[B-Greek] Philo on AIONIOS

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Fri Oct 29 18:10:20 EDT 2004


At 3:53 PM -0400 10/29/04, Chesster67 at aol.com wrote:
>"But in eternity nothing is passed, nothing is about to be, but it exists
>only."
>
>EN AIWNI DE OUTE PARELHLUTHEN, OUTE MELLEI, ALLA MONON hUPESTHKEN.
>
>Philo, De Mundo, 7, 1st century AD
>
>
>************************************************************
>
>Would I be correct in understanding Philo to be contrasting time (in which
>things become and change) and eternity (where nothing becomes nor
>changes)?  If so, would I be also correct in understanding Philo's use of
>AIWNI to be that which transcends duration, seeing that duration
>necessarily involves becoming?  Thanks!

I think you could make that: "In eternity there is neither past nor future,
but only being." But you need to appreciate that the underlying foundation
of Philo's thinking is Platonic metaphysics into which he is interpreting
the five books of Moses. So here there is the Platonic antithesis of time
and timelessness/eternity, of becoming and being.
-- 

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/



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