An Intellectual Biography of Philo?

Abstract

This introductory chapter provides an overview of an intellectual biography of Philo. Philo deserves an intellectual biography because he is an exceptionally rich and somewhat enigmatic author who has written in diverse genres and left behind one of the most voluminous oeuvres of antiquity. His intellectual achievement is impressive and innovative, worthy of being appreciated in its own right. Moreover, Philo experienced dramatic changes in his life. At a time when the eastern parts of the empire were becoming rapidly entangled with Roman structures of power and forms of discourse, Philo plays a key role in the negotiations between East and West. This book overcomes the evident obstacles of writing an intellectual biography of Philo by a comprehensive analysis of each of his series of works in its broader cultural context.