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

The mode of conception of the divine Iamblit 1 ms in what is here said, is truly divine, and firmly aillieres to the meaning ot Plato ; since he does not, like the interpreters prior to him, think that the motion which is convolved according to

‘ The words within ihe brackets are »a«lin« in the original, hut arc supplied from llir vrrsmu ol Tltoiimii Heine alter the words avntyuiyvv i^mirijm oWui-t, it is naoun to ill i'll v ,r htuijnct ► run ■xfH.bt'in.

TIMvEUS OF PLATO.

"- 1 - u '* an ^ m 1 1‘'- sarnr, should bo understood :»s p rl Miiin^ to fhr soul 1 o! * o tioa of the soul is now in it, and not about it. II ronoives tii t il lb'* motion now spoken of pertains to inlelh-ei and m * inlellei tin! li e 1 • . ■ i no part of the remainder of this Dialogue s IMato appear to conjoin 1,,t ; « ' irtelhet. It is necessary, ho\ve\er. tliat lie siiould. in order that by

'1 *• • .1 he may demonstrate the universe to be an animal endued with soul

1 *" 1 W v nii, 't tie re fore conceive the motion which is convolved ac-

° 1 ’ ,5 "‘ “ml in the same; to be intellectual, l or this comprehends tli. soul in the same maum r as the soul circularly covers tin* heaven as with a l"* ect, howeier, i-indeed an immovealile motion ; fm it subsists wholly 1,1,1 u>,ii* illy at mice. Hut soul is a self-moved motion. And the former is unitoiui, but the luller bitormed. I lie lormer also is one and indivisible, but the iatli I i! vides and multiplies itsell. I lie soul, however, participates of intellect so far as it is inlellei tmd; and tlirmi”li it is conjoined to a divine mb llect. l-'or the soul of the universe purtieipal in- of intellect, ascends to the im. lli-ilile. It is in cessary, therefore, that the motion whu h iscircumvolved in tie same and about the same should tie inlelleetual, bein^ dill' ii u! from the motion o| the two circles, since it comprehends them. We miisi say, therefore, either that this motion per¬ tains to a participated intellect, which is proximately seated above the soul, or that it should be the motion of the Domm-ie of the soul. The latter however is impossible. Hence it must be admitted that this is the motion of a participated intellect. Hut that the motion which is convolved according to the same, and in the same. In in; mb lh ctual. and above the soul, is not the motion of die Demiur-us, may be learnt by con«idi iiii„, that he made the universe to be endued with inu-lhct, not nivim; himself to tin* miner*..*, m the same manner as the soul, but imparting to it another participated inti li. cl, which w ( li ue before ih moiistratcd 3cl, which w ( li ue before ih moiistratcd to be seat, d above tin* soul. l or plat im; intelh-et m soul.' but soul in body, In fashioned the univ. rse. And it is evi.h ut that he did not . (T> rt tins bv placing Imuscll in soul. Fur it would be rmieu'oiis tirat h** -l.onlo e i-arra iilk* himself with soul, hems wpanile from it. l*Lio then fore says, i„ what follows, of all [irue] heiiu, that m itlu r doe> any ollu i tiling proceed mto it, nor docs it proceed into any otlu * tiling. Hut this beinj; Inn , the Hemim^iis will not place himself in soul; and before he constitutes soul, suhsi-din:; by liims. If, lie will generate another bein^j, winch "hen lie hud venerated soul, he placed m the soul. If, however, this be line, die motion oi that intellect, winch is circumvolvcd accordin'* to the

* tor ijv-vyi i»«re, it is iitr»*»'.ar\ to rend rr vv\’l-

* It u ucrowry licre to su)>|>ly T.

VoI.. II.

Tim. Plat.

[book 111.

1 * 2*2

*>aine, and in the Mime, will comprehend these psychical circles, and not the motion of him who constituted both this intellect and soul, and who shortly after is s ud to abide in his accustomed iiuinm r, t xeinpt and separate from the universe. The mundane intellect therefore, is the intellec t of which we are speaking, the life of which comprehends the psychical lues, viz. the uniform life comprehends the Informed Iims, arid the eternal lit* the liies which are not eternally moved. Hence the whole soul proceeds alter this manner, being a monad and a duad, and as is e\ iilent from what has been said, w it hunt difleivnce w it h respect to itself. That which remains therefore, I’lato drillers in what follows, viz. how from the demiurgic divisions, one ot the circles contains m itself that which is more divine, but the other, that which i» more subordinate. For we have assumed tile's. 1 things for the sake of perspicuity Hut let us hear what is next said by Plato.

“ Ami ho made one ot the circles to be external, but the other internal. lie denominated therefoie, the lation ot the external circle, the motion of the nature of same ; but the lation ot the internal, the motion of the nature ol ililleri lit. ’