Proclus´ Reception via Psellos and its Echos in Georgia

The project `Proclus` Reception by Psellos and its Echo in Georgia` deals with the influence of late ancient philosophy on Byzantine and Georgian thought. Proclus, one of the most important philosophers and representatives of Neoplatonic philosophy of the 5th century, and in particular his work the Elements of Theology, was widely dispersed from Christian to Arab intellectual history. Proclus` philosophy had the greatest influence on Michael Psellos (11th century), a great Byzantine intellectual. Psellos showed a strong fascination for knowledge in general and a great interest in ancient and late ancient philosophy. Through him, ancient philosophy experienced a rebirth. The philosophy of Proclus also found an echo in Georgia. Ioane Petritsi, a Georgian commentator and philosopher of the 12th century, dedicated a detailed commentary to the Elements of Theology of Proclus. Petritsi`s attitude towards Proclus` philosophy, which is reflected in his detailed knowledge of Proclus` philosophy and his loyalty to his way of thinking, indicates that he was a kind of representative or successor of Proclus` philosophy. The aim of the research project is, on the one hand, to work out the development of Neoplatonic thought and its significance in Byzantium and Georgia through comparative textual analysis and source research and, on the other hand, to establish an intellectual-historical connection that goes beyond philosophy by researching the educational and cultural-historical area of Psellos in Byzantium and Petritsi in Georgia, with the aim of significantly improving our understanding of philosophy and Byzantine studies.