Porphyry of Tyre
Porphyry of Tyre | |
|---|---|
 Engraved depiction in André Thevet's Vrais pourtraits et vies des homes illustres, 1584 | |
| Born | Malchus c. 234 |
| Died | 305 (aged 70–71) Rome, Roman Empire |
| Education | |
Academic advisor | Plotinus |
| Philosophical work | |
| Era | Ancient philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| Neoplatonism | |
Notable students | Iamblichus |
Main interests | Metaphysics, astrology |
Notable works | Isagoge Against the Christians |
Notable ideas | Porphyrian tree, criticism of Christianity, vegetarianism |
Porphyry (/ˈpɔːrfɪri/; Koine Greek: Πορφύριος, romanized: Porphýrios; c. 234 – c. 305) was a Phoenician Neoplatonic philosopher born in Tyre, Roman Phoenicia during Roman rule. He edited and published the Enneads, the only collection of the work of Plotinus, his teacher.
He wrote original works in the Greek language on a wide variety of topics, ranging from music theory to Homer to vegetarianism. His Isagoge or Introduction, an introduction to logic and philosophy, was the standard textbook on logic throughout the Middle Ages in its Latin and Arabic translations. Porphyry was, and still is, also well known for his anti-Christian polemics, and for arguing that the Book of Daniel was pseudepigrapha written during the Maccabean period. Through works such as Philosophy from Oracles and Against the Christians (which was banned by Constantine the Great), he was involved in a controversy with early Christians.