o O O
tration of public affairs. Such indeed, was
his familiarity with our philosopher that, as
we have already observed, Plotinus spent
the last hours of his life at his rural retreat.
Porphyry likewise informs us, that not a
few senators were the sedulous auditors of
Plotinus. Phil osophy indeed, as it is the
most noble and liberal of all pursuits, ought
never to be separated from noble birth and
exalted rank. It is naturally allied to every
thing great, and is calculated to confer
dignity, even on greatness itself. It exalts
the majesty of the monarch, stamps nobility
with true grandeur, and raises the plebeian
to immortality. Among this illustrious
body of men, Marcellus Orontius diligently
applied himself to philosophy, and made
rapid advances in its attainment. This too
was the case with Sabinillus, and above all
with the senator Rogatianus.1 So deeply
1 This Rogatianus is doubtless the person to whom Por¬ phyry alludes in his treatise On Abstinence, lib. i. p. 106. in the following passage : " There was once an instance, where a negligence of terrene concerns, and a contemplation and intuition of such as are divine, expelled an articular disease, which had infested a certain person for the space of eight years. So that at the very same time, that his soul was divested of a solicitous concern for riches, and corporeal affairs, his body was freed from a troublesome disease." What Porphyry here says is perfectly conformable to the
enamoured was this last-mentioned noble¬
man of the charms of wisdom, and the
discourses of Plotinus, and so attentive to
the care of separating his soul from his
corporeal life, that he neglected his wrealth
and secular affairs, dismissed his servants,
and rejected the dignities of the state.
Hence, when he was chosen praetor, and
the lictors waited for his appearance, he
neither came into public, nor regarded the
duties of his office, nor dwelt in the house
allotted for his reception ; but he supt and
slept with certain of his friends and fami¬
liars, and gave himself to absolute retire¬
ment in the day. By this negligence and
carelessness of life, (says Porphyry) from
Chaldaean oracle, ** By extending a fiery (i. e. a divine) intellect to the work of piety, you will preserve the flowing body/'
XX XII INTR0DUC Γ ION.
beins; so vehemently afflicted with the gout,
that he was obliged to be carried in a chair,
he resumed his pristine strength and vigor.
And from being so diseased in his hands*
that he could not extend them when
necessary, he so recovered their use by
philosophic endurance, that he could em¬
ploy them with greater expedition than
the manual mechanic. This great man,
as we may. suppose, possessed a principal
place in the esteem of Plotinus, who was
not sparing in his praise of so uncommon
a character, and proposed him as an illus¬
trious example to the pupils of philosophy.
Happy Rogatianus ! who could relinquish
power for knowledge, and prefer the per¬
petual inheritance of wisdom to the gaudy
splendors of title, and the fleeting honors of
command. Alexand-rinus Serapion, too,
was one of his associates, who was at first
a rhetorician, bat afterwards gave himself
to philosophical discussions; though, shame¬
ful to relate, he was at the same time a
slave to usuiy and avarice.1 Besides all
1 Aristotle, in his Nicomachean Ethics, has shewn with his usual accuracy, that avarice is worse than profusion. First, because it is incurable. For it is the vice of old age, and increases with age. It is also manifold, and has nothing; in common with liberality. In the third place, it is not useful to any one, not even to him who labours under it. Hence the proverb, that the avaricious man never benefits, but when he dies ; for then he begins to be useful. And in the fourth place, men more frequently sin in this vice than in that of profusion. But prodigality is less a vice than avarice, hist, because it may be easily cured and corrected, partly by increase of age, and partly by a defect of wealth. For poverty at. length compels the prodigal to stop his profusion. And in the next place, prodigality is more allied to liberality than avarice ; so far as, by giving, it is also useful to others ; and on that account it is likewise sometimes praised. In short, if there is not any thing more excellent than goodness, and because there is not, we call God goodness itself , and if the very essence of goodness consists in imparting in a be-
Introduction·
these, says Porphyry, he reckoned me, a
native of Tyre, among his most friendly
adherents, and whom he also appointed to
correct his writings.
The following particulars relative to
composition are related by Porphyry of
this extraordinary man. He could by no
means endure to review twice what he had
written, nor even to read his composition,
through the badness of his sight. But
while he was writing he neither formed the
the letters with accuracy, nor exactly
distinguished the syllables, nor bestowed
any diligent attention on the orthography ;
but neglecting all these as trifles, he was
alone attentive to the intellection of his
coming manner, there cannot be any thing worse than avarice, since the very essence of it consists in failing to give.
wonderful mind ; and, to the admiration of
all his disciples, persevered in this custom
to the end of his life. To the mere critic
and philologist, Plotinus will doubtless
appear inexcusable for such important
omissions ; but to the sublime and con¬
templative genius, his negligence will be
considered as the result of vehement con¬
ception, and profound ratiocination. Such,
indeed, was the power of his intellect, that
when he had once conceived the whole
disposition of his thoughts from the begin¬
ning to the end, and had afterwards
committed them to writing, his composition
was so connected, that he appeared to be
merely transcribing from a book. Hence
he would discuss his domestic affairs with¬
out departing from the actual intention of
his mind ; and at one and the same time
transact the necessary negotiations of
friendship, and preserve an uninterrupted
survey of the things he had proposed to
consider. In consequence of this uncom¬
mon power of intellection, when he returned
to writing, after the departure of the person
with whom he had been conversing, he did
not review what he had written, owing, as
we have observed, to the defect of Ids sight ;
and yet he so connected the preceding with
the subsequent conceptions, as if his
composition had never been interrupted.
Hence he was at the same time present
with others and with himself, so that as Por¬
phyry observes, the self-converted energy
of his intellect was never remitted, except
perhaps in sleep, which the paucity of his
food (for he frequently abstained even from
bread) and his incessant conversion to
Xxxv11
intellect, contributed in no small degree to expel.
Several women also vehemently admired
the doctrines of Plotinus ; and also many
noble persons of both sexes, when at the
point of death, committed their children
and all their property to Plotinus, as to a
certain sacred and divine guardian. Hence,
says Porphyry, the house of Plotinus was
filled with boys and virgins, (among the
number of which was Potamon) whom he
educated with diligence and care. Nor
was he wearied in hearing the procurators
of his pupils, rendering an account of their
conduct, or paying an accurate attention to
the expenditure of their income, affirming,
that as they did not yet philosophize, they
ought to possess their own property, and
Plot .
Xxxv111
receive their annual rents without detriment.
Yet though he was so attentive to his pupils
in the necessary concerns of life, the intel¬
lectual energy of his soul while he was
awake, never suffered any interruption
from externals, nor any remission of vigor.
He was likewise extremely mild in his man¬
ners, and was easy of access to all his friends
and adherents. Hence, so great was his
philosophic urbanity, that though he
resided at Rome six-and-twenty years, and
had been the arbitrator of many litigious
causes, which he amicably dissolved, yet
he had no enemy throughout that vast and
illustrious city.
But though Plotinus was so greatly
esteemed at Rome, and in general by all
who had the happiness of his acquaintance,
yet he had one vehement enemy in the
person of Alexandrinus Olympius, who had
been for a short time the disciple of
Ammonius, and who arrogantly conceived
himself to be the first of philosophers, and
conducted himself contemptuously towards
Plotinus. So deadly, indeed, was his hatred
of our philosopher, that he attempted to
invade him, by drawing down, through
magical arts, the baneful influences of the
stars. The attempt was however vain, and
noxious to its author. For the sidereal
defluxions, instead of being hurtful to
Plotinus, were reflected on Olympius.
Hence he exclaimed to his companions,
“ that the soul of Plotinus possessed such a
mighty power, that it immediately repelled
malignant influences directed upon his
person, on the authors of the evil/' But
Plotinus, when Olympius first machinated
his sidereal inchantments, was conscious of
his design, and said to his friends : 64 Now
the body of Olympius is contracted like a
purse, and all his members are bruised
together.” After Olympius, therefore, had
often found to his own detriment, that the
baneful influences intended for Plotinus
were repelled on himself, he desisted from
such base and fruitless undertakings.
Indeed, says Porphyry, Plotinus naturally
possessed something greater than the rest of
mankind, which the following extraordinary
relation abundantly evinces. A certain
Egyptian priest, who at that time was at
Rome, and who became known to Plotinus
through oneof his friends (perhaps Porphyry
himself), being desirous to exhibit his wisdom
in that illustrious city, persuaded our
Introduction»
philosopher to attend him, for the purpose
of beholding, through his invocations, his
familiar daemon ; to which request Plotinus
readily consented. But the invocation was
performed in the temple of Isis ; this being
the only pure place in Rome the Egyptian
priest was able to find. However, instead
of a daemon, as was expected, a God ap¬
proached, who was not, says Porphyry, in
the genus of daemons. The Egyptian
astonished at the unexpected event ex¬
claimed, “ Happy Plotinus, who hast a
God for a daemon,1 and whose familiar
1 “ The most perfect souls (says Proclus in MS. Com* ment. in Alcibiad. I.) who are conversant with generation in ^n undefiled manner, as they choose a life conformable to their presiding God, so they live according to a divine daemon, who conjoined them to their proper deity when they dwelt on high. Hence, the Egyptian priest admired Plotinus, as being governed by a divine daemon,” And prior to this he observes, that the first and highest daemons are divine*
xlii INTRODUCTION.
attendant does not rank among the inferior
kind !” This extraordinary, however, and
delightful vision was of short duration.
For the priest affirmed, that it was not then
lawful to ask any question, or any longer to
enjoy the vision because a certain friend
who was present at the spectacle, suffocated
some birds which he held in his hands for
the sake of safety, either impelled by envy
or terrified through fear. As Plotinus
therefore was allotted a daemon belonging
to the diviner orders, the divine eye of his
soul was perpetually elevated to this
guardian deity. On this account, he
composed a book, On the Daemons which
are allotted to us, in which he diligently^
and who often appear as Gods, through their transcendent
similitude to the divinities. For that which is first in every
order preserves the form of the nature prior to itself."
endeavours to assign the causes of the
diversity subsisting among these attendants
on mankind.
Plotinus likewise appears to have pos¬
sessed a most extraordinary skill in physi¬
ognomy, as is evinced by the following
circumstance. A lady named Chion, who
together with her daughters resided in
his house, and there happily passed a
chaste widowhood, was fraudulently de¬
prived of a very valuable necklace. In
consequence of this, all the servants and
domestics were summoned into the presence
of Plotinus, who regarded their several
countenances, selected one of them, and
accused him of the theft. The man was
immediately chastized, and for some time
denied the fact, but at length confessed his
xllv INTRODUCTION.
guilt, and restored the necklace. In a
similar manner (says Porphyry) he wonder¬
fully predicted the destiny of the young
men of his acquaintance ; as of one Polemo,
he foretold, that he would be very much
addicted to love, and would live but for a
short time, which happened according to
his prediction. But the last instance of
his sagacity, related by Porphyry, excels
all the rest, both in the singular skill which
it displays, and the happy consequences it
produced. Porphyry, as we are informed
by Eunapius in his life of him, on his first
acquaintance with Plotinus, bade a final
farewell to all his preceptors, and wholly
applied himself to the friendship and con¬
fidence of this wonderful man. Here he
filled his mind with science, and drew
abundantly without satiety, from the per-
ennial fountain, seated in the sanctuary of
the soul of Plotinus. But afterwards,
being vanquished as it were, by the magni¬
tude of his doctrines, he conceived a hatred
of body, and could no longer endure the
fetters of mortality. δέ Hence,” says Por¬
phyry, ce 1 formed an intention of destroying
myself, which Plotinus perceived, and as
I was walking home stood before me, and
said that my design was not the dictate of
a sound intellect, but was the effect of a
certain melancholy disease. In consequence
of this, he ordered me to depart from Rome,
and accordingly I went to Sicily, particu¬
larly as I heard that a certain worthy and
elegant man dwelt at that time about LiljT-
baeum. And thus indeed I was liberated
from this [deadly] intention, but was
hindered from being present with Plotinus
till his death.”
Bat the great reputation of this divine
man was not confined to the senate and
people of Rome : for the emperor GaTienus
and his wife Salonina, honored his person
and reverenced his doctrine. Indeed, so
highly was he esteemed by the emperor,
that relying on his benevolence, he re¬
quested that a city in Campania, which
had been formerly destroyed, might be re-
stored, and rendered a fit habitation for
philosophers ; and besides this that it might
be governed by the laws of Plato, and
called Platonopolis. The emperor indeed
assented to his wishes, and the philosopher
would have easily accomplished his inten¬
tions, if some of the emperor’s familiars,
impelled by envy or indignation, or some
other depraved cause, had not impeded its
execution.
This very extraordinary man, as we are
informed by Porphyry, was strenuous in
discourse, and most powerful in discovering
and conceiving what was appropriate; but
in certain words he was incorrect. While
he was speaking however, there was an
evident indication of the predominance of
intellect in his conceptions. For the light
of it diffused itself as far as to his counten¬
ance, which was indeed at all times lovely,
but was then particular^ beautiful. For
then a certain attenuated and dewy mois¬
ture appeared on his face, and a pleasing
mildness shone forth. Then, also, he
exhibited a placid gentleness in receiving
questions, and demonstrated a vigor un¬
commonly robust in the solution of them.
When Porphyry once had interrogated him
for three days, on the manner in which the
soul is present with the body, he persevered
in demonstrating the inode of its conjunc¬
tion. And when a certain person, named
Thaumasius, entered his school, for the
purpose of discussing general questions in
philosophy, and premised that he wished
to hear Plotinus explain the books that
were read in his school, but that he was
prevented by the questions and answers of
Porphyry, Plotinus replied ; 64 Unless we
dissolve the doubts of Porphyry, we shall
not be able to explain any thing in the
book which you wish us to make the sub¬
ject of discussion,’5 He wrote as he spoke,
strenuously 1 and with abundance of intel¬
lect. His style also is concise, and abounds
more with profundity of conception than