ABSTRACT
In his Life of Plotinus Porphyry lists the authors who were read in the school of Plotinus and includes “Alexander” among the Peripatetics who were studied (Plot. 14.13).1 Most scholars identify this gure as Alexander of Aphrodisias, although there are other candidates.2 is chapter will, in any case, o er internal evidence for Plotinus’ speci c engagement with the text of Alexander. Earlier, in the beginning of the same chapter, Porphyry cautions us as to Plotinus’ use of such texts:
In writing he is concise and full of thought. He puts things shortly and abounds more in ideas than in words; he generally expresses himself in a tone of rapt inspiration, and states what he himself really feels about the matter and not what has been handed down by tradition. His writings, however, are full of concealed Stoic and Peripatetic doctrines. (Plot. 1.14.1-5)3
Clearly, Porphyry would convince us that Plotinus absorbs his erudition into his own broad philosophical vision. Concerning Longinus, Plotinus observes: “Longinus is a scholar (philologos) but certainly not a philosopher (philosophos)” (Plot. 14.19-20). As his story of Plotinus’ criticism of Longinus reveals, Porphyry clearly sees Plotinus as more the philosopher than the philologist. is preference for philosophy over philology on the part of Plotinus accords well with his original, creative and philosophical attitude towards his sources. Scholars have expressed a range of opinion that varies from great optimism to extreme scepticism in seeking the sources of Plotinus in Alexander (see Schroeder 1984: 240-42; Sharples 1987: 1220-23).
