The History of Philosophy

The family of the Ptolemies, who, after Alexander, obtained the government of Egypt, from motives of policy encouraged this new establishment. Ptolemy Lagus, who had obtained the crown of Egypt by usurpation, was particularly careful to secure the interest of the Greeks in his favour; and, with this view, invited people from every part of Greece to settle in Egypt, and removed the schools of Athens to Alexandria. This enlightened prince spared no expense to raise the literary, as well as the civil, military, and commercial credit of his country. In order to provide, in Alexandria, a permanent residence for learning and philosophy, he laid the foundation of a library, which, after his time, became exceedingly famous; granted philosophers of every class immunity from public offices; and encouraged science and literature by royal munificence. Demetrius Phalereus, who was eminent in every kind of learning, especially in philosophy, assisted the liberal designs of the prince, by his judicious advice and active services. Ptolemy Philadelphus adopted, with great ardour, the liberal views of his predecessor, and afforded still further aid to philosophy, by enriching the Alexandrian library with a vast collection of books in every branch of learning, and by instituting a college of learned men, who, that they might have leisure to prosecute their studies, were maintained at the public expense.39

Under the patronage, first, of the Egyptian princes, and afterwards of the Roman emperors, Alexandria long continued to enjoy great celebrity as the seat of learning, and to send forth eminent philosophers of every sect to distant countries. It remained a school of learning, as well as a commercial emporium, till it was taken, and plundered of its literary treasures, by the Saracens.

Philosophy, during this period, suffered a grievous cor→ ruption from the attempt which was made by philosophers of different sects and countries, Grecian, Egyptian, and Oriental, who were assembled in Alexandria, to frame, from their different tenets, one general system of opinions. The respect which had long been universally paid to the schools

Diod. Sic. l. xviii. Pausan. in Att. Phot. Cod. 92. Ælian, I. iii. c. 17. Clems Alex. Stro. I. i. p. 341. Philostr. Vit. Soph. 1. i. c, 22. Laert. 1. viii. c. 46. A. Gell. 1. iv. c. 2.

of Greece, and the honours with which they were now adorned by the Egyptian princes, induced other wise men, and even the Egyptian priests and philosophers themselves, to submit to this innovation. Hence arose an heterogeneous mass of opinions, of which we shall afterwards take more particular notice under the name of the Eclectic Philosophy; and which we shall find to have been the foundation of endless confusion, error, and absurdity, not only in the Alexandrian school, but among Jews and Christians; producing among the former that spurious kind of philosophy, which they called their Cabbala; and, among the latter, innumerable corruptions of the Christian faith.