Select Works of Plotinus — trans. Thomas Taylor

ls from the vision of God, if he again excites the virtue which is in himself, and perceives himself to be perfectly adorned ; he will again be elevated through virtue, proceeding to in¬ tellect and wisdom, and afterwards to the principlep. 506 of all things. This, therefore, is the life of the Gods , and of divine and happy men, a liberation from all terrene concerns, a life unaccompanied with human pleasures, and a flight of the alone to the alone P

* From this solitary subsistence of the one, the solitariness of all other divine natures is derived, and their ineffable asso¬ ciation with themselves. Hence Plato in the Timaeus says, that the Demiurgus established heaven (i. e. the world) one, only, solitary nature, able through virtue to converse with it¬ self, indigent of nothing external, and sufficiently known and friendly to itself/' Proclus, in his Commentaries on this dia¬ logue, admirably illustrates these words as follows : tc To com¬ prehend the whole blessedness of the world in three appella¬ tions, is most appropriate to that which subsists according to a triple cause, viz. the final, the paradigmatic, and the demiur¬ gic. For of the appellations themselves, the first of them, viz. one , is assumed from the final cause ; for the one is the same with the good. But the second, viz. only , is assumed from the paradigmatic cause. For the only -begotten and onlyness (μονωσ is) were, prior to the universe, in all-perfect animal. And the third, viz. the solitary , is assumed from the demiurgic cause. For the ability of using itself, and through itself go¬ verning the world, proceeds from the demiurgic goodness. The world, therefore, is one, so far as it is united and is converted to the one. But it is only, so far as it participates of the in¬ telligible, and comprehends all things in itself. And it is soli¬ tary , so far as it is similar to its father, and is able to save itself. From the three, however, it appears that it is a God. For the one, the perfect , and the self-sufficient , are the elements of deity. Hence, the world receiving these, is also itself a God; being one indeed, according to hyparxis ; but alone,p. 507 according to a perfection which derives its completion from all sensible natures ; and solitary through being sufficient to itself. For those that lead a solitary life, being converted to themselves, have the hopes of salvation in themselves.

s ; but alone,p. 507 according to a perfection which derives its completion from all sensible natures ; and solitary through being sufficient to itself. For those that lead a solitary life, being converted to themselves, have the hopes of salvation in themselves. And that this is the meaning of the term solitary , is evident from the words, “ able through virtue to converse with itself, indi¬ gent of nothing external, and sufficiently known and friendly to itself." For in these words Plato clearly manifests what the solitariness is which he ascribes to the world, and that he de¬ nominates that being solitary, who looks to himself, to that with which he is furnished, and to his own proper measure. For those that live in solitary places, are the saviours of them¬ selves, so far as respects human causes. The universe, there¬ fore, is likewise after this manner solitary, as being sufficient to itself, and preserving itself, not through a diminution but from an exuberance of power; for self-sufficiency is here indi¬ cated ; and as he says, through virtue. For he alone among partial animals [such as we are] who possesses virtue, is able to associate with, and love himself with a parental affec¬ tion. But the vicious man looking to his inward baseness , is indignant with himself and with his owri essence , is astonished with externals , and pursues an association with others , in con¬ sequence of his inability to behold himself. On the contrary , the worthy man perceiving himself beautiful , rejoices and is de¬ lighted, and producing in himself beautiful conceptions , gladly embraces an association with himself. For we are naturally domesticated to the beautiful, but hastily withdraw ourselves from deformity. Hence, if the world possesses virtue adapted to itself, in its intellectual and psychical essence, and in the perfection of its animal nature, looking to itself, it loves itself, and is present with, and sufficient to itself.

p. 608

EXTRACTS

FROM THE

I

TREATISE OF SYNESIUS

OF

PROVIDENCE

Th is fable is Egyptian. The Egyptians trans¬ cend in wisdom. Perhaps therefore this also being a fable, obscurely signifies something more than a fable, because it is Egyptian. If, however, it is not a fable, but a sacred discourse, it will deserve in a still greater degree to be told, and committed to waiting.

Osiris and Typhos were indeed brothers, and procreated from the same seed. There is not, howp. 509ever, one and the same relationship of souls and bodies. For it is not congruous to souls to be born on the earth from the same parents, but to flow from one fountain.

Typhos were indeed brothers, and procreated from the same seed. There is not, howp. 509ever, one and the same relationship of souls and bodies. For it is not congruous to souls to be born on the earth from the same parents, but to flow from one fountain. But the nature of the world imparts two fountains ; the one indeed being luminous, but the other obscure and dark. And the one scatters its streams from the earth, as having its roots beneath, and leaps from terrene caverns, in order that it may offer violence to the divine law. But the other is suspended from the back of heaven.2 And it is sent from thence, in¬ deed, for the purpose of adorning the terrene allot¬ ment. In descending, however, it is ordered to be careful, lest in adorning and arranging that which is disorderly and unadorned, it should itself become, by approximating to it, filled with turpitude and deformity. But the law of Themis proclaims to souls, that whatever soul, in associating with the last of things, preserves its own nature free from contamination, shall again by the same way [in which it descended] be restored to the fountain

I

from which it was derived;4 just as the souls which after a certain manner are impelled from the

1 i. e. From an intelligible essence.

% See my translation of the Phsedrus of Plato.

p. 510

other fountain, are from a necessity of nature col» lected into kindred receptacles.

Where slaughter, rage, and countless ills beside,

In Ate’s meads and darkness, wander wide.1

This is the nobility and ignobility of souls. And thus it may happen that a Libyan and Parthian may be allied to each other, and that those whom we call brothers may have no relationship of souls ; which appeared by certain indications to be the case with these Egyptian children from their birth, and was clearly manifested when they arrived at the perfection of manhood. For the younger of

\ the tw o, being born and educated through a divine destiny, was from his infancy desirous of learning, and a lover of fables. For a fable is the wisdom of children. He likewise applied himself to learn¬ ing with an ardour far beyond what might be ex¬ pected from his age. He was also obedient to his father, and imbibed with avidity whatever wisdom any one possessed ; at first, indeed, with a canine eagerness as it w?ere, desiring to know all things at once, as is usual with those geniuses who raise great expectations of themselves. For these pant

* These lines are from Empedocles.