/lit/ - Literature

>>18372182
I like to imagine that whatever dialogue I most recently read is the one Socrates dreams about before waking up in Crito.
Are these tears faith?

>>16087747
The contemplation of Plotinus is the highest form of Theurgy. While it is the most preferable 'experience' and prayer, it's the most difficult. 'Doing virtue' is itself prayer also, Damascius disparaged monks in their high towers, who think a life of inactivity is virtuous (thus shit-talking a trend so prevalent in the east).
They also thought that writing exegesis on reality/the gods/nature/truth/wisdom, etc, is itself a form of prayer; perhaps the highest form of veneration one can do.
Iamblichus "re-introduced" the importance of 'the mysteries', aka Theurgy, which weren't really emphasized by Plotinus and was de-emphasized by Porphyry.

>Did the Neoplatonist ever take part in rituals? Did they go to the temples? Did they sacrifice to the gods?
the short answer is yes, Marinus wrote this about Proclus:

Every month he sanctified himself according to the rites devoted to the Mother of the Gods [Cybele] by the Romans, and before them by the Phrygians; he observed the holy days observed among the Egyptians even more strictly than did they themselves; and especially he fasted on certain days, quite openly. During the first day of the lunar month he remained without food, without even having eaten the night before; and he likewise celebrated the New Moon in great solemnity, and with much sanctity. He regularly observed the great festivals of all peoples, so to speak, and the religious ceremonies peculiar to each people or country.
Nor did he, like so many others, make this the pretext of a distraction, or of a debauch of food, but on the contrary they were occasions of prayer meetings that lasted all night, without sleep, with songs, hymns and similar devotions. Of this we see the proof in the composition of his hymns, which contain homage and praises not only of the gods adored among the Greeks, but where you also see worship of the god Marnas of Gaza, Asklepius Leontuchus of Ascalon, Thyandrites who is much worshipped among the Arabs, the Isis who has a temple at Philae, and indeed all other divinities. It was a phrase he much used, and that was very familiar to him, that a philosopher should watch over the salvation of not only a city, nor over the national customs of a few people, but that he should be the hierophant of the whole world in common.

Plato did after all pray to Pan in Phaedrus, and Socrates last words was to remind his friend
>As his belly was getting cold Socrates uncovered his head—he had covered it—and said—these were his last words—“Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius; make this offering to him and do not forget.”—“It shall be done,” said Crito, “tell us if there is anything else.” But there was no answer.