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

For as the soul when it is in an upright condition, performs all things according to intellect, so intellect in fabricating, gives subsister ce to all things conformably to divinity. But this is the same as conformably to the good.

* For oowy μεν ἐστιν aurios here, it is necessary tu read ogwy μη ἐστιν acres,

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Whether therefore, it be requisite to follow the Aristotelian problems, after what the universe is, and what kind of a thing itis, 1015 necessary to investigate on what account itis. For it has been said that itis generated indeed, but is the image of being. And itis also requisite besides this to cousider, for the sake of what it was generated. Oraf it be necessary to adoptthe Platonic causes, itis fit after the demiurgic cause and the paradigin, to discover the final cause of the fabrication of the world. Por again, all other causes are suspended from this, ἀπ likewise the divinity of the paradigm, the goodness of the maker, and the perfection of that which is generated. And as far as to this is: the ascent to those who love to conteniplate truth, Tt is ustal however, to call the final cause δέον ot account of which ; the paradigmatic cause ποτ ον wth relation to which, the demiurgic cause vg ov, by which ; Whe instremental cause av ov, (rough which ; form x25 ὁ, accord: mg lo which ; and matter 22 ov, or evan, from which, ov in which, These causes also received the same appellations from Plato limsclt, Por now investigating the final cause he says, on account of what cause. Inquiring conecruing the paradigatic Catse, he says, with relation tow hich of the paradigms. Bat concerning the demiurgic cause, he says, that which is generated, Is from necessity generated by a certain cause, And as we proceed, we shall point out the rest from the words themselves of Plato; except: that at present also it must be said, that these appellations are adapted to the discriminating setenee of the philosopher,

What however is generation, and) what is the universe? Some indeed by generation understanding the sublunary phice, call the universe the whole world, Bat these entirely wander from the meaning of Plato. Por the Detturgus ts hot represented as separately fashioning materkdl natures, aud separately the whole world. And in the next place, generation itself is a part of the aniverse. Iv however, it should be said that Plato calls the heaven the universe, because it Is the greatest part of the world, for the rest is stall ee because itis the most divine and principal part, and as it were the summit of the universe; for the head also is called the whole, as,

Peucer, dear Lead ;' and Plato also says, that the world was surrounded with the remaining bulk of body for the sake of this;—yet at the same time, the philosopher is accustomed to call this likewise generation. Others again call matter generation, but that

ν iliad, viii. 281.

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Others again call matter generation, but that

ν iliad, viii. 281.

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Which is adorned trom matter fas the subject], they denominate the universe, by Whom many things written by Plato, must necessarily be rejected. For he says. that every thing generated, and all generation, is sensible, or tancible, and visible, Farther sal, he gives a division to generation Opposite to that of matter, as when he says, there were these things subsisting separately, being, place, and generation, from which the universe was constituted,

Our preceptor however says, that the fabrication of the world is to be understood ina twofold respeet. For one part of it Consists in the formation of bodies, but the other, in adapting bodies to. the completion of one world, For it is one ‘thing to fashion bodies themselves, through figures, bat another to harmonize them When fashioned, to the universe. Generation therefore, must be said to be the forma: tion of bodies, being a motion [or tendency) by the wholeness and perfection of the τσοὶ, Lor that which is composed from parts has a pre-concetved production of the parts, Ilence the formation,’ which takes place between matter, the whole orderly distribution of things, and the one completion of the universe, must be called generation, τὴ order that it mity bed path to the whole inwhich the parts are comprehended. For this is the universe, being constituted perfect from perfect: parts, according to the one harmony of wholes. Since however, this whole is sensible, and not the intelligible all, or universe: for this was the paradigm 3 nor the intellectual all; for this was demiurgie s on this account. Plato adds the particle dhis, inanifesting by it that which is sensible and partial. For every thing corporeal, though it should be a whole, is partial. But the most principal whole is that which is immaterial and withont interval, and that is traly all whether it) be intellectual or intelligible. And thas much concerning this particular,

But what shail we say is meant by composition? Perhaps it indicates that the world is composed from: many things, and that the generation of it is from dissimilars, Perhaps also, it signifies thatunion and stability accede to it from the total fabrication. For the collocation of ow, with, fin the word σωνιττας IS Significant of union, and of the conspiration of all things to one. But στατις, permanency, Wanitests the firmness and stability of the fabrication of the world. Farther stl, with respeet to the words συνιστὰς and συνεστητάτο [1 ον. he who comjosed and he constituted) employed here by Plato, the former copulates the present and past times, and the Jatter indicates: the perfection cand the perpetuity of the fabrication. For the former of these words manifests continual pro- "

ἡ For πάσαν here, it is necessary to read πλασι».

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For the former of these words manifests continual pro- "

ἡ For πάσαν here, it is necessary to read πλασι».

p. 302

duction, and which is always consummately effected with invariable sameness ; but the latter a wholeness which is allotted an existence in fulness. The signifying likewise, both the past and the present time through the same names, Indicates that the divine fabrication proceeds through sameness and similitude. For such as is the nature of that which is efleetive, such also is the energy which it possesses. And as it is, so it fabricates ; because it produces by its very being, and from! its own proper essence.

“fle was good, but in him who is good, no envy is ever ingenerated about any thing.”

Those who call the Demiurgus the good, are entirely ridiculous. For the good apd one who is good are not the same. For the former is imparticipable itself by itself, andis exempt from all things; but the latter is good through participation ofthe former. And the one rules over all intelligibles ; but the other, if indeed itis the same with the paradigm, is intelligibles themselves, but is not the sovereign ruler of intelligibles ; and if itis subordinate to the paradigm is in amuch greater degree inferior to the king of all intelligibles. And in’ short, every certain God ts a certain good, one being a demiurgic, another a vivific, and another a perfective good. But the good is nota certain good, but is sinply good, And ifyou say that itis demiurgic, you diminish its subsistence as sinply wood,

These distinctions therefore being made, let us neat consider the beginning of whatis here said. In the first place, therefore, as Plato when Investigating the mundane form, and inquiring whether the world was generated, or is unbegotten, adds prior to the whole demonstration, “ if was generated ;” and as when exploring the paradigmatic cause, he previously adds, “if ts manifest to every one, that “ἀρὰς generated with relation to an eternal paradigm,” adducing the conclusion prior to the whole of the reasoning ;—thus also proposing to discover the final cause after all the others, he adds, “ he was good,” imitating intellect through this enunciation, and the at once collected comprehension of. the assertion, For in this colon, the whole of what is Investigated Is comprehended, because goodness is the final cause, whether itis simply so and one, or whether? it is the demiurgic goodness. For as the paradigm is two-fold, the one being intelligible, but the other intellectual ; and as the one is prior to the Demiurgus,

" For avro here, read azo,

* Lcre is omitted in the original.

SONS TAT ee RE OF TNT τοῦ

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