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1you , and now 1 endeavour · that my divine part may return to that divine nature which flourishes throughout the universe . Such were the last words of this mighty man, which like those contained in his writings, are great and uncommon, admir¬ able and sublime. He died at the conclu¬ sion of the second year of the reign of M· Aurelius Flavius Claudius ; and was at the time of his death in the sixty-sixth year of his age, according to the information given to Porphyry by Eustochius. Porphyry afterwards informs us, in perfect agreement with the genius of Plotinus, that he would never tell to any one, the month, or day INTRODUCTION. Nvi in which he was born ; because he by no means thought it proper that his nativity should be celebrated with sacrifices and « banquets. Indeed we cannot suppose that he who had such a vehement contempt for a corporeal life» would be anxious that his entrance into mortality should be solem¬ nized with festivity ; but rather, considering himself with Empedocles, as Heaven's exile straying from the orb of light. he would be disposed to lament his capti» vity, and mourn the degradation of his nature. However, he was not averse to celebrate the nativities of Socrates and Plato ; for he assisted at the sacred rites, ahd invited his friends to a philosophic v * · banquet, where it was required that every introduction; XVII guest should recite a written oration, adapt¬ ed to the occasion of their amicable associa¬ tion. The few particulars which this great man condescended to relate of himself in familiar discourse, are the following : when he was eight years of age, and was even under the tuition of a literary preceptor, he used to frequent his nurse, and uncover her breasts, through an avidity of sucking her milk. And this custom he continued, till being accused of troublesomeness, and covered with shame through the reproof, he abandoned this extraordinary custom. This story, however trifling it may appear, indicates in my opinion, the native inno¬ cence, and genuine simplicity of manners which so eminently marked the character XV111 INTRODUCTION. of Plotinus. When he was in the twenty- eighth year of his age, being vehemently inflamed with the love of philosophy, he wras recommended to the most excellent masters of Alexandria; but he left their schools with sorrow and disappointment.
2XV111 INTRODUCTION. of Plotinus. When he was in the twenty- eighth year of his age, being vehemently inflamed with the love of philosophy, he wras recommended to the most excellent masters of Alexandria; but he left their schools with sorrow and disappointment. By a fortunate event however, he told a certain friend, who was well acquainted with the disposition of his mind, the cause of his affliction, and he brought him to the celebrated Ammonias, whose school Ploti¬ nus had probably overlooked, among the great multitude with which that illustrious city abounded. But when he entered the school of Ammonias, and heard him philo¬ sophize, he exclaimed in transport to his friend, this is the man I have been seeking. Prom that day he gave himself up to Am¬ monias with sedulous attention for eleven INTRODUCTION. XIX 5Tears ; and made such rapid advances in his philosophy, that he determined to study also the philosophy of the Persians, and the wisdom particularly cultivated by the Indian sages. For this purpose, when the Emperor Gordian marched into Persia, in order to war upon that nation, Plotinus joined himself to the army, being at that time in the nine and thirtieth }^ear of his age. But after Gordian was destroyed about Mesopotamia, Plotinus fled to Antioch, where he received a fortunate shelter from the dangers and devastations * of war ; and in the reign of the Emperor Philip came to Rome, in the fortieth year of his age. It was a long time before Plotinus com» mitted his thoughts to writing; and gave XX INTRODUCTION. the world a copy of his inimitable mind. That light which was shortly to illuminate mankind, as yet shone with solitary splen¬ dor, or at best beamed only on a beloved few. It was now, however, destined to emerge from its sanctuary, and to display its radiance with unbounded diffusion. But a disciple like Porphyry, was requisite to the full perfection of its appearance. Amelius was indeed laborious, but he was at the same time verbose. He neither appears to have possessed the inquisitive spirit, nor the elegant genius of Porphyry ; and his commentaries were too voluminous f * to be exquisitely good. Porphyry gives a singular specimen of his endurance of labor, when he informs us that he committed to writing almost all the dogmas of Numenius, find retained a very considerable part of INTRODUCTION. XXI them in his memory.
3nous f * to be exquisitely good. Porphyry gives a singular specimen of his endurance of labor, when he informs us that he committed to writing almost all the dogmas of Numenius, find retained a very considerable part of INTRODUCTION. XXI them in his memory. lie was not however, though an excellent philosopher, calculated to urge Plotinus to write, or to assist him in writing; hut this important task was reserved for Porphyry, who, in the words of Eunapius, “ like a Mercurial chain let down for the benefit of mortals, by the assistance of universal erudition, explained every thing with clearness and precision/' Ploti¬ nus, indeed, began to write in the first year of the Emperor Galienus ; and he con¬ tinued to note such questions as occurred to him, for the ten following years, in the last of which he became acquainted with Porphyry, who was at that time in the thirtieth year of his age. He had then composed one-and-twenty books, which were in the hands but of a few : for the edition was difficult to be procured, and Plot . c INTRODUCTION. xxii was not universally known. Besides, Ploti¬ nus was neither hasty nor rash in his publi¬ cations ; but he gave those only to the light, which had been approved by a mature and deliberate judgment. The one- and-twenty books we have just mentioned, after various inscriptions, at length obtain*· ed the following titles. On the Beautiful. Ennead I. lib. 6. On the Immortality of the Soul. IV. 7® On Fate. III. 1. On the Essence of the Soul. IV. I, On Intellect, Ideas, and Being. V. On the Descent of the Soul into Bodies. IV. 8. IIow things posterior to the First, proceed from the First, and on the One. V. 4. Whether all Souls are one 1 IV. 9. On the Good , or the One. VI. 9. On the three Hypostases that rank as the Principles of Things, V. 1. On the Generation and Order of Things posterior to the First. V. INTRODUCTION. XXIII On the two Matters [i. e. the Intelligible and the Sensible}. II. 4. Various Considerations. III. 9. On the Circular Motion of the Heavens. II. 2. On the Daemon allotted to us» III. 4. On the reasonable Exit from the present Life. I. 9® On Quality. II. 6. Whether there are Ideas of Particulars. V. 7® On the Virtues. Ϊ, 2. On Dialectic. I. 3. How the Soul is said to be a medium between an impart¬ ible and partible Essence. IV. 2. These one-and-twenty books were finish¬ ed when Porphyry first became acquainted with Plotinus ; and when this great man was fifty-nine years old.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
1you , and now 1 endeavour · that my divine part may return to that divine nature which flourishes throughout the universe . Such were the last words of this mighty man, which like those contained in his writings, are great and uncommon, admir¬ able and sublime. He died at the conclu¬ sion of the second year of the reign of M· Aurelius Flavius Claudius ; and was at the time of his death in the sixty-sixth year of his age, according to the information given to Porphyry by Eustochius. Porphyry afterwards informs us, in perfect agreement with the genius of Plotinus, that he would never tell to any one, the month, or day INTRODUCTION. Nvi in which he was born ; because he by no means thought it proper that his nativity should be celebrated with sacrifices and « banquets. Indeed we cannot suppose that he who had such a vehement contempt for a corporeal life» would be anxious that his entrance into mortality should be solem¬ nized with festivity ; but rather, considering himself with Empedocles, as Heaven's exile straying from the orb of light. he would be disposed to lament his capti» vity, and mourn the degradation of his nature. However, he was not averse to celebrate the nativities of Socrates and Plato ; for he assisted at the sacred rites, ahd invited his friends to a philosophic v * · banquet, where it was required that every introduction; XVII guest should recite a written oration, adapt¬ ed to the occasion of their amicable associa¬ tion. The few particulars which this great man condescended to relate of himself in familiar discourse, are the following : when he was eight years of age, and was even under the tuition of a literary preceptor, he used to frequent his nurse, and uncover her breasts, through an avidity of sucking her milk. And this custom he continued, till being accused of troublesomeness, and covered with shame through the reproof, he abandoned this extraordinary custom. This story, however trifling it may appear, indicates in my opinion, the native inno¬ cence, and genuine simplicity of manners which so eminently marked the character XV111 INTRODUCTION. of Plotinus. When he was in the twenty- eighth year of his age, being vehemently inflamed with the love of philosophy, he wras recommended to the most excellent masters of Alexandria; but he left their schools with sorrow and disappointment.
2XV111 INTRODUCTION. of Plotinus. When he was in the twenty- eighth year of his age, being vehemently inflamed with the love of philosophy, he wras recommended to the most excellent masters of Alexandria; but he left their schools with sorrow and disappointment. By a fortunate event however, he told a certain friend, who was well acquainted with the disposition of his mind, the cause of his affliction, and he brought him to the celebrated Ammonias, whose school Ploti¬ nus had probably overlooked, among the great multitude with which that illustrious city abounded. But when he entered the school of Ammonias, and heard him philo¬ sophize, he exclaimed in transport to his friend, this is the man I have been seeking. Prom that day he gave himself up to Am¬ monias with sedulous attention for eleven INTRODUCTION. XIX 5Tears ; and made such rapid advances in his philosophy, that he determined to study also the philosophy of the Persians, and the wisdom particularly cultivated by the Indian sages. For this purpose, when the Emperor Gordian marched into Persia, in order to war upon that nation, Plotinus joined himself to the army, being at that time in the nine and thirtieth }^ear of his age. But after Gordian was destroyed about Mesopotamia, Plotinus fled to Antioch, where he received a fortunate shelter from the dangers and devastations * of war ; and in the reign of the Emperor Philip came to Rome, in the fortieth year of his age. It was a long time before Plotinus com» mitted his thoughts to writing; and gave XX INTRODUCTION. the world a copy of his inimitable mind. That light which was shortly to illuminate mankind, as yet shone with solitary splen¬ dor, or at best beamed only on a beloved few. It was now, however, destined to emerge from its sanctuary, and to display its radiance with unbounded diffusion. But a disciple like Porphyry, was requisite to the full perfection of its appearance. Amelius was indeed laborious, but he was at the same time verbose. He neither appears to have possessed the inquisitive spirit, nor the elegant genius of Porphyry ; and his commentaries were too voluminous f * to be exquisitely good. Porphyry gives a singular specimen of his endurance of labor, when he informs us that he committed to writing almost all the dogmas of Numenius, find retained a very considerable part of INTRODUCTION. XXI them in his memory.
3nous f * to be exquisitely good. Porphyry gives a singular specimen of his endurance of labor, when he informs us that he committed to writing almost all the dogmas of Numenius, find retained a very considerable part of INTRODUCTION. XXI them in his memory. lie was not however, though an excellent philosopher, calculated to urge Plotinus to write, or to assist him in writing; hut this important task was reserved for Porphyry, who, in the words of Eunapius, “ like a Mercurial chain let down for the benefit of mortals, by the assistance of universal erudition, explained every thing with clearness and precision/' Ploti¬ nus, indeed, began to write in the first year of the Emperor Galienus ; and he con¬ tinued to note such questions as occurred to him, for the ten following years, in the last of which he became acquainted with Porphyry, who was at that time in the thirtieth year of his age. He had then composed one-and-twenty books, which were in the hands but of a few : for the edition was difficult to be procured, and Plot . c INTRODUCTION. xxii was not universally known. Besides, Ploti¬ nus was neither hasty nor rash in his publi¬ cations ; but he gave those only to the light, which had been approved by a mature and deliberate judgment. The one- and-twenty books we have just mentioned, after various inscriptions, at length obtain*· ed the following titles. On the Beautiful. Ennead I. lib. 6. On the Immortality of the Soul. IV. 7® On Fate. III. 1. On the Essence of the Soul. IV. I, On Intellect, Ideas, and Being. V. On the Descent of the Soul into Bodies. IV. 8. IIow things posterior to the First, proceed from the First, and on the One. V. 4. Whether all Souls are one 1 IV. 9. On the Good , or the One. VI. 9. On the three Hypostases that rank as the Principles of Things, V. 1. On the Generation and Order of Things posterior to the First. V. INTRODUCTION. XXIII On the two Matters [i. e. the Intelligible and the Sensible}. II. 4. Various Considerations. III. 9. On the Circular Motion of the Heavens. II. 2. On the Daemon allotted to us» III. 4. On the reasonable Exit from the present Life. I. 9® On Quality. II. 6. Whether there are Ideas of Particulars. V. 7® On the Virtues. Ϊ, 2. On Dialectic. I. 3. How the Soul is said to be a medium between an impart¬ ible and partible Essence. IV. 2. These one-and-twenty books were finish¬ ed when Porphyry first became acquainted with Plotinus ; and when this great man was fifty-nine years old.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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