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 Chap. XL] OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 283 with the practice of superstition and magic ; and, as they re- mained alone in the midst of a Christian world, they indulged a secret rancour against the government of the church and state, whose severity was still suspended over their heads. About a century after the reign of Julian, 151 Proclus 152 was permitted to Procius teach in the philosophic chair of the academy, and such was his industry that he frequently, in the same day, pronounced five lessons and composed seven hundred lines. His sagacious mind explored the deepest questions of morals and metaphysics, and he ventured to urge eighteen arguments against the Christian doctrine of the creation of the world. But in the intervals of study he personally conversed with Pan, iEsculapius, and Minerva, in whose mysteries he was secretly initiated, and whose prostrate statues he adored ; in the devout persuasion that the philosopher, who is a citizen of the universe, should be the priest of its various deities. An eclipse of the sun announced his approaching end ; and his life, with that of his scholar Isidore, 153 compiled by two of their most learned disciples, exhibits a deplorable picture of the second childhood of human reason. Yet the golden chain, as it was fondly styled, of the His Platonic succession, continued forty -four years from the death of l^IsISal Proclus to the edict of Justinian, 154 which imposed a perpetual 131 This is no fanciful sera : the Pagans reckoned their calamities from the reign of their hero. Proclus, whose nativity is marked by his horoscope (a.d. 412, February 8, at C.P.), died 124 years awb 'lovAiavov PaaiKtias, a.d. 485 (Martin, in Vita Procli, c. 36). 152 The life of Proclus, by Marinus, was published by Fabricius (Hamburg, 1700, et ad calcem Bibliot. Latin. Lond. 1703). See Suidas (torn. iii. p. 185, 186), Fabricius (Bibliot. Grsec. 1. v. c. 26, p. 449-552), and Brucker (Hist. Crit. Philosoph. torn. ii. p. 319-326). [The Vita Procli, edited by Boissonade, is published in the Didot series along with Diogenes Laertius, etc.] 153 The life of Isidore was composed by Damascius (apud Photium, cod. ccxlii. p. 1028-1076). See the last age of the Pagan Philosophers in Brucker (torn. ii. p. 341-351). 154 The suppression of the schools of Athens is recorded by John Malala (torn. ii. p. 187, sub Decio Cos. Sol.), and an anonymous Chronicle in the Vatican library (apud Aleman. p. 106). [The suppression of the schools by Justinian has been un- successfully called in question by Paparrigopulos and Gregorovius (locc. citt.). The authority of Malalas is good for the reign of Justinian (see Appendix 1). His words are : (Justinian) 6ecriri(Tas irp6(na.£iv kire/J.tytv ev 'A07)i'a.ts KeAeiVas jiojSeVa SiSdffKttv (ptoao(p(av /j.r)Tf i>6,uu:a ityyelo-Oai k.t.. (p. 449, ed. Bonn). Justinian had already taken stringent measures against pagans (ib. p. 447, and Procopius, Anecd. c. 11). It is not difficult to guess what happened. The edicts against paganism, strictly in- terpreted, involved the cessation of Neoplatonic propagandism at Athens. The schools went on as before, and in a month or two the proconsul of Achaia would com- municate with the Emperor on the subject and ask his pleasure. The irp6(TTa^is mentioned by Malalas was the rescript to the proconsul. At the same time the closing of the schools was ensured by withdrawing the revenue, as we may infer from