Iamblichus established his School at his country, Syria. His School had many followers not only Syrians but also from other countries. A lot of information about his life and philosophical believes is given by Eunapii. It can be said that his theoretical system is manly based on Plotinus’. He entered, however many personal theories most influenced by Plato and Pythagoras. His actual believe was the rituality of numbers, which are the soul of every thing. Influenced be Plotinus’ and Porfirius’ systems, he analyzed and multiplied the being’s stages in relation to Trinitarian Division, entering more divisions but without changing the initial one, which concerns the substance, there is always duality for the spirit and the substance of things.
«Εν» is the preliminary authority. Because, however, of the fact that I must be referred to his philosophy in general, as I am only introducing it at this post, I shall analyze more his Trinitarian dialectic in an other post.
Thus let me state that Iamblichus’ religion highly affects his ethical believes. He introduces for kinds of ethical virtues: the practical, the cathartic, the theoretical and the exemplary ethical virtue. There is also the hieratic virtue, which helps men to be developed to the first being.
Moreover, as far as the transmigration of the soul it concerns, Iamblichus declared that it takes place only in human beings’ bodies; the soul namely transmigrates from one body to another. Catharsis also is an important element for the freedom of the soul. The souls can be developed through the ethical way of living and the holy rituals. Iamblichus was a philosopher who supported polytheism, oracle, rituality and magic.
“Whenever he prays to the Gods, his foots no longer touch the earth, but they are more than 10cm higher”, Eunapii wrote about Iamblichus and his miraculous personality.