Entry (Details):

Neoplatonist philosopheriRole name: philosopher and theurgistiRole name: theurgist, born of a distinguished and wealthy family of Chalcis in Coele-Syria Eun. V. Soph. V 1.1, Suid. s.v. Iamblichus, c. 250 (cf. J. Bidez, REG XXXII [1919], 32). Pupil of Anatolius 1, then of Porphyry at Rome Eun. V. Soph. V 1.2-3 (H.-I. Marrou’s doubts whether I. actually attended P.’s classes (Conflict between Pag. and Christianity, ed. Momigliano [1963], 133 n. 1) are unfounded). Taught c. 320 in Apamea Ps.-Jul. Ep. 183, 184, Lib. Or. LII 21. Malalas’s statement (p. 312.11f. Bonn) that he taught at Daphne (near Antioch-on-Orontes) under Μαξέντιος ὁ καὶ Γαλέριος (!) until he died should probably be rejected, though he may have taught for a time at Daphne.

Reputedly had powers of levitation and clairvoyance and performed many miracles Eun. V. Soph. V 1.7-2.9; regularly styled θεῖος and μέγας by Julian, Libanius, Proclus, Simplicius, Philoponus, Ammonius and Damascius (Zeller, Ph. d. Gr. III 2⁴. 738 n. 2).

Among his pupils were Aedesius 2, Eustathius 1, Theodorus of Asine, Euphrasius 1, Sopater 1 Eun. V. Soph. V 1.5, Sopater 2 Ps.-Jul. Ep. 184 (418 A), Iulianus 4 Ps.-Jul. Ep. 184 (417B), Dexippus 1 (Simplicius, In Arist. Categ. I, γ), the author of Ps.-Jul. Ep. 180-7 (? = Iulianus 5 of Caesarea, cf. Bid.-Cum. p. 228), Hierius 1 (Ammonius, In Anal. Prior. CAG V 6.31.16), Agrippa and Dyscolius 2 Stob. Ecl. IV 5.74f., Arete ib. III 5.9, 45-50, Asphalius ib. III 3.26, Macedonius and Poemenius ib. I 1.35, 5.17f., II 8.43-8, II 33.15.

Of his writings there survive a Vita Pythagorae, a Protrepticus, De Mysteriis (see Abammon), and three mathematical works. His commentaries on Plato, Aristotle, and the Chaldaean oracles are lost: see Zeller, Ph. d. Gr. III 24.735-73. Wrote also a rhetorical treatise, of which an extract is preserved Syrianus, Comm. in Herm. I 9.11 Rabe.

Had a son, Ariston, who married Plotinus’s disciple Amphicleia Porph. V. Plot. 9. There is no evidence for Seeck’s claim (Br. des Lib. 184) that Iamblichus 2 is his grandson: cf. Alan Cameron, ‘Iamblichus at Athens’, Athenaeum XLV (1967), 146ff.