Alcinous Albinus

Olympiodorus the Younger was a prominent Neoplatonist philosopher, astrologer, and educator active in Alexandria during the early Byzantine era. He lived after the closure of pagan schools in 529 AD and is recognized as the final pagan adherent to the Platonist tradition in Alexandria. Following his tenure, the Alexandrian School transitioned to Christian Aristotelian leadership and eventually relocated. Olympiodorus, who died sometime after 565 AD, was a student and successor of Ammonius Hermiae at the Alexandrian philosophical school. His teaching activities extended to at least 565 AD, as evidenced by his commentary on Aristotle's Meteorology, which references a comet from that year. He is distinguished from a contemporary writer named Olympiodorus the Deacon, who focused on biblical commentaries. Olympiodorus the Younger is also differentiated from an earlier philosopher of the same name who taught in Alexandria in the 5th century.

As the last pagan philosopher to sustain the Platonist tradition in Alexandria, Olympiodorus the Younger played a critical role in preserving classical philosophy during a period of significant religious and political change. His survival through persecutions, unlike some of his contemporaries, may be attributed to the Alexandrian School's less politicized and more scholarly focus compared to institutions like the Athenian Academy. The school's eventual shift to Christian Aristotelianism and relocation to Constantinople marked the end of an era for pagan Neoplatonism in Alexandria. Olympiodorus's work ensured that the intellectual lineage of Plato and Aristotle continued to be studied and interpreted, albeit within a changing intellectual landscape.

Olympiodorus the Younger authored a range of significant philosophical works, including a biography of Plato and extensive commentaries on dialogues by Plato and works by Aristotle. His writings are crucial for understanding earlier Neoplatonist thinkers, particularly Iamblichus, as they preserve information not found in other surviving texts. His extant works include commentaries on Plato's Alcibiades, Gorgias, and Phaedo, as well as an introduction to Aristotelian logic and commentaries on Aristotle's Meteorology, Categories, and On Interpretation. He also produced a polemical text against Strato. His commentary on Paulus Alexandrinus's Introduction to astrology, likely delivered in 564 AD, offers valuable insights into astrological theory and practices of the preceding two centuries.