Simplicius (; ; c. 490 – c. 560) of
Cilicia, was a disciple of
Ammonius Hermiae and
Damascius, and was one of the last of the
Neoplatonists. He was among the
pagan philosophers persecuted by
Justinian in the early 6th century, and was forced for a time to seek refuge in the
Persian court, before being allowed back into the
empire. He wrote extensively on the works of
Aristotle. Although his writings are all
commentaries on Aristotle and other authors, rather than original compositions, his intelligent and prodigious learning makes him the last great philosopher of pagan antiquity. His works have preserved much information about earlier philosophers which would have otherwise been lost.