This article is about ancient Indian philosophers. For a modern philosophy under the same name, see Gymnosophy.
Alexander meets the Gymnosophists. Great Mongol Shahnameh, c. 1335. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Gymnosophists (Ancient Greek: γυμνοσοφισταί, gymnosophistaí, i.e. "naked philosophers" or "naked wise men" (from Greek γυμνός gymnós "naked" and σοφία sophía "wisdom"))[1] is the name given by the Greeks to certain ancient Indian philosophers who pursued asceticism to the point of regarding food and clothing as detrimental to purity of thought.[2] They were noted to have been vegetarian by several Greek authors. There were also gymnosophists in Upper Egypt who were called Ethiopian Gymnosophists by Apollonius of Tyana.[3]
In Greek literature, they are mentioned in association with the Persian magi, the Chaldaeans of the Assyrians or the Babylonians, the druids of the Celts, and the priests of Egypt.[4] Some[who?] sources claim that famous figures such as Lycurgus, Pythagoras, and Democritus may have met them.[5][citation needed] They are mentioned by authors such as Philo, Lucian, Clement of Alexandria, Philostratus, and Heliodorus of Emesa. These reports are thought to have served as models to Cynics as well as Christian ascetics. Many authors have discussed the purported questions by Alexander the Great and answers by the Gymnosophists.[6]
Medieval miniature reproducing the meeting of the gymnosophists with Alexander, c. 1420, Historia de proelis
^γυμνοσοφισταί. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project
^One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Gymnosophists". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 753–754.
^Mead, G. R. S. (1901). "Section X. The Gymnosophists of Upper Egypt.". Apollonius of Tyana.
^Bosman, Philip R. (2010). "The Gymnosophist Riddle Contest (Berol. P. 13044): A Cynic Text?". Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies (50): 175–192.
by several Greek authors. There were also gymnosophists in Upper Egypt who were called Ethiopian Gymnosophists by Apollonius of Tyana. In Greek literature...
the Great on his Indian campaign, "so that he even went as far as the Gymnosophists in India and the Magi" in Persia. Returning to Elis, he lived in poor...
Alexander, saying that man's desire cannot be satisfied by such gifts. The gymnosophists believed that even if Alexander killed them "they would be delivered...
geographer Strabo. Early advocates of naked yoga in modern times include the gymnosophists such as Blanche de Vries, and the actress and dancer Marguerite Agniel...
in addition to the Egyptians, Pythagoras also studied under sages or gymnosophists in India. Iamblichus expands this list even further by claiming that...
Great's army where Pyrrho was said to have studied with the magi and the gymnosophists, and where he may have been influenced by Buddhist teachings, most particularly...
had a good deal of information on India and Indians. He speaks of the Gymnosophists of India, the Indian Ocean, the river Ganges etc., a number of times...
Heinrich Zimmer proposed that the Greek records of 4th-century BCE mention gymnosophists (naked philosophers) which may have links to the tradition of "nude...
meteorosophist, which roughly translates to "expert in celestial phenomena"; gymnosophist (or "naked sophist", a word used to refer to Indian philosophers), deipnosophist...
Ζαρμανοχηγάς; according to Strabo) or Zarmarus (according to Dio Cassius) was a gymnosophist (naked philosopher), a monk of the Sramana tradition (possibly, but not...
gymonsophist, who accompanied Alexander to Persis. When Alexander met some gymnosophists, who were of trouble to him. He learned that their leader was Dandamis...
(θεόσοφος) "wise in divine things" was applied by Iamblichus to the gymnosophists (Γυμνοσοφισταί), i.e. the Indian yogis or sadhus. Scholars of esotericism...
ritual. Calanus was likely to be a Hindu Naga sadhu, whom Greeks called gymnosophists. He had accompanied the Greek army back from Punjab, upon request by...
extremely moralistic and ascetic. They are often merged or confused with Gymnosophists, a similar group of wise men. Fritze, Ronald H. Travel Legend and Lore:...
minoritarian) that included full nudity. This tradition continued from the gymnosophists (philosophers in antiquity) to certain holy men (who may however cover...
Sādhu of the present half cycle of time (avasarpini). The presence of gymnosophists (naked philosophers) in Greek records as early as the fourth century...
require the members to be nude, as was the case with the ancient Indian gymnosophists or the Christian sect of the Adamites (the custom is still practised...
Christian in nature, and thus the asceticism of non-Christians such as the gymnosophists is pointless. Clement begins the fourth book written c. 199 AD-c.201...
travelled to India with Alexander the Great's army and studied with the gymnosophists. According to Christopher I. Beckwith, Pyrrho's teachings are based...
Buddhism, and Sikhism, as well as in many new religious movements. Gymnosophists Jagad guru world guru or world teacher Mahamandaleshwar Mahant Head...
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