Philosophy Quote by Betrand Russell
““After Justinian became Emperor: "He was a man of deep piety, which he signalized, two years after his accession, by closing the schools of philosophy in Athens, where paganism still reigned. The dispossessed philosophers betook themselves to Persia, where the king received them kindly. But they were shocked-- more so, says Gibbon, than became philosophers-- by the Persian practices of polygamy and incest, so they returned home again, and faded into obscurity." How tumultuous thou art, sixth century!””
About This Quote
Source Historical account: Edward Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1776
The closure of philosophical schools in Athens under Justinian led displaced philosophers to Persia, where cultural shock forced their return and eventual obscurity.
In simple terms: Philosophers were expelled, tried foreign customs, and faded away.
Key Takeaway
Beware how political actions can erase intellectual traditions.
Themes
politics
religion
culture
intellectual_history
Mood
reflective
critical
historical
Type
analytical
historical
When to use this quote
- academic policy
- religious
- republic
- cultural
- culturalrejection
Key Concepts
paganism
polygamy
incest
exile
cultural_shock
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities do leaders have to protect intellectual diversity?
- How might exile affect cultural exchange?
A Different Perspective
Historical decisions can unintentionally suppress diverse thought.
![“[The] emperor of the West, the feeble and dissolute Valentinian, [had] reached his thirty-fifth year without attaining the age of reason or courage.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/012/edward-gibbon-710_age_the-emperor-of-the-west-the-feeble-and-d_1736985.jpg)
![“I never knew any man who had once tasted the sweetness of experimental knowledge, that ever afterward fasted after ye Vapour garlick and onions of phantasmatical seeming philosophy." [William Petty]” quote by Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e5a/carl-zimmer-16331_knowledge_i-never-knew-any-man-who-had-once-tasted_1770.jpg)
