SYNNADA
387
SYNNADA
"Philosophy is opposed to the opinions of the vulgar.
I certainly shall not admit that the soul is posterior
to the body . . . that the world and all its jjarts shall
perish together. The re.surrection ... I consider
something sacred and ineffable and am far from shar-
ing the ideas of the multitude". He could keep
silence but not " pretend to hold opinions which he did
not hold". Theophilus, he said, must know every-
thing and decide. Seven months elapsed between
the writing of this letter and Synesius's consecration.
That .'^ynesius should yield is hardly surprising. His
dogmatic perceptions were not keen enough to make
him realize the falseness of his position as a bishop.
Theophilus, the persecutor of the Origenists, is the
difficulty. Perhaps, like many masterful men, he
could put the telescope to his blind eye and refuse to
see what he did not wish to see. Perhaps the nega-
tions in SjTiesius's letter were not his hist word with
regard to doctrinal questions. Baronius held that
Synesius defamed himself to escape the episcopate,
and this was also the oi)inion of Jeremy Taylor, "for
all this Theophilus, Bishop of Alexandria, consecrated
him. as knowing all this to bo but stratagem and the
arts of an odd fantastic humility" (Ductor dubitan-
tium, iii, 2]. The " fanta.stic humility" solution of the
problem has found very few sujiporters. As a bishop,
Synesius devoted himself to the multiform duties of
this office, without, however, concealing how imcon-
genial such a press of business was to him. We find
him first warning and then excommunicating a blood-
thirsty governor, denouncing the Eunomians, super-
intending the elections of bishops, etc. His latter
dajs were embittered by the death of his three sons
and the ruin of his country by the barbarians. His
last letter was to Hj-patia. She had been to him, "a
mother, a sister, and a teacher". In his last hymn he
recommends himself to Christ. It is a prayer that
"his sins may be forgiven and that he may behold the
glory of the Saviour".
The following are his writings: "De Providentia", first part composed while in Constantinople, second part after return to CjTene: a political pamphlet in which Gainas and .lurclian figure as Typhon and Osiris; "De regno", in which an ideal Roman emperor is presented in an oration, delivered before Arcadius; "De dono astrolabii", a treatise accompanying the gift of a plani.sphere to one Paconius at Constanti- nople. The following were WTitten between 400 and 409: the "Cynogetics" (not extant), a treatise on t he breeding of dogs ; ' ' De insomniis " , a curious treatise on dreams. Divination, according to S>niesius, fol- lowing Plotinus, was possible because of the unity of nature. All parts of the universe are in sympathy, .so in each thing there are indications of other things. "Dion", a vindication of his manner of life against stern asceticism; "Calvitii Encomium", a facetious eulogy on baldness by a man who suffered from that complaint. The following belong to 409-14: two fragments of homilies; "Constitutiosive elogium Any- sii" (.\nysius was a general who had been successful against the barbarians); "Catastasis", describing the ruin of Pentapolis. There are one hundred and fifty- five epistles and ten hymns written at different peri- ods of his life, the latter valuable because of the light which they throw on his religious and philosophical views, the former, the most precious of his writings, because of the light they throw on the writer's per- sonality, and the picture which they give of the age in which he lived.
The only complete edition of Synesius's writings is that pub- lished by Petavh-s (Paris. 1612): the fourth edition (1640) is the best; Krabinoer (1825-33) published the De regno, Catnlii Encomium, and De prondentia, with German translations and the Bret volume of a complete edition, Synesii opera omnia. I: Oraiionen et homiliarum fragmenta (Landshut, 1S50). This vol- ume contains the greater works but not the hymns or epistles. A new edition of the Hymns was brought out by Boibsonade, Sylloge poetarum grirc., XV (Paris, 182.5); by Christ and Paranikas in Anthologia grceca carminum chrialianorum (Leip-
zig, 1871). There is a French translation of the Epistles by
Lapatz (Paris, 1S70), very useful but not always trustworthy.
See also Volkmanx. Synesius von Cyrcne (Berlin, 1869) : Clatt-sen.
De Syncsio (Copenhagen, 1831); Halcomb, Did. Christ. Biog.;
Gardner, Synesius of Cyrene (London. 1886); Crawford,
SynesioSr the Hellene (London. 1901); Kraus, SUidien iiber
Synesios von Cyrene in Theot. Quartahchr. (Tubingen, 1865-66).
For the religious views of S>-nesius when he was elected bishop
see alsoHoLSTENlus, Dissertatio de Synesio et Fuga Episcopatus,
which will be found in Reading's edition of Evagrius and Theo-
doret (Cambridge, 1720). Holstenius's view is opposed to that of
Baromua. p_ J_ BacCHDS.
Synnada, titular metropolis in Phrygia Salutaris. Synnada is saitl to have been founded by .\camas who went to Phrygia after the Trojan war and took some Macedonian colonists. The consul Manlius Vulso passed through that city on his expeditions against the Galatians. It was situated in the south-eastern part of Eastern Phrygia, or Parorea, thus named because it extended to the foot of the mountains of Pisidia. After having belonged to the kingdom of the Attali, it became the capital of a district of the province of .4sia, except on two occasions during the last century of the Republic when it Wiis temporarily attached to Cilicia. Under these two regimes SjTinada was the centre of an important convenlus juridicus, or judicial centre; it was to preside at this assembly that Cicero stopped at Synnada on his way from Ephesus to Cilicia and on his return. Although small, the city was celebrated throughout the empire on account of the trade in marble which came from the quarries of the neighbouring city of Daciraium. Under Diocletian at the time of the creation of Plirygia Pacatiana, Synnada, at the inter- section of two great roads, became the metropolis. On its coins, which disappear after the reign of Gal- lienus, its inhabitants call themselves Dorians and lonians. To-day it is the city of Schifout Kassaba, situated five hours south of Afioun Kara Hissar, vilayet of Broussa.
Christianity was introduced at an early date into Synnada. The " Martyrologium Hieron\-mianum " mentions several of its martyrs. For St. Trophimus, honoured by the Latin and Greek Churches on 19 Sept., see "Acta SS.", VI Sept., 9 sq. A reliquary in the form of a sarcophagus containing some of the bones of this martjT has been discovered at Schifout Kassaba and transported to the museum at Broussa: this curious monument may date back to the third century [see Mendel in " Bulletin de Correspondance Hellenique", XXXIII (1909), 342 sq.]. Eusebius (Hist. Eccl., VI, 19) speaks of its pious bishop Atticus who entrusted to the lajinan Theodore the duty of instructing the Christians. About 230-.') a council on the rebaptizing of heretics was held there (Euseb., Hist. Eccl., VII, 7). St. Agapetus, mentioned in the Roman M.artjToIogy on 24 March as Bishop of S>-nnada, belonged to Synaus. For a list of other bishops see Le (Juien, "Oriens christ.", I, 827. Mention must be made of Procopius (321); Cyriacus, friend of St. John Chiysostom; Theodosius and his competitor .Vgapetus, at first a Macedonian heretic; Severus (431); Marinianus (448-51), Theogenes (.536); Severus (553); St. Pausicacus, during the reign of Maurice, honoured by the Greek Church on 13 May; Cosmas, 680; John, adversary of the Iconoclasts in the time of Patriarch St. Germa- nus; St. Michael, honoured by the Latin and Greek churches 23 May, died 23 May, 820, in exile for his zeal in defending the worship of images; Peter under Photius; John under Photius; Pantalcon under Leo the Wise; Leo under Basil II; Nicet:is in 1082; Georgios at the Council of St. Soi)hia, about 1450, if one can believe the apocryphal Acts of this council, which perhaps never occurred. The last Bishop of Synnada spoken of in the documents, without mentioning his name, prob;ibIy lived under John Cantacuzenus (see "Cantacuz. Hist.", Ill, 73) and probably never lived at Synnada on account of the
