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

Just as also among the Greeks, Ajax indeed fights, as being the barrier of the Greeks, and Nestor likewise fights, who is the guardian of the Greeks ; the latter as a defender, repelling the enemy by his counsels ; but the former, by employing his hands. Unless it should be said, that Plato now

' For ro δαιμὸν φυλον in this place, it is necessary to read τὸ δαιμονὼν φυλον. * For yewpyuy, which occurs here by a strange mistake, it is obviously necessary to read ἀρηΐκῃ.

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peculiarly makes mention of the military tribe, because he wishes to narrate the warlike actions of a polity of this kind.

“Soc. And when we had assigned to every one that which is accommodated to his nature, and had prescribed one employment only to each of the arts,’ we likewise assigned to the military tribe one province only.”

In the first place, there is a two-fold reading of these words. For it either is “And when we had prescribed one employment conformable to nature to each of the citizens, in order that each might perform his proper work,” or, “ When we had presenbed to each to pursue an employment conformable to nature, which: is adapted to each according to the present aptitude of his nature.” In the next place, it must be enquired through what cause Socrates makes such a division, or on what account he says, “that each employmentis rightly pursued by hin who ts naturally adapted to it, and who ina becoming manner engages init.” For neither is diligent attention, when deprived of aptitude, able to accomplish with rectitude any thing perfect, nor can dexterity without diligent attention proceed into energy. The end, therefore, is from both. Tf, however, this be the case, it is not possible for him who engages in many works, to be similarly adapted to all of them, or to pay attention similarly to all; in consequence of his ardor being divided about a multitude of things. Hence in this case, the pursuits of the citizens must necessarily appear to be of a viler nature. But if this is not right, one employment should be assigned to each of the citizens, to which he to whom it is distributed is adapted, and he should be ordered to extend all his care and attention to one thing. For he who is properly adapted to this particular life, and pursues it in a becoming manner conformably to nature, will, itis likely, perform in the best way his proper work. In human polities, therefore, it is easy to survey a division of this kind ; for our nature is partible. But how is this true with respect to the Gods?) For a divine nature ts all-powerful and all-perfect. Or may we not say that with the Gods all things are in all of them, but that each is all things according to the peculiarity of himself, and possesses the cause of all things, one after a Solar, but another after a Mercurial manner? For peculiarity originating from the divine unities, proceeds through intellectual essences,

For peculiarity originating from the divine unities, proceeds through intellectual essences, through divine souls, and through the bodies of these souls. Hence of these, a 5

* The words exaory τέχνῃ are omitted in the text of Proclus.

iti prpocmnte tienen

PE ASW ee ασα

Bee wane

PER A ARS EE aI

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some participate of demiurgic, others of prolific, others of connective, and others ofa dividing power. And after this manner they energize about generation, In divine natures themselves therefore peculiarity pre-exists, defining the unities according to the infinity which is there, and the divine duad. But in intellects, difference is pre-existent, which separates wholes) and parts, and = distributes intellectual powers, imparting a different peculiar order to a diflerent intellect, through which the purity of intellects is not confounded. In souls progression and division pre-subsist, according to a different life in different souls, some of them being allotted a divine, others an angelic, others a damoniacal, and others adiflerenthyparxis. But in bodies, interval pre-exists, producing diferent powers in different bodies, For in these, there are ultimate representations of intelligibles, according to which this particular body is effective of this thing, but another ofthat. And this body has a sympathy with this thing, but another sympathizes with something else. As, therefore, in this universe, each thing acts according to nature upon that which it was arranged by the fabrication of things to act upon; thus also in the city, the employments of the citizens are divided, and each is arranged to perform that for which he is naturally adapted. What, therefore, the works are of the military tribe, ‘Timaus clearly shows in what follows :

“Ἱ mean that they ought to be only guardians of the city, so as to protect it from the hostile incursions both of external and internal enemies ; but yet in such a manner as to administer justice mildly to the subjects of their government, as being naturally friends, and to behave with warlike fierceness towards their enemies in battle.”

In these words Plato is willing that the euardians and auxiliaries should be judges of those that act ill within the city, but contenders against those that are out of it; in one way the auxiliaries, and in another the guardians, as we have before observed. To be only guardians, however, is not a diminution of power. For when we assert of the first cause that he is one alone, we do not by this diminish him, and entirely enclose him within narrow bounds; since neither is that which is only the most excellent, diminished by being so. But on the contrary, every addition to a thing of this kind is a diminution ; so that by asserting not only of athing which was such from the beginning, you diminish its excellence. And thus much for such-like particulars.

But on the contrary, every addition to a thing of this kind is a diminution ; so that by asserting not only of athing which was such from the beginning, you diminish its excellence. And thus much for such-like particulars.

Again, however, it is requisite to consider how we may survey what is now

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said in wholes. For what is that which is external in the universe?) And how can it be said that the universe does not comprehend all things? May we not reply, that evil has a two-fold subsistence in the world, viz. in souls and i bodies? And it is necessary that those who exterminate confusion and ses from the universe, should extend justice and measure to souls, but should be antagonists to the unstable nature of matter. For some souls, indeed, are naturally adapted to the intelligible, on which account, also, they may be said to be internal, and to belong to the extent of the intelligible umverse ; but others, being material and remote from the Gods, are in a Certain: respect aliens, strangers, and external. Hence, those who are the accomplishers of justice, use the former mildly, as being naturally friends ; but are severe to those that are borne along in bodies in a confused and disorderly manner, as being incommensurate towards them, and as entirely abolishing their privation of order, and amputating the inexhaustible avidity of matter, For some things, indeed, cannot sustain ornament of this kind, but immediately vanish into non-entitv. But others whieh are moved confusedly and disorderly, are repressed by the justice which prevails in the universe, and by the invincible’ strength of the order of euardian powers. Ifence he now says, that they are severe to those who are hostile to the city. For they are such as cannot endure to behold them. [ἢ short, there are elevating and cathartic powers about souls, and also inspective euardians of judgment and justice. And itis evident, that some of these are analogous to guardians, but others to auailiaries. About bodies, tuo, some are connective, but others dissolving powers : and it is manifest that some of these are analogous to guardians, but others to those that are belligerent. Por these powers expand into the universe, things which are no longer able to remain in their proper series, in order that all things may have an arrangement, and that nothing may be indefinite or confused. If, likewise, you direct your attention to the Demiurgus himself of wholes,.and to the mmmutable and invariable nature of