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

When, likewise, he says that the universe is spherical, he at the same times cives it to be moved in a circle, and to be convolved. For it appears to be moved in a circle according to the greatest circle which is in it. Because however ἃ cylinder is moved in 3

"siz. On the Pobticus, ta which dialogue it is fabulously asserted that the sun and stare pox sefon the place from whence they formeily rose, See this fable explained in the notes to my transtation of that dialo ue.

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circle when it is rolled along, he adds, for the sake of accuracy, the word convolving.’ Itis also admirable in hiro, that he takes away the six motions from the universe. For this is most peculiar to the world, there being in the stars an advancing motion, The world, therefore, is truly inerratic, not only because the summit of itis a thing of this hind, but because itis moved with one and the same simple motion.

It is necessary however to observe, how the turm of motion which exists in the most principal part of the universe, is said to have been given, as appropriate’

to the whole world, by the father. For all the other parts, participate of the circulation of the world; and the inerratic is present with some of them more manifestly, but with others mure obscurely. Por the streams under the earth being moved in a disorderly manner, and differently at. different times, are especially said to wander. But the sublunary elements being naturally moved from one place to another, participate of less wandering than the subterranean effluxions. For those things wander which are transferred from one place to another. And the divine bodies in the heavens, wander still less than these. For so far as they are moved according to length, and also according to breadth they are wanderers; but so far as they are moved according to the equable and orderly, and according to one reason of motion, they are inerratic. But the world itself may most properly and principally be called inerratic, as not receiving the representation of any other motion.

But the world itself may most properly and principally be called inerratic, as not receiving the representation of any other motion.

If also you are willing to make a division im incorporoal natures, the irrational life wanders in a remarkable degree, not having the measure of its energies from itself. The soul that opines rightly wanders, but less than the irrational life. For this soul also participates in a certain respect of wandering, through being ignorant of cause. But the soul that possesses scientific knowledge, wanders still less than this. For in such a soul, the transitive form of life alone produces the wandering; because it Is not arranged to one intelligible, but becomes a different intelligible m different forms. And intellect alone is inerratie amoug beings, always intellectually perceiving the same thing, and energizing towards and about the same thing. The world, therefore, which imitates intellect in its mouon, is deservedly truly inerratic, always making the same uniform period after the same manner. That however which is thus moved, has no need whatever of the addition of feet, or in short, of progressive organs. And hence the universe Was generated without fect and legs. Theoloyists also wishing im @ coral

' Yor rpepopyeroy here, it is obviou.tly necessary to read erpeooperer.

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respect to indicate this to us, are accustomed to call the God who is the Demiurgus of the corporcal nature, lame in both feet, as constituting the universe without legs and feet. They say too that the Gods laugh at him with inertinguishable laughter, and by their laughing incessantly attend with providential care to mundane natures.

“All this reasoning, therefore, being employed by the eternally exist. ing God, about the God that would αὐ a certain time or once exist; in consequence of this reasoning, he made his body smooth and even, every where from the middle equal and whole, and perfect from perfect bodies.”

“All this reasoning, therefore, being employed by the eternally exist. ing God, about the God that would αὐ a certain time or once exist; in consequence of this reasoning, he made his body smooth and even, every where from the middle equal and whole, and perfect from perfect bodies.”

What is here said, imitating the one intellect, and the united intellection of wholes, collects all things into the same, and refers them to one summit, the fabrication of the corporeal system. It is necessary, therefore, that we should recollect What has been before said. It was said then, that the elements rendered all things in the world concordant through analogy ; that the universe was gencrated a whole consisting of wholes; and that it is spherical and smooth, and has a knowledge of itself, and a motion in itself. But this being the case, it is evident that the whole world itself, is assimilated to all-perfect animal. The orderly distribution of it, however, according to wholes, proceeds analogous to second and third causes. And the number of the elements, indeed, and the unifying bond of them through analogy, proceeds conformably to the e-sence which is uncoloured, unfigured, and without contact ;' for there number subsists. But the first wholeness Which adorns all things, and which consists of the whole elemen:s, is assimi- Jated to the intellectual wholeness.* The sphericity of the universe is analogous to the intellectual figure. Its sel@sufficiency, intellectual motion, and convolution* in sameness, are assimilated to the God who absorbs in himself all bis progeny [i.e. to Saturn]. Its possession of soul, is analogous to the vivific cause [i. 6. to Rhea]. And its participation of intellect, is analogous to the Demiurgic intellect ; though all these proceed from this, and from the natures prior to it, to which these are respectively analogous. And the more excellent natures, indeed, are the

' This essence forms the summit of that order of Gods which is called intelligible, aud at the same lime intellectual.

* This forms the middle of the above-mentioned orders

2 And this forms the extremity of that order.

* For τροφὴ here, it is necessary to read στροφη.

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causes of all the things of which secondary natures are the causes; but the latter are the causes of fewer effects than the former. For the Demiurgos himself, so . far, indeed, 5 he is intellectual, makes all things to be intellectual; butso far as he is being, he is the father of all bodies, and incorporeal natures; and so far as he is a God, he constitutes matter itself. In what is here said, therefore, Plato makes a summary repetition of all such particulars as the universe derives from the intellectual Gods. And thus much concerning the whole theory,