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I plan on overhauling her page. I don't want to step on any toes so here are my changes. Let me know if you have any thoughts or issues. Writing isn't my specialty, research is.
Latest comment: 1 year ago1 comment1 person in discussion
Aedesia belonged to the circle of philosopher-priests, self-proclaimed Hellenes, devoted to their pagan heritage and intent on sharing the teachings of traditional religion and Platonic philosophy.
When she was young, Syrianus, a relative of hers and Head of School in Athens, betrothed her to one of his students, Proclus. Claiming that a god willed it, Proclus ended the betrothal. Aedesia then married Hermeias, another student of Syrianus.
She lived in Alexandria with her husband and her three sons, her eldest son passed away when he was seven, her second son was Ammonius(born around 435-445), and the third Heliodorus. Widowed while her sons are still young, she is paid a stipend from the city of Alexandria until her sons reach majority. She brought her sons to Athens to study under Proclus, who had taken over Syrianus' position after his death.
Around 465-470, The family returned to Alexandria where Aedesia became a matron of the school of Horapollo and both sons lectured on philosophy. It was during this time that she met a young student, Damascius, who would go on to write the Life of Isidore which held the most information about Aedesia.
Damascius admired her greatly. He described her as "the most beautiful and noble of Alexandrian women" and wrote in glowing terms of her piety.
[Aedesia was] so pious toward God and holy and, to tell the whole of it, beloved of the gods that she was accorded many divine epiphanies. (Damascius, Life of Isidore 56)
Aedesia died around 475. She lived to a considerable age, and her funeral oration was pronounced by Damascius, who was then a young man, in heroic verses. Damascius claims that because of her charitability her sons had to settle her debts after her death. SocksOfDeath (talk) 15:43, 24 September 2023 (UTC)Reply
