of
the founding of Platonopolis). Political affairs are at bottom as much a
matter of indifference to Neoplatonism as material things in general.
The idealism of the new philosophy was too high to admit of its being
naturalised in the despiritualised, tyrannical and barren creation of
the Byzantine Empire, and this Empire itself needed unscrupulous and
despotic police officials, not noble philosophers. Important and
instructive, therefore, as the experiments are, which were made from
time to time by the state and by individual philosophers, to unite the
monarchy of the world with Neoplatonism, they could not but be
ineffectual.

But, and this is the last question which one is justified in raising
here, why did not Neoplatonism create an independent religious
community? Since it had already changed the ancient religions so
fundamentally, in its purpose to restore them, since it had attempted to
fill the old naive cults with profound philosophic ideas, and to make
them exponents of a high morality, why did it not take the further step
and create a religious fellowship of its own? Why did it not complete
and confirm the union of gods by the founding of a church which was
destined to embrace the whole of humanity, and in which, beside the one
ineffable Godhead, the gods of all nations could have been worshipped?
Why not? The answer to this question is at the same time the reply to
another, viz., why did the Christian church supplant Neoplatonism?
Neoplatonism lacked three elements to give it the significance of a new
and permanent religious system. Augustine in his confessions (Bk. VII.
18-21) has excellently described these three elements. First and above
all, it lacked a religious founder; secondly, it was unable to give any
answer to the question, how one could permanently maintain the mood of
blessedness and peace: thirdly, it lacked the means of winning those who
could not speculate. The "people" could not learn the philosophic
exercises which it recommended as the condition of attaining the
enjoyment of the highest good; and the way on which even the "people"
can attain to the highest good was hidden from it. Hence these "wise and
prudent" remained a school. When Julian attempted to interest the common
uncultured man in the doctrines and worship of this school, his reward
was mockery and scorn.

Not as philosophy and not as a new religion did Neoplatonism become a
decisive factor in history, but, if I may say so, a