This new history of late ancient philosophy is designed not to replace but to be a successor to the beloved 1967 Cambridge History of Late Greek and Early Medieval Philosophy. The main reason is the difference of format between the two works. Where the former History contained a few lengthy articles on major figures, written by eight scholars, the new version contains 48 pieces by 50 scholars, most of them professional philosophers, although most of the Christian figures are covered by historical theologians or historians of early Christianity. The editor is to be commended for the plan of the new work: he has built it as a series of units on various forms of philosophy in a given period, from the late Roman Empire to early-medieval times, punctuated by other units covering the three ‘encounters’ with philosophy by Judaism (i.e. Philo), Christianity (Justin Martyr to John Scotus Eriugena and beyond), and early Islam.

The two determining factors in the new History are its approach to time and its density. In contrast with the earlier version, the editor has made the wise choice to begin around the year 200 ce, rather than giving an account of the original philosophies which lie behind late ancient traditions, for which the reader is referred to the first History. This choice is meant to bring greater focus to late ancient philosophy per se, rather than portraying it as the afterlife of the real philosophy of Plato, Aristotle, etc. Second, the new History devotes less space per topic than the earlier work does, all followed by over 300 pages (!) of abbreviations, bibliography and indices. A compressed work will naturally reward those looking for an economical reference tool, but it will no doubt disappoint those who desire a more thorough introduction to the figures in question; and some of the chapters just feel too compressed. A third distinguishing factor is of course the amount of new research on late ancient philosophy which has taken place in the last 40 years.

There are solid accounts of figures who received little or no attention in the former volume, such as Damascius or Hierocles of Alexandria. The use of philosophy by Christian bishops and theologians or, in the editor's words, ‘the intertwining of philosophy and the theology of a religion rooted in revelation and in a non-Hellenic tradition’ (p. 3), is an admittedly difficult aspect of the work. While the editor notes the polemical and other factors which make this relationship such a complicated one, the chapters themselves are notably disappointing precisely because they tend not to take these factors into account, omitting the apologetic, rhetorical and missionary stance of the theologians, with a few exceptions noted below. Unfortunately the disclaimer given in the introduction is apt.

While some variation of quality is to be expected in a work with this many contributors, the range is regrettably wide in this case. Among the most helpful chapters are those by Harold Tarrant on pre-Plotinian Platonism, John F. Finamore and Sarah Iles Johnston on the Chaldean Oracles, R. J. Hankinson on Galen, David Winston on Philo, Andrew Smith on Porphyry, Hermann Schibli on Hierocles of Alexandria, Dennis Minns on Justin Martyr, Andrew Radde-Gallwitz and Lewis Ayres on Basil of Caesarea, Beatrice Motta on Nemesius of Emesa, Angela Longo on Syrianus, Carlos Steel on Proclus, Gerd van Riel on Damascius, Koenraad Verrycken on John Philoponus, Eric Perl on Pseudo-Dionysius and – a welcome surprise – historical surveys of the major developments pertaining to philosophy in each period, by Elizabeth Depalma Digeser.

Although it is stronger on the non-Christian philosophers than the Christians, this new History succeeds in providing a single reference work which covers most of the major figures and movements in late ancient Western philosophy. As the study of late ancient history has come into its own in recent decades, so too late ancient philosophy has become virtually a new field, with growing interest in figures such as Proclus, the Pseudo-Dionysius and Boethius. So it is appropriate that the field receives a proper reference work such as this. It is to be hoped that early Byzantine and Islamic philosophy will receive the same degree of attention in the years ahead.