Philosophers or Angels? How the True Philosopher Participates in the Divine, according to Later Neoplatonists.

This paper explores the reinterpretation of classical philosophical figures, such as Pythagoras, Socrates, and Plato himself, by Neoplatonic philosophers during Late Antiquity, with a focus on the Neoplatonists Iamblichus and Proclus. It examines how they reimagined these wisdom figures from ancient Hellenic tradition as semi-divine beings, also drawing on the *Chaldean Oracles*. The study highlights a shift from the traditional portrayal of philosophers as mere rational thinkers to special souls endowed with the ability to save humanity through philosophical discourse. Their unique mode of participation in the divine allows them to ascend the divine hierarchy to establish themselves at the ontic level of angels. To support this thesis, the speech will explore theological concepts such as "establishment" and "revelation," challenging conventional views on the metaphysics of participation in Neoplatonism and arguing that Neoplatonists viewed true philosophers as theurgists, capable of uniquely participating in the divine realm.