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Abstract

Plotinus inherited the concept of the Nous from the Middle Platonists and ultimately Plato.  It was for him both the Demiurge and the abode of the Forms, and his attempts at describing it, often through the use of arresting metaphors, betray substantial eloquence.  None of these metaphors is more unusual than that of the globe of faces which is evoked in the sixth Ennead and which is found to possess a notable corollary in the prophet Ezekiel’s vision of the four living creatures.  Plotinus’ metaphor reveals that, as in the case of Ezekiel, he was probably granted such a vision, and indeed his encounters with the Nous were not phenomena he considered lightly.

How to Cite: Sabo, T., (2015). The Nous: A Globe of Faces. Journal for Late Antique Religion and Culture. 9, pp.1–12. DOI: http://doi.org/10.18573/j.2015.10331