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

Farther still, we must say, that the soul imitates the first principles of things.

' For firpi here, it n ubuuuslv necessary to read utpvr.

* i. e. They are llie livpologi, uliuh have been before explained.

* llctweeii Am and rcWaiXurnuH lure in I lie original, st is necessary 1o insert, conformably to the version of Tlloinxus, the words rrjv fen ?m -roiintov, ij Ae rue Auyue irepio^ij Am. e. A.

* Thus in the terms 1 2. 3 0, wlinli are in geometric pioporliou, the terms 1. 2. 3 also being in arithmetic proportion, the difference is uni rpial between the terms 2 and 3. and the terms 3 and fi, and also between the ternib 1 and ?, and 3 arid t>, but the ratio is ecpial ; and therefore, by the union of the arithmetic with the geometric middle, the unequal in unequal numbers is equalized.

book III.]

TIMfEUS OF PLATO.

p. 97

Through the first part indeed, the one cause of wholes; through the duple pro¬ gression, the Informed principles after the one; through the even and odd num hers, tht' male and female of the Gods; through the triadic division of each, the intelligible triads; and through the hebdomad of terms, the unical and intellec¬ tual hebdomad. Through the first part also the soul makes ’ the world to be a self-perfect God; through the dyadic it exhibits the multitude and variety in it; through the division of even and odd numbers, it divides the whole of the male and female, from the Gods themselves as far as to plants ; according to the duad and triad indeed, the male and female in tli*' Gods, but according to the tetrad and ennead, those which are in the genera superior to us ; and according to the two cubes, [0 and *27] the male and female which proceed as far as to the teriestrial and ultimate * species of life. But through the heptad of terms, it connects and guards all things, provides for them intellectually, and orderly disposes wholes in a becoming manner, stably and invariably. It likewise through this, adorns the parts of these, and the parts of the parts, and whatever there may be among the last of things, which is of itself irrational, and as it were the leinuna of the fabrication of the world. Hence conformably to these conceptions, we may be able to interpret the several words of Plato, and looking to these we may dissolve many doubts. Ijet us therefore from the beginning refer the words of Plato severally to these, according to the explications of our preceptor.

Hence conformably to these conceptions, we may be able to interpret the several words of Plato, and looking to these we may dissolve many doubts. Ijet us therefore from the beginning refer the words of Plato severally to these, according to the explications of our preceptor.

In the first place therefore, not to say that the Demiurgus inserted the parts in the soul, but that he took them away from it as being already* in it, and that having taken them away, he again gave completion to the essence of the soul from them, indicates to us, that this mixture is not as it were the subject of the soul, nor as the matter of it, or that it is similar to that which is invested with figure, ami receives this figure from the artist; but that being a form, it is the plenitude of forms; so that the indefiniteness and the matter, which are said by the more recent interpreters to Im- in intelligibles, have no place in the present theory. Secondly, to co-arrange all the other parts, viz. the terms, 2, 3, 4, 9, 8 and ‘27 with reference to the first part, ascribes the principal dignity to the monad, and does not permit us to conceive it to be such a thing, as the multitude fancy the monad to be, viz. that which is the least in quantity, and having the relation of matter to number, but leads us to consider it as the ruling principle of all the essence of the soul, as the root of the powers contained in it, and the Vesta of the

* Tor KaXn here, it is arrcuan to read rottt.

* Instead of yfcmir in tins place, at ^tp<rai is just before it, I conceive it to be obviously necessary to read re^orwe,

* Instead of ij?*i here, it is necessary to read ifXij.

Tim. Plat. Vol. II.

N

p. 98

PROCLUS ON THE

[book III.

* Instead of yfcmir in tins place, at ^tp<rai is just before it, I conceive it to be obviously necessary to read re^orwe,

* Instead of ij?*i here, it is necessary to read ifXij.

Tim. Plat. Vol. II.

N

p. 98

PROCLUS ON THE

[book III.

numl*r which gives completion to it. In the next place, does not the expression the double of the first part, accord with what has been said by us ? lor the double is entirely formed by the duad, and is inferior to the hyparxis which is charac¬ terized by unity. It also proceeds into multitude, lieing increased in quantity, but diminished in power. Such also is the mode of the psychical progression. For the soul abiding according to the most divine part of itself, and as Orpheus says, establishing its head in intellect, it proceeds from thence, according to the duad in itself, proceeding into itself, and generating the multitude of reasons, and all-various forms which it contains. II lving proceeded however, it again returns to its principle, thus producing a certain essential circle. Through this regression likewise, it is conjoined to the prolific power in itself, according to which it pro¬ duced itself, and to the monad which establishes it, and causes it to be one. 1 or the perfective and convertive power, is conjoined to both, vi/. to the prolific and to the one-making cause. And it it be rcipiisite to speak concisely, as hie pro¬ ceeds from being, but intellect is conjoined to life, and to being, thus also tinprogression of the soul, is from the prolific cause, but its regression is to both causes; in a sesipiialter manner indeed to the cause which is [immediately] above it; but triplv to the cause which is beyond this. 1 or it is tit that the convertive or regressive form should pursue the whole [of that to whn h it returns] and diminish division, which the ses.piiuller imparts. For the double b. ing vanquished through the whole of itself by the duad, the sesipiialter is indeed analogous to it, but diminisht s the ratio of suhjet lion. 1