Olympiodorus the Younger

Olympiodorus the Younger (Greek: Ὀλυμπιόδωρος ὁ Νεώτερος; born c. 495–505, died after 565) was a Neoplatonist philosopher, astrologer, and teacher who lived in the early years of the Byzantine Empire, after Justinian's Decree of 529 AD which closed Plato's Academy in Athens and other pagan schools. Olympiodorus was the last pagan to maintain the Platonist tradition in Alexandria (see Alexandrian School); after his death the School passed into the hands of Christian Aristotelians, and was eventually moved to Constantinople. He is not to be confused with Olympiodorus the Deacon, a contemporary Alexandrian writer of Bible commentaries. Olympiodorus was the disciple of Ammonius Hermiae at the philosophy school in Alexandria, and succeeded him as its leader when Ammonius died c. 520. He was still teaching and writing in 565, because in his commentary on Aristotle's Meteorology, he mentions a comet that appeared that year. Olympiodorus himself was able to survive the persecution experienced by many of his peers, possibly because the Alexandrian School was less involved in politics and also possibly because it was more scholastic and less religious than the Athenian Academy. He is called "Olympiodorus the Younger" or "The Younger Olympiodorus" in contemporary references because there was an earlier (5th century) philosopher also called Olympiodorus (Olympiodorus the Elder) who also taught in Alexandria.