Lucius Calbenus Taurus
Who was Lucius Calbenus Taurus?
2nd century Greek philosopher of the Middle Platonist school
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Lucius Calbenus Taurus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Lucius Calvenus Taurus, sometimes known as Calvisius Taurus, was a Greek philosopher from the Middle Platonist school who thrived in the second century AD. Born in Berytus, now Beirut, in the Roman province of Syria Phoenicia, Taurus became a well-known figure in the philosophical tradition that tried to interpret and organize Plato's dialogues within the broader Greco-Roman world. His name suggests he held Roman citizenship while maintaining his Greek cultural roots, a common mix among educated people of his time.
Taurus was active in Athens, teaching philosophy and drawing students from all over the Roman realm. He was linked with the Academy and the wider Platonist community of his era. His teaching style and philosophical stance are partially known through the writings of his students and peers, especially Aulus Gellius, a Latin author who studied under Taurus in Athens and recounted several anecdotes and discussions about him in "Noctes Atticae," or "Attic Nights." Through Gellius, readers get a clear picture of Taurus as a demanding and engaged teacher who used the Platonic dialogues to explore serious ethical and metaphysical questions.
Taurus's ideas aligned with Middle Platonism, a movement that was prominent from the first century BC to the second century AD. Middle Platonists tried to reconcile Plato’s teachings with ideas from Aristotelian and Stoic philosophy while resisting the radical skepticism linked with the New Academy. Taurus particularly focused on interpreting Plato's "Timaeus," especially the debate over whether the world's creation should be taken as a literal event or a narrative tool. He argued against the notion that the "Timaeus" implied the world had a temporal beginning.
Taurus also wrote his works, though most haven't survived. Ancient accounts mention his work on the differences between Plato and Aristotle and commentaries on Platonic dialogues. His engagement with the "Gorgias" and the "Timaeus" is noted through later references. He also explored topics like the soul, virtue, and how philosophy relates to everyday moral life, emphasizing practical ethics alongside theoretical depth. He believed that studying philosophy was not just academic but a path to transforming one's character and behavior.
Besides his writings, Taurus is important for passing on Platonic thought. He influenced students who later pursued their philosophical inquiries, and his recorded conversations and debates, especially in Gellius's works, provide historians with insights into how Platonic ideas were discussed and taught in second-century Athens.
Before Fame
We don't have records of Taurus's early life in Berytus from ancient sources. Berytus in the second century AD was a thriving Roman colonial city with a strong legal background and lots of cultural activities, located along the Phoenician coast. The city offered access to Hellenistic intellectual traditions and the wider Roman imperial culture, making it a likely starting point for someone who would later seek advanced philosophical education.
Like many educated people of his time, Taurus probably started with basic training in rhetoric and philosophy before going to Athens, the recognized hub of philosophical study in the Roman world. Athens was highly respected as the birthplace of ancient philosophical schools, and eager students from all over the empire traveled there to learn from well-known teachers. Taurus seems to have succeeded in that setting, becoming a respected teacher himself, attracting students like Aulus Gellius, and building a reputation as a serious interpreter of Plato.
Key Achievements
- Established himself as a leading teacher of Middle Platonist philosophy in Athens during the second century AD
- Contributed to the interpretation of Plato's Timaeus, particularly on the question of whether the cosmogony described a literal or figurative creation
- Authored a comparative study of the philosophical differences between Plato and Aristotle
- Produced commentaries on Platonic dialogues including the Gorgias
- Influenced the transmission of Platonic thought through his students, including the Latin writer Aulus Gellius whose record of their discussions preserved aspects of Taurus's teaching for posterity
Did You Know?
- 01.Aulus Gellius, who studied under Taurus in Athens, recorded multiple conversations with him in Noctes Atticae, making Gellius one of the primary sources for Taurus's personality and teaching methods.
- 02.Taurus reportedly kept a copy of Plato's dialogues as required reading for all his students before they could engage in advanced discussion, insisting that philosophical conversation required direct familiarity with the primary texts.
- 03.He argued against a literal temporal reading of the creation account in Plato's Timaeus, contributing to a long-running ancient debate about whether Plato believed the universe had a definite beginning in time.
- 04.His name Calvenus or Calvisius alongside the praenomen Lucius indicates Roman citizenship, likely acquired by his family at some prior generation, which was not uncommon among elite provincials from Berytus.
- 05.Taurus wrote a treatise specifically comparing the philosophical positions of Plato and Aristotle, a topic of persistent interest among Middle Platonists who sought to define the boundaries and relationship between the two dominant schools.