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

Where also are the wholenesses of the things which are there mingled !

' For ἡμῶν in this place, it is necessary to read opws. * Ecis omitted here in the original,

409 PROCLUs ON THE [BOOK ti.

Such therefore being the doubts, it is better to say that all heaven consists of fire, which there predominates ; but that it also comprehends according to cause, the powers of the other elements, such as the solidity and stability of earth, the conglutinating and uniting power of water, and the tenuity and transparency of air. For as earth comprehends all things terrestrially, so the heavens comprehend all things according to a fiery characteristic. So that one thing [1 e. tire} has dominion, and the other elements are comprehended init) causally. Tt is necessary however to think, that the fire which is there, is not the same with sublunary tire, but that itis divine fire, consubsistent with life, and an imitation of intellectual fire. And that the fire which is here 15 wholly material, venerated, and corraptible. Genuine fire therefore, is in the heavens, and total fire for the wholeness of tire] is there. But earth is there according to cause, being another species of earth, and as itis fit it should, connascent with divine fire, possessing solidity alone, in the same manner as fire possesses an illuminative power, And as this celestial fire is not caustic, neither is the earth which is there gross, but the suminit of each is there. And as genuine and truly existing fire are in’ the heavens, so real earth is here, and the wholeness of earth 5 but tire is here according to participation, and materially, in the same manner as earth is primarily. For that which remains is in each appropriately ; there the summit of earth (or earth according tu cause 5} but here the dregs of fire. But this is evident from the moon which possesses something solid and dark, and obstructing the light. For to obstruct is alone the province of earth, The stars also obstruct the sight, as producing a shadow above themselves. And it is evident this being the case, that since fire is in the heavens, and also earth, the diaphanous media between these, are likewise necessarily there printarily 5 air indeed, such as the most pure and agile air which is here; but water, such as the most exhaleable with us, and even still purer than these; in order that all things may be in all, but appropriately in each, Lor on this account we characterize fire by visibility, which is deservedly the peculiarity of all fire. For as carth is primarily tangible, so fire is primarily visible ; because it is not in want of any one of the other clements, in order that it may be visible, as the others are inowant of the iluminative power of fire to their visibility. But fire becomes itself visible through itself. And this is common to all fire. Phe question therefore is solved.

But fire becomes itself visible through itself. And this is common to all fire. Phe question therefore is solved.

That all the progression of the elements however, may become manifest to us, and the gradations of them, itis requisite that we should begin the theory of them from on high, ‘These four elements therefore, fire and air, water and earth,p. 423 subsist primarily, and uniformly according to cause, in the Detuinreus of wholes. For all causes are antecedently contained in him, according to one comprehension. Elence he comprebends the intellectual, divine, undetiled, and vicorous power of fire; the connective and vivilic cause of air; the prolitic and regerminating hyparxis of water; and the firm,’ stable, immutable, and unvacillating idea of earth, The theologist therefore, knowing these things, says of the Demiurgus, ilis body's boundless, tim, and tiery-brights And,

"The wide-extended all-pervading air,
Forms lis broad shoulders, back, and bosom fair,
Hlis middle zone ’s the spreading sea profound,

Ihis feet, the roots deep-fix'd within the solid ground,

But from these demiurgic causes, a progression takes place of these four elements into the universe, though not immediately into the sublunary world. For how can the most immaterial natures give subsistence without a medium, to the most material; and immoveable natures, to those that are in every respect moved? For the progression of things is nowhere without a medium, but exists according to a well-ordered gradation, The generations also into these material, dissipated, and dark realms, are effected through things of a proximate nature. For these are capable of being fashioned by the junior Gods, and especially so far as they have a tangible composition, But the Demiurgus is the father of greater and more beautiful effects. :

Since therevore, the elements in the Demiureus himself are intellects, and imparticipable intellectual powers, what will be the first progression of them? Ts it not evident, that they will stil continue to be intellectual powers, but participated by mundane natures? For the progression from imparticipable intellect is proximately to that intellect which is participated. And in short, the progression from imparticipable causes, is to those that are participated, and from supermundane to mundane forms. These powers however, still remaining intellectual, but participable, what kind of diminution will they have? Is it not this, that they will no longer be

* For yovincsin this place, it is necessary to read povipos.

p. 424

These powers however, still remaining intellectual, but participable, what kind of diminution will they have? Is it not this, that they will no longer be

* For yovincsin this place, it is necessary to read povipos.

p. 424

intellectual? But I call intellectual natures, the forms of intellect, and of an essence truly intellectual. Being however, participable, but no longer intellectual, it is evident that they will not be immoveable. And not being immoveable, they will be self-motive. For these are proximately suspended from immoveable natures; and the progression is from things essentially intellectual, to those that are so by participation, and from immoveable beings, to those that move themselves. These elements therefore, will subsist in life, and will be intellectual according to participation, and self-motive. But itis evident what that is which will proceed from this. For the descent from life is to animal; for this 15 proximate to life. And from that which is self-motive according to essence, to that which is selfmotive according to the participation of life. And so far indeed, as the elements proceed from life to animal, they are changed; but so far as they proceed from that which is immaterial to immaterial natures (1 mean immaterial as with reference to mutable matter,) and from a divine life, to a divine essence, they are assimilated to truly immaterial essences. Here therefore, taking away the immaterial, and the immutable, you will make the material and the mutable. And through this they will be inferior to the natures prior to them; but through the order and symmetry of their motions, and the immutability in things mutable, they will be assimilated to them, If therefore, you also take away this order, and survey the great confusion and instability of the elements, you will have the last of all things, and those which are allotted an ultimate separation, being the dregs of all the elements prior to these. Hence, of the elements, some are immoveable, intellectual, demiurgic ; others are intellectual indeed essentially, and immoveable, but are participated by mundane natures ; others are self-motive, and have their existence in lives ; others are self-motive, but live (i. δ. are animals], and are not lives only; others are alter-motive, but are moved in an orderly manner; and others, are disorderly, tumultuous and confused,

The difference of the elements therefore, being so great, what occasion is there to disturb what is here said by Pl: to, as if the elements existed only in one way ? For it is necessary to survey the clements in as many ways as there are media between the Demiurgus and sublunary natures; because their progression 15 through media. The elements therefore, are in the heavens, but not! after the

* Ov is omitted here in the original.

p. 425

-V