The Commentaries on the Timaeus of Plato — trans. Thomas Taylor
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Hence after tlic words r»-i fitv nj« rprirrorut nrrtv irnpat m the original, it is necessary fe» add, ro r avror, to rs toovXtvpor, to Xoyistie* in t r rip ^ofioroi, (. X.
I’HOCLUS ON THE
[BOOK III
1-20
Ut-N as proceeding from tin- fabrication itself of things. For if the ttemiurgus himself inserts in divine souls t!u: right hand and the left, each of these did not proceed into the world, < ither according to our position, or as a mere habitude, but they are essential peculiarities ■ ju-t as the paternal and maternal in the Cods, are the peculiarities of divine « ssenci >. lor e\t n m partial animals nature does not constitute some of tin* paits on the right, and otln rs on the left hand, accord¬ in': to men* habitude, hut according to physical powers. Anil this is evident from her fashioning some ot the parts on one side, but others [dillereiil liom these on the other side ; and making this to be the principle of motion, but that not. 'Ibis brim: the case, \\ hat ought we tothink lonerrningthr tabrieation its' hot tilings * Js it that it exhibits one tiling on the ri”lit hand, but anotlu r on tin* left, according to habitude alone* Hut how is tins possible, if we admit that it produces by its verv existi in e that w liu b it piodui es, or that a iliv me soul is an essence exempt from every tiling wliieb introduces accidents * Or must we not assert, it this is granted, that tin* nature ol the lalun ation ol things is in a greater decree gene¬ rative of essence than a divine soul is* Hut as it appears to me, w« must say that this soul physically in si its in bodies the right band and the lell, and sus¬ pends from its' If m a gnat« r d. give the right band as the prim ipb* of motion Hence, by a much greater priorilv, it is lit that the maker ol soul should produn both tin -e di miiirgii ally in binisi If, and the light hand an intake as it were of himself; and thus m tin* world, that the inerratic sphere shouhl be circuiilvolv d to the 11” III, but the plain I ary sphere to tile a It * the loriili r hav mg a piiinordial life, aenie ol power, and i tlieaeious «inrgy ; blit the latter b« in'; prolific and \ arioiis, and Irom another source than ilsrll iv< riv mg the principles ol nintioii, lb lu e aHo in the univi rse the ineiratic spin re lias dominion uv r all dungs, convolving all tilings accord 111*4 to one circle; but the planetary sphere is mul¬ tiform, and as we hav said, is tin* cause ol dilh n lire to generated naturi s. And the one is the mi 11, ol lilt' Heel, but the other ol soul ; for tin* circle ol tin sonic is intellei tual. I11 the soul of the univi rse however, the ri^lit hand is lli.it which is coiivcit'd to inti Ihgihl.s, to truly existing beings, and the (>ods: lor it is a power which tills the soul with di»ine lilt . Hut tin 1 » It hand is that which is converted to the care, and ordeily distriliiituni of setisibles: b»r it is a power, motive ol all '•■eondaiv nature*; and stdivertivc of iiiordiiiatioti. It also produces separation and v.iiii ty in dt miurgii works.
Hut tin 1 » It hand is that which is converted to the care, and ordeily distriliiituni of setisibles: b»r it is a power, motive ol all '•■eondaiv nature*; and stdivertivc of iiiordiiiatioti. It also produces separation and v.iiii ty in dt miurgii works.
Farther still, the being convolved dumutricollu iiccorui/tg to the left /mini, may be s.ui! to i oiupn In nd the motion from the vvt >t to the east, and the motion to the obhtpic parts, thioi'gli tin; ohlnpiity [of tin zodiac]. Hut you may say that in the soul ISC If, tin cm W of diilcrcnce, being gnostic of all sensible natures, at once tlOnK III.]
TIM/EUS OF 1*1,AT(>.
12<> to i oiupn In nd the motion from the vvt >t to the east, and the motion to the obhtpic parts, thioi'gli tin; ohlnpiity [of tin zodiac]. Hut you may say that in the soul ISC If, tin cm W of diilcrcnce, being gnostic of all sensible natures, at once tlOnK III.]
TIM/EUS OF 1*1,AT(>.
12<> comprehends tlie cpjadniple order of things, through the four centres, ac¬ cording to which the visible motion of the bodies that revolve to the left hand and diametrically is effected ; just as the circle of the same, knows in— telligiblcs as primordial causes, as supernally unfolding all secotulary na¬ tures, and convolving according to one union the various order of sensibles. Again also, these things accede to the soul according to its similitude to the zr/iule vivificaticn For as the soul is a monad and duad according to this, so likewise it is allotted through it the right hand and the left. For in the vholc vivi/ication, these tilings first present themselves to the view, and are derived from it; one multitude being produced from the right hand, but another from the left hand parts, zchdhcr you call them head*, or hands, or intestines. For according to all these, theologists deliver to us the prolific powers of the Goddess. These things however being appropriately asserted, it is evident that it is not the same thing to say that a certain thing is moved on the right, or on the left hand, and that it is moved towards the right or the left hand parts. For the bitter of these assertions is attributed to tilings that are moved in a circle, manifesting that to be mou <i to the right hand parts is to be moved to that part to which the right band moves, and also that to be moved to the left band parti, is to lie moved to that part to which the left band moves. Since therefore, the right hand and the h it are called the east and the west through the before-mentioned causes, so that the lonner is the beginning of motion, hut the latter billows, and m a similar man¬ ner, the one being a power m the circle of the same, hut the other in the circle of the different, from which the motion of each is derived, the words “ towards the right and the left hand, are very projterly introduced by Plain. But to Ik* moved on the right hand or on the left, pertains to things that are moved in a right line, these being the boundaries * of the motions according to breadth. Hence ’1 imams, having before separated the six motions in a right line, from the motion in a circle, and lieginning in what is now said, from the soul, deservedly gives to it the difference of the millions towards the right and the left hand. And thus much concerning tlie^e motions.
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