On the Cave of the Nymphs
E831646
On the Cave of the Nymphs is a Neoplatonic philosophical treatise by Porphyry that offers an allegorical interpretation of a passage from Homer’s Odyssey concerning a mysterious cave.
Statements (43)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Neoplatonic work
ⓘ
allegorical commentary ⓘ philosophical treatise ⓘ |
| aimsTo | reveal hidden philosophical meaning in Homer ⓘ |
| associatedWith | Porphyry's Homeric exegesis NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| author | Porphyry NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| basedOn |
Homer's Odyssey
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
a passage in Odyssey 13 ⓘ |
| circulation | transmitted in Greek manuscript tradition ⓘ |
| focusesOn |
gates of the cave as cosmic portals
ⓘ
nymphs as symbolic beings ⓘ the cave of the Nymphs in Ithaca NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| genre |
exegetical treatise
ⓘ
philosophical allegory ⓘ |
| hasModernEditions | critical editions with translation and commentary ⓘ |
| hasReception | influential in later Neoplatonic allegory ⓘ |
| historicalPeriod | 3rd century CE ⓘ |
| influencedBy |
Middle Platonism
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Platonism NERFINISHED ⓘ earlier allegorical readings of Homer ⓘ |
| interprets | the cave described in Odyssey 13.102–112 ⓘ |
| interpretsAs |
allegory of descent and return
ⓘ
image of the soul's embodiment ⓘ symbol of the sensible world ⓘ |
| language | Ancient Greek ⓘ |
| literaryForm | prose ⓘ |
| mainSubject |
allegorical interpretation of Homer
ⓘ
soul's descent and ascent ⓘ symbolism of the cave of the nymphs ⓘ |
| partOf | late antique philosophical literature ⓘ |
| philosophicalTheme |
cosmology
ⓘ
metaphysics of the soul ⓘ symbolic geography of the cosmos ⓘ |
| philosophicalTradition | Neoplatonism NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| relatedWork |
Porphyry's Isagoge
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Porphyry's Life of Plotinus NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| scholarlyInterest | important source for ancient allegorical exegesis of Homer ⓘ |
| studiedIn |
classical philology
ⓘ
history of philosophy ⓘ religious studies ⓘ |
| usesMethod |
allegorical interpretation of myth
ⓘ
symbolic reading of geographical details ⓘ |
| workOf | Porphyry of Tyre NERFINISHED ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.