205-270 C.E.
Neoplatonic Philosopher

A Deep Thinker. Although a Roman, Plotinus was possibly born in Egypt, though he also seems to have been fluent in Greek. He became a philosopher in his late twenties, and even traveled east to improve his knowledge of philosophies in that region. Around 235 he settled in Rome. A teacher and social activist, he had a large following during his years in Rome. A late member of the Academy, in the period of thought known as "Neoplatonism," Plotinus composed his teachings into a comprehensive work called the Enneads, or The Book of Nines, when he was about fifty. Plotinus's conception of reality held that all things proceeded outward from the "One" in concentric circles, like the ripples on water when a stone is thrown in a pool. These rings represent the various states of reality as they progress further and further from...