Hierocles

fl. c. 430 CE

Hierocles of Alexandria taught Platonic philosophy at Alexandria in the fifth century, a pupil of Plutarch of Athens and a contemporary of Proclus. For his outspoken paganism he was flogged at Constantinople and sent into exile, and returned to teach again. Of his books On Providence only extracts survive; his Commentary on the Golden Verses of the Pythagoreans survives whole — a complete course in the Pythagorean and Platonic life, from the civic virtues to likeness to God.