ABSTRACT
Plotinus was born in Egypt, and died aged sixty-six, in Campania, now South Central Italy. Plotinus was a vegetarian, who also refused any medicines made from animals, and he abstained from bathing. Plotinus is widely known as the founder of Neo-Platonism, a philosophical school that claimed to be based on the views of Plato. Plotinus claims that his philosophy adds nothing new to what Plato said, but most commentators on Plotinus and Plato disagree with him on that point. Plotinus, like Plato, holds that dialectic is the most important part of philosophy and therefore the most important activity one’s soul can perform. Porphyry also tells us that Olympius of Alexandria adopted a superior attitude to Plotinus and used magic in an attempt to harm him, but that Plotinus’ soul warded off the attacks. Unfortunately, despite Porphyry’s editorial efforts, Plotinus’ writings, though very profound and worthy of study, are neither systematic nor readily understandable.
