Ammo ̄nios, M. Annius (ca 40 – 85 CE)
P depicts his teacher Ammo ̄nios (born ca 5 CE) as an impressive and stimulating
intellectual figure, with Pythagorean leanings and special interests in theology, physical
phenomena, mathematics, and astronomy: De E 391E–394C; Quaest. conv. 648B–F; 743C–
748D. An Egyptian living in Athens as a citizen, Ammo ̄nios held important offices including
strate ̄gos (thrice), and received Roman citizenship.
C.P. Jones, “The Teacher of Plutarch,” HSPh 71 (1967) 205–213; J. Whittaker, “Ammonius on the
Delphic E,” CQ 63 (1969) 185–192; DPA 1 (1989) 164–165, B. Puech; BNP 1 (2002) 589 (#5),
M. Baltes and M.L. Lakmann.
Jan Opsomer
Ammo ̄nios of Alexandria (50 – 10 BCE)
C 7.pr.3 credits him as an innovative surgeon, and specifies that he invented a reliable
process for splitting and extracting bladder stones (7.26.3B). A A 14.51
(p. 795 Cornarius) reports a blood-stanch: khalkitis, quicklime, orpiment, and realgar.
O, Ecl. Med. 8 (CMG 6.2.2, p. 188), preserves his wound-cream, especially useful
on eyes, containing aloes, antimony, calamine, saffron, Indian buckthorn and Indian
nard, psimuthion, etc. in rainwater; repeated by Aëtios 7.117 (CMG 8.2, pp. 393–394).
A very similar, but unattributed, collyrium is given by A P., in
G CMLoc 4.8 (12.761 K.), and repeated by P A, 7.16.23 (CMG 9.2,
p. 339).
Michler (1968) 72, 115–116.
PTK
Ammo ̄nios of Alexandria, son of Hermeias (ca 470 – after 517 CE)
Born ca 440 CE; Neo-Platonist philosopher from Alexandria, P’ student.
D, S, A T, and I P attended
his lectures. Preserved are these commentaries: In Porphyrii Isagogen, In Aristotelis Categorias,
In Aristotelis De Interpretatione, In Aristotelis Analytica Priora (CAG 4.3–6). Askle ̄pios’ Comm. In
Metaph. and Philoponos’ In Anal. (I and II), De Gen. and De An. derive heavily from his
lectures. Damaskios describes Ammo ̄nios (Vita Is. 79) as philopono ̄tatos, an expert in A-
, geometry, and astronomy, and critical of Proklean metaphysics. He argued that god(s)
know all of time, but that such knowledge does not constrain future events: they have
knowledge of future contingents but not as future (Tempelis; cf. I’ suggestion
that divine knowledge is definite but is about indefinites). Ammo ̄nios observed planetary
occultations or near-conjunctions (with his brother H and his uncle), and Arctu-
rus’ longitude (with Simplicius), the latter to check P’s value of the precession of
the equinoxes (which he erroneously confirmed); his work on the use of the astrolabe has
been rediscovered and published.
KP 1.306, H. Dörrie; DSB 1.137, Ph. Merlan; Neugebauer (1975) 1031–1041; Ch. Soliotis,
“Unpublished Greek texts on the use and construction of the Astrolabe,” Praktika te ̄s Akade ̄mias
Athe ̄no ̄n 61 (1986) 423–454; E. Tempelis, “Iamblichus and the School of Ammonius, Son of Her-
mias, on Divine Omniscience,” SyllClass 8 (1997) 207–217; ECP 25 – 26, H.J. Blumenthal; REP
1.208–210, Chr. Wildberg; Athanassiadi (1999); BNP 1 (2002) 590–591 (#12), P. Hadot.
Cosmin Andron
AMMO ̄NIOS, M. ANNIUS