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

And this is another dogma of the mighty Jupiter.

“ But he neither thought that hands were necessary to the world, as there was nothing for it either to receive or resist ; nor yet feet, nor any other members which are subservient to progression and rest.”

The touch is the last of the senses, and of this an animal especially participates according to the whole body, but particularly according to the hands. For these have the greatest power of touching, as may be seen in the operations of them. Since however, the hands afford us a twofold use; for through them we receive things that delight us, and repel such as pain us; but the universe cannot receive anything, for it has every thing which it wishes; nor repel any thing, because there is nothing foreign to it ;—this being the case, itis not at all in want of hands. For as Aristotle says, neither nature, nor God, does any thing in vain. So that the Demiurgus did not make hands to adhere to the world, because they would have been added in vain. Since however, that which is motive 1s suspended from that which is sensitive, but [mean that which is maturally motive, the discussion of Timwus, appropriately and at the same time reasonably proceeds, froin the sensitive to the progressive organs. For the feet were formed as instruments for rectilinear motion, as likewise were the other parts subservient to progression, such as the leg, the knee, the thigh, and any other such-like part. Its impossible however, for the universe to be moved ia a right line: for, as we have before shown, there is no vacuum external to the universe. Through these things therefore, he takes away the progressive and sensitive parts. And here again it may be said, that in taking away the motive organs, he alone takes away feet, but not wings; because feet are suflicient to more perfect animals for the purposes of motion ; doing the same thing here as he did respecting smelling and respiration,

Again however, it must be said, that these organs are by no means in the universe, but that sense and motion after another manner are. For since every

* For opowrnre in this place, itis obviously necessary to read. 9 opovorns.

p. 463

For since every

* For opowrnre in this place, itis obviously necessary to read. 9 opovorns.

p. 463

thing sensible of whatever kind it may be is comprehended in it, and it is itself the first sensible, it has also one sense conjoined to a sensible of this kind, just as the intelligence of the Demiurgus is conjoined to the whole of the intelligible, and is said to absorb the universe in itself. After the same manner therefore, the universe absorbs itself by the sense of itself, and comprehends the object of knowledze, by a connascent knowledge, Besides, it has indeed powers: which apprehend and are the guardians of all things, and these are its hands. It possesses likewise perfective orders, and these are analogous to nutritive parts. And it exhibits vivilic causes, which correspond to the parts of respiration. Besides these also, it has other powers, some of which fill it with invisible causes, and others conjoin it to intelligible light; of which the latter are analogous to seeing, but the former to hearing. By those also who survey it physically and theologically, it will be found, that it has a motion analogous to this sense. For as it has a sense of itself with itself, so likewise it has a motion in itself, and circulating about itself, and both these, according to the similitude of its paradigm. For in this there was intelligence converging to itself, life converted to itself, and know- ᾿ ledge not subsisting according to transition, nor according to a distribution into parts, but selperfect, and united to intelligibles themselves. For such is the intellect which is there, energizing prior to cnergy, because {according to the Oracle] it has not proceeded, but abides in the paternal profundity, and in theadytum according to the God-nourished silence.

* For from among the seven species of local motion, he distributed to it that which especially subsists about intellect and wisdom, and which is adapted and allied to its body.”

Of the ancients, some converting the world to intellect, and imparting to it motion through love about the first appetible, say that nothing proceeds into it from intellect, thus depriving intellect of fecundity," and giving it an arrangement equivalent to that of lovely sensible objects, which have nothing generative in their own nature, Others on the contrary, acknowledge that intellect, or soul, or whatever that may be which is above the world, operates on it, yet they do not give to the world a spontaneous and proper motion, but only say that it is externally convolved inacircle. These however, Aristotle blames, as subverting the

* For povipow here, it is necessary toread γονιμον,

p. 464

These however, Aristotle blames, as subverting the

* For povipow here, it is necessary toread γονιμον,p. 464 perpetuity of the universe. For that which is violent ts not perpetual.’ But Plato guarding against the oversights of both these, assigns to the world a proper and spontaneous motion, and shows that the Demiurgus is the cause of this motion. And this is the sixth demiurgic gift imparted to the world; as imitating * the motion of intellect, which the world possesses both from itself, and from the father, For the expression he distributed, refers us to the paternal cause. For from that trom which essence, from that also motion according to nature, is imparted to the universe. But the words, “ adapted and allied to its body,” refer us to the peculiar nature of the world, through which it is excited by itself to a motion of this kind. For it possesses symething adapted and allied to the motion ina circle, both according to the self-motive nature, and to its figure, whichis spheneal. Perhaps also, ifhe had asserted one of these things only, the other might have been inferred. For [πὸ had said, that the motion of the universe was adapted and allied to it, whence did it possess this except from the father, from whom also its essence is derived?) But if this motion was imparted to it by the Demiurgus, he entirely gave to the recipient an appropriate motion, he being intellect, and assigning to all things that which is according to desert. The Philosopher however, combines both these in order that you may see thessimilitude of the world to the Demiurgus. For as he himself intellectually perceives himself, 1s converted to himself, and surveys intelligibles through energizing about them, which become the centres of the demiurgic intelligence ; thus also the world is moved about itself, verges to itself, and harmoniously revolves about the middle, which becomes the centre of the mundane motion, And as the Demiurgus is said to absorb the intelligible, by * proceeding to it, thus also the world is said to comprehend initself, the centre of itself, Lor the absorptions which are celebrated by theologists, are certain comprehenstons, Bat the absorptions by grandfathers comprehend intellectuals intellizibly, and those by sons, intelligibles intellectually.

' ifthe principal parts of the universe therefore are perpetual, and that they are so is most fully demoustrated in these commentaries, it necessarily follows that the modern system of astronomy, which fills the heavens with violent motions, is false.

1 Instead of exuir μιμονμεένὴ KU NOLS in this place, f read are vou μιμουμενὴ κινησι».

8 For εἰς ἐαντὸν χωρέειν here, read Tp €ls €QVTOV χωρειν-

4 Instead of αλλ᾽ ae μὲν xpoyoraae τὰ voyra περιλαμβανουσι voepus, ac δε τῶν παιδων, τα νοερὰ vonrws in this place, it is necessary to read, αλλ᾽ ac per προγονίκαι ra veepa Keprappavovar sonrws, αἱ

ὃς Tw παιδω», Τα μλύητα bOEPWS,