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

Tt is likewise comprehensive of all things, being exempt from, and uniformly and antecedently containing ta itsclf{ the causes of them, For Orpheus also indicates things of this kind about it, when theologizing

* For τρίτην here, it is necessary to read rpm Nyy.

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concerning Phanes. The first God therefore, with him, has the heads of many animals, viz. of aram, a bull, a serpent, and a fierce lion." He also proceeds from the primogenial egg, in which the animal exists spermatically ; and Plato knowing this calls this mighty God animal itself. For what difference is there between calling an occult cause an egg, or that which is unfolded into light from it, an animal? For what can be generated from the exg of all things, but an animal? This egg however, was the offspring of ether and chaos, the former of which is established conformably to the bound, but the latter to the infinity of intelligibles. For the former is the root of all things, but the latter has not any boundary. If therefore that which first consists of bound and infinity is that which is primarily being, the being of Plato will be the same with the Orphtc egg. And if Phanes is from this, who is arranged according to animal itself, it is necessary to investigate it as sitnated next to eternity according to Orpheus, which is a medium between animal itself, and that which is primarily being.’ And thus it will be more clearly evident, that animal itself is no other than the Phanes of the theologist. For if Phanes first proceeds from the egg, which is manifestly with Orpheus the first intelligible intellect, but that which first and alone proceeds from an egg, is necessarily nothing else than an animal, it is evident that the most mighty Phanes is nothing else than the first animal; and, as Plato would say, animal ttself. This therefore is demonstrated.

Let us however, in the next place, survey what is consequent to this. Phanes, therefore, thus unfolding himself into light from the occult Gods, antecedently comprehends in himself the causes of the secondary orders, viz. of the effective, connective, perfective, and immutable orders; and also contains in himself according to one cause, all intelligible animals. For he excites himself to the most total ideas of all things. Hence also, he is said (by Orpheus] to be the first of the Gods, and to have a form. But he produces all things, and unfolds the intelligible and united’ causes of things, to the intellectual Gods. Hence too, the Demiurgus being filled from these causes, gives subsistence to this visible

* This is an Orphic line, which is not noticed cither by Gesner or Hermann in their collection of Ormhic fragments. It is however in the printed original in a defective state: for it is, cae cas Tarptovs opias, χαροπον re λέοντος. But from Eschenbach, who quotes it from ἃ manuscript, it may be amended as follows: κριὸν καὶ ravpov, opios, yaporow re eovros.

It is however in the printed original in a defective state: for it is, cae cas Tarptovs opias, χαροπον re λέοντος. But from Eschenbach, who quotes it from ἃ manuscript, it may be amended as follows: κριὸν καὶ ravpov, opios, yaporow re eovros.

* Itis here necessary to supply the words τὸν xpwrws ovros.

Σ For ηνωμενὼν in this place, it is obviously necessary to read ἤνωμενα, in order to agree with acria.

sim, Fisk , Vo. I. 2Zp. 362 world, and causes it to contain all sensible animals, both such as are more divine, and such as are mortal, which are properly Gzqzuara’ thremmata, or things which are nourished, as entirely participating of the nutritive soul. All bodies likewise, may properly be called Sesupara, ts being the progeny of nature, and as ulways living from, and being connected by it, even though: they should be perpetual bodies; but not as requiring externally adventitious nutriment. Unless indeed, it be requisite to call all things in the world Szeumara, us being nourished by the hing of visible natures through the communication of ight, Por Socrates in the Republic says, that the sun is the cause of nutroment and generation to all such things as he illuminates, Por every visible thing is notished bem perfected: by light, Poras we learn inthe Politious, itis possible to he nourished externally, and not only internally, Phe Demiurgus therefore, comprehends all that) the world contains, in order that this sensible world may be ἐδ πα pertect trom the parts that are in it, conformably to a sitmilitude to him, Hence, this world is a Various animal, according to a different part of itself emitting a different voice, and from all its parts one voice. For it is also one, fas well as many}. By a much greater priority however, the intelligible world is one animal and a multitude fof animals], contracting multitude in the one, just as this visible world also, exhibits the one in multitude. And the latter indeed, is a whole from parts 5 bat the former is a whole prior to parts, cxemptly, uniformly, and according to cause, comprehending intelligible antinals. Por from it the fountains of divine natures, and all the most total genera proceed. Flence also, the theologist represents it as a most tutalanimal, surrounds it with the heads of aram, a buli, a lion, and a dragon ; and ascribes to it primarily the female aud the mate, as lo the first animal.

Female and father, strong and mighty God, ry bi ve. 4 2 Enicapxus, says the theologist. He is likewise the first God that is represented with wings. And what occasion is there to be prolix? For if he has his progression from the primogenial egg, this fable manifests that he is the first animal, ifit is fit to preserve the analogy. Vor as the egg’ antecedcntly comprehends the spermatic

• * The word used by Plato here for animals.
• * In the origival erroneously npuxe xpos.

+ For ro ev ον here, it is necessary to read ro wor.

Vor as the egg’ antecedcntly comprehends the spermatic

• * The word used by Plato here for animals.
• * In the origival erroneously npuxe xpos.

+ For ro ev ον here, it is necessary to read ro wor.

πον τ TIM.EUS OF PLATO. 303

cause of the animal, thus also the occult order,‘ uniformly comprehends the whole of the intelligible. And as the animal now possesses in ἃ distributed manner, such things as were in the egg spermatically, thus likewise this God produces into a visible subsistence that which is ineffable and incomprehensible in first causes, Concerning these things however, what has now been said may suflice for the present.

If however, as this world comprehends in itself all visible natures, so its paradigm comprehends all intelligibles, and the mode of comprehension, as we have said, is different in each, yet at the same tine the visible in the former is analogous to that of the latter. For Phanes supernally illuminating intelligibles with intellivible light, causes all of them to be visible, and exhibits all things [in the intelligible] generated from invisible causes ; and the world imparts visibility to bodies through the light of the stars. Farther still, this also may be considered as admirable in the doctrine of Plato, that at the same time that he preserves the union ofintelligibles unshaken, he imparts to them an unmingled purity. For if all of them were so united to each other as to be confused, and so as not to permit the peculiarity of each to remain undefiled, there would have been no occasion to enquire, according to what kind of paradizm the universe was generated, Por in things confused there is no distinction of quality. And if these were so divided from each other as to be without any communion, some intelligibles would not comprehend, but others be comprehended. For to comprehend and be comprehended pertain to order and communion of powers, and to the -rapld conspiration of all secondary natures to become one. Moreover, for the union of them to subsist from essence, bat their separation to be rendered apparent from externally proceeding energies, will be the peculiarity of incorporeal and immaterial eflects. For if they are surveyed, themselves by themselves, all will be found to be in each other, on account of their being, as it were, of the same colour, and especially if the unitics of them are seen with the eye of intellect. But from secondary natures, and from their participants, we collect their unconfused union. Vor whence is the separation of these derived, except from the unmingled purity of their, efficient causes? For things which are confused with each other, give subsistence to other such-like natures, [i. e. to natures which ‘are similarly contused.]

* ile. The first triad of the intellicible order, which is called by Plato in the Parmenides το ¢r 11, the one being, or being characterised by, and absorbed as it were in lhc one.

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