Inspirational Quotes by Plotinus (Ancient Greek Philosopher, Mystic)

Plotinus (c.205–270 CE) was a Greek Philosopher and mystic. He is the founder of the Neoplatonic School of philosophy.

Born in Lycopolis, Egypt, of Roman parents, Plotinus studied in Alexandria under Ammonius Saccas, and in Persia, and settled in Rome in 244 CE. He became a well-liked lecturer, promoting asceticism and contemplative life.

Plotinus’s 54 works, produced between 253 CE and 270 CE, were edited after his death by his friend and pupil Porphyry, who organized them into six groups of nine books, or Enneads. They established the foundations of Neoplatonism as a philosophical approach, combining the doctrines of Plato with those of Pythagoras, Aristotle, and the Stoics.

Plotinus indirectly exercised much influence on early Christian theology, esp. on Saint Augustine of Hippo and Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite. Neoplatonism was the dominant philosophy in Europe for a thousand years, establishing a linkage between ancient and medieval thought. It became the biggest challenger to Christianity during the declining years of the ancient world.

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