Author Description

English summary: Synesius of Cyrene (approx. 370-413 AD) was one of the most remarkable personalities of his time. Born into the local elite of the Cyrenaica, he became not only a philosopher-writer with a very personal perspective on Neoplatonism, but also defended his home town as a military commander in local wars and, finally, was made a bishop with multiple administrative and pastoral duties. Synesius' epistolographic work shows his literary erudition and sophisticated rhetorical skills, but also reflects the social, political, religious and intellectual climate of his age. This volume presents nine of his letters, all of which are addressed to or mention a person named Joannes (it is not known if this is always the same person). The longest piece (Ep. 43), an exhortatory oration in the form of a letter, enjoins Joannes, who is said to have committed murder, to hand himself over to the judges. Here more popular religious beliefs are subtly combined with a superb blending of otherworldly images from Plato's dialogues. The volume addresses itself equally to readers seeking a first approach to the multifaceted letters of Synesius as to those already acquainted with Late Antique Literature. The literary, historical and religious background of the texts is discussed in 6 interpretative essays. German description: Synesios von Kyrene (ca. 370-413 n.Chr.) ist eine Personlichkeit mit vielen Facetten: Grossgrundbesitzer und Familienvater, Philosoph und Hymnendichter, schliesslich Bischof. Seine Briefe sind literarische Juwelen, lebenspruhend, human, geschliffen formuliert. Sie geben Einblick in die sozialen, politischen, religiosen und intellektuellen Verhaltnisse der spatantiken Welt des ostlichen Libyen. Fur diesen Band wurden neun Briefe ausgewahlt, die um einen gewissen Johannes kreisen; ungewiss bleibt, ob uberall dieselbe Person gemeint ist. Die Briefe sind satirisch, ubermutig, besorgt, verzweifelt, ironisch. Das Kernstuck (Brief 43), eine tiefern