Proclus (411-485 AD) continued the Neoplatonist tradition of Plotinus, Porphyry and Iamblichus. He has been called “the last great systematizer of Greek philosophy”, and he was highly respected and deeply influential both during his own time and in later centuries, especially at the two leading centres of Greek philosophy in late antiquity: Athens and Alexandria.

Born in the capital of the Empire, Constantinople, Proclus came from a wealthy family which originated from Xanthos in Lycia, a maritime area in what is now southwest Turkey. The family moved back to Xanthos soon after Proclus’ birth. Proclus’ intention was to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a lawyer. But while on a visit to Constantinople, he underwent a conversion experience: he had a vision of the goddess Athena who instructed him to pursue the study of philosophy. That is what he did, and it is said that he learned all of Aristotle’s logical writings by heart.

When he turned 18, Proclus moved to Athens, attracted by the fame of the Platonic Academy there. He was strongly influenced by his teacher Syrianus, the head of the Academy.

After Syrianus’ death, Proclus succeeded him as head of the school, and he kept this position for almost 50 years until his death in 485. Proclus was passionately committed to philosophy, teaching and writing all day, never marrying and living an ascetic lifestyle: he abstained from sex, was a vegetarian, and would fast and hold all-night vigils. This was part of his deeply religious temperament.

In a time when Christianity was the state religion and paganism had been outlawed, Proclus defended the pagan religious traditions of Greece. Proclus was also a prolific writer, although most of his output is now lost. His overall goal was to show how the wisdom of the ancient religions (such as that found in the mythologies of Homer and Hesiod) can be integrated with the philosophy of Pythagoras and Plato. He wrote extensive commentaries on Plato’s dialogues, and two highly systematic works: “Platonic Theology” and “Elements of Theology” – the latter modelled on Euclid’s “Elements of Geometry”. Like his predecessor, Plotinus, Proclus accepts the existence of “the One”.

But Proclus describes the One as a god because it is “that toward which all things aspire” (Elements of Theology, proposition 13) and also because it is beyond all things, including even Being or existence itself. Proclus also shares Plotinus’ belief in “emanation”. This is the view that everything, from the physical world to the spiritual realm, emanates or proceeds from the One – in contrast to the Christian belief in creation, where the world is created by God. But unlike Plotinus, Proclus postulated many more entities (or levels of reality) as emanating from the One, and so his metaphysical system was much more elaborate than Plotinus’. Proclus also differed from Plotinus in the importance attributed to theurgy.

In his dialogue “Theaetetus”, Plato states that our well-being requires our soul to “become like god in as much as this is possible”. For Neoplatonists this assimilation to god was seen as the very goal of life. But how is this goal to be achieved? According to Plotinus and Porphyry, the road back to the One is reached through “theoria” – philosophy, rational understanding and contemplation. But for Proclus, the road to God must pass through “theourgia”, the practice of theurgy, involving rituals and prayers.

Dr Nick Trakakis is a Research Fellow in Philosophy at the Australian Catholic University. He recently edited “Southern Sun, Aegean Light: Poetry of Second-Generation Greek-Australians”.