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

Afterwards, in the seventh place, he animates it through a divine soul. In the eighth place, he imparts to it atemporal period. Afterwards, in the ninth place, he establishes the senes '

For cepa here, itis necessary to read σειρα.

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of Gods in it, who conjointly produce the perfect year. And _ in the tenth place, he makes it to be perfect from all animals which are assimilated to the four ideas {in animal itself]. And thus through the decad he gives completion to the whole fabrication of things. ‘These particulars Lowever will be unfolded as we proceed.

And _ in the tenth place, he makes it to be perfect from all animals which are assimilated to the four ideas {in animal itself]. And thus through the decad he gives completion to the whole fabrication of things. ‘These particulars Lowever will be unfolded as we proceed.

Now therefore, we shall observe, that since the world possesses interval, and is apprehended by sense, it is known through the sight and the touch; being visible indeed, in consequence of being wholly filled through the whole of itself with light ; but existing tangible in consequence of being a solid. For itis sufficient for it to receive through these senses, all sensible aatures. The visible also, and the tangible conceived as always existing in the world in the four elements, are contraries. For these as being most distant from each other and under the same genus, are contraries. For both are sensibles, and this is their common genus, and they are most distant from each other, since the one is immediately sensible, but the other is not sensible without a medium. If however, we lvestigated the contraries in the elements so far as they are mutable, we should not say that they are fire and earth, but fire and water. For water especially extinguishes fire. Each also of the assertions is true. For it is common to both to have their contrariety consist in being extremes. And in this the assertions accord, as in senstbles indeed, carth being contrary to fire, but asin things of a mutable nature, water to fire. Hence also Plato opposes the visible to the tangible. Or, [it may be said] that he assumes the sensible clements, as not yet considering the mutation of them, according to which water is more contrary to fire than earth. What Plato therefore here says, is not as Theophrastus thought, imperfect : for he doubts as follows: Why does Plato say that the peculiarity of five is visibility, and of earth tanzibility, but does not at all mention the peculiarities of the other elements? We reply, it is because we see the world, and also touch it, but we do not taste, or hear, or smell it. The world itself also is visible and tangible to itself. And as being luciform indeed, itis visible, perceiving itself through divine light, which is extended through all heaven, and is similar, as Socrates says in the Republic, to the rainbow. or this divine light is that which is primarily visible, and pervades through the whole world. For as the sphere of the sun is the sight of the soul which is in it, thus also the sight of the sphere" is that divine light, which pervades through all visive* natures, and operates on, and imparts life to things that are visible. You may likewise say, that this is

* For ψυχης here, it is necessary to read ogaipas.

* Instead of eparwy in this place, I read σρατικων.

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You may likewise say, that this is

• * For ψυχης here, it is necessary to read ogaipas.
• * Instead of eparwy in this place, I read σρατικων.

p. 392

the first and most principal sight, but not that which subsists in conjunction with passion, and which is separated from visible natures. But again, the world as being solid and full of life, has what is called a co-sensation of itself. For we also have a co-sensation of the motions or passions which inwardly subsist in us. And through this consciousness, the world becomes tangible to itself. The most proper solution however of the doubt, is that which says, that Plato assumes the extreme elements prior to the others, because the latter subsist for the sake of the former. And he intends to show that the rest are constituted as the bond of the extremes. Orit may be said, that through the extremes he also comprehends the media. For as the universe is defined through fire and earth, and the media which are comprehended in these, thus also through the visible and the tangible he comprehends all the variety of sensible natures.