vienna; Leipzig, Hölder-Pikler-Tempsky, 102.
Heitsh E. 1964. Die griechischen Dichterfragmente der romishen Kaiserzeit. Gottingen, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 64.
Kaldellis A. 2020. The Politics of Classical Genealogies in the Late Antique Roman East. In: Athens II: Athens in Late Antiquity. Tubingen, Mohr Siebeck, 259–277.
Kaster R.A. 1997. Guardians of Language: The Grammarian and Society in Late Antiquity. Berkeley, Univ. of California Press, 560.
Levente L. 2020. Rhetorius, Zeno’s Astrologer, and a Sixth-Century Astrological Compendium. In: Dumbarton Oaks Papers, vol. 74: 342.
Livrea E. 1977. Pamprepio ed il P. Vindob. 29788A-C. In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik. 25: 121–134.
Livrea E. 2014. The Last Pagan at the Court of Zeno. Poetry and Politics of Pamprepios of Panopolis. In: New Perspectives of Late Antiquity in the Eastern Roman Empire. Newcastle upon Tyne, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2–30.
Maas P. 1929. Review of Pamprepios von Panopolis, by H. Gerstinger. In: Gnomon. 5: 250–252.
Pingree D. 1976. Political Horoscopes from the Reign of Zeno. In: Dumbarton Oaks Papers, № 30: 135–150.
Rhetorii Aegyptii. 2009. Compendium astrologicum, secundum epitomen in cod. Paris. gr. 2425. Ed. post D. Pingree Stephan Heilen. Berlin, W. de Gruyter, 448.
Rhetorius the Egyptian. 2009. Astrological Compendium: Containing His Explanation and Narration of the Whole Art of Astrology. Transl. James Herschel Holden; Ed. Kris Brandt Riske. Tempe, American Federation of Astrologers, Inc., XX, 224.
Walden J.W.H. 1910. The Universities of Ancient Greece. New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 368.
Watts E. 2006. City and School in Late Antique Athens and Alexandria. Berkeley, UCP, 288.
References
Aleksandrova T.L. 2024. Pozdnejellinisticheskaja i rannevizantijskaja pojezija II–VI vv. [Late Hellenistic and Early Byzantine Poetry of the 2nd – 6th Centuries A.D.]. Moscow, IMLI RAN, 584 p.
Bolgov N.N. 2025. Retorij Egipetskij i rannevizantijskaja astrologicheskaja tradicija [Rhetorius of Egypt and the Early Byzantine Astrological Tradition]. In: Klassicheskaja i vizantijskaja tradicija. 2025 [Classical and Byzantine tradition. 2025]. 2025. Belgorod: 230–237.
Brol' R.V., Kuzenkov P.V. 2013. Astrologija i politika v Vizantii V veka [Astrology and Politics in Byzantium in the 5th Century]. In: Vizantijskij vremennik [Byzantine Timetable]. T. 72: 179–182.
Vedeshkin M.A. 2011. Pamprepij i poslednjaja bitva vostochnorimskogo jazychestva [Pamprepius and the Last Battle of Eastern Roman Paganism]. In: Klassicheskaja i vizantijskaja tradicija. 2011 [Classical and Byzantine Tradition. 2011]. Belgorod: 94–99.
Asmus R. 1913. Pamprepios, ein byzantinischer Gelehrter und Staatsmann des 5. Jahrhunderts. In: Byzantinische Zeitschrift. 22: 320–347.
Catalogus Codicum Astrologum Graecorum. 1898. Vol. 1. Bruxellis, In aedibus H. Lamertin, 162.
Delatte A., Stroobant A. 1923. L’Horoscope de Pamprépios, professeur et homme politique de Byzance. In: Bulletin de la Classe des lettres et des sciences morales et politiques de l’Académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique. Classe des lettres. 5e série. T. 9: 58–76.
Edwards M. 2000. Neoplatonic Saints: The Lives of Plotinus and Proclus by their Students. Liverpool, Liverpool University Press, 217.
Gerstinger H. 1928. Pamprepios von Panopolis: Eidyllion auf die Tageszeiten und Enkomion auf den Archon Theagenes von Athen nebst Bruchstücken anderer epischer Dichtungen und zwei Briefe des Gregorios von Nazianz im Pap. Gr. Vindob. 29788A-C. Vienna; Leipzig, Hölder-Pikler-Tempsky, 102.
Heitsh E. 1964. Die griechischen Dichterfragmente der romishen Kaiserzeit. Gottingen, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 64.
Kaldellis A. 2020. The Politics of Classical Genealogies in the Late Antique Roman East. In: Athens II: Athens in Late Antiquity. Tubingen, Mohr Siebeck, 259–277.
Kaster R.A. 1997. Guardians of Language: The Grammarian and Society in Late Antiquity. Berkeley, Univ. of California Press, 560.
Levente L. 2020. Rhetorius, Zeno’s Astrologer, and a Sixth-Century Astrological Compendium. In: Dumbarton Oaks Papers, vol. 74: 342.
Livrea E. 1977. Pamprepio ed il P. Vindob. 29788A-C. In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik. 25: 121–134.
Livrea E. 2014. The Last Pagan at the Court of Zeno. Poetry and Politics of Pamprepios of Panopolis. In: New Perspectives of Late Antiquity in the Eastern Roman Empire. Newcastle upon Tyne, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2–30.
Maas P. 1929. Review of Pamprepios von Panopolis, by H. Gerstinger. In: Gnomon. 5: 250–252.
Pingree D. 1976. Political Horoscopes from the Reign of Zeno. In: Dumbarton Oaks Papers, № 30: 135–150.
Rhetorii Aegyptii. 2009. Compendium astrologicum, secundum epitomen in cod. Paris. gr. 2425. Ed. post D. Pingree Stephan Heilen. Berlin, W. de Gruyter, 448.
Rhetorius the Egyptian. 2009. Astrological Compendium: Containing His Explanation and Narration of the Whole Art of Astrology. Transl. James Herschel Holden; Ed. Kris Brandt Riske. Tempe, American Federation of Astrologers, Inc., XX, 224.
Walden J.W.H. 1910. The Universities of Ancient Greece. New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 368.
Watts E. 2006. City and School in Late Antique Athens and Alexandria. Berkeley, UCP, 288.
Abstract views: 0
Share
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2026 Via in tempore. History and political science
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
