SYNESIUS (c. 373–c. 414), bishop of Ptolemais in the Libyan Pentapolis after 410, was born of wealthy parents, who claimed descent from Spartan kings, at Cyrene between 37o and 375. While still a youth (393) he went with his brother Euoptius to Alexandria, where he became an enthusiastic Neoplatonist and disciple of Hypatia (q.v.). On returning to his native place about the year 397 he was chosen to head an embassy from the cities of the Pentapolis to the imperial court to ask for remission of taxation and other relief.
After Aurelian had granted the petition of the embassy, Synesius returned to Cyrene in 400, and spent the next ten years partly in that city, when unavoidable business called him there, but chiefly on an estate in the interior of the province, where in his own words "books and the chase" made up his life. His marriage took place at Alexandria in 403 ; in the previous year he had visited Athens. In 409 or 410 Synesius, whose Christianity had until then been by no means very pronounced, was popularly chosen to be bishop of Ptolemais, and, after long hesitation on personal and doctrinal grounds, he ultimately accepted the office thus thrust upon him, being consecrated by Theophilus at Alexandria. One personal difficulty was obviated by his being allowed to retain his wife, to whom he was much attached; but as regarded ortho doxy he expressly stipulated for personal freedom to dissent on the questions of the soul's creation, a literal resurrection, and the final destruction of the world, while at the same time he agreed to make some concession to popular views in his public teaching (Ta µiv 01:KOl. Ta (5' 4c.o 4eXoAvt1.7.0. His tenure of
the bishopric was troubled by domestic bereavements and by barbarian invasions of the country (in repelling which he proved himself a capable military organizer) and by conflicts with the prefect Andronicus, whom he excommunicated for interfering with the Church's right of asylum. The date of his death is unknown ; it is usually given as c. His extant works are—(1) a speech before Arcadius, De regno; ( 2) Dio, sive de suo ipsius instituto, in which he signifies his pur pose to devote himself to true philosophy; (3) Encomium calvitii (he was himself bald), a literary jeu d'esprit, suggested by Dio Chrysostom's Praise of Hair; (4) De providentia, in two books; (5) De insomniis; (6) 157 Epistolae; (7) 12 Hymni, of a con templative, Neoplatonic character; and several homilies and occa sional speeches. The editio princeps is that of Turnebus (Paris, 1553) ; it was followed by that of Morell, with Latin translation by Petavius (1612; greatly enlarged and improved, 1633 ; re printed, inaccurately, by Migne, 1859).
See a life by W. S. Crawford (London, 19o1) ; also G. Griitzmacher, Synesios von Kyrene (1913).