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

Of these also, it contains in one wav the lunar sphere, in another, the solar sphere, and in another, the sphere of the fixed stars. For the souls of each of these govern in conjunction with the whole soul of the universe, their appropriate portions of the world.

Such therefore, I win;*; the mode of animation, Plato, as he is accustomed to do, beginning from the last of things according to conversion, first animates the mid¬ dle, afterwards the universe, and in the third place, leaves something of soul external to the universe. For as lie constituted body prior to soul, and parts prior to wholes, so likewise he delivers the animation of the world, beginning from the last of things. For according to a progression from on high he said, that the Deiniurgus placed intellect in soul, and soul in body; but teaching us in what is now said, animation according to conversion, he first animates the middle, and afterwards the universe. For the river of vil ification proceeds as far as to the centre; as the Oracles also say, when speaking of the middle of the five centres, which extends from on high entirely to the opposite part. “And another tilth middle fiery centre, where a life-bearing tire descends us fur as to the material rivers." Plato therefore, beginning from those things in w Inch ani¬ mation ends, recurs to the whole piodui tiou ot file, and prior to this surveys the exempt power of the soul. Hence we must not place the ruling part of the soul in the centre; for thin part is exempt from the universe ; but a certain power of it, which is the guardian of the whole [mundane] order. For nothing else in the, universe, is so capable of entirely subverting wholes as the ci ntre, and the power of the centre, about which there is an harmonic dance of the universe [if they are in a defective condition] Hence too Plato, divinely as it appears to me, does not place the soul in the middle of the universe, but soul. For these dirt'ei from each Other, because the former establishes the whole of soul in the centre, but the latter places a power of it in tin* middle, and a ditferent power in different paits of the world. Plato therefore says, “ placing soul m the middle;" which is he same thing ns giving the participation of soul to the middle, and extending its total powers to the universe; the Demiurges left external to the universe, a power of the soul more divine than all the others, established in itself, and exemptly con¬ taining and connecting the whole world. And what occasion is there to be prolix in investigating the meaning of Plato, since the philosopher himself shortly after, when discussing the animation itself of the world, says, “ but soul unfolding herself to the extremity of the universe, from the middle, circularly covered it as with a veil.

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herself being convolved in herself. 9 This however does not at nil difler from the words before us. For to extend every nay from the middle, is the same tiling as to be un¬ folded from the middle to the extremity of the universe. But there soul herself from herself, illuminates the centre of the universe, and the whole sphere of it, by her jwwers; and here the Delnitirgus is the cause of animation, and introduces the bonl into the universe. For the same Illinois effected by both, demiurgically indeed, and intellectually, by the cause, hut self-motnclv, by soul. Now how¬ ever, the philosopher dcli\crs the honil derived from fabrication alone. For w« particularly refer wholes, and such things as are good, to a diyine cause, but partial natures, and things which are not <piod, we think umvorthv of di\ine pro¬ duction, and suspend them from other more proximate causes; though the-so also, as has been frequently observed, subsist through dixinity.

As there is therefore a communion of a di\me, and likewise of a partial sou! with bodies, that communion -a hieh subsists according to a beneficent will, and dais not depart from intelligible progressions, is divine; but that z. hich subsists di cording to a dejiuxion of the uugs of thi soul, or uuduciti/, or flight, is u it limit (l ml, though in this also, there if a complication with self-mot ice energy, and the trill of providence. Nevertheless, the* communion with body which is according to divinity, is mani¬ fest through the jire.-eiico ot divinity ; but that which is from soul, is apparent through the representation ot aberration wliieli it exhibits. Ibnee, sinee the animation of the world is two-told, prim-t iling from tin- 1 )i iniurgiis-, and from feclf-motion, IMalohtre very properl\ gi\cs the preli n-mr to that cause which subsists according to divinity, as Ik mg wholly most adapted to wholes.’ Fur the words “ placing, he c.t Undid, and he lovered as with it veil" lire the names of demi¬ urgic works. For the first of these sanities the It rinination of the soul, the «econd, the psychical middle which proceeds through all things, and the third, exempt transcendency. For to cover as with a Veil, indicates that the soul compre¬ hends the world eteiy way, unites it through In rsclf, leads it to one life, and docs not leave any thing external to its appropriate proxidence, nor destitute of its nature.

“ And causing circle to revolve in a circle, lie established heaven [or the universe] one, single, solitary nature."

The philosopher Porphyry well interprets the meaning of circle revolving in a circle, l'Or it is possible, says he, for that which is not a circle to 1 h* moved in a circle, as a stone when whirled round ; and also for a circle not to be mo\cd in

* l’or rou uWoii here, it i* necessary to read run o W.

BOOK 111.]

TIM XUS OF PLATO.

p. 7

BOOK 111.]

TIM XUS OF PLATO.

p. 7

a circle, us a wheel w hen rolled along. But it is the peculiarity of the world, that being circular it is moved in a circle, through h.irmonimislv revolving about the centre. In a still greater decree however, the do me laiiililidms, appropriately interprets the meaning of these words. For he says that the circle is twofold, the one being psychical, hut the other corporeal, and that the latter is moved in the former. For tlu> is conformable to what has been before said, ami accords with what is afterw ards asserted. For Plato himself shortly after moves the corporeal nature accordin'; to the psychical circle, and renders the twofold circulations analogous to the periods in the soul. And such is the interpretation according to both these philosophers.

Moreover, to comprehend the whole blessedness of the world in three appel¬ lations, is most appropriate to that which subsists according to a triple cause, viz. the final, the paradigmatic, and the demiurgic. I’or of the appellations them¬ selves, the first of them, viz. owe, i> assumed from tin* final cause; (or the one is the same with the good. I’uit the second, viz. single or only, is assumed from the para¬ digmatic cause. For the onhf-heyotten and onli/ms.s (uovfieru) were, prior to the universe, m all-perfect animal. And the third, viz. the solitary, i< assumed from the demiurgic cause. For the ability of using itself, and through itself governing the world, |noreeds from the demiurgic goodness. The world therefore, is owe, so far as it is united, and is converted to the vtic. lint it is single, so far as it par¬ ticipates ol the inti lligihlr, and rompr«‘ln*n«l>j nil things in itself. And it is solitary , so far as it is similar to its lather, and is able to save itsi If. l*rom llie three how¬ ever, it appears that it is a God. For the one, the perfect, and the se//-su//icient, are the elements of deity. Hence, the world receiving these, i> also itself a God; being one indeed, according to liyparxis ; but single or only according to a per¬ fection which derives its completion from all sensible natures; and solitary , through being sutlicient to itself.' For those that lead a solitary life, lieing con¬ verted to tin mselves, have the hopes of salvation in themselves And that this is the meaning of the term solitary, will he evident from the following words of Plato;

" Able through virtue to eon vet sc with itself, indigent of nothing exter¬ nal, and sufficiently known and friendly to itsell.”

For in these words, he clearly manifests what the solitariness is which lie ascribes to the world, and that he denominates that being solitary, who looks to himself, to that with which he is furnished, and to his own proper

1 The world is jing/r, or alont, because llicre i* not another world equal to it; but it »s solitary* because it is sulhcicnt to itself, bo that the alone, and the solitary, have not here the same meaniuj.

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