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

If, likewise, you direct your attention to the Demiurgus himself of wholes,.and to the mmmutable and invariable nature of the intellects, which divine poetry calls the guards of Jupiter, you will also have in the father (of the universe] the pre-existent cause of these two-fold) genera. For through the demiurgic being which he contains, he adorns all things ; but through the immutable guard which is established in himself, every eternal order remains, all disorder being entirely abolished. You may also see there Justice governing all things in conjunction with Jupiter. For Jastice follows him, being

* For ανταγωνίστεν here, it is necessary to read avavraywrtorov, ahap. 33 the avenger of the divine Jaw. At the same time too, you may perceive the armed order with which he arranges the universe, as those assert who have written the wars of the Titans and Giants. These things, however, we shall hereafter discuss,

The words, however, external and internal, may be understood as follows : The confused and disordered tlux of bodies, at one time arises from the impotence of the reasons, [or productive principles participated by bodies,] and at another, from the inexhaustible avidity of matter. Reasons, however, are familiar and allied to producing causes ; but matter, through the indefiniteness of itself, and the remoteness of its diminution, is a stranger to its adorning causes. Hence, the invincible strength of the Gods, and the immutable guard of fabrication, all-variously subverting its confusion, renovates the reasons of matter, and remedies their imbecility; but vanquishes the avarice of matter. Not that matter resists the Gods who produced it, but that because on account of its indefiniteness it flies from ornament, it is vanquished by forms through the demiurgie guard, against which nothing is able to prevail. But itis necessary that all things in the world should be obedient to it, in order that they may perpetually remain, and that the Demiurgus may be the father of eternal natures.

“Soc. For we asserted, I think, that the souls of the guardians should be of sucha nature, as at the same time to be both irascible and philosophic in a remarkable degree; so that they might be mild to their friends, and severe to their enemies.”

“Soc. For we asserted, I think, that the souls of the guardians should be of sucha nature, as at the same time to be both irascible and philosophic in a remarkable degree; so that they might be mild to their friends, and severe to their enemies.”

The philosophic and the irascible comprehend both the genera, viz. the auxiliary, and that which is peculiarly called the guardian genus, just as the epithymetic accords with the third genus, which is called the mercenary. For because Socrates distinguishes the upper from the lower city, he manifests by these two-fold names the differences of the orders contained in the city ; just as if some one having divided the world into heaven and generation, should say that in the former there are dwmoniacal and divine orders, and should call both of them the guardians of generation and the universe. For the universe is suarded by the Gods, and it is also guarded by daemons. By the former indeed totally, unically, and exemptly ; but by the latter partially, multitudinously, and in a Manner more proximate to the natures that are guarded by them. For about every God a multitude of demons is arranged, which divides his one and total

Tim. Plat. Vou. I. Ὁ

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providence. The term philosophic, therefore, pertains to the Gods, so far as they are united to the intelligible, and so far as they are filled with being. But the irascible pertains to diemons, so far as they exterminate all confusion from the universe, and so far as they are the saviours of the divine laws, and of the sacred institutions of Adrastia. Through these causes, however, they are mild to their familiars, aptly applying a remedy to their imbecility, as being allied to them by nature, but severe to those that are external fi. e. to those that are strangers to them} as abolishing the indefiniteness of their nature, in an exempt manner, and according to supreme transcendency.

“Soc. But what did we assert concerning their education ? Was it not that they should be instructed in gymnastic exercises, in music, and all other becoming disciplines?”

The assertions that have been already made, are certain common types, extending to all things, according to the denuurgic allotment, and. divine ditference, defining employments adapted to every one, and distributing powers appropriately τὸ the recipients. But in the present words, the lite of the citizens is unfolded, through education, employments, communion, and the procreation of children, proceeding in a becoming manner from the beginning to the end. What then is education, and how is it assimilated to the universe? For in’ the [Socratic] city, it is the discipline of the soul, rightly adorning the irrational part through music and gymnastic, the former giving remission to the streneth of

What then is education, and how is it assimilated to the universe? For in’ the [Socratic] city, it is the discipline of the soul, rightly adorning the irrational part through music and gymnastic, the former giving remission to the streneth of anger, but the latter exciting desire, and rendering it) as it were elegant and commensurate with anger, in consequence of its being vehemently remiss, and through its descent to a material nature, filled from thence with a privation of life. But this discipline adorns reason through the mathematical sciences, which have something of an attractive mature, are capable of exciting ἢ αν the recollection of true being, and elevate our intellectial part) to that which is itself the most splendid of being. All which is evident to those who are not entirely forgetful of the arrangements in the Socratic republic.

It is now, however, our business to investigate, what education, eyminastic and music are in the universe, and what the disciplines are of the guardians of the universe. Perhaps, therefore, we shall speak rightly if we say, that education is the perfection which fills each thing with the good pertaining to it, and causes it to be sufficient to itself, according to intellectual perceptions and providential i ans WOE. eit Rae σῶς δὶ

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