Griechische frühchristliche Autoren

In tracing the impact of Plotinus on the Eastern early Christian authors (Eusebius of Caesarea, Arius and Eunomius, the Cappadocians, Evagrius, Synesius, Nemesius, Cyrill of Alexandria, Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Dionysius the Areopagite, John Philoponus), we had to 1) search for direct quotes and evident paraphrases and, at the same time, 2) look for ideas that are typical of Plotinus. Widespread ideas that are not necessarily taken from Plotinus are left aside. Paradoxically, rather few literal borrowings can be identified in those authors who, in their thinking, seem to be the closest to Plotinus (e.g. Gregory of Nyssa). What is more, some authors, obviously influenced by Neoplatonism (Synesius, Dionysius the Areopagite), do not necessarily depend on Plotinus himself.