ing effulgence play round his head; how, before the bodily eyes of
his pupils, he evoked two visible daemonish imps. Nor is it necessary to
mention the opinions of Aedesius, Chrysanthus, or Maximus.

[Sidenote: Proclus unites emanation with mysticism.]

For a moment, however, we may turn to Proclus, who was born in
Constantinople A.D. 412. When Vitalian laid siege to Constantinople,
Proclus is said to have burned his ships with a polished brass mirror.
It is scarcely possible for us to determine how much truth there is in
this, since similar authority affirms that he could produce rain and
earthquakes. His theurgic propensities are therefore quite distinct.
Yet, notwithstanding these superhuman powers, together with special
favours displayed to him by Apollo, Athene, and other divinities, he
found it expedient to cultivate his rites in secret, in terror of
persecution by the Christians, whose attention he had drawn upon himself
by writing a work in opposition to them. Eventually they succeeded in
expelling him from Athens, thereby teaching him a new interpretation of
the moral maxim he had adopted, "Live concealed." It was the aim of
Proclus to construct a complete theology, which should include the
theory of emanation, and be duly embellished with mysticism. The Orphic
poems and Chaldaean oracles were the basis upon which he commenced; his
character may be understood from the dignity he assumed as "high priest
of the universe." He recommended to his disciples the study of
Aristotle for the sake of cultivating the reason, but enjoined that of
Plato, whose works he found to be full of sublime allegories suited to
his purpose. He asserted that to know one's own mind is to know the
whole universe, and that that knowledge is imparted to us by revelations
and illuminations of the gods.

[Sidenote: Justinian puts an end to philosophy.]

He speculates on the manner in which absorption is to take place;
whether the last form can pass at once into the primitive, or whether it
is needful for it to resume, in a returning succession, the intervening
states of its career. From such elevated ideas, considering the mystical
manner in which they were treated, there was no other prospect for
philosophy than to end as Neo-Platonism did under Damasius. The final
days were approaching. The Emperor Justinian prohibited the teaching of
philosophy, and closed its schools in Athens A.D. 529. Its last
representatives, Damasius, Simplicius, a