Aeneas of Gaza

ÆNEAS, î-nî´ɑs, OF GAZA, gê´zɑ: A pupil of the Neoplatonist Hierocles at Alexandria, and teacher of rhetoric at Gaza. Before 534 he wrote a dialogue, Theophrastus (in MPG, lxxxv. 865--1004), in which he opposes the doctrine of the preexistence of the soul, but asserts its immortality and the resurrection of the body; the perpetuity of the world is rejected. Twenty-five of his letters may be found in R. Hercher, Epistolographi Græci, pp. 24-32, Paris, 1873, and several of his treatises are in M. de la Bigne, Bibliotheca veterum patrum, viii. (8 vols., Paris, 1609-10); Magna bibliotheca, v. 3 and xii. (15 vols., Paris, 1618-22); and Maxima bibliotheca veterum patrum, viii. (28 vols., Lyons, 1677-1707).

G. Krüger.

Bibliography: G. Wernsdorf, Disputatio de Ænea Gazæo, Naumburg, 1816; K. Seitz, Die Schule von Gaza, pp. 23-27, Heidelberg, 1892; K. Krumbacher, Geschichte der byzantinischen Litteratur, p. 432, Munich, 1897; G. Schalkhauser, Æneas von Gaza als Philosoph, Erlangen, 1898.