Plotinus opened a school of philosophy in Rome and obtained the respect of his contemporaries through his virtues and his knowledge. He then obtained permission from the Emperor Gallienus to build a city to realize Plato's ideal republic, but envious people caused this project to fail. Plotinus had proposed to found eclecticism by taking as a basis the doctrine of Plato and striving to reconcile with it the other doctrines, but it was not long before he fell into mysticism. The goal of philosophy, according to him, is the intimate union of the human soul with the divine being: this is achieved through contemplation and ecstasy; Plotinus claimed to have himself enjoyed the sight of God several times. He recognized in the divinity a sort of trinity. He left 54 ​​Treatises on his doctrine, which his principal disciple, Porphyry, took charge of revising and publishing: he gathered them into six sections, each composed of nine pieces, and which he named for this reason Ennéades (novenas). The style is often obscure; but we find there the highest spiritualism and the purest morality.