Proclus, Theologia Platonica; Michael Psellos

A decorative woodcut-style headpiece featuring a central fleur-de-lis flanked by symmetrical floral scrolls and stylized leaf patterns.

BOOK ONE OF THE THEOLOGY OF PLATO BY PROCLUS THE SUCCESSOR

The whole of Plato's philosophy, my dearest Pericles, I believe both shone forth at the beginning according to the boniform will of superior beings—manifesting the intellect sown in souls and the truth that subsists together with real beings to those souls dwelling in the terrestrial regions, as much as is lawful for them to participate in such supernatural goods—and again later was withdrawn and, as it were, retreated into itself. And while it pours forth its light through wisdom, I believe, upon the many who profess to philosophize and who think they apprehend the whole hunt for invisible realities, the mystagogy concerning the divine things themselves—clearly, firmly, and purely established, and subsisting permanently with the gods themselves—was revealed from within, through one man, to those capable of partaking of it in the course of time. I would not err in calling him the leader of true realities for as many souls as come from those regions and participate again in the complete and unyoked visions, genuinely clinging to the happy and blessed life, following and beholding the things that proceed from the beautiful. Thus solemnly and ineffably was it established securely by him who first caused it to shine forth, as if in holy shrines and in the innermost sanctuaries; and it was set forth—insofar as it was preserved in knowledge during these periods of time—by certain true men who chose the life appropriate to the mystagogy, or as much of it as remained to come down to us. It has illuminated the whole region and established everywhere the outshinings of divine visions through the interpreters of all things in the Platonic writings; and our presentations concerning...

He says this in Plato