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304 Nero Iamblichus allowed him to teach that the whole complex vision of Neoplatonism was ruled by mathematical principles beginning with a monad Mystical experience did not play a major role in the philosophy of Iamblichus Instead, he seemed intent on bringing the gods to people For most of Iamblichus’s life Platonism was held in high regard With the founding of Constantinople there was even speculation that Plotinus’s vision of a Platonopolis would be realized This was not to be after Christianity became the religion of the empire, despite the great admiration for him by Emperor Julian the Apostate PROCLUS AND DAMASCIUS Proclus Diadochus (412–485), one of the late representatives of Neoplatonism, was born at Constantinople and grew up at Xanthus in Lycia He attended the Neoplatonic lectures of Plutarch and Syrianus About 450 he succeeded to the chair of philosophy at Syrianus to become the successor of Plato He put Neoplatonism squarely into the Academy as its doctrine An adamant supporter of the old paganism, Proclus often attended or performed the rites of Egyptian, Chaldaean, and Greek celebrations He succeeded in so enraging the local Christians with his paganism that he felt it prudent to go to Asia Minor After a year he returned to Athens where he remained until his death The writings of Proclus were numerous, with a small number having survived His views were fully developed in his work On Platonic Theology His teachings on Neoplatonism were elaborated in Institutio Theologica Other writings by Proclus discussed astronomy, mathematics, and some of the astrology of Ptolemy The Neoplatonism of Damascius (c 480–550), taught at Alexandria, almost abandoned it He wrote Life of Isidorus and a long treatise, On the First Principles, which is a commentary on the last part of the Platonic dialogue, Parmenides The hierarchical world of Proclus is replaced with a mystical path that allows the soul to journey to the higher realities Perhaps the most influential of Neoplatonic writings in the Middle Ages was the anonymous work long attributed to Dionysius the Areopagite (Acts 17:34), but which are now attributed to Dionysius the Pseudo-Dionysius The writings of the Pseudo-Dionysius were originally written in Greek sometime after 450, probably either at Ephesus or in Syria The writings, The Divine Names, The Mystical Theology, The Celestial Hierarchy, The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, and The Letters, have been the center of debates by scholars over whether the PseudoDionysius was a Neoplatonist, a Christian, or both Neoplatonism’s influence was deep and long lasting The Neoplatonists promoted a fresh, dynamic philosophy Christians influenced by Neoplatonism include Origen, the Cappadocian Fathers of Orthodoxy, and some of the medieval Byzantines such as Psellos Neoplatonism found occasional expressions in medieval Western philosophy in the writings of Johannes Scotus Eriugena, and others After the Arab conquest of much of the Middle East, Neoplatonism deeply influenced Islamic philosophy through the thought of Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Averroës, and others Neoplatonism influenced Jewish philosophy and literature in Moorish Spain, eventually finding expression in the philosophy of Baruch de Spinoza See also Alexandrian literature; Epicureanism; Greek oratory and rhetoric; libraries, ancient; preSocratic philosophy; Sophocles Further reading: Armstrong, A H., ed The Cambridge History of Later Greek and Early Medieval Philosophy Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1970; Bigg, Charles Neoplatonists 1886; Blumenthal, H J Aristotle and Neoplatonism in Late Antiquity: Interpretations of the De Animia Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1996; Bowerstock, G W Hellenism in Late Antiquity Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990; Brehier, Emile The Hellenistic and Roman Age Trans by Wade Baskin Reprint, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1965; Burt, B C A Brief History of Greek Philosophy Boston: Ginn and Co., 1889; Gersh, Stephen From Iamblichus to Eriugena: An Investigation of the Prehistory and Evolution of the Pseudo-Dionysian Tradition Leiden, Netherlands: E J Brill, 1978; Honderich, Ted The Oxford Companion to Philosophy New York: Oxford University Press, 1995; Luibheid, Colm, trans Pseudo-Dionysius: The Complete Works Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1987; Siorvanes, Lucas Proclus: Neo-Platonic Philosophy and Science New Haven: CT: Yale University Press, 1996; Wallis, R T Neoplatonism Indianapolis, IN: Hackett, 1995 Jack Waskey Nero (37–68 c.e.) Roman emperor The fifth and final of the Julio-Claudian emperors, a dynasty founded by Augustus Caesar, Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus reigned for the last 14 years of his life, succeeding his mother’s uncle Claudius Although a patron of the arts, his reign is remembered as one indicative of the decadence and eventual fall of Rome—the