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

Neither therefore, do those who revile the Demiurgus, dare to say that the world Is not most beautiful, but on the contrary they say that through the beauty of it souls are allured and ensnared.

But how are we to adnit that the Demiurgus is the best of eternal natures? For some think that we must understand by this word dest, the best of the causes of generated natures, in order that he may not be absolutely the best of causes. For this would be false, but that he may be the best of the causes of things that are generated ; since the natures that are above him are not the causes of these. I however, should be ashamed of myself, if L were in want of such an artifice as this, forgetting what was a little before said, in which the Demiurgus now delivered to us by Plato, was shown to be the fountain and monad of every demiurzic order. On account of this therefore, he is the best of causes, because he is allotted the first order among the demiurgi of the universe ; Plato here, directly emulating Homer, who calls the Demiurgus the father of wholes, and the supreme of rulers; and he thus denomiaates him though he mentions the Geds

* Itappears to me that the word xpocéus must be supplied in this place.

BOOK 11. TIMALUS OF PLATO. 281

prior to him, as far as to the Goddess Night. Because therefore Jupiter is the most ancient and venerable of demiurgi, he is celebrated by Tomer as the supreme of rulers, but by Plato as the best’ of causes. Others however by no means dare to aceuse the Demiurgus, but blame this universe, and pervert. thie assertions of the ancients, who eall ita eavern and aden. And others, as Hera-° clitus, say, Chat the Demiargus sported in fabricating the world,

Others however by no means dare to aceuse the Demiurgus, but blame this universe, and pervert. thie assertions of the ancients, who eall ita eavern and aden. And others, as Hera-° clitus, say, Chat the Demiargus sported in fabricating the world,

To these objections however it is easy to reply. Por though the world is, as Plato says, most beautiful, and a blessed God, yet when compared with the intelligible, and the place which is there, it is deservedly called a cavern and a den. And it is especially so to partial souls who verge to bodies and matter. But with respect to the Demiurgus, though he is the best of causes, yet the whole of his providential energies about the recent fabrications, may be called sport, when compared with the energies which are exempt from sensibles. For these reasons therefore, the Demiurgus is thus celebrated in the present: words by Plato. Tt is requisite also to understand how the co-ordination of the most beautiful with the most excellent, is suspended from the first principles. For as in them beauty is suspended from (he good, and the beautifying cause, from the fountain of all cood, thus also here, the world is said to be most beautiful, but the Demiurgus most execient, and the most beautiful is suspended from that which is best. Inthe next place i is requisite to understand how what is said about the fabrication itself (of things] imitates this fabrication. For as the world itself was led from confusion to order, and a similitade to the intelligible, by fabrication, thas also the discussion of it first employed abhorrent: appellations, calling it generated and destructible, but now the most venerable names, denominating it the best of generated natures, the offspring of the most excellent father, and the image of the most divine paradigm. And shortly after, he reminds us of it hy the most sacred of names.

“ But again, these things [thus] subsisting, there is every necessity that the world should be the image of a certain thing.”

To those who are more simple, what is here said may appear to be the same with what was before asserted. For some one who does not survey things accurately may ask what difference there is between saying, thatthe world was fabricat-

* For αἴτιος here, itis necessary to read aproros.

Tim. Plat. Vor. i. 2N

p. 289

For some one who does not survey things accurately may ask what difference there is between saying, thatthe world was fabricat-

* For αἴτιος here, itis necessary to read aproros.

Tim. Plat. Vor. i. 2N

p. 289

ed according toa paradigm, and that it is the image of a certain thing. In reality however, each of these is separated from the other. For since itis possible for an artificer to make conformably to a paradigin, but the thing fabricated may not become the image of the paradigm in consequence of not being vanquished by the fabricating cause; in order that vou may not fancy that this is alse the ease with the world, Plato has shown that the Demiargus indeed looked to a paradigm, and that being most excellent he looked to the most divine paradigm, trom what he said respeeting the universe being fabricated conformably to the itellt-

ἐπ αἷς its gible, But that the universe also is vanquished by form, and traly paradigm, he manifests from what is now said. Por if the world is an image, the universe is assimilated to the intelligible, For that which is not dissimilar but similar and consentancous, is an image. You have therefore, the sensible universe, the most beautiful of images, the intellectual universe, the best of causes, and the intelligible universe, the most divine of paradigms, Each of these also is every where. Por the sensible universe participates of intellect and being; the intellectual universe possesses sensibles uniformly, but itelligibles “secondarily 5 and the intelligible universe antecedently comprehends, primordially and umitedly, intellectuals and sensibles. Phe universe however, subsists appropriately in each order. And the sensible universe indeed, is placed before us as a fabrication; but the eternal is two-fold, the one beme as demiurgic, but the other as paradigmatic 3 though the paradigmatic is also in the demiurgic. Por the Demiurgus makes looking to himself; since every Intellect sees itself) and is the same with the intelligible it contains. And again the demiurgic is in the paradigmatic; since it makes that which is generated, Por it is not a paradigm like a form impressed in wax, nor as the Image of Socrates is the image of another Image; but the paradigmatic cause by its very being makes secondary natures similar to itself At the same time however, to fabricate paradigmatically, and τὸ be a paradigm demiurgically (16. fabricatively] differ, For the former is to energize essentially ; but the latter is to impart essence energetically, And the former is to perceive intellectually, intelligibly ; bat) the Latter is to be intelliwible intellectually. For (he peculiarity of he paradigm ww to make by is very being ; but of the Demiurgus, to make by cnergismg. Vor itis wot the same thing tumake by existing, and to hnow and energize through knowledges siice soul also produces life by evisting, but makes artificially through knowledge. And it