Asclepigenia

Asclepigenia (Ancient Greek: Ἀσκληπιγένεια; fl. 430 – 485 AD) was an Athenian philosopher and mystic.

Biography

Asclepigenia was the daughter of Plutarch of Athens. She studied and taught, alongside her brother Hierius, at the Neoplatonic school of Athens. The school contended with the more scientific school in Alexandria. Like other Neoplatonists of the time she mainly studied Aristotle and Plato, but also her father's own philosophy. She lived through the turmoil caused by the conflict between the Neoplatonic metaphysics taught in Plutarch's academy and Christianity, which was becoming increasingly popular.

Plutarch of Athens’ philosophy, which he had learned from his father Nestorius, worked to unify the teachings of Aristotle and Plato. It was from him that Asclepigenia received this knowledge and, after his death, his school. An acclaimed philosopher, Asclepigenia went on to teach Proclus, who became her best known student. She taught him not only the philosophies of Aristotle and Plato, but also theurgy and pagan mysticism, some of which her father had passed solely on to her before his death.

As one would expect from an expert in theurgy Asclepigenia's pedagogy utilized a metaphysical approach. She believed in five realms of reality: the One, Nature, Matter, Soul, and Intelligence. Like her father, she believed that every soul held a divine part inside itself, and that a union with the One, attained by the use of magic, philosophy and meditation could result in true happiness for a person, allowing them to control their own fate. Her teachings to Proclus on theurgy, benefited him greatly as he went on to think and develop his own ideas. He also supposedly was able to practice theurgy in such a way that it cured his friend's daughter, by use of a divine intervention with one of the gods.

Asclepigenia continued to teach at the academy after Proclus went on to perfect his theurgical thoughts and practices. Her most well known achievements were in the arts and practicing the rituals of Chaldean theurgy, as well as evidencing exceptional thought in Platonic philosophy. She passed along many of Aristotle and Plato's teachings to multiple students. Her excellence in philosophy and her astute teaching justifiably account for the high esteem in which she was held in the Greek world. She contributed greatly to the development of Neoplatonic metaphysics and worked alongside many great philosophers, including her brother Hierus. Her advancements impacted subsequent thought on theurgy, as well as the arts and magic of Chaldean mysticism. She is said to have died in the year 485 A.D.