Hermias

Hermias a writer, supposed by some to date from the 2nd century. Nothing is known of his life, but we possess under his name a work entitled Διασυρμὸς τῶν ἔξω φιλοσόφων, "A satirizing of the Heathen Philosophers." It is written in the form of a dialogue addressed to the author's friends. Hermias reviews the opinions of the philosophers on nature, the universe, God, his essence, his relations to the world, the human soul, etc. He shows their differences and contradictions on all these points, and thus proves the insufficient cy and futility of all their theories. This little work, written in the manner and somewhat in the style of Lucian, is an interesting document for the history of ancient philosophy, but has no other merit, philosophical or theological. It was published, with a Latin translation by Seiler (Zurich, 1553, 8vo; 1560, fol.), and is inserted in several collections of ecclesiastical works, namely, in Morel, Tabula compenediosa (Basle, 1580,. 8vo); in several editions of Justin Martyr; in Worth's edition of Tatian (Oxford, 1700, 8vo); in the Auctarium Bibl. Patr. (Paris, 1624, fol.), and in Gallandii Biblioth. Patr. J. C. Dommerich published a separate edition, with notes by H. Wolf, Gale, and Worth (Halle, 1764, 8vo). See Hoefer, Nouv. Biogr. Géneralé, 24; 387; Dupin, Eccles. Writers, 2nd cent.; Donaldson, History of Christian Literature, 2, 179.