(10.) Jamblichus (died about A.D. 330), a native of Chalcis, in Coele-Syria, was a pu|)il of Porphyry, and the head of the Syrian school of Neo-Platoiiism, in wliich a fantastical theurgy was favored. He made n:^a of jjliilosoph}^ merely to confirm polytheistic wor- ship, and strove to justify superstition on speculative grounds. His system was elastic enough to include all the classical ami Oriental divinities except the Chris- tian, together with those of Plotinus, and many others created by his own fancy. Miracles were attributed to him by soine of his ilisciples, who even spoke of him as '•the divine," or "most divine." However, he was in fact far inferior to his master, Porpliyry, and cannot be commended either for originality of thought or grace of style. The exaggerated estimate of him by the em- peror .Julian, viz. that he was inferior to Plato only in tlic age in whicli he lived, can be accotuUed for only on tli{^ groinid of that emperor's partiality for those who advocated the i)riiiciples of paganism. Tlie theodicy oC .Jamblichus rests, as did that of Plotinus and Porphy- ry, ni)on the principle of the multiplicity of the hypos- tases ill tlu" unity of tlie divine nature (Simon), but he assumed an alisolutely first One, above tiie One of Plo- tinus, and wliidly without attributes— an inefTablc first es.scnce (// iti'ivTi} uofjijToc dpx'l)- Next to this stands tile Plotinian One. Prom this latter is produced the htieUiijiblt tcorU, consisting of three elements ; and from
this in turn emanates the intellectual world, consisting also of three members, the Nous, Power, and the Demi- urge (subdivided into seven, a favorite Pythagorean number). This triadic arrangement extends also to the sphere of pyschology. He carried to "a great length the mysticism and extravagances of his age," and determined and arranged, according to a fantastical numerical scheme, the lumiber and order of the poly- theistic gods, angels, dicmons, and heroes recognised by him. The sensible world occupies the last place. He maintained the doctrine of a union with God {cpaoTtKi) f I'wiTif)) Jiot through the ecstasy, as did the earlier Neo- Platonists, but by means of theurgic rites and cere- monies. Of his writings only a few are extant. The most important are [1] Uipi Vlv^ayopov aipiatojc. On the Sect of Pytharjorus ; and [2] Hepi nvtfrripiwv, On the Mysteries, where, in the character of an Egyptian priest named Abammon, he replies to Porphyry's letter to Anebo, and "endeavors to refute various doubts re- specting the truth and purity of the Egyptian religion and worship, and to prove the divine origin of the Egyptian and ChaUhcan theology, as well as that men, through theurgic rites, may commune with the Deity" (Smith, s. v.). .Jamblichus had many followers, some of whom, however, rejected the belief in magic and theurgy. One of his immediate disciples, Theodorus of Asine, drew up a still more comiilicatcd triadic sys- tem, and thus assisted in the transition to the doctrines of Proclus.
(11.) The next important character whom wo have space in this sketch to mention is the emperor Julian, commonly styled " the Apostate," because, having re- nounced the Christian faith, in which he had been trained, he became one of its most virulent and danger- ous fo^s,and an earnest and influential friend and patron of Neo-Platonism and the old heathen cultus. Julian (born A.D. 331 ; died of a wound received in battle with the Persians, A.D. 363) was a nephew of Constantine the Great, and succeeded Constantius. A.D. 301. It ap- pears that he had secretlyapostati/.ed from Christianity some years before ascending the throne; and after that event he publicly avowed himself a convert to pagan- ism, and put forth his best efforts to re-establish its doc- trines and worship throughout the empire over which he reigned. Aware, however, of the strong foothold which Christianity had obtained, and of the failure in the past of direct and open persecution to break its power over the minds of men or to stop its progress, he judged it prudent at first to adopt other methods, and to clothe his purpose in the garb of humanity and free- dom of conscience. He accordingly proclaimed entire toleration for all parties, while he gave the wliole in- fluence of his position and patronage to the adherents of his own faith, conferring his favors equally on the old supportP~s of paganism and whatever proselytes he could attract to it. Without adopting fully either the unfavorable accounts of his conduct and motives given by Christian writers, or the fulsome laudations of him by heathen authors, it may justly be said that "his talents, his principles, and his deeds were alike extraor- dinary." Boasting of a jihilosophy which affected to look with complacent contemi)t upon Christians as ig- norant worshippers of " a dead Jew," he was himself, in fact, so superstitious as to attach supreme importance to the mystic rites and juggleries of polytheistic wor- ship. Scorning all evidence of the miracles of Christ, he lent a ready ear to the absnrdest theurgic follies. How little of sincerity there was in his pretensions to impartial fairness towards all the sulijects and faiths of his emi>irc was shown by his treatment of the Chris- tians, not stopping in the end even short of open perse- cution. How little reliance for success over the doc- trines of the (Jalilirans, as he contemptuously styled the Christians, he really placed iqwn the inherent superior- ity of his vaunted philosophy may be seen from the ad- missions of a modern writer, deemed to be a not un- friendly critic of his character and aims. Gibbon says: