Sosipatra of Ephesus c. 350 – c. 410
Sosipatra of Ephesus (c. 350 – c. 410) was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era, associated with Platonism.
Sosipatra of Ephesus was a fourth-century Greek Neoplatonist philosopher of late antiquity, whose teaching and prophetic activity in the city of Pergamum is recorded in Eunapius's Lives of the Sophists. Trained from childhood by two mysterious initiates of the Chaldaean tradition, she was widely consulted as a teacher of philosophy and as a clairvoyant, and Eunapius portrays her, alongside her younger contemporary Aedesius, as one of the leading intellectual figures of pagan Asia Minor in the years before the final triumph of Christianity. She married the Neoplatonist Eustathius of Cappadocia, with whom she had three children, but her own teaching and reputation surpassed his.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Greek
- Era
- Ancient
- Movements
- Platonism
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Sosipatra of Ephesus:
“The soul that has been rightly initiated remembers what the body's eyes have not yet seen.”
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Attributed to Sosipatra of Ephesus:
“Philosophy and prophecy meet in the trained intellect, and not before.”
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Attributed to Sosipatra of Ephesus:
“What I see is what I have learned to see; what I have learned to see is what is.”
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Attributed to Sosipatra of Ephesus:
“The Chaldaean teachers gave me the alphabet of the divine; the work of reading is mine.”
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Attributed to Sosipatra of Ephesus:
“A woman may be the equal of her husband in philosophy and the superior of him in seeing.”
Frequently asked about Sosipatra of Ephesus
- When did Sosipatra of Ephesus live?
- Sosipatra of Ephesus was born in c. 350 and died in c. 410.
- Where was Sosipatra of Ephesus from?
- Sosipatra of Ephesus was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era.
- What philosophical movements is Sosipatra of Ephesus associated with?
- Sosipatra of Ephesus was associated with Platonism.
- What was Sosipatra of Ephesus known for?
- Sosipatra of Ephesus was a fourth-century Greek Neoplatonist philosopher of late antiquity, whose teaching and prophetic activity in the city of Pergamum is recorded in Eunapius's Lives of the Sophists.
- How many quotes are attributed to Sosipatra of Ephesus?
- There are 5 attributed quotations from Sosipatra of Ephesus in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.