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

We may also sjieah as follows : This universe has indeed whole spheres; ami

1 For aXAip *^a» pa here, it i« Decenary to read oXAm

p. 104

PROCLUS ON THE

[book tu¬ bas likewise divine, damoniacal and psychical animals in each sphere. For there are distributions of partial souls about each of the spheres. But the har¬ monic ratios of the whole soul, harmonize the essences which are divisible about bodies, and bodies themselves, l'or by its tcry essence [it contains all these, anti the ratios which comprehend them ;*] just as tire, lieing calefactive by its very ex¬ istence, is primarily hot. It contains therefore, the diatessaron harmony, through which it harmonizes the essences divisible about bodies ot each of the spheres, and of the divine, damoniacal, and psychical animals in each, and also bodies to each other. Nor is one thing casually comprehensive of another, nor do somethings casually follow others; lmt damoniacal follow divine animals, and psychical, such as are damoniacal; and conformably to nature, secondary are always co¬ adapted to primary essences. Hence the diatessaron harmony is in each of the spheres. And the ratios imb ed of each sphere to the divine animals contained in it, and of these to damoniacal animals, will be truly sesquioctaves, possessing a p» rfect interval; b< ing at one and the same linn: primarily harmonious, and adapted to bodies. For the ogdoad having a triple interval is corporeal formed, just as the ennead is a plane. But each is allied Inequality. And always se¬ condary corporeal essences are suspended from such as arc primary, paiticipatmg of them, and of the corporeal reason which they contain.* But this the part manifests which is said to he the eighth of the thing participated. 1 hat however vhich remains, is the ratio of psychical to da.-momacal animals, which has the relation of the leimma, is superpartient, and is adapted to thirteen parts. I*or these have not one life, since they ascend and descend, and partibly and anoma¬ lously enjov the natures prior to them. And since the number twelve is ascribed to the [mundane] (bids, and to the natures stijw rior to us, thirteen is adapted to those that do not rank in the number of the (iods. If also of psychical animals themselves, some pertain to undijilcd souls', which Plato is accustomed to call the souls of heroes; but others to gregarious souls, such as ours : if this be the case, the diapente 1 likewise will l>e in each of the spheres. And heroic souls indeed will preserve* towards the diemoniacal, tin: sosqmoctave ratio, through the undefiled form of life; but the souls of the multitude will have towards them the ratio of the leimma. .So that in each of the spheres, there will be sesquiterlian, sesquialter, uni sesquioctave ratios.

1 The words within the bracket* are wanting in the original, but arc supplied from the version of '1 honiauv

.So that in each of the spheres, there will be sesquiterlian, sesquialter, uni sesquioctave ratios.

1 The words within the bracket* are wanting in the original, but arc supplied from the version of '1 honiauv

* Instead of Toy <y avrjj in tins place, it is obviously necessary to read, rov ty avrott.

1 bur ill cadi of the spheres there will be divine, dauuoiiiacal, beroical, and gregarious souls, and appropriate bodies.

hook ill ]

TiM/r;rs or pi.ato

10.',

Or r itlier, it may ho said, (lint tin? universe is divided quadruply, according to tin' four ideas of i(s paradigm, but that in racli of the four parts, time are all animals, the divine, the da-mnniueal, the heroiral, and those of human souls, all which are harmonically co arranged with each other, and with nferenre to their proper wholeness, whether it be tin* heavens, the air, the water, or the earth, the wholeness producing the diapente ; but w ithout this it may be said there is the diatessaron, in the four species of animals, a; Plato himself divides—viz. into the universe, and (he all-various forms of animals. Hence, through these things Plato delivers to us ratios comprehensive of ratios, and perfect according to one harmony ; with which ratios being reph te, the soul tills this visible world, render¬ ing all tilings eflahle and familiar with each other.

“ Leaving a part of each of them. And then again, the interval of this part being assumed, a comparison is from thcncc obtained of number to number, viz. of 23b to 213.”

3U?

“ Leaving a part of each of them. And then again, the interval of this part being assumed, a comparison is from thcncc obtained of number to number, viz. of 23b to 213.”

3U?

AVhat ihis leimma is, what ratio it possesses, and how, bring adapted to con¬ cord, it becomes harmonious when eo-arranged with the other ratios, is evident through the mathematics. Hut there is a thing of this hind in the universe, as in a whole ; the ratio of the leimma being in the last of the animals comprehended in it, independently of the before-mentioned demonstration, according to the quadruple section of the whole. I’or from each of the spheres certain eilhixions, and mingled dregs of the elements proci ed into the subterranean regions; pos¬ sessing indeed, much of the tumultuous, dark and material, but at the same time contributing to the whole constitution and harmony of the world. Plato, therefore, placing the cause of these in the whole soul, calls it a leimma, which is significant of ultimate diminution, por since tlieologists arrange the powers of the highest Gods about that place, Jupiter adorning those parts, so as to render them adapted to the participation of such mighty divinities, what ought we to think about the soul of the universe? Is it not that it must in a much greater degree adorn every tiling which appears to he disordered, and that it must possess the cause of the hypostasis of an inordinate nature, and arrange it in a becoming man¬ ner, according to this cause? How, likewise, could it govern the universe, or conduct all things conformably to intelhct, unices it arranges that which is dis¬ orderly, aiul co-harmonizes the last of tilings, with the one life of the world? But if also in the Demiurgus, the causes of these pre-exist, as Orpheus says,

’I tic distant realms of Tartarus obscure,

Earlk’i utmost ends, lus holy feet secure.

VoL. II.

Ttm. Plat .

O

p. 100

PROCI US ON Tin:

[book in m!iv should it be wonderful, that tbe whole soul jvosses^ing all sivch things appropriately in itself, as a divine intellect possesses demiurgically, should antccedently contain the cause of the last parts of the world, and of that which is as it were, the sediment of wholes? l'ur the soul comprehends the invisible prior to the visible and .sensible world. AN hat the leimma is therefore, is through these things evident. Hence also the leimina, is both rjuadruple and single. And it is necessary that the soul should comprehend the reason of both, according to which the leiinma subsists rjuadriiply, and singly ; since it is requisite that tins should contribute to the unite r»e, and to each of its parts.