The Commentaries on the Timaeus of Plato — trans. Thomas Taylor

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COMMENTARIES OF PROCLUS

ON THE
TIMAZUS OF PLATO,
IN FIVE BOOKS 5

CONTAINING A TREASURY OF

| 5001 PYTHAGORIC AND PLATONIC PHYSIOLOGY. TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK, BY THOMAS TAYLOR. Epos wpos ptAogopous ἐστι φιλια" προς μεντοι σοζιστας, ἡ γραμματιστας, ἢ Υϑιονῆο yeros εἐτέρον ανθρωπὼων κακοδαιμονων, οντε νυν core φιλια, μητε νστερον wore γένοιτο. . Apollonius Ty aneus. TWO VOLUMES. se VOL. i. ες London:

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INTRODUCTION.

OF that golden chain of philosophers, who, having themselves happily penetrated, luminously unfolded to others the profundities of the philosophy of Plato,

Proclus ts indisputably the largest and most refulgent link. Born with a genius transcendently ereat, and accompanied throuch life with a fortune sincularl δ δ tad good, he exhibited in his own person a union of the rarest kind, in which power concurred with will, the benetit resulting from genuine philosophy with the ability of imparting it, and in which Wisdom was inseparable from Prosperity. The eulogium therefore of Ammonius Hermeas, “ that Proclus possessed the power of unfolding the opinions of the ancients, and a scientific judgment of the nature of things,in the highest perfection posstale tohumanity,”' will be immediately assented to by every one, who is an adept in the writings of this incomparable man.

I rejoice therefore, in the opportunity which is now afforded me of presenting to the English reader a translation of one of the greatest productions of this Coryphean philosopher ; though unfortunately like most of his other works, it has been transmitted to us in a mutilated state. For these Commentaries scarcely explain a third part of the Timeus ; and from a passage in Olympiodorus On the Meteors of Anstotle,” there is every reason to believe that Proclus left nu part of the

* Fa δὲ τι και ἡμεῖς δυνηθειημεν εισένεγκειν περι τὴν τὸν βιβλίον σαφηνειαν, απονημονένσαντες των εζηγησεων row θειον ἡμων διδάσκαλον LpoxXov τον πλατωνίκον διαδοχον, Tov εἰς axpoy τῆς αγθρωπινηε φυσεωε τὴν τε εξηγητικὴν τῶν δοκουντῶν τοῖς παλαιοις δνναμιν, καὶ τὴν ἐπιστημονίκην rns φυσεως τῶν Ὄντων κρισιν ἀσκησαντος, πολλὴν av τῷ λογιῳ Dew χαριν ομολογησαιμεν- Ammon, de luterpret. p. 1.

For important particularsrespecting this extraordinary man, see my translation of his Commentary en the first book of Euclid. He was born about the year 412 of Christ.

* See this passage in the notes to my translation of the Meteors of Aristotle.

΄

ΠῚ INTRODUCTION.

p. 1.

For important particularsrespecting this extraordinary man, see my translation of his Commentary en the first book of Euclid. He was born about the year 412 of Christ.

* See this passage in the notes to my translation of the Meteors of Aristotle.

΄

ΠῚ INTRODUCTION.

Timzus without his masterly elucidations. This is likewise more than probable, from what Marinus says in his life of him, ‘that he was a man laborious to a miracle ;” for it cannot be supposed that such a man would leave the greater part of one of the most important dialogues of Plato unelucidated, and particu- Jarly as these Commentaries were written by him (as the same Marinus informs us) in the flower of his age, and that he preferred them beyond all his other works." Fortunately however, the most important part of this work is preserved ; or that part in which the demiurgic, paradigmatic, and final causes of the universe areunfolded ; the corporeal nature of it is represented as fabricated with forms and demiurgic sections, and distributed with divine numbers ; and soul is produced from the Demiurgus, and is filied with harmonic ratios, and divine and fabrieative symbols. The whole mandane animal too, is here shown to be connected, according to the united comprehension which subsists in the intelligible world ; and the parts which it contains are so disposed as to harmonize with the wiole, both such as are corporeal, and such as are vital. For partial souls such as ours, are introduced into its spacious receptacle, are placed about the mundane Gods, and hecome mundane through the luciform vehicles with which they are connected. The progression of the cloments likewise from their first incorporeal subsistence to their subterranean termination, and the mature of the heavens and heavenly bodies, are beautifully developed. And as the result of the most scientific reathat the fixed stars have periodic revolutions on their axes, though the length of their duration isp. 2 soning, it is shown that every planet is surrounded with satellites, tous unknown; and that the stars, which at times disappear and again: become visible, are the satellites of other fixed stars of amore primary dignity, behind the splendors of which they are occasionally concealed.’ These and many other Inost interesting particulars, are unfolded in’ these Commentaries, with an accuracy and perspicuity which have seldom been equalled, and have never been excelled.

' The late Dr. Charles Burney, on being once asked by me, whether he had ever read these Commentaries, candidly replied, ‘that they were too much for hin; atthe same time eaclaiming, ‘‘ What a giant was Proclus compared to Longinus!” ‘This confession, as the Doctor had never studied the philosophy of Plato, displayed a degree of good serse, which is seldom to be met with in a grammarian and philologist, om such an occasion; aud his cundour is still more remarkable, when it is considered that he had been a Reviewer.

* See p. 270. Vol. 2. in which itis saia, “ that in each of the planetary spheres, a number analogous to the choir of the fixed stars, subsists with appropriate circulations.” Sce also p. 2650 and 281, of the same volume, in which this is more fully asserted.

3 See p. 299. Vol. 2.

INTRODUCTION. v

When T speak however, of the perspicuity with which these particulars are developed, Ido not mean that they are delivered in such a way, as to be obvious to every one, or that they may be apprehended as soon as read ς for this pertains only to the fungous and frivolous productions of the present day ; but my meaning is, that they are written with all the clearness, which they are naturally capable of admitting, or Which a genuine student of the philosophy! of Plato can desire. And this leads me to make some remarks on the iniquitous opinion which, since the revival of letters, has been generally entertained of the writtigs of Proclus and other philosophers, who are distinguished by the appellation of the latter Platonists, and to show the cause from which it origmated,