Theodore Metochites 1270 – 1332
Theodore Metochites (1270 – 1332) was a Byzantine philosopher of the Medieval era, associated with Christian Philosophy and Platonism.
Theodore Metochites was a Byzantine philosopher, theologian, statesman, and poet of the late thirteenth and early fourteenth century, the prime minister of the emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos, and the principal patron of the Chora monastery in Constantinople, whose mosaics he commissioned. His Semeioseis Gnomikai, a long collection of philosophical and historical essays, set out a sustained engagement with Plato, Aristotle, and the late antique commentators against the rising current of monastic anti-rationalism in Byzantium. His Stoicheiosis Astronomike was the most extensive Byzantine treatise on Ptolemaic astronomy.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Byzantine
- Era
- Medieval
- Movements
- Christian Philosophy, Platonism
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Theodore Metochites:
“Plato is the greater philosopher; Aristotle is the more useful guide.”
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Attributed to Theodore Metochites:
“The state is held together by letters as much as by arms.”
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Attributed to Theodore Metochites:
“Astronomy lifts the soul to where its proper home has always been.”
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Attributed to Theodore Metochites:
“He who has read all the philosophers and remained unchanged has read none of them.”
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Attributed to Theodore Metochites:
“The fall of fortune is the proof of philosophy, not its refutation.”
Frequently asked about Theodore Metochites
- When did Theodore Metochites live?
- Theodore Metochites was born in 1270 and died in 1332.
- Where was Theodore Metochites from?
- Theodore Metochites was a Byzantine philosopher of the Medieval era.
- What philosophical movements is Theodore Metochites associated with?
- Theodore Metochites was associated with Christian Philosophy and Platonism.
- What was Theodore Metochites known for?
- Theodore Metochites was a Byzantine philosopher, theologian, statesman, and poet of the late thirteenth and early fourteenth century, the prime minister of the emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos, and the principal patron of the Chora monastery in Constantinople, whose mosaics he commissioned.
- How many quotes are attributed to Theodore Metochites?
- There are 5 attributed quotations from Theodore Metochites in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.