PREFACE

An earlier version of this work was presented as a Ph.D. dissertation at the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1982. The present version (slightly revised) has benefited from consulting recent publications, such as Glenn Morrow's and John Dillon's translation of Proclus' Commentary on Plato's Parmenides (Princeton, 1987), Carlos Steel's second volume of Moerbeke's Latin translation of Proclus' Parmenides (Louvain, 1985), and recent scholarship (through 1988) on the Oracles, Neoplatonism, and related material. Regretfully, volume five of Saffrey-Westerink's Budé edition of Proclus' Platonic Theology was not available to me when this manuscript went to press.

My thanks go to Birger Pearson, my thesis advisor, who first suggested this project to me and skillfully guided the original thesis to completion and who has remained a valued friend and colleague; to Joseph Margon and Alva Bennett, who also served on my doctoral committee and were instrumental in developing my early interest in Greek and Latin; to Gregory Shaw, for his insightful comments and stimulating conversation over the past several years; to Randi Glick and Marilyn McCarty, who carefully typed the original manuscript; to Randall Smith, whose expertise in both classical languages and computer technology made it possible (and pleasant) for me to convert this manuscript to Nota Bene A word-processing software.. I also wish to thank H. S. Versnel and F. T. van Straten for accepting this work in their SGRR Studies in Greek and Roman Religion. series and Julian Deahl, Brill religion editor, for his advice and patience. Mr. Theo Joppe is to be acknowledged for his skill and speed in bringing this book to completion.

Personal thanks of love and appreciation go to my family; my daughter, Andrea, and my sons, Christopher and Geoffrey and their families. Most of all, I wish to thank my husband, Richard Comstock, for his unfailing good humor, patience, and support. It is to him that this book is lovingly dedicated.