Ammonius Hermiae

Ammonius Hermiae was a prominent Greek philosopher and astronomer hailing from Alexandria during the Late Antiquity period of the eastern Roman Empire. Born into a family of philosophers, he was the son of Hermias and Aedesia, and the grandson of Syrianus. His intellectual lineage continued with his brother, Heliodorus of Alexandria. Ammonius studied under Proclus in Roman Athens, where he honed his philosophical skills before returning to Alexandria, where he would spend the majority of his life teaching.

In the 470s, Ammonius secured a public chair in Alexandria, where he became a pivotal figure in the Neoplatonist movement. His lectures encompassed the works of renowned philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, and Porphyry of Tyre. He also authored commentaries on Aristotelian texts and three lost commentaries on Platonic works, showcasing his deep engagement with these foundational philosophical ideas.

Ammonius's influence extended to many notable pupils, including Damascius, Olympiodorus of Thebes, John Philoponus, Simplicius of Cilicia, and Asclepius of Tralles. His teachings also reached the physician Gessius of Petra and the ecclesiastical historian Zacharias Rhetor, who later became the bishop of Mytilene. His contributions to astronomy and geometry were significant, including a text on the astrolabe that was recognized in the Catalogus Codicum Astrologorum Graecorum.

During a time of persecution against pagans in the late Roman Empire, Ammonius faced challenges as the Alexandrian school came under scrutiny from imperial authorities. In a bid to maintain his position, he reached a compromise with the Patriarch of Alexandria, Peter III, which involved limiting his teachings. This decision, while pragmatic, led to a rift with some of his colleagues and students, including Damascius, who nonetheless praised him as 'the greatest commentator who ever lived' in his own writings.