Interpreting Proclus

Stephen Gersch charts the influence of the late Greek philosopher Proclus from his own lifetime down to the Renaissance (500–1600 CE).

Proclus was the most important philosopher of late antiquity, a dominant voice in Byzantine thought, influential in the later western Middle Ages, and a major figure in the revival of Greek philosophy in the Renaissance. This pioneering volume discusses his influence on the thought of Europe and beyond.This is the first book to provide an account of the influence of Proclus, a member of the Athenian Neoplatonic School, during more than one thousand years of European history (c.500–1600). Proclus was the most important philosopher of late antiquity, a dominant (albeit controversial) voice in Byzantine thought, the second most influential Greek philosopher in the later western Middle Ages (after Aristotle), and a major figure (together with Plotinus) in the revival of Greek philosophy in the Renaissance. Proclus was also intensively studied in the Islamic world of the Middle Ages and was a major influence on the thought of medieval Georgia. The volume begins with a substantial essay by the editor summarizing the entire history of Proclus' reception. This is followed by the essays of more than a dozen of the world's leading authorities in the various specific areas covered.