Select works of Porphyry

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"Select works of Porphyry : Containing his four books on abstinence from animal…." by Porphyry is a collection of philosophical treatises written in the 3rd century. It gathers his ethical case for abstaining from animal food, an allegorical interpretation of Homer’s Cave of the Nymphs, and brief auxiliaries for understanding intelligible realities, here presented in English with scholarly framing. The focus is Neoplatonic ethics and metaphysics aimed at a contemplative, purified life, with a translator’s appendix elaborating the Odyssey’s allegory. The opening of the volume presents a translator’s introduction that sketches Porphyry’s life, his role in transmitting and clarifying Platonism, and outlines the contents and aims of the included works.