Constantine of Nicaea

Constantine of Nicaea, also called Constantine the Philosopher, was a Neoplatonic philosopher active in the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Manuel I Komnenos, between 1143 and 1180. Only two of his works survive, both in Greek and preserved in a thirteenth century manuscript known as Escorialensis graecus 256: a consolatory speech addressed to the Byzantine official John Doukas following the death of Doukas's wife, and a brief philosophical treatise. In that treatise he introduced uncommon terminology and argued that reciprocated generosity functions as a foundational principle of nature. Everything known of his life is drawn from these two surviving writings, which reveal an education and connections placing him among Byzantine elite circles.