396-423

Roman Neoplatonist philosopher of Greek parentage who was best known for his Saturnalia and a commentary on the Insomnium Scipionis (Dream of Scipio) in Cicero's De republica. His commentary was essentially an encyclopedic rendering of the Platonic interpretation of terrestrial and celestial science. Among many topics, the subject of the possible celestial nature of the Milky Way is an apt example with a lengthy discussion noting the ideas of Democritus, the Stoic Posidonius, and Aristotle's student Theophrastus. It was an important source of Platonic scientific thought and opinion to well into the Middle Ages.