The Enneads

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※ Porphyry on the life of Plotinus and the order of his books ※

Plotinus, the philosopher who lived in our time, seemed like one ashamed that he was in a body. From such a disposition, he could not bear to talk about his ancestry, his parents, or his homeland. Regarding a painter or sculptor, he so thoroughly disdained the idea of sitting for them—as he said to Amelius when he begged him to allow a likeness of him to be made—that he remarked: "Is it not enough to carry this image Greek: "eidolon." In Neoplatonic thought, the physical body is seen as a mere shadow or reflection of the true, spiritual self. which nature has placed around us, but must I also leave behind an image of an image A reference to Plato’s critique of art as being two steps removed from reality., longer-lasting, as if it were one of those works worth seeing?" For this reason, he refused.

But since Carterius, the most excellent of such artists, was a friend and attended his lectures (for anyone who wished could attend), he gradually memorized Plotinus's features through constant observation. After this, painting the image from memory, and with Amelius helping to ensure the likeness was accurate, the portrait of Plotinus was painted without him ever knowing.

He also seemed to always have a sickly body. The colic pains in his stomach, which often occurred, made him refuse the use of enemas provided by doctors, saying that such treatment was not at all fitting for an elderly man. He also turned away from the use of medicines derived from wild animals Greek: "theriou pharmakou." These were ancient medicinal preparations, often containing animal parts or viper flesh, thought to be potent remedies., saying he did not know what those derived from irrational animals would do to the human body; nor did he use public baths daily. However, using a daily rubbing with oil Greek: "aleimmati." Massage with oil was a standard hygienic and medical practice in antiquity. at home, he was not careless regarding his health.

It happened that the servants who rubbed him died from the plague Likely a reference to the "Plague of Cyprian," a pandemic that afflicted the Roman Empire in the mid-3rd century AD., and because he did not neglect his own care even slightly, the disease gradually increased. While he was alive, no outward signs of the disease appeared. But after his servants died, the sores grew severe and the discharge increased, as his companion Eustochius said, who arrived to be with him. Eustochius, caring for him until the very end, remained present; as he said, Plotinus would not allow his other friends to approach him, so they would not be contaminated by his illness.

I, Porphyry, happened at that time to be living in Lilybaeum Modern-day Marsala, Sicily. Porphyry had traveled there on Plotinus's advice to recover from a bout of depression.. So I was not present at his death, nor was I neglecting his suffering. He happened to be living on the estate that belonged to Zethus, an old companion of his who had died, provided by his friends because of his physical weakness and the lack of basic needs in the countryside. When he was dying, as Eustochius said while caring for him, he did not smile unclear: "εἴπατα" - likely a scribal error or variant for a word regarding his speech or expression. Having arrived, Plotinus said to him: "I have been waiting for you," and "strive to bring the divine in us back to the divine in the universe." This famous final statement summarizes Plotinus's philosophy: the return of the individual soul to the "One" or the Universal Divine. And not much...

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