Chapter There's Always the Sun Metaphysics and Antiquarianism in Macrobius

• Main Author: Van Nuffelen, Peter (auth)
• Other Authors: Hömke, Nicola (Editor), Franco Chiai, Gian (Editor), Jenik, Antonia (Editor)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Boston De Gruyter 2016
• Subjects: Literary studies: classical, early & medieval; Classical history / classical civilisation; Western philosophy: Ancient, to c 500; Monotheism; image rhetoric; late antiquity
• Online Access: OAPEN Library: download the publication; OAPEN Library: description of the publication

The present paper asks how Macrobius thinks his extensive allegories of statues of the gods and other elements of traditional religion are possible. He can be shown to espouse a Neoplatonic theory of images. This entails that truthful images are only possible of the Soul and the lower levels of the...