DAMASCIUS, a celebrated Neo-Platonic philosopher, who was born at Damascus about the middle of the 5th century. He studied at Alexandria, and thence removed to Athens, where he taught philosophy till the close of the heathen schools during the reign of Justinian. Of his works, which consisted chiefly of commentaries on Plato and Aristotle, and of a biography of his teacher Isidorus, some fragments exist in the writings of Photius. What has been preserved of his work entitled Difficulties and Solutions of the First Principles has been published by J. Kopp (Frankfort, 1828), and is of considerable value for the account it contains of several ancient philosophers. See Kopp’s preface to his edition.