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

For the many

* In the origins! iicrc, tin re i< nothing inure Ilian, to ra ^irvn m« nbuitpim uir' aXAij\wr *1.11 The rest in Uir sIkivc translation » supplied Iroin the vcrsiou of Thnmxus.

p. 124

IMIOCLUS ON Til F

[BOOK III.

liplils which produce out! light, :»t the same time remain unconfnsed. And t!ie multitude of physical reasons subsistin'.; all of tliem at once, are at the same time separati d from each other, accordin'.; to physical dillerence. The many sciences al>o are in each other, and are unmm_ r l< d with each other, lint this is evident from llteir energies. I'or it is impossible f.«r things that an* confused to employ their prn|K*r energies with purity. Hut the sciences energize appropriatr lv each with purity in itself. If there on* the -emra of the soul are immaterially mingled, thev ari* in eaeh other, and are cstahli'ln d ill themselves. liy their suhsistiui; liki n i.-e in e.u li otlu r, 11 11 . \ cause the whole soul to he a-» it Wen* ot a similar colour. 1 letu r eu rv part ot it con'Ms <*t these •_;< in-ra. lint through tin* genera lieim; establi'hcd in llnni'clvi s, and pri'i-rvim; their \ roper purity, dill’, rent projM-rties shine forth, according to the dilh n lit powers ot the soul, and some things fan - \ ail more than others. I'or m things wliich an* mingled through the whole of tin nisei\i ", and an corrupt! d ti.,i tin r, tin re is « utin lv a similitude of parts, anil I hi le Is id'll a similar form. Hut where then* is the unmiuah d in the mixture, the iinconfii'i d in the complication, and purity in the separation, then it is possible for whoh s to pi rvade through w hull s, in order that < .o li part may consist of all; uid for each put to remain in it'< It in ordertli.it on>* tiling may haw* dominion III allot III r. 1 leiiee, it is not at all wonderful. Mine all the mi a pervade throu-h i ai h ot In r 111 the soul, and pit o ive at the salm - lime the uh a ot t leliiselvt s, that in one pi ti e s mu ness should pii iloiiiiliati , lint in aiiolhi r, the nature ot (I I Hi *ri III * , ailil that the ”i mis 111 e'seiice should lie i oiniuoii. oiiilim, the one middle of the soul, Mia in dim; to whi< li il is a m< ilium hetwnu t! < UupaitiMe • s'i nee. and that whieh is divi'ihle iihout hodies. Il'Uee too, the mil H om I||e, iis helll” o||e essi III e, hill till 111** Is IlllolUU ll, IU the -> iltl* lll.illll* i as till i ssi nee i» twofold, on it i omit of the two m ra. \nd tlnin unu h m atiswi r to the dollllt.

< UupaitiMe • s'i nee. and that whieh is divi'ihle iihout hodies. Il'Uee too, the mil H om I||e, iis helll” o||e essi III e, hill till 111** Is IlllolUU ll, IU the -> iltl* lll.illll* i as till i ssi nee i» twofold, on it i omit of the two m ra. \nd tlnin unu h m atiswi r to the dollllt.

Hut it is evident that tin* words “ he ninth are most propiilv i -'■im d by 1*1 <to, mi or ill r that a^aili the toriil of the middle nature Ilia V he pn -» I v • d SU the same luanin r as before when In* said, the l)i iniur*_ns “ <v trjih U'ly jitU'J and “i i-ininnil.” The expression too, “ he ihiii'iminntt,!. i' hit r aim'd appropriately t.i tin times piopu'i-i| to I i di'i iissed. I or since n.iiiii s u<* i*v■ ■ • i to the • hi l* «, at emdii ; to that w hit h pieih'ininati s, the i\pie."ion ** In n'< umnuftl main 'Is that the appellation is "iveu to them, not limn the whole hy parvis, hut ti in that « ha h pn doinmales in them. To assign naim s lihcw me altci the pnahn lion nl tin* i iii It s ( ui inifest' that names properly so i alh d regard I hi n tine ot things, I'or the J >i minibus dm * not thus d< iiotninate that vv hi* hi > ? t 1 < in le of the -ame, but that which was constitute.d such hy him. Ot tall [Hud u tive

HOOK III.]

TIM AX S OF 1'LATO.

p. 125

t 1 < in le of the -ame, but that which was constitute.d such hy him. Ot tall [Hud u tive

HOOK III.]

TIM AX S OF 1'LATO.

p. 125

energy possesses 11 10 most principal cause of the name. Ami the position of the name is an etmclivo eiieigy, since intellection there is not separated from fabri¬ cation, hut tin ( «nds proiluce by the very energy of intellectual perrejition [i. c. their intellectual |> ixvption is elleclivel. I*or tlius also by giving names to, they constitute tilings lia ins.-U< s. Ami it it he ntjinsite for me to give* inv own opinion, we may through these tilings perceive the arcana of tin theory of Plato. For he not only deliv* rs the !)■ iniurgus as a mnnenclator, who hist p qus names tothe two i:i dilations ol the semi j out prior to these unfolds the essential cha¬ racter of ii, v /. two s ■panite n it h ics, and the y produced from them, and also the two eii’i ies n-rfied t.iint e^e lutes ; which things theurgy hk ( wi e iinfohh tl after him.* i.oii.^ < o; iph lion to the character of the soul from chiasmi * and seinieireh s. P \rj cal ir*;iv tie r< fore and thnraclers were first ilelivt red to u hy IMaio. wine lit u ii eta,illy saw, and which tin \\be men posterior to ium cmhraeod. ] ; or it i> mr. ssaiy to think, that there are psychical characters, and not only such as are common, like these, hut such as an peculiar, and wine h an. diilerent in dilii n-ut soul-; such for instance as thosi* fit ii rc tiles, IN ntlu us, Atreus, and ol IMaio him-ell, delivered to us hv the (iods themselves. J hese however, it belongs to the* (iods alone both t<» know and to unfold ; but the cha¬ racter winch is c ommon to every soul, beginning from tin* soul of the universe, Plato lirst liehcld, and committed to writing. He also shows that tin - J>< niur- "us is the maker of this, who iiiMjribes in the essence of the soul its 1 vivilic cha¬ racter ; gives name's a s we have? said to its two intellectual circulations, and assumes these from his own essence. For it is the* Di-miingus himself, who is especially characterized according to these gene ra ol name, I mean the .same and ihc different ; since one ot these euun< ntly pertains to hnn, as giving form to mat* ter, according to the lerininatimi.s of forms ; but the other, as collecting multitude to the one idea of tin- fabric: c»f die universe* as one prodm lion. Ilemce* also with Orphe us, the Jb-miurgiis particularly inienugalcs Night concerning these things, and says,

*1 <ii me iicivi .ui limits vv<ll as one subvivi,

\ et eat ii its i.atme »t palate jut sc iu r

For ll.e l)i mi •••pis caiiv- i*aeh thing to jm serve ils nature, se parate from others through tul (*i e, hut Im mak« s dl things to Im* one through sameness. The Oracles iixe, «e, by asserting, that the Demiurgtis is refulgent widi inte llectual

* For )i r ~ u< -me here, it ts rn|in<ilr le< rr.lii p>r aero, ami lor Otu,iyiii Otai,’yia.

* C'/i 1 i. e. Ii^urtj iti I lie form ol tlir tiller