45 Constructing Pagan Platonism: Plethon’s Theory of Fate and the Ancient Philosophical Tradition László Bene Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest Abstract: Plethon is generally regarded as a Platonist. My paper aims to clarify the relationship between his account of fate and ancient Platonism. While ancient Platonists defended in various ways (i) genuine contingency, (ii) the compatibility of divine fore- knowledge with contingency and responsible action, and (iii) the autonomy of the rational human soul, Plethon advances diamet- rically opposed views. First, he adopts a necessitarian causal and modal theory. Second, he adduces divine foreknowledge as a proof of complete causal determination, consciously ignoring the theo- retical devices standardly used by Pagan Platonists afer Iamblichus and by Christian theologians to reconcile foreknowledge with hu- man freedom. Finally, he argues that the human soul is externally determined, despite the philosophical problems bound up with such a position. I conclude that Plethon’s reconstitution of Plato- nism is motivated by an anti-Christian agenda, since he parts com- pany with his Platonic authorities where they happen to agree with Christianity. Keywords: determinism; necessitarianism; divine foreknowledge; human freedom; pagan Platonism; Plethon; Bessarion; Ammonius; Epictetus.