Plato and Euhemerus: "Egyptian Logos" and "Sacra Historia"

Abstract

Antiquity developed several types of interpretation of the myth: allegorical, rational (critical), pragmatic and euhemeristic (historical). We find all of them in the texts of Plato, who lived long before Euhemeras and Palaephatus. The article examines the well-known Plato's texts about Thamus and Theuth in “Phaedrus” (274c-275a) and “Philebus” (i8b-d), as well as thematically closest fragment of the “Politicus” (274b-d). It is shown that the Platonic “euhemerism” is one of the inner preconditions and basis in the teachings of Plato. We have in mind Plato's cosmology and view of history (movements of Cosmos), which gave the opportunity to talk about Plato's “earthly gods”. Didactic story about gods Thamus and Theuth as earthly rulers could become a background for the doctrine of Eugemerus that the gods worshiped by people are the great kings of antiquity. Relationship among the teachings of Plato and Eugemer can be seen not only on the basis of analysis of the legend about Atlantis (this legend could be the model for the “Sacra Historia” of Eugemerus). The fragment of “Phaedrus” gives us an example of the interpretation of the myth, which was peculiar to Plato, but it could be a prerequisite for the interpretation developed by Euhemerus. Moreover, in the text of “Phaedrus” we find a critical consideration of “rational” interpretation of mythology. Plato rejected this strategy, preferring to create its own historical mythology, where “Egyptian logos” from “Phaedrus” had a definite place.