Origen the Pagan ( el, Ὠριγένης; fl. early 3rd century) was a

Platonist Platonism is the philosophy of Plato and school of thought, philosophical systems closely derived from it, though contemporary platonists do not necessarily accept all of the doctrines of Plato. Platonism had a profound effect on Western though ...

philosopher who lived in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

. He was a student of

Ammonius Saccas Ammonius Saccas (; grc-gre, Ἀμμώνιος Σακκᾶς; 175 AD242 AD) was a Hellenistic Platonist self-taught philosopher from Alexandria, generally regarded as the precursor of Neoplatonism and/or one of its founders. He is mainly known as ...

and a contemporary of

Plotinus Plotinus (; grc-gre, Πλωτῖνος, ''Plōtînos''; – 270 CE) was a philosopher in the Hellenistic philosophy, Hellenistic tradition, born and raised in Roman Egypt. Plotinus is regarded by modern scholarship as the founder of Neop ...

in Ammonius's philosophy school in Alexandria.Ramelli, "Origen and the Platonic Tradition" Some researchers posit that this Origen is the very same famous Christian philosopher and theologian

Origen of Alexandria Origen of Alexandria, ''Ōrigénēs''; Origen's Greek name ''Ōrigénēs'' () probably means "child of Horus" (from , "Horus", and , "born"). ( 185 – 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an early Christian scholar, ascetic, and theolog ...

, who was educated by Ammonius Saccas. Origen is mentioned three times in Porphyry's ''Life of Plotinus'',Porphyry, ''Life of Plotinus'', chapters iii, xiv, and xx. where he is treated much more kindly than the Christian

Origen Origen of Alexandria, ''Ōrigénēs''; Origen's Greek name ''Ōrigénēs'' () probably means "child of Horus" (from , "Horus", and , "born"). ( 185 – 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, ...

, whom Porphyry disliked.Armstrong 1967, p. 198 He is also mentioned several times by

Proclus Proclus Lycius (; 8 February 412 – 17 April 485), called Proclus the Successor ( grc-gre, Πρόκλος ὁ Διάδοχος, ''Próklos ho Diádokhos''), was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, one of the last major classical philosophers ...

, and it is clear that Origen's fellow students Plotinus and

Longinus Longinus () is the name given to the unnamed Roman soldier who pierced the side of Jesus with a lance and who in medieval and some modern Christian traditions is described as a convert to Christianity. His name first appeared in the apocryphal G ...

treated him with respect. According to Porphyry, Plotinus estimated him so far as to say that he has nothing to teach him. The only aspect of his philosophical views which are known is that he did not make the first principle of reality the ''One'' beyond intellect and being as Plotinus did, but rather the first principle was the supreme intellect and primary being,Proclus, ''In Platonis Theologiam'', ii. 4 which suggests that his views were that of traditional

Middle Platonism Middle Platonism is the modern name given to a stage in the development of Platonic philosophy, lasting from about 90 BC – when Antiochus of Ascalon rejected the scepticism of the new Academy – until the development of neoplatonism u ...

, rather than the

Neoplatonism Neoplatonism is a strand of Platonism, Platonic philosophy that emerged in the 3rd century AD against the background of Hellenistic philosophy and Hellenistic religion, religion. The term does not encapsulate a set of ideas as much as a chain of ...

of Plotinus.Armstrong 1967, p. 199

Notes

References

A. H. Armstrong Arthur Hilary Armstrong, (13 August 1909 – 16 October 1997) was an English educator and author. Armstrong is recognized as one of the foremost authorities on the philosophical teachings of Plotinus (ca. 205–270 CE). His multi-volume tran ...

, (1967), ''The Cambridge History of Later Greek and Early Medieval Philosophy'', Pages 198–199. Cambridge University Press. * Ilaria L. E. Ramelli, "Origen and the Platonic Tradition," Religions 8, no. 21 (2017), doi:10.3390/rel802002 {{DEFAULTSORT:Pagan, Origen The 3rd-century Romans 3rd-century philosophers Middle Platonists Roman-era philosophers