Vigiliae Christianae 63 (2009) 1-23 brill.nl/vc Vigiliae Christianae © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2009 DOI: 10.1163/157007209X423631 Eusebius C. Hier. 6.5 on Man and Fowl An Instance of Christian-Pagan Dialogue on a heurgic Ritual* Konstantinos Spanoudakis University of Crete, Department of Philology, Galou Campus, Rethymno, 74100, Crete, Greece spanoudakis@phl.uoc.gr Abstract Eusebius (C. Hier. 6.5), relying on the universal law of locus proprius, rejects the prac- tice of men acting like winged creatures. he allusion appears to be specifically to a Chaldaean ritual in which initiates imitate the cries and other sounds of birds rising for flight in an apparent enactment of the ‘rising’ soul. Greek and Coptic sources (Damascius, Hermias and Shenoute) help reconstruct the ritual. his relates to the image of Apollonius of Tyana as theurgist and magician, but originally it may have been part of the controversies about Paul’s dogma of resurrection (hess. 4.17). Por- phyry (C. Chr. fr. 35 Harn.) employs the same arguments as Eusebius to ridicule Paul’s notion about men caught up in clouds to meet God in air. Rather than taking this as a matter of coincidence, it would seem that Eusebius, who wrote an extensive riposte (now lost) to Porphyry’s tract, probably replied to Porphyry’s ridicule of Paul by coun- ter-ridiculing the pagan flight-ritual. Keywords Eusebius Against Hierocles, locus proprius, theurgic birds, Chaldaean rituals, Apollonius of Tyana, Porphyry Against the Christians, resurrection In his tract Against Hierocles Eusebius declines the challenge of tackling all issues raised by the man he attacks; he considers such an effort not worth- while as most of these arguments are shamelessly plundered from others * ) Translations of Philostratus V. Apoll., of testimonies to Apollonius of Tyana and of Eusebius C. Hier. are sourced from Jones 2006. he source of other translations is noted ad hoc; otherwise they are by the author. VC 63,2_(971)_1-23.indd 1 VC 63,2_(971)_1-23.indd 1 3/4/2009 3:05:05 PM 3/4/2009 3:05:05 PM