The term “Neoplatonism” is a modern coinage. Neoplatonists would have called themselves simply “Platonists.” They saw themselves as faithful interpreters of Plato, bringing out his true doctrines which they thought were sometimes hidden from other philosophers and interpreters of Plato.

In many ways Neoplatonism is a continuation of the Middle Platonism of the first two centuries CE. Middle Platonic authors (Plutarch,…