C ⇒ C. I C
Caesarius of Nazianzos (Kappadokia) (ca 355 – 368 CE)
Born ca 330, younger brother of G N, whose funeral oration (Or. 7)
and epigrams (Epi. 7, 12–18, 21 = Anth. Gr. 77, 78, 85, 86, 88–98, 100) are our principal
biographical sources. His higher education in Alexandria focused primarily on geometry,
mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. He enjoyed considerable fame as a physician from
ca 355 in Constantinople, and was offered senatorial status, though he reputedly declined a
position at Constantius II’s court (337–361) to return to Kappadokia ca 358. Soon return-
ing to the capital, he served perhaps as arkhiatros under Constantius and Julian (361–363),
who unsuccessfully attempted to convert Caesarius to paganism. Under Valens (364–378),
Caesarius was awarded a financial office (comes sacrarum largitionum) in Bithunia. He escaped
the 11 October 368 earthquake at Nikaia, but died not long afterwards, having received
clinical baptism. Accounted a saint by the Orthodox and Catholic churches.
KP 1.1006, A. Lippold; PLRE 1 (1971) 169–170; NP 2 (1997) 925–926, H. Leppin; BNP 2 (2003)
918 – 919 (#2), W.A. Portmann.
Keith Dickson
Caesennius (ca 50 BCE – 75 CE)
Roman author of a treatise on gardening (Kepourika) employed by P (1.ind.19). Schulze
(1904/1966) 135–137 notes that the name is first found in the era of C and C.
C (10.1.1) suggests that Roman horticultural writers did not predate the age of
A.
RE 3.1 (1897) 1306 (#1), A. Stein.
Philip Thibodeau
Calcidius (ca 400 CE)
Wrote his Middle-Platonic Commentary to elucidate his Latin translation of the first two-
thirds of P’s Timaeus (17a–53c). Throughout the Middle Ages, Plato’s name was
associated almost exclusively with this portion of the Timaeus and Calcidius’ Commentary
established itself as the primary source for its interpretation.
Calcidius provided evidence for his life only in his preface to Osius, friend and possibly
patron, either bishop of Cordova (d. 357), or a Roman living in Milan ca 400 CE. Calcidius’
medieval readership considered him Christian, though he probably was not. His Latin
makes no facile reading, and it is possible that his native tongue was Greek. His pri-
mary audience is likely to have been an educated, Latin-speaking group of scholars
whom he wanted to provide with a summary of Plato’s philosophy and its Greek commen-
tary tradition. Beyond Plato and Aristotle, Calcidius drew on various Greek Academic,
Peripatetic, and Pythagorean texts. Of extant works, the Commentary shows knowledge
of T S’s commentary on Plato (itself based on A A).
Calcidius followed the Greek mathematical commentary tradition in considering
mathematical disciplines the basis for grasping the Timaeus and in using lettered mathematical
diagrams.
Calcidius, dividing both translation and Commentary into two parts (Timaeus 17a–39e and
CALCIDIUS