Synesius facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Synesius of Cyrene
Church	Great Church
Diocese	Ptolemais
Personal details
Born	c. 373
Died	c. 414

Synesius of Cyrene (/sɪˈniːsiəs/; Greek: Συνέσιος; around 373 – around 414) was a Greek bishop. He served in Ptolemais, a city in ancient Libya, which was part of the Western Pentapolis region. He became bishop after the year 410. Synesius was born to a rich family in Balagrae (now Bayda, Libya), near Cyrene, between 370 and 375.

His Life Story

Early Years and Learning

When Synesius was young, around 393, he traveled with his brother Euoptius to Alexandria. This city was a famous center for learning. There, he became a big fan of Neoplatonism, which was a type of philosophy. He also became a student of a very smart teacher named Hypatia. Between 395 and 399, he spent some time studying in Athens.

Mission to Constantinople

In 398, the people of Cyrene and the whole Pentapolis region chose Synesius to be their representative. He was sent to the imperial court in Constantinople, which was the capital city. His main job was to deliver a special gift of gold (called aurum coronarium) and to ask for tax reductions for his home region.

In Constantinople, he got help from a powerful official named Aurelianus. Synesius wrote a speech for Emperor Arcadius called De regno (On Kingship). In this speech, he gave advice on how to be a wise ruler. He also bravely stated that the emperor's most important tasks were to fight corruption and to stop foreign soldiers from taking over the Roman army.

Synesius stayed in Constantinople for three years. It was a difficult and unpleasant time for him. He used his free time to write. Aurelianus managed to get him the tax relief for Cyrene and the Pentapolis. He also helped Synesius avoid certain public duties. However, Aurelianus later lost his power, and Synesius lost all the benefits. When Aurelianus returned to power, he gave Synesius his benefits back. Synesius then wrote a story called Aegyptus sive de providentia. This story used characters like the good Osiris and the evil Typhon to represent Aurelianus and a Goth leader named Gainas. It explored the idea of why bad things happen even when there is a good God.

Return Home and Challenges

In 402, after an earthquake, Synesius left Constantinople to go back to Cyrene. On his way, he stopped in Alexandria and returned there in 403. He got married in Alexandria and lived there for a while before going back to Cyrene in 405.

The next few years were very busy for Synesius. His biggest worry was organizing the defense of the Pentapolis. This region faced yearly attacks from nearby tribes.

Becoming a Bishop

In 410, the people of Ptolemais chose Synesius to be their bishop. Until this point, his Christian faith had not been very strong. He thought about it for a long time because of personal reasons and his beliefs. But in the end, he accepted the role. He was made a bishop by Theophilus in Alexandria.

One personal issue was solved because he was allowed to keep his wife, whom he loved very much. Regarding his beliefs, he clearly said that he wanted to be free to disagree on certain ideas. These included how the soul was created, whether people would physically rise from the dead, and if the world would eventually be destroyed. However, he agreed to teach some popular Christian ideas in public.

Difficult Times and Death

His time as bishop was full of trouble. He faced sad personal losses, as all three of his sons died (two in 411 and one in 413). There were also invasions by Libyan tribes that ruined Cyrenaica and forced him to leave his home. He also had conflicts with a governor named Andronicus. Synesius removed Andronicus from the church because the governor interfered with the church's right to offer safety to people.

The exact date of Synesius's death is not known. However, it was most likely in 413. He wrote a farewell letter to Hypatia that year, saying he was on his deathbed.

Synesius was involved in many different activities, especially shown in his letters. His position, somewhere between Neoplatonism and Christianity, makes him a very interesting person to study. His interest in science is clear from a letter to Hypatia. In this letter, he mentions a hydrometer, which is a tool to measure how dense liquids are. This is the earliest known mention of such a device. He also wrote a book about alchemy (an early form of chemistry) as a commentary on the writings of Pseudo-Democritus.

His Writings

Here are some of the works by Synesius that we still have today:

• A speech for Emperor Arcadius, called De regno (On Kingship).
• Dio, sive de suo ipsius instituto, where he talks about wanting to focus on true philosophy.
• Encomium calvitii, a playful piece of writing, inspired by another writer's "Praise of Hair."
• Aegyptus sive de providentia, also known as The Egyptian Tale. This story is in two parts and is about the war against the Goth leader Gainas. It also covers the conflict between two brothers, Aurelianus and Caesarius.
• De insomniis, a book about dreams.
• Constitutio.
• Catastasis, which describes the end of Roman rule in Cyrenaica.
• 159 Epistolae (letters), including one text (Letter 57) that is actually a speech.
• 9 Hymni (hymns or songs), which are thoughtful and show his Neoplatonic ideas.
• Two homilies (sermons).
• An essay on how to make an astrolabe (an old tool used to tell time and for astronomy).

Lost Works

Some of his writings have been lost over time, including:

• A book about dog breeding.
• Poems, which are mentioned in his letters.

Editions of His Works

• The very first printed edition, called Editio princeps, was made by Turnebus in Paris in 1553.
• Antonio Garzya edited Opere di Sinesio di Cirene in 1989, which included an Italian translation.
• Lacombrade, Garzya, and Lamoureux edited Synésios de Cyrène in six volumes between 1978 and 2008. This edition included a French translation.

His Lasting Impact

Many traditional Christian hymns, like "Lord Jesus, Think On Me," are based on Synesius's writings and ideas.

See also

In Spanish: Sinesio de Cirene para niños