290 GREEK PHILOSOPHY. 



After having finished his grammatical studies at Alexandria, in his 

 twenty-eighth year, he felt anxious to attend philosophical lectures, but 

 the mixture of collateral knowledge on literary subjects, which entered 

 into their composition, dissatisfied and saddened his mind, which 

 yearned for pure metaphysical speculations. The method of Ammonius 

 was far more congenial to his turn for mysticism ; and the instant he 

 heard that philosopher, he declared that he was the man whom he 

 sought, and he continued to receive his instructions eleven years. The 

 praises which this preceptor had lavished on the transcendental 

 wisdom of the Magi and Brahmins, filled him with an ardent desire 

 of visiting the East ; and he availed himself of the opportunity of 

 gratifying it which was presented by the expedition of Gordian against 

 A.D. 243. the Persians. But, in consequence of the disastrous death of that 

 emperor, he was forced to save himself by flight to Antioch, whence 

 he proceeded to Rome. Here he observed for some time the secrecy 

 which Ammonius had enjoined respecting the esoteric portion of his 

 lessons ; but, on learning that it had been violated by his fellow-pupils, 

 Herennius and Origen, he considered himself released from all scruples 

 on the subject. His lectures, during ten years, were only orally 

 delivered ; but afterwards he committed parts of his precepts to writing, 

 and communicated them to persons whose judgment he respected. At 

 length the accession of Porphyry to the number of his disciples, 

 induced him to write some works, in order to explain with greater 

 accuracy the difficulties which occasionally arose. During the six 

 years that Porphory studied under him, he wrote four-and-twenty 

 books ; before that disciple's arrival, he composed twenty-one ; and 

 after his departure, nine. The different ages at which they were 

 written have been, perhaps fancifully, marked bf the different style of 

 these several parts before it reached, when it fully possessed, and 

 after it had passed its mature strength. His mind was trained to the 

 difficult task of going through the plan or composition of a whole work 

 with so much accuracy, that his sentences, when delivered, required 

 no alteration, and casual interruptions were not known to disturb the 

 thread of his meditations. To the badness of his handwriting, the 

 incorrectness of his orthography, and more especially the neglect of 

 revision on his part, may, perhaps, be ascribed in some degree the con- 

 fusion which is still complained of in his works, notwithstanding the 

 corrections of Porphyry. 



Though the lectures of Plotinus were of too abstruse a nature to become 

 very popular, they were attended by Romans of senatorian rank, and 

 proved sufficiently powerful to induce some to resign their magisterial 

 duties in order to indulge in a philosophic life. So deep was the 

 respect which was entertained for his integrity, that numerous lawsuits 

 were referred to his arbitration, and many persons on their deathbeds 

 intrusted him with the guardianship of their children. The emperor 

 Gallienus and the empress Salonina paid him marked regard ; and it is 

 attributed to the opposition of malevolent courtiers, that he was 

 unsuccessful in his plan to have a city in Campania rebuilt, to be 



