Neoplatonist School of Ancient Greek Philosophy Texts

28 authors • 206 works

Plotinus (c. 205–270 CE) gave the teaching of his master Ammonius Saccas of Egypt its lasting systematic form, and the philosophy that issued from him is known as Neoplatonism. It is a strict monism of principle: all reality derives from a single transcendent source, the One (τὸ Ἕν), which stands beyond being, multiplicity, and every category of thought.

From the One, reality unfolds in a series of ordered stages. The first emanation is Νοῦς, the divine Mind and the realm of the divine ideas; from Νοῦς comes Ψυχή, which mediates between the intelligible world and the sensible cosmos. The material world is a by-product of this unfolding, not an independent principle of things. Matter (ὕλη) is not an entity in its own right but a formless non-being arising from the activity of Ψυχή, and evil is typically understood as matter's privation of form, though later thinkers debated its precise status.

The human ψυχή is immortal and pre-exists the body, composed of a lower, non-rational part and a higher, rational one, and many Neoplatonists posited a subtle vehicle (ὄχημα) for it, enabling its return to the One after death. Against the Gnostics they refused to vilify the material world, viewing it instead as an ordered, though diminished, emanation. The philosophical goal is an ascent toward unity with the One, achieved through contemplation.

Plotinus worked in Rome and left his writings as the <cite>Enneads</cite>, arranged and published by his student and editor Porphyry (c. 234–305 CE). After them the school divided into lineages: Iamblichus (c. 245–325 CE) led the Syrian school and introduced theurgic, ritual practice, while in the 5th and 6th centuries the academies of Athens, under Proclus (412–485 CE), and of Alexandria flourished. Proclus systematised the later doctrines, and later thinkers often departed from Plotinus on specific points, such as the status of evil, while keeping the emanative structure intact. Imperial order closed the Athenian academy in 529 CE, the conventional end of the school's continuous history.

Authors

Ἀμελίου Ἐπιστολή
Amelius Letters
1 work
Ἀμμώνιος ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς
Ammonius of Alexandria the Philosopher
5 works
Ἀσκληπιὸς ὁ Τραλλιανός
Asclepius of Tralles
2 works
Δαμάσκιος ὁ Δαμασκηνός
Damascius of Damascus
8 works
Δαβίδ ὁ Ἀνίκητος
David the Invincible
2 works
Δέξιππος ὁ Νεοπλατωνικός
Dexippus the Neoplatonist
1 work
Ἠλίας ὁ Νεοπλατωνικός
Elias the Neoplatonist
3 works
Εὐνάπιος ὁ Σαρδιανός
Eunapius of Sardis
3 works
Εὐσέβιος ὁ Μύνδιος
Eusebius of Myndus
1 work
Ἑρμείας ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς
Hermias of Alexandria
1 work
Ἱεροκλῆς ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς
Hierocles of Alexandria
1 work
Ἰάμβλιχος ὁ Χαλκιδεύς
Iamblichus of Chalcis
6 works
Ἰάμβλιχος ὁ Χαλκιδεύς
Iamblichus of Chalcis II
1 work
Ἰουλιανὸς ὁ Ἀποστάτης
Julian the Apostate
20 works
Μαρῖνος ὁ Νεαπολίτης
Marinus of Neapolis
1 work
Μάξιμος ὁ Ἐφέσιος
Maximus of Ephesus
2 works
Νεπουάλιος
Neoplatonist Philosopher
1 work
Ὀλυμπιόδωρος ὁ Νεώτερος ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς
Olympiodorus the Younger of Alexandria
7 works
Πλωτῖνος ὁ Νεοπλατωνικός
Plotinus the Neoplatonist
55 works
Πορφύριος ὁ Τύριος
Porphyry of Tyre
27 works
Πρισκιανὸς ὁ Καισαρεύς
Priscian of Caesarea
1 work
Πρόκλος ὁ Διάδοχος
Proclus the Successor
22 works
Ψευδο-Διονύσιος ὁ Ἀρεοπαγίτης
Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite
5 works
Σαλούστιος ὁ φιλόσοφος
Sallustius the Philosopher
1 work
Σιμπλίκιος ὁ Κίλιξ
Simplicius of Cilicia
14 works
Στέφανος ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς
Stephanus of Alexandria
1 work
Συνέσιος ὁ Κυρηναῖος
Synesius of Cyrene
10 works
Συριανός
Syrianus of Athens
4 works

Works

Julian the Apostate

Εἰς τοὺς ἀπαιδεύτους κύνας
To the Uneducated Dogs
347 passages
Εἰς τὴν μητέρα τῶν θεῶν
To the Mother of the Gods
302 passages
Εἰς τὸν βασιλέα Ἥλιον πρὸς Σαλούστιον
To King Helios, To Salustius
392 passages
Εὐσεβίας τῆς βασιλίδος ἐγκώμιον
Encomium for Empress Eusebia
401 passages
Θεμιστίῳ φιλοσόφῳ
To Themistius the Philosopher
197 passages
Κατὰ Γαλιλαίων
Against the Galileans
753 passages
Μαρτυρίαι
Testimonies
8 passages
Μισοπώγων
Beard-Hater
519 passages
Περὶ τῶν τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος πράξεων ἢ περὶ βασιλείας
On the Emperor's Deeds, or On Kingship
730 passages
Πρὸς Ἡράκλειον κυνικὸν περὶ τοῦ πῶς κυνιστέον
On Cynicism
561 passages
Συμπόσιον ἢ Κρόνια
Symposium or Kronia
537 passages
Ἀθηναίων τῇ βουλῇ καὶ τῷ δήμῳ
To the Council and People of Athens
272 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα περὶ Ἀντιοχείας
Fragments on Antioch
3 passages
Ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Κωνστάντιον
Encomium for Emperor Constantius
610 passages
Ἐπιγράμματα
Epigrams
19 passages
Ἐπιγράμματα καὶ Ἀποσπάσματα
Short Poems and Fragments
55 passages
Ἐπιστολαὶ Νόθαι
Spurious Letters
24 passages
Ἐπιστολαὶ περὶ Βιθυνικῆς Κτήσεως
Letters on a Bithynian Estate
1327 passages
Ἐπιστολαὶ Ἀμφίβολοι
Dubious Letters
85 passages
Ἐπὶ τῇ ἐξόδῳ τοῦ ἀγαθωτάτου Σαλουστίου
Consolation on the Departure of Most Noble Salustius
174 passages

Plotinus the Neoplatonist

Ἐννεάδες
Enneads
13996 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Εἰ αἱ Πᾶσαι Ψυχαὶ Μία
Enneads: Treatise 4.9 (Whether All Psychai Are One)
85 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Εἰ καὶ τῶν Καθέκαστά εἰσιν Ἰδέαι
Enneads: Treatise 5.7 (On Whether There Are Ideas of Particulars)
46 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Εἰ τὸ Εὐδαιμονεῖν Χρόνῳ παρατείνεται
Enneads: Treatise 1.5 (On Whether Well-Being Increases with Time)
67 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Αἰσθήσεως καὶ Μνήμης
Enneads: Treatise 4.6 (On Sense-Perception and Memory)
70 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Αἰῶνος καὶ Χρόνου
Enneads: Treatise 3.7 (On Eternity and Time)
358 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Γενέσεως καὶ Τάξεως τῶν μετὰ τὸ Πρῶτον
Enneads: Treatise 5.2 (On the Origin and Order of the Things after the First)
51 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Διαλεκτικῆς
Enneads: Treatise 1.3 (On Dialectic)
73 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Εἱμαρμένης
Enneads: Treatise 3.1 (On Heimarmenē)
142 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Εὐδαιμονίας
Enneads: Treatise 1.4 (On Well-Being)
271 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Εὐλόγου Ἐξαγωγῆς
Enneads: Treatise 1.9 (On Reasoned Departure from Life)
15 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Νοῦ καὶ τῶν Ἰδεῶν καὶ τοῦ Ὄντος
Enneads: Treatise 5.9 (On Nous, the Forms and What Is)
204 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Οὐσίας Ψυχῆς Δεύτερον
Enneads: Treatise 4.1 (On the Ousia of the Psychē II)
17 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Οὐσίας Ψυχῆς Πρῶτον
Enneads: Treatise 4.2 (On the Ousia of the Psychē I)
69 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Ποιότητος καὶ Εἴδους
Enneads: Treatise 2.6 (On Poiotēs and Form)
70 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Προνοίας Δεύτερον
Enneads: Treatise 3.3 (On Pronoia II)
155 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Προνοίας Πρῶτον
Enneads: Treatise 3.2 (On Pronoia I)
400 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τοῦ Δυνάμει καὶ Ἐνεργείᾳ
Enneads: Treatise 2.5 (On What Exists Potentially and Actually)
121 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τοῦ εἰ ποιεῖ τὰ Ἄστρα
Enneads: Treatise 2.3 (Whether the Stars Are Causes)
263 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τοῦ Εἰληχότος ἡμᾶς Δαίμονος
Enneads: Treatise 3.4 (On Our Allotted Daimōn)
134 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τοῦ Καλοῦ
Enneads: Treatise 1.6 (On Beauty)
183 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τοῦ Νοητοῦ Κάλλους
Enneads: Treatise 5.8 (On Intelligible Beauty)
279 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τοῦ Οὐρανοῦ
Enneads: Treatise 2.1 (On the Heavens)
181 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τοῦ Πρώτου Ἀγαθοῦ καὶ τῶν Ἄλλων Ἀγαθῶν
Enneads: Treatise 1.7 (On the First Good and the Other Goods)
45 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τοῦ τίνα καὶ πόθεν τὰ Κακά
Enneads: Treatise 1.8 (On What Evils Are and Whence They Come)
275 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τοῦ τὸ ἐπέκεινα τοῦ Ὄντος μὴ νοεῖν, καὶ τί τὸ πρώτως νοοῦν καὶ τί τὸ δευτέρως
Enneads: Treatise 5.6 (On the Fact that What Lies beyond What Is Does Not Think)
116 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τοῦ τὸ Ὂν Ἓν καὶ Ταὐτὸ Ὂν ἅμα πανταχοῦ εἶναι Ὅλον Δεύτερον
Enneads: Treatise 6.5 (On the Presence of What Is, One and the Same, Everywhere as a Whole II)
220 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τοῦ τὸ Ὂν Ἓν καὶ Ταὐτὸ Ὂν ἅμα πανταχοῦ εἶναι Ὅλον Πρῶτον
Enneads: Treatise 6.4 (On the Presence of What Is, One and the Same, Everywhere as a Whole I)
371 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τοῦ Ἑκουσίου καὶ Θελήματος τοῦ Ἑνός
Enneads: Treatise 6.8 (On the Voluntary and the Wish of the One)
505 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Τἀγαθοῦ ἢ τοῦ Ἑνός
Enneads: Treatise 6.9 (On the Good or the One)
315 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τῆς διʼ Ὅλων Κράσεως
Enneads: Treatise 2.7 (On Complete Mixture)
66 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τῆς εἰς τὰ Σώματα Καθόδου τῆς Ψυχῆς
Enneads: Treatise 4.8 (On the Descent of the Psychē into Bodies)
143 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τῆς Κυκλοφορίας
Enneads: Treatise 2.2 (On the Heavenly Circuit)
93 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τῆς Ἀπαθείας τῶν Ἀσωμάτων
Enneads: Treatise 3.6 (On the Impassibility of the Bodiless)
487 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τῶν Γενῶν τοῦ Ὄντος Δεύτερον
Enneads: Treatise 6.2 (On the Kinds of What Is II)
490 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τῶν Γενῶν τοῦ Ὄντος Πρῶτον
Enneads: Treatise 6.1 (On the Kinds of What Is I)
667 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τῶν Γενῶν τοῦ Ὄντος Τρίτον
Enneads: Treatise 6.3 (On the Kinds of What Is III)
604 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τῶν Γνωριστικῶν Ὑποστάσεων καὶ τοῦ ἐπέκεινα
Enneads: Treatise 5.3 (On the Knowing Hypostases and What Is Beyond)
500 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ τῶν Τριῶν Ἀρχικῶν Ὑποστάσεων
Enneads: Treatise 5.1 (On the Three Primary Hypostases)
252 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Φύσεως καὶ Θεωρίας καὶ τοῦ Ἑνός
Enneads: Treatise 3.8 (On Physis, Contemplation and the One)
274 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Ψυχῆς Ἀποριῶν Δεύτερον
Enneads: Treatise 4.4 (On Difficulties about the Psychē II)
856 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Ψυχῆς Ἀποριῶν Πρῶτον
Enneads: Treatise 4.3 (On Difficulties about the Psychē I)
568 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Ψυχῆς Ἀποριῶν Τρίτον ἢ περὶ Ὄψεως
Enneads: Treatise 4.5 (On Difficulties about the Psychē III, or On Sight)
224 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Ἀθανασίας Ψυχῆς
Enneads: Treatise 4.7 (On the Immortality of the Psychē)
336 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Ἀρετῶν
Enneads: Treatise 1.2 (On Aretai)
169 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Ἀριθμῶν
Enneads: Treatise 6.6 (On Numbers)
457 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Ἔρωτος
Enneads: Treatise 3.5 (On Love)
196 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Ὁράσεως ἢ πῶς τὰ Πόρρω Ὁρώμενα Μικρὰ φαίνεται
Enneads: Treatise 2.8 (On Sight, or Why Distant Objects Appear Small)
38 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Περὶ Ὕλης
Enneads: Treatise 2.4 (On Matter)
336 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Πρὸς τοὺς Γνωστικούς
Enneads: Treatise 2.9 (Against the Gnostics)
466 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Πῶς τὸ Πλῆθος τῶν Ἰδεῶν ὑπέστη, καὶ περὶ Τἀγαθοῦ
Enneads: Treatise 6.7 (How the Multitude of the Forms Came into Being, and on the Good)
1008 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Πῶς ἀπὸ τοῦ Πρώτου τὸ μετὰ τὸ Πρῶτον, καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἑνός
Enneads: Treatise 5.4 (How What Is after the First Comes from the First, and on the One)
66 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Τί τὸ Ζῷον καὶ τίς ὁ Ἄνθρωπος
Enneads: Treatise 1.1 (What Is the Living Thing, and What Is Man?)
193 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Ἐπισκέψεις Διάφοροι
Enneads: Treatise 3.9 (Miscellaneous Investigations)
99 passages
Ἐννεάδες, Ὅτι οὐκ ἔξω τοῦ Νοῦ τὰ Νοητὰ καὶ περὶ Τἀγαθοῦ
Enneads: Treatise 5.5 (That the Intelligibles Are Not outside the Nous, and on the Good)
307 passages

Porphyry of Tyre

Βίος Πλωτίνου
Life of Plotinus
716 passages
Βίος Πυθαγόρου
Life of Pythagoras
376 passages
Βιβλίον Αʹ Ὁμηρικῶν ζητημάτων
Book I of Homeric Questions Version V
974 passages
Βιβλίον Αʹ Ὁμηρικῶν ζητημάτων ἔκδοσις Β
Book I of Homeric Questions Version B
6 passages
Βιβλίον Αʹ Ὁμηρικῶν ζητημάτων ἔκδοσις Τ
Book I of Homeric Questions Version T
7 passages
Εἰς τὰ ἁρμονικὰ Πτολεμαίου ὑπόμνημα
On the Harmonics of Ptolemy, Commentary
3223 passages
Ζητήματα τοῦ Βατικανοῦ κώδικος
On the Vatican Codex
1010 passages
Κατὰ Χριστιανῶν
Against the Christians
683 passages
Λείψανα Ὁμηρικῶν ζητημάτων περὶ τὴν Ἰλιάδα
Remains of Homeric Questions Pertaining to the Iliad
5176 passages
Λείψανα Ὁμηρικῶν ζητημάτων περὶ τὴν Ὀδύσσειαν
Remains of Homeric Questions Pertaining to the Odyssey
1898 passages
Μαρτυρίαι
Testimonies
21 passages
Περὶ Κατηγοριῶν Ἀριστοτέλους
On Aristotle's Categories, Exposition by Question and Answer
2202 passages
Περὶ τοῦ Νυμφῶν Ἄντρου
On the Cave of the Nymphs
284 passages
Περὶ φιλοσοφίας ἐκ χρησμῶν
On Philosophy from Oracles
482 passages
Περὶ ἀγαλμάτων
On Statues
199 passages
Περὶ Ἀποχῆς
On Abstinence
2017 passages
Πρὸς Μάρκελλαν
To Marcella
284 passages
Πρὸς Ἀνεβῶνα ἐπιστολή
Letter to Anebon
193 passages
Χρονικά
Chronicles
368 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα περὶ τῶν Ἑπτὰ Σοφῶν
Fragments on the Seven Sages
118 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα τῆς ἱστορίας τῆς φιλοσοφίας
Fragments of the History of Philosophy
112 passages
Ἀποφθέγματα πρὸς Νοητά
Sentences Leading to Intelligibles
429 passages
Ἰλιακῶν προβλημάτων βιβλίον α (ἔκδοσις Χ)
Book I of Homeric Questions Version X
910 passages
Ὑπομνήματα εἰς Ἀριστοτέλην Ἑλληνιστί
Commentaries on Aristotle in Greek
331 passages
Ὑπόμνημα εἰς Πλάτωνος Τίμαιον
Commentary on Plato's Timaeus (Book I)
611 passages
Ὑπόμνημα εἰς τὸν Πλάτωνος Παρμενίδην
Commentary on Plato's Parmenides
245 passages
Ὑπόμνημα εἰς τὸν Πλάτωνος Τίμαιον
Commentary on Plato's Timaeus (Fragment)
14 passages

Proclus the Successor

Θεολογικὴ Διδασκαλία
Theological Instruction
1836 passages
Περὶ δέκα ἀποριῶν περὶ προνοίας
On Ten Doubts Concerning Pronoia
819 passages
Περὶ θυσίας καὶ μαγείας
On Sacrifice and Magic
45 passages
Περὶ Προνοίας
On Pronoia, Heimarmenē, and What is Within Us to Theodorus the Mechanic
366 passages
Περὶ τοῦ εἶναι τὰ κακά
On the Existence of Evils
606 passages
Περὶ τοῦ Πλάτωνος Παρμενίδου
On Plato's Parmenides
9861 passages
Περὶ τοῦ Πλάτωνος Ἀλκιβιάδου Α'
On Plato's Alcibiades I
3941 passages
Πλατωνικὴ Θεολογία Βιβλία Α'-Ε'
Platonic Theology Books 1–5
6298 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὰ Ἡσιόδου Ἔργα καὶ Ἡμέρας
Commentary on Hesiod's Works and Days
0 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὴν Πλάτωνος Πολιτείαν
Proclus Diadochus
9204 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὸ πρῶτον βιβλίον τῶν Εὐκλείδου
Commentary on the First Book of Euclid's Elements
4418 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὸν Πλάτωνος Κρατύλον
Commentary on Plato's Cratylus
1490 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὸν Πλάτωνος Τίμαιον
Commentary on Plato's Timaeus
17407 passages
Σύνοψις τῶν ἀστρονομικῶν θέσεων
Outline of Astronomical Positions
1088 passages
Φυσικὴ Διδασκαλία
Physical Instruction
593 passages
Χρηστομάθεια
Chrestomathy
325 passages
Ἐκλογαὶ περὶ Χαλδαϊκῆς φιλοσοφίας
Selections on Chaldaean Philosophy
98 passages
Ἐκλογαὶ ἐκ τῆς Πλατωνικῆς Θεολογίας τοῦ Πρόκλου
Excerpts from Platonic Theology of Proclus
225 passages
Ἐπίγραμμα
Epigram
5 passages
Ἐπιγράμματα
Epigrams
12 passages
Ὕμνοι Α'-Ζ'
Hymns 1–7
192 passages
Ὕμνων Ἀποσπάσματα
Fragments of Hymns
3 passages

Simplicius of Cilicia

Περὶ οὐρανοῦ, Βιβλίον Αʹ
On the Heavens, Book I
28 passages
Περὶ τῶν Τεσσάρων Βιβλίων τοῦ Ἀριστοτέλους Περὶ
On Aristotle's Four Books on the Heavens, Commentary
14526 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὰ περὶ Ψυχῆς Ἀριστοτέλους
Commentary on On the Psychē
7338 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὰ φυσικὰ Ἀριστοτέλους
Commentary on the Physics
30464 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὰ φυσικὰ Ἀριστοτέλους, Αʹ
Commentary on the Physics: Book I
5723 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὰ φυσικὰ Ἀριστοτέλους, Βʹ
Commentary on the Physics: Book II
3005 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὰ φυσικὰ Ἀριστοτέλους, Γʹ
Commentary on the Physics: Book III
2926 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὰ φυσικὰ Ἀριστοτέλους, Δʹ
Commentary on the Physics: Book IV
6647 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὰ φυσικὰ Ἀριστοτέλους, Εʹ
Commentary on the Physics: Book V
2461 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὰ φυσικὰ Ἀριστοτέλους, Ζʹ
Commentary on the Physics: Book VI
2326 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὰ φυσικὰ Ἀριστοτέλους, Ηʹ
Commentary on the Physics: Book VII
1477 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὰ φυσικὰ Ἀριστοτέλους, Θʹ
Commentary on the Physics: Book VIII
5899 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὰς κατηγορίας Ἀριστοτέλους
On Aristotle's Categories, Commentary
9423 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὸ Ἐπικτήτου Ἐγχειρίδιον
Commentary on Epictetus' Handbook
3879 passages