The life of Plotinus is known, so far as it is known, through the biography written by his friend
and disciple Porphyry, a Semite whose real name was Malchus. There are, however, miraculous
elements in this account, which make it difficult to place a complete reliance upon its more
credible portions.
Plotinus considered his spatio-temporal appearance unimportant, and was loath to talk about the
accidents of his historical existence. He stated, however, that he was born in Egypt, and it is
known that as a young man he studied in Alexandria, where he lived until the age of thirty-nine,
and where his teacher was Ammonius Saccas, often regarded as the founder of neoplatonism.
He then joined the expedition of the Emperor Gordian III against the Persians, with the
intention, it is said, of studying the religions of the East. The Emperor was still a youth, and was
murdered by the army, as was at that time the custom. This occurred during his campaign in
Mesopotamia in A.D. 244. Plotinus thereupon abandoned his oriental projects and settled in
Rome, where he soon began to teach. Among his hearers were many influential men, and he
was favoured by the Emperor Gallienus. * At one time he formed a project of founding Plato's
Republic in the Campania, and building for the purpose a new city to be called Platonopolis.
The Emperor, at first, was favourable, but ultimately withdrew his permission. It may seem
strange that there should be room for a new city so near Rome, but probably by that time the
region was malarial, as it is now, but had not been earlier. He wrote nothing until the age of
forty-nine; after that, he wrote much. His works were edited and arranged by Porphyry, who
was more Pythagorean than Plotinus, and caused the Neoplatonist school to become more
supernaturalist than it would have been if it had followed Plotinus more faithfully.
The respect of Plotinus for Plato is very great; Plato is usually alluded to as "He." In general, the
"blessed ancients" are treated with reverence, but this reverence does not extend to the atomists.
The
* Concerning Gallienus, Gibbon remarks: "He was a master of several curious but useless
sciences, a ready orator and an elegant poet, a skillful gardener, an excellent cook, and
most contemptible prince. When the great emergencies of the State required his presence
and attention, he was engaged in conversation with the philosopher Plotinus, wasting his
time in trifling or licentious pleasures, preparing his initiation to the Grecian mysteries, or
soliciting a place in the Areopagus of Athens" (Ch. X).