Apolônio de Tiana: mistico,sábio, homem divino

Abstract

This research aims to understand Flavius Philostratus' narratives about Apollonius of Tyana in "The Life of Apollonius of Tyana" as a wise, mystical, and divine man, within the religious, sociocultural, and political context of late antiquity. And how could a man with these narrated prerogatives, a thaumaturge, not have his name reverberated through the centuries? This question arises due to the similarity of the narratives attributed to him and Jesus of Nazareth, which involve miraculous acts, teachings, and thaumaturgical actions. The dissertation is based on the narratives of Philostratus, a Greek sophist, in his work "The Life of Apollonius of Tyana" (VA). Through this work, Semíramis Corsi Silva wrote an article on Apollonius as a sophist (wise man), and Gabriele Cornelli wrote a doctoral thesis analyzing Apollonius as a divine man. This study also examines the work of Bart Eherman, which dissects the historical context that led Christians to consider Jesus as God. With the spread of the Life of Apollonius, some admirers of Apollonius and followers of Jesus drew comparisons between the two figures. To this end, Chapter I will address the literary genre of "The Life of Apollonius of Tyana," leading the reader to a better understanding that the Life of Apollonius is a biographical narrative with fictional overtones and may not refer to the historical Apollonius. The second chapter will address Apollonius's life, providing an understanding of him as a wise and divine man according to the narratives, weaving together historical information, key works, key followers, and his relevance in Greek culture. Chapter III addresses the mystical side of the Life of Apollonius, the esoteric nature of his teachings, alchemy, his influences (Hermes, Pythagoras, Greek civic religion, mystery cults), and Apollonius's reception in contemporary esoteric groups that preserve his memory. Continuing with Chapter IV, the research presents why Jesus' name was more remembered than Apollonius' over the centuries, the rise of Christianity, the exaltation of Jesus as a god, and conflicts between the followers of Apollonius and Jesus. Finally, according to the hagiography of the time and the narratives of Flavius Philostratus, Apollonius was considered a mystic, wise, and divine, and also addresses some aspects of the forgotten name of Apollonius of Tyana.