Qué es “lo que es viviente” (ὅ ἐστι ζῷον) según Numenio de Apamea

Abstract

In this paper, I try to show in which way the concept of ὅ ἐστι ζῷον, taken from Plato’s Timaeus, is inserted within the structure of the intelligible realm that Numenius articulates in three levels, following his three gods. In this regard, the notion of πρόσχρησις in the fragment 22 is of upmost importance for the correct understanding of the dynamic within the theological and ontological realm, whose threefold structure can be reconstructed mainly from the fragment 16. The first two sections of the paper will deal, therefore, with these texts and the way they could be related to each other. In the third part, I will briefly analyse some fragments that show how the concepts of “life” (ζωή / βίος) and “soul” (ψυχή) are related with this theological and ontological realm and the role they play in the cosmic and human constitution.