Amelius

Amelius, born either in Apamea or Tuscany, was a Neoplatonist philosopher and writer of the second half of the 3rd century. He was initially a student of Numenius of Apamea, but later attended the lectures of Plotinus in Rome for over twenty years. Plotinus considered Amelius one of his most astute disciples. It was Amelius who convinced Porphyry of the truth of Plotinus' doctrines and collaborated with him in encouraging Plotinus to write down his teachings. Amelius' original name is not known, but he adopted the name Amelius (or Amerius) to signify his contempt for worldly things, as 'ameleia' means negligence in Greek, while 'amereia' means unification. He wrote extensively, with Porphyry stating he produced over 100 volumes of sayings and commentaries. His primary work was a treatise in forty books, arguing against the idea that Numenius was the originator of Plotinus' doctrines. Amelius also quoted with approval the definition of the Logos found in the Gospel of John. He retired to Apamea in Syria around 269 AD.