Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Roger Pearse · 09-16-2008, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewcriddle

Gaiseric's activities were not confined to North Africa.
According to Procopius

Quote:

At that time, after the death of Valentinian, Gaiseric gained the support of the Mauretanii, and every year at the beginning of spring he made invasions into Sicily and Italy, enslaving some of the cities, razing others to the ground, and plundering everything; and when the land had become destitute of men and of money, he invaded the domain of the emperor of the East. And so he plundered Illyricum and the most of the Peloponnesus and of the rest of Greece and all the islands which lie near it. And again he went off to Sicily and Italy, and kept plundering and pillaging all places in turn. And one day when he had embarked on his ship in the harbor of Carthage, and the sails were already being spread, the pilot asked him, they say, against what men in the world he bade them go. And he in reply said: "Plainly against those with whom God is angry." Thus without any cause he kept making invasions wherever chance might lead him.

Andrew Criddle

Isn't it a nuisance that Procopius isn't online?

All the best,

Roger Pearse

andrewcriddle · 09-16-2008, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger Pearse

Isn't it a nuisance that Procopius isn't online?

All the best,

Roger Pearse

See http://procopius.net/contents.html

(Only excerpts but still interesting)

Andrew Criddle

lpetrich · 09-17-2008, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger Pearse

Erm, how is pagan philosophy "science", rather than religion? Primarily it was the latter in popular experience, and the objections of the fathers to it arise from its use as a source for introducing paganism into Christianity (e.g. Tertullian De praescriptione haereticorum 6). The anachronism in all this is dreadful.

How was pagan philosophy "religion"?

andrewcriddle · 09-17-2008, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lpetrich

How was pagan philosophy "religion"?

Pagan philosophy was (mostly) a way of life, a source of ultimate values, rather than a matter of detached objective enquiry.

This is not true of say the Hellenistic sceptical Academy, but this was not a living tradition in early Christian times.

Andrew Criddle

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