ALBINUS

flourished 2nd century AD Greek philosopher, a pupil of Gaius and a teacher of Galen, and a forerunner of Neoplatonism. Albinus integrated the ideas of various schools of philosophy in order to shed light on the Platonic system of thought. One of his major works, the Epitome, is an analysis of Plato's philosophy, using Stoic and Peripatetic doctrines as tools to understand Plato better. The work was presented in three parts: logical, theoretical, and practical. When he wrote the theoretical section, he used Aristotle's system of dividing knowledge into three branches: mathematics, physics, and metaphysics. The practical section comprised ethics, economics, and politics. Albinus helped pave the way for the Neoplatonist movement.