Chaeremon of Alexandria | |
---|---|
Χαιρήμων ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς | |
Born | c. 1st century AD |
Died | before 96 AD |
Nationality | Ancient Egyptian |
Occupation | Ancient Egyptian priest |
Era | Ancient Roman philosophy |
Region | Roman Alexandria |
School | Stoicism |
Institutions | Mouseion |
Language | Ancient Greek |
Main interests | Ancient Egyptian religion |
Chaeremon of Alexandria ( /kəˈriːmən, -mɒn/; Greek: Χαιρήμων ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, gen.: Ancient Greek: Χαιρήμονος; fl. 1st century AD) was a Stoic philosopher and historian [1] who wrote on Egyptian mythology from a "typically Stoic" perspective. [2]
According to the Suda, he was the head of the Alexandrian school of grammarians, and he may also have been head of the Museion. [2] He was probably one of the ambassadors to Claudius from Alexandria in 40 AD. [2] He also taught Nero, probably before 49 AD when Seneca the Younger became Nero's tutor. [2] He may have been the grandson of the Chaeremon who accompanied the Roman prefect Aelius Gallus on his tour of Egypt in 26 AD. [1] His father – about whom nothing is known – was called Leonidas, and he was probably born no later than 10 AD. [1]
One of the poems from Martial's eleventh book of Epigrams mocks Chaeremon; as Martial did not usually attack living figures Chaeremon presumably died before 96 AD when Epigrams XI was published. [2]
All of Chaeremon's works are lost, though a number of fragments are quoted by later authors. [2] Three titles are preserved: the History of Egypt, Hieroglyphika, and On Comets, with another fragment quoted from an unknown grammatical treatise of his. [2]
Josephus quotes an extensive fragment from Chaeremon's Egyptian history, in which he scornfully recounts and ridicules, in a manner similar to that of Manetho, the departure of the Jews from Egypt. Josephus boasts of having refuted Chaeremon as well as Manetho and others. [3] Chaeremon's history is also mentioned by Porphyry. [4] Chaeremon's description of Egypt recalls the ideas which Philo, Clement, Origen, and others introduced into the Old and the New Testament. [5] The asceticism especially, which he ascribes to the ancient Egyptian priests, is analogous to the description in Philo's work, "De Vita Contemplativa"; still there is no literary connection between the two authors. [6] Fragments of the "History of Egypt" may still exist in a treatise of Psellus published in 1877. [7] [5]
According to the Suda, [8] another work of Chaeremon was entitled "Hieroglyphica," and probably contained interpretations of the hieroglyphics [9] while a third work may be the book "On the Comets" mentioned by Origen. [10] Origen also made use of other writings of Chaeremon that are now lost. [11] [5]