Select Works of Plotinus — trans. Thomas Taylor
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ular^ 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
Ί · ι» · xlviii
INTRODUCTION.
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 s Id the original σύντομος ; but from what follow 5, it is evident that it should be σύντονος „ introduction. xlix copiousness of words. “ He poured forth many things, says Porphyry, under the influence of inspiration; and was wonder¬ fully affected with the subjects he discussed. The latent dogmas of the Stoics and Peri¬ patetics, are mingled in his writings; and he has condensed in them the metaphysics of Aristotle. He was n.ot ignorant of any geometrical, arithmetical, mechanical, optical, or musical theorem, though he never applied these sciences to practical purposes. The commentaries of the Platonic philosophers, Cronius, Numenius, Gaius, Atticus, &c. ; as also of the Peri¬ patetics, Aspasius, Alexander, Adrasius,
*
&c. were read in his school ; but he bor¬ rowed nothing whatever from these. For his conceptions were entirely his own, and his theory was different from theirs. In his investigations he exhibited the intellect
p. 1
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of Ammonius. He was also rapidly filled with what he read ; and having in a few words given the meaning of a profound theory, he arose. Having once read the treatise of Longinus 44 concerning princi¬ ples,” he said 44 that Longinus was indeed a philologist, but by no means a philoso¬ pher/' When in the celebration of Plato's nativity, Porphyry recited a poem which he called 44 the Sacred Marriage,”1 and a
1 According to the Orphic theology as we learn from Proclus, that divinity who is the cause of stable power and sameness, the supplier of being, and the e celebration of Plato's nativity, Porphyry recited a poem which he called 44 the Sacred Marriage,”1 and a
1 According to the Orphic theology as we learn from Proclus, that divinity who is the cause of stable power and sameness, the supplier of being, and the first principle of conversion to all things, is of a male characteristic ; but the divinity which emits from itself all-various progressions, separations, measures of life, and prolific powers, is feminine. And a communication of energies between the two, was denominated by this theology a sacred marriage. Proclus adds, “ that theologists at one time perceiving this com¬ munion in co-ordinate Gods, called it the marriage of Jupi¬ ter and Juno, Heaven and Earth, Saturn and Rhea. But at another time surveying it in the conjunction of subordinate with superior Gods, they called it the marriage of Jupiter and Ceres. And at another, perceiving it in the union of
INTRODUCTION,
li certain person who was present observed that Porphyry was mad, because many things were said in the poem mystically and latently, accompanied with a divine afflatus, Plotinus openly exclaimed, “ You have shown yourself at the same time a poet, a philosopher, and an hierophant.** On a certain time too, an orator named Diophanes read an apology for the intoxi¬ cated Alcibiades in the Banquet of Plato, endeavouring to prove that it was proper for the sake of learning virtue, that the lover should expose himself to the object of his attachment, and not even refuse venereal congress. But while he was reading this licentious defence, Plotinus often rose superior with inferior divinities, they denominated it the marriage of Jupiter and Proserpine/' Vid. Prod, in Tim, et in Parmenid,
INTRODUCTION.
lii from his seat, as if he would suddenly leave the assembly ; but he restrained himself till it was finished. However, when he left the company, he desired Porphyry to con¬ fute the oration. But when Porphyry requested the orator to lend him his discourse for this purpose, and was refused, he answered him from recollection, and delivered his answer in the presence of the same auditors as had attended Diophanes. On this occasion Plotinus was so delighted, that he often repeated in the assembly.
“ Thus write and you’ll illuminate mankind/’ *
Plotinus likewise applied himself to the canons concerning the stars, but not a.LK€v τι φοως Δαναοισι γενηαι.
1 A line somewhat altered from Homer. The original
Iliad, 8. v. 282.
INTRODUCTION.
3iii according to a very mathematical mode.
luminate mankind/’ *
Plotinus likewise applied himself to the canons concerning the stars, but not
1 A line somewhat altered from Homer. The original a.LK€v τι φοως Δαναοισι γενηαι.
Iliad, 8. v. 282.
INTRODUCTION.
3iii according to a very mathematical mode. That is, we may presume, he very little regarded the calculation of eclipses, or measuring the distance of the sun and moon from the earth, or determining the magnitudes and velocities of the planets.
*
For he considered employments of this kind, as more the province of the mathe¬ matician, than of the profound and intel¬ lectual philosopher. The mathematical sciences are indeed the proper means of acquiring wisdom, but they ought never to be considered as its end. They are the bridge as it were between sense and intellect, by which we may safely pass through the night of oblivion, over the dark and stormy ocean of matter, to the lucid
V
regions of the intelligible world. And he who is desirous of returning to his true
INTRODUCTION.
llV country, will speedily pass over this bridge without making any needless delays in his passage. But he more accurately investi¬ gated the doctrine of Astrologers about the influences of the stars, and not finding their predictions to be certain, he frequently confuted them in his writings.
·? g , ,· <'-· , *> r « 1 * ·
At that time there were many Christians and others, who forsaking the ancient philosophers became the followers of Adelphius and Aquilinus. These men possessed many writings of Alexander Libycus, Philocomus, Demostratus, and Lydus ; and openly exhibited certain revelations of Zoroaster, Zostrianus, Nicotheus, Allogenes, Mesus, and others of a like kind. They also deceived many, and were themselves deceived, asserting that
INTRODUCTION,
Iv
Plato had by no means penetrated the depth of an intelligible essence. On this occasion, Plotinus urged many arguments in his conferences against these impostors, and composed a treatise in confutation of their tenets, which Porphyry inscribed against the Gnostics/1 But A melius wrote forty books against the treatise of Zostrianus; and Porphyry showed by a variety of argu« ments that the book which they attributed to Zoroaster was spurious and recent, and was fabricated by the propagators of the heresy, in order that their opinions might pass for the genuine dogmas of the ancient Zoroaster.
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