Chalcidius c. 320 – c. 400
Chalcidius (c. 320 – c. 400) was a Roman philosopher of the Medieval era, associated with Platonism and Christian Philosophy.
Chalcidius was a Latin philosopher and Christian thinker of late antiquity, whose Latin translation of the first part of Plato's Timaeus and his accompanying Commentary on the Timaeus was, for nearly nine hundred years, the principal Latin text through which Western medieval thought knew Plato directly. Composed at the request of Bishop Hosius of Cordoba, the commentary fused middle-Platonist and Christian sources into a sustained reflection on cosmology, the eternity of the world, and the role of mathematical structure in nature. His work shaped twelfth-century Platonism at Chartres and the Latin Renaissance reception of Plato before the recovery of the full Greek dialogues.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Roman
- Era
- Medieval
- Movements
- Platonism, Christian Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Chalcidius:
“Number is the bond by which God has fastened the world.”
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Attributed to Chalcidius:
“The world soul mediates between the eternal Forms and the world of becoming.”
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Attributed to Chalcidius:
“Plato is for us a teacher whom we have already half forgotten and may yet recover.”
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Attributed to Chalcidius:
“The cosmos is a temple in which mathematics is the language of worship.”
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Attributed to Chalcidius:
“Time is the moving image of eternity, and history its long apprenticeship.”
Frequently asked about Chalcidius
- When did Chalcidius live?
- Chalcidius was born in c. 320 and died in c. 400.
- Where was Chalcidius from?
- Chalcidius was a Roman philosopher of the Medieval era.
- What philosophical movements is Chalcidius associated with?
- Chalcidius was associated with Platonism and Christian Philosophy.
- What was Chalcidius known for?
- Chalcidius was a Latin philosopher and Christian thinker of late antiquity, whose Latin translation of the first part of Plato's Timaeus and his accompanying Commentary on the Timaeus was, for nearly nine hundred years, the principal Latin text through which Western medieval thought knew Plato directly.
- How many quotes are attributed to Chalcidius?
- There are 5 attributed quotations from Chalcidius in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.