Abstract
The article is an enquiry into the metaphysical background of the theological work of Marius Victorinus. The author analyses the metaphysical concepts included in Victorinus´ writings and compares them with the metaphysical systems of Plotinus, Porphyry, anonymous Commentary on the Parmenides, two anonymous authors mentioned in Proclus´ Commentary on the Parmenides and the treatises of Platonizing Sethian Gnostics.
This comparative analysis of the texts in question makes it possible to formulate a new hypothesis about the identity of the unknown philosophical sources used by Victorinus and to discuss critically the hypotheses of the other scholars about this issue, such as Pierre Hadot, John Dillon, Jens Halfwassen, Matthias Baltes and John Turner. The author argues that Victorinus probably integrates into his work three different, but cognate sources originating from a common intellectual milieu alternative to the neo-Platonic mainstream.