Life
Iamblichus of Chalcis developed a theurgical Neoplatonism that defended ritual work with the gods against more purely contemplative readings of Plotinus. His On the Mysteries (replying to Porphyry) and On the Pythagorean Way of Life shaped later views of ancient mystery cults and Pythagorean discipline. ORDL files him under Neoplatonism while using his texts as literature for the separate Ancient Mystery Cults (history) map node—not as a modern Hellenismos reconstruction manual.
The system
- Theurgy: ritual cooperation with the divine, argued philosophically.
- Defense of mystery cults as vehicles of ascent—in late-antique debate.
- Pythagorean Life as legendary school rule; read critically.
Key works
- On the Mysteries (De Mysteriis) Amazon
- On the Pythagorean Way of Life
- Fragments of commentaries on Plato and Aristotle
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Where to start
- A modern translation of On the Mysteries with notes
- SEP / Britannica overviews of Neoplatonism and theurgy
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