Synesius of Cyrene

Synesius of Cyrene (c. 370–c. 413) was one of the most colorful figures of the late Roman world — a Neoplatonic philosopher, gentleman farmer, and reluctant bishop who never quite gave up his love of hunting, philosophy, or his pet astrolabe. Born into an old Libyan aristocratic family that claimed descent from Spartan colonists, he studied under the great Hypatia in Alexandria, served as ambassador to Constantinople where he delivered a bold speech criticizing the emperor, and was eventually elected bishop of Ptolemais in Cyrenaica despite openly admitting he was not sure he believed in the resurrection of the body. His letters — about 160 survive — are among the most personally revealing from late antiquity. He writes with wit and warmth about everything: a near-shipwreck on a voyage from Alexandria, his experiments with hydroscopes, his efforts to defend his province against nomadic raiders, his grief at the death of his children, and his philosophical reflections on everything from dreams to the nature of the soul. His correspondents include Hypatia herself, military commanders, fellow bishops, and old friends from his student days. Synesius matters because he shows us what it was like to be a thoughtful, cultured person living through the slow unraveling of Roman order in a provincial backwater. His letters are honest, vivid, and deeply human — the testimony of a man who loved life, loved ideas, and found himself responsible for a community he could barely protect. Of all the late antique letter writers, Synesius is the one you most want to have dinner with.