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How did Neo-Pythagorean ideas become part of Neoplatonism?
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Pythagoreanism
Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, portrait bust.
Neo-Pythagorean ideas were integrated into Neoplatonism primarily through the work of various Neo-Pythagorean Platonists who bridged the two traditions without establishing a formal scholastic system.1
Key figures and developments in this synthesis include:
- Early Influences: Thinkers such as Moderatus of Gades and the arithmetician Nicomachus of Gerasa in the 1st century CE, followed by Numenius of Apamea in the 2nd or 3rd century, laid the groundwork by blending Pythagorean number mysticism and lifestyle ideals with Platonism.1
- Philosophical Integration: Numenius served as a crucial forerunner to Plotinus, the primary architect of Neoplatonism.1
- Systematization: Iamblichus, a later Neoplatonist, identified himself as a Pythagorean sage. Around 300 CE, he authored a major synthesis of Pythagorean traditions, effectively embedding them into the complex, religious philosophy that defined the Syrian branch of Neoplatonism.12
This integration was driven by a shared interest in the Pythagorean way of life and the mystical significance of numbers, which complemented the Neoplatonic focus on the harmony of the cosmos.13