Sopater ofApamea (Ancient Greek:Σώπατρος ὁ Ἀπαμεύς; died before 337 AD) was a distinguishedsophist andNeoplatonist philosopher.
Sopater was a disciple ofIamblichus, after whose death (c. 325 AD), he went toConstantinople, where he enjoyed the favour and personal friendship ofConstantine I.
TheSuda lists that he wrote a variety of works, including oneOn Providence, and another calledPeople who have Undeserved Good or Bad Fortune.[1] He is distinguished from another sophist of that name "Of Apamea ... (Or rather, of Alexandria)", who wrote epitomes of very many authors and probably also theHistorical Extracts,[2] of whichPhotius[3] has preserved a summary, from which it appears that it contained a vast variety of fact and fiction, collected from a great number of authors.
The most significant work attributed to Sopater is theDiairesis Zetematon (Division of Questions), which is a collection of 81 declamation themes, as well as containing instructions on how they are to be treated. This text gives the best insight to modern scholars on how rhetorics and their pupils worked in the schools.[4]
Sozomenus relates "an invention of persons who desired to vilify the Christian religion", that Constantine asked Sopater for purification after having killed his sonCrispus and that Sopater denied him.[5]
Sopater was one of many who were put to death by Constantine, with his death occurring before 337 AD.Zosimus ascribes his death to the machinations ofAblabius.[6]Eunapius adds that Ablabius deceivedConstantine into believing that Sopater used magical arts. This was allegedly to detain a fleet carryinggrain, thereby preventing it from reaching Constantinople, the empire's capital and Constantine's residence, and disrupting its food supply.[7]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870).Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.{{cite encyclopedia}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)| International | |
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