On the Demonology of Plotinus

the Christian theology 2 has been immense. Considering that it seems paradoxical that the philosophy of Plotinus has been undertaken systematically and perhaps even comprehensive in the last 20 years only. During this short period of time more research papers have been written about him than during the whole one and a half millennium following his death. The flow broke loose after the final completion of the new text-critical 3-volumed issue of Plotinus’ Enneads by Paul Henry and Hans-Rudolph Schwyzer (1973), 3 which is “undoubtedly the most important contribution to Plotinian scholarship since Porphyry published the Enneads” 4 and which has been called with a certain specific hauteur the first scientific edition of Plotinus’ works. 5 The Lexicon Plotinianum (1980) 6 compiled by John Sleeman and Gilbert Pollet has contributed to the study of Plotinus likewise. All 54 treatises of Plotinus have not attracted equal attention. Some treatises have been constantly reissued with new comments attached, and quite frequently two separate commentaries are issued concurrently. At the same time, there are a small number of treatises that have attracted little or no attention at all, not to mention the republications with comments. 7 One of such ‘unnoticed’ ones is the 4th treatise of the III Ennead (15th in the chronological order), entitled (by Plotinus’ disciple Porphyry) “ ” (“On our allotted guardian spirit”) The treatise has been quoted in several contexts, its main theme ‐ Plotinus’ treatment of daimon 8 ‐ however, has been rarely mentioned. But bearing in mind the comprehension of the philosophical and religious demonology prevailing during the first three centuries BC, as it was formulated by Martin Nilsson in his monograph Geschichte der griechischen Religion, 9 the treatment of daimon by Plotinus appears highly unique as compared to the contemporary multicolored, yet one-sided demonology

Ancient history · Art · Demonology · Literature · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classical Philosophy and Thought · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History

• The Course of Plotinian Scholarship from 1971 to 1986

  Kevin Corrigan, Wolfgang Haase•Philosophie, Wissenschaften,…•1987

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