Hegias ( el, Ἡγίας) was a

Neoplatonist Neoplatonism is a strand of Platonic philosophy that emerged in the 3rd century AD against the background of Hellenistic philosophy and religion. The term does not encapsulate a set of ideas as much as a chain of thinkers. But there are some id ...

philosopher who lived in the 5th and 6th centuries. He may have been the great-grandson or great-great-grandson of Plutarch of Athens, the founder of the Neoplatonist Academy in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

. Hegias studied under Proclus at the school in Athens, when Proclus was an old man c. 480. Proclus showed him great favour,Marinus, ''Life of Proclus'', 26 and considered him worthy of hearing his lectures on the Chaldean Oracles.Damascius, ''Life of Isidore'' in the Suda, ''Hegias''. After the death of Proclus in 485, Marinus became the

scholarch A scholarch ( grc, σχολάρχης, ''scholarchēs'') was the head of a school in ancient Greece. The term is especially remembered for its use to mean the heads of schools of philosophy, such as the Platonic Academy in ancient Athens. Its fir ...

of the school. Hegias, as a leading figure in the school, seems to have opposed Marinus, and his pupil

Isidore Isidore ( ; also spelled Isador, Isadore and Isidor) is an English and French masculine given name. The name is derived from the Greek name ''Isídōros'' (Ἰσίδωρος) and can literally be translated to "gift of Isis." The name has survived ...

, on many doctrinal matters.Damascius, ''Life of Isidore''. After the death of Marinus, Isidore became the new scholarch, but he did not hold the position for very long before retiring to Alexandria. Hegias may have become the new head of the school, In any case, the school continued to be divided, and

Damascius Damascius (; grc-gre, Δαμάσκιος, 458 – after 538), known as "the last of the Athenian Neoplatonists," was the last scholarch of the neoplatonic Athenian school. He was one of the neoplatonic philosophers who left Athens after laws ...

, who was a student in the school during this time, presents Hegias in a very unfavourable light in his ''Life of Isidore''. Hegias strongly emphasized religious ritual, "wanting to be, above all else, holy, ... he changed out of zeal, many long-established things." His religious activities created enemies in the community, but we hear nothing more about Hegias after this. The next scholarch of the academy was Damascius.

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{{Platonists 5th-century Byzantine people 6th-century Byzantine people 5th-century philosophers Neoplatonists Neoplatonists in Athens Ancient Athenian philosophers 5th-century Greek people 6th-century Greek people