Taurus of Beirut

This volume is the first monograph devoted to the philosophy of Taurus of Beirut, and provides a long-awaited analysis of his texts and their first English translation. Through close examination of the extant witnesses, Petrucci gives a new account of Middle Platonism based on a fresh approach to the theological and cosmological view of Taurus. In this way, the book contributes substantially to the debate on Post-Hellenistic Platonism from the point of view of both exegetical methods and philosophical doctrines, and offers a starting point for a new understanding of many aspects of ancient thought.

"Federico M. Petrucci offers a lucid and fascinating overview of Calvenus Taurus, a thinker who played an important, and so far unnoticed, role in the history of post-Hellenistic philosophy. Through a fresh analysis of extant sources, he brilliantly shows that Taurus did radically reshape the coordinates of Platonism, especially in the fields of cosmology and theology, and at the same time makes a case for the existence of a distinctive methodological core of Middle Platonist exegesis. Written in a clear style and singularly rich in its conclusions, this book will certainly become a reference point for all interested in the philosophy of the Imperial age."- Mauro Bonazzi, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy"This book is remarkable in its mastery of philology and the rigor of its interpretation."- Luc Brisson, Centre Jean Pépin, CNRS-ENS Paris, France"It is no exaggeration to describe Petrucci’s study as an impressive and revolutionary portrayal of Taurus, embedded in an exciting account of the battle for Middle Platonic doctrine."- Christina Hoenig, University of Pittsburgh, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Federico M. Petrucci is a Junior Research Fellow at the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Durham University, UK.