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

llut of what things the mathematical ratios are images,*

1 The words rj v-i'X’J n,ria e<rn, arc omitted in llic original.

* For rtriruv here, il i>> necessary to read n.i i ui .

1 Instead of cvrwt in this place, it is requisite to read orr*n.

4 For tutorvt here, it if necessary to read #«« occ«.

VOL. II.

'J im. Plat.

M

IK)

IMIOCLUS ON Ti!li

[hook hi* am! how they develope tin* essence of iheboid of the universe, it is not easy for those to assign, who do not look to the conception*! of Plato. But this is mani¬ fest from the discord of the interpreters; ami the opposition of the modern to the more iiin'ieiit expositors, e\ Hires the dilliciilt) of tins theory. I or some of them think fit to li ter to the se\eil spheres, the lit st seven terms, to w hull \ve have usmimeil ns analogous the iiiiiiiIsts that exhibit the whole diagiam. But otlw is refer tin III to tin* 1 11st allies 11 1 the spheres from the relit re ol the earth, III W 1 1 ii 1 1 place the) arrange the monad. Others again, refer them to the motions of the spheres. [()thers, to the magnitudes of tin* stars. And others adapt them to the xeloeities of the celestial orbs.]’ But others, refer them to other such like expla¬ nations. '1'ln ir interpretations lion ex er, are attended xxitli inanx difficulties, and aiming the rest xxitli this, that they are discordant xxitli the observations of recent astronomers, and to the demonstrations given bx them. lo xxhicli also may he added, that Plato no where defines, either the magnitude, or the distance, or tin* swiftness, or the motion of the stars ; hut admitting that one star is greater than another, he tloes not add how much, and atti r xxliat manner, it i> greater. Anil that the thing proposed by him to be discussed m this part, is psychogony, and not cosmogony. For though it is requisite to eflect the same tilings, in a certain respect, in the soul, and in the world ; vet it is proper first to survey *he powers in tin* soul itself, ami flit* reasons of the things which are eflected external to it. But their explanation of the terms or numbers given by Plato, is especially contrary to them, l'or in the terms, that xxlucli lias the tilth order, is greater than the sixth, as for instance, ft than ».* In what they say, however, the fifth magnitude, or interval, or whatever they wish to call it, is entirely less than the sixth. Their expositions, therefore, do not accord with the Platonic terms.

Their expositions, therefore, do not accord with the Platonic terms.

After these, there is another trilie of interpreters, who give a more important explanation of these partii ulars. l'or Amelins not adopting the opinion,—which he saxs was that of Plotinus, xxas delivered by him, in Ins unwritten or oral confercnees, and has been siitlii ieiitl) confuted bx those posterior to him,*—endea¬ vours to explain these terms after anotln r manner. l'or since tin* soul is compre¬ hensive of all mundane natures, as for instance of (_«ods, tla-mons, and men; lie says, that in one wav it comprehends according to the monad, every mundane

* The word* wit inn the hraikets are wauling in the original, ami are inserted from the version of Leitnieus Tlnmiirus.

* Fur w< rrooy here, read irftvrtpoy

* For €i-Tu)ut here, it is necesiar) to read oirahii.

* l lie beginning uf this sentence is wanting in the original, but is supplied from the version of Thoiuicus.

>1 ' M > U III ]

TIM.T.US OF PLATO.

p. 91

"finis of Gods; nor must we wonder, if the soul should lie said to l>e comprehensive of Gods. This opinion, therefore, some one of those posterior to Ann 1ms refer to him. For find is multifariously predicated, since not only the superessential and intellect are called Cods, hut likewise dome souls, anil divine bodies. lie is therefore of opinion, that the soul of the universe comprehends according to its unity the divine number; but according to its duad and triad, the d.emomacal genus. For since daemons are suspended from the Cods, and preside out us, this soul, according to the duad, excites the providence of them; but perfects, according to the triad, the conversion of them to the Cods. For, as we have said, the habitude of them is twofold, because they are between the Gods and us. But according to the tetrad and ennead, it providentially attends to all human life. For this also is tw ofold, being divided into the Iretter ami the worse. And by the ennead indeed, it adorns the more excellent, but by the tetrad arranges the subordinate life, lastly, by the oetad and the number twenty-seven, it proceeds to every thin", and as tar a> to the last of things, anti perfects tame animals by the odd, but savage animals bv the even numl>er. For it adorns each thin” by appropriate powers; subordinate natures, every where by ev< nnumbers, but more venerable and powerful natures, and which in a "renter decree are allied to the finds, by odd uumls-rs.

For it adorns each thin” by appropriate powers; subordinate natures, every where by ev< nnumbers, but more venerable and powerful natures, and which in a "renter decree are allied to the finds, by odd uumls-rs.

Porphyry, however, after a certain admirable manner, (though these things have been before related) evinces by many arguments, that the soul is harmom/ed, and that it tills the whole world with harmony. Blithe infers this from the soul hein" a multitude. Being however a multitude, it is either witliout arrangement, or is hannoni/.ed. But it is true to assert the latter of it, and not the former. For being the faoricalion of intellect, how can it be inordinate, and unharmonized ? 1 Ie also infers it from this, that the soul conducts every thin" in the world by harmonic reasons, and refers the generation of animals, and the one co-ordination of them, to the universe. What, however, these reasons are, which are st*eii to subsist in the very hy postasis of the soul, he neither teaches, nor thinks them deserving of attention; but says that the essence of the soul possesses m itself harmonic reasons, not as the images of some things, and the principles of others, but as binding together the multitude of powers it contains. For it it is in reality not only impartible, but also partible, it is not only necessary that its csst-nce should l>e vine, but likewise that it should l»e multitudinous. But if multitudinous it must either be innumerable, or numerable. It is impossible, however, that it should lie innumerable. For an innumerable multitude is inordinate. It is therefore numerable. But if numerable, • it either consists of tiuharmoni/cd or of harmonized parts. It is however impossible that it should consist of unbar* in

IMtOCIX’S ON THE

[book III nionized parts: for it lias not any thin*; of this himl naturally. It therefore entire¬ ly consists of harmonized parts ; hut if of harmonized parts it must necessarily subsist according to the most excellent harmony, since it is the first of things harmonized. The most excellent harmony however, is that which is according to the diatonic genus: lor this is venerable, abundant, and grand. Hence, the soul is entirely harmonized conformably to this ; so that its essence vvi 11 consist ol parts harmonized according to the diatonic genus. These- things, however, being true, nothing prevents the harmonic ratios from being at the same time images ol certain divine things ; just as the body of this soul is indeed spherical, yet through its sphericity, is said to be an imitation ol intellei t, and these things accord w ith each other. And thus far Porphyry, who, in what he here says, allords us an oc< asion of collecting something true concerning the soul