A the time when the Christ of the Gospels lived, there were many other “Christs” in Asia Minor and in the Near East, at least that is what a fascinating book proclaims, published by Robert Laffont by the Parisian writer , Egyptologist, Jean-Louis Bernard. This book, entitled: "Apollonius of Tyana and Jesus", is based on a very extensive bibliography consisting of critical theses on Jesus, modern works, ancient testimonies, and above all on a basic work, a sort of gospel in his own way: “Life of Apollonius of Tyana” by the Greek writer Philostratus, born in Lemnos around the year 175 of our era. One hundred years after his death, Philostratus writes the story of his life at the request of Julie, the philosopher Empress. It is the only complete document that can be found on Apollonius of Tyana. Born one or two years before the beginning of the Christian era, in Tyana of well-to-do merchant parents who gave him a solid education, Euthydemus was his first Master. His revelation came as a shock, thanks to his second Master, Euxene. He instilled in him the doctrine of Pythagoras and, following his teaching, the young Apollonius decided to live as a Pythagorean. His death occurs at the age of 98 or 99 years. He disappears without a trace, without a witness, which adds to the supernatural aspect of his life. Apollonius also had his disciples, his apostles and was himself a disciple of Pythagoras and heir to the mysteries of Egypt. It should be noted that at that time, the word “Christ” was commonly used: in Greek, “Chrestos” and “Christos” meant: “the good, the anointed”. But, this term also derived phonetically from the Egyptian hieroglyphic “khery-cheta”. “He who dominates the mystery”, “the initiate”.
Now, Apollonius was one of these initiates, a sort of direct competitor of the Aramaic Jesus whom our Christian civilization “annexed”. Apollonius, follower of Pythagoras. "I am only a man, but any man can, by contemplation and philosophy, rise to the gods." Placed in the foreground, this sentence sums up and expresses the quintessence of Les Vers d'Or. No other philosopher, than Apollonius, followed Pythagorean thought so closely. Apollonius vividly illustrates the doctrine of the Sage of Samos. Dressed in linen, not consuming any meat, he applies for himself all the rules of life constituting the Philosophical Teaching. Not content with instituting the reform of morality, correcting the errors and abuses of the clergy, Apollonius paid with his person by offering his contemporaries the very image of wisdom. He wants to give himself an example from which everyone can be inspired. The impression produced on his contemporaries marked them deeply. During his lifetime, he was revered as an equal with a God, feared for his supernatural powers and admired for his generous qualities. He struggles to maintain the Pythagorean doctrine in the worship devoted to the ancient gods. The crowds, always eager for demonstrations, often judged the quality of their teaching in the light of their respective wonders. The list of his miracles is such that for several years it was impossible to separate the merits of Apollonius and of Christ. His word is often opposed to that of Christ and it is no exaggeration to say that two religions clashed through their personalities. The influence of Apollonius was lasting. Four centuries after his death, honors continued to be paid to him. In fact, Apollonius became so famous that he was called, at the time, “the miracle worker of the empire”.
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Apollonius of Tyana, the reforming philosopher of the XNUMXst century AD: critical study: of the only documents that exist on the life of Apollonius of Tyana
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Part Number | black & white illustrations |
Release Date | 2013-06-01T00:00:01Z |
Language | Français |
Number Of Pages | 222 |
Publication Date | 2013-06-01T00:00:01Z |