Porphyryphilosopher

Porphyry (philosopher) (233-306), Greek philosopher, whose real name was Malchus, was the pupil of Origen and Longinus, and at Rome was a follower of Plotinus. He combated Christianity in a book which has practically perished, but which caused much discussion and provoked many replies. He also wrote a work against the eating of flesh, a life of Plotinus, and a life of Pythagoras. He was not an original thinker, but an echo of Plotinus chiefly. His best-known work is a treatise on The Five Predicables, one sentence in which stated the chief problem which the Schoolmen endeavoured to solve.