Plotinus
Born in Egypt, Plotinus studied under Ammonius Saccas in Alexandria before settling in Rome, where he became the center of a vibrant intellectual circle. He founded Neoplatonism, a system describing three hypostases: the One, Intellect, and Soul. For him, philosophy was not abstract speculation but a spiritual practice aimed at ascent toward unity with the divine. His writings, compiled by his disciple Porphyry into the Enneads, profoundly influenced early Christian theology, medieval Islamic mysticism, and Renaissance philosophy. Plotinus distrusted materiality, viewing the physical world as a shadow of higher realities. His legacy endures as a bridge between classical Platonism and later metaphysical traditions.
You can only apprehend the Infinite by a faculty that is superior to reason.
Knowing ourselves, we are beautiful; in self-ignorance, we are ugly