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

For in saying this he opposes rectitude to distortion, and to the being fettered facility of motion,' which signifies the unincumbered; just as rectitude there, indicates a lation undistorted by inferior

* For arpoyop in thu place, it i» obviously necessary to read tvrpoyov.

172 PKOCLUS ON THE [book hiobji'ctK, and an irreprehensible judgment; no that lit* celebrates appropriately eac h of the circles.

“ Whoever therefore asserts, that this is ever ingencrated in any other being than soul, asserts every thing rather than the truth."

What does he intend to signify by the word this? Is it intellect and science? If so, he does not mean the circle of the diff erent. Or rather does he not speak of the twofold conjunctions, [intellect and science,] 1 opinion and faith? For intellect and science are om* of the conjunctions, and opinion and faith are the second. Hut through these lie* comprehends every soul. Fiery thing therefore, which is the recipient of intellect and science, opinion and faith,’ is soul. For all these knowledges are rational and transitin'. Ami because indeed, they are ra¬ tional, they are exempt from the irrational powers ; hut because they are transitive, they are subordinate to intellectual know ledge. For if science and intellect are in intelligible*, y< t they are not inyencrated in tin in, as he say* they are in the soul. For sciences in the soul subsist according to participation; since they participate of science itself, the soul being essentiullizcd according to participation. For the middle proceed from the first genera, and are similarly harmonized ; since the harmony ill the soul is from harmony it-elf. The soul likewise possesses figure, similarly to the fir^t genera, f or intellectual figure is comprehensive of all¬ various figures. The soul also possesses powers after the same manner. For intellectual and intelligible powers are prior to it. It likewise receives motion from the genera of lw-ing, and knowledge from the demiurgic intelligence, where also jM.-rmanency is unfolded into light. Fur all Limn ledge is a certain permanency and comprehension oj the thing kmnen, and an apt coiijunction with it. 'Flu* motion therefore of the soul participates of the w hole psychical know ledge, so far as it knows its, If,’ and looking to itself moves ; and knowledge participates of motion st) far as it is transitive. Peculiarly however, the motive » nergy is defined accord¬ ing* to motion; but the gnostic, according to permanency. And the circle of the different is rath, r motive than gnostic, but the cir, le of the same is rather gnostic than motive; because permanency pertains to sameness, but motion to diflerence. In the circle of the different however, there is knowledge, and in the circle o (the

1 The words yovy ami are omtlUt! wi this place in the original.

1 For tut, uf here, read Tiirrtui.

■* I or faery here, it is obviously necessary to read tuerrjy.

In the circle of the different however, there is knowledge, and in the circle o (the

1 The words yovy ami are omtlUt! wi this place in the original.

1 For tut, uf here, read Tiirrtui.

■* I or faery here, it is obviously necessary to read tuerrjy.

* Instead of pera ri/e *,» ijoty ui this place. It is requisite to read iura rije yiyrjcrty

hook in,]

TIM/KUS OF PLATO.

p. 173

same, motion; just as in the latter then* is sameness, and in the former difference. But the whole soul participates through the whole of itself of the genera of Iieing. As far therefore, as to these particulars, the psychogony obtains its completion, being divided into the l>«loro-inentioncd heads, l’or the hypostasis, harmony, figure, powers and energies of the soul, have l>ecn discussed.••• 1

Since however the soul i> a multitude, and the first of composite natures; but it is composed, not of infinites, but of things numbered, and these not without co-arrangemi nt, but harmonized ; this being the case, numl>ers and harmony were very properly assumed in the generation of it. Since too, it comprehends the principles of all analogy, ami all harmony, in consequence of being the soul of the world, no analogy is omitted [in the composition of it], ltecause however, it was constituted by divinity, tin more divine of the genera was assumed, viz. the diatonic : for it is cnlheastic. And at first indeed, liecause essence, same, and different were assumed, that whole of the soul which is prior to parts, was con¬ stituted; but now, through the psychogony, the whole which is in the parts. For tlu* Demiurgus divides, and unites the parts through analogies. But through the circles, the wholeness in each of the parts, is delivered. It must likewise lx* assumed, that the Demiurgus in the Tima*us, energizes in conjunction with all the demiurgic fouls. For lie cuts into seven parts Titaunically ; unites Apolloniacally; product s body, and invests it vv ith figure, as containing in himself \ ulcan; and bounds the measures of ascents and descents, and inscribes the laws of Fate, as possessing Necessity, in the psychogony also, it is necessary to refer what has Ixen said, to the essence ol the soul, or to the tilings which are administered by it, or rather to both. For the natures contained in the world, are under the dominion of the powers which are essentially inherent in the soul. It is likewise requisite to investigate what the middles are, vv hat the multiple, siqierparticular and superpartient ratios are, what the Iciinma is, and what the seven parts are; and why the diagram proceeds to a quadruple diapason, and the dia|»cnte, and tone.

It is likewise requisite to investigate what the middles are, vv hat the multiple, siqierparticular and superpartient ratios are, what the Iciinma is, and what the seven parts are; and why the diagram proceeds to a quadruple diapason, and the dia|»cnte, and tone.

' Of tl ic three middles also, the geometrical, arithmetical, and musical, the solid analogy which is composed from the three is the equality of Themis, from whom ♦•very order is derived. But the three middles proceed from the three daughters of Themis, viz. Funomia, Dice, and Irene; the arithmetical from Irene, which surpasses and is surpassed by the i-qual; which also we employ in the tune of peace in contracts, and through which the elements are quiescent; but the geo¬ metrical from Eunomi.i which likewise Fiato denominates the judgment of

* There i» uufortunately an hiatus here in the original.

t74

PROCLUS OS THE TIM/EUS OF PLATO.

[book 111.

Jupiter, and through which the w orld is adorned w ith geometrical analogies; and the harmonic from Dice, through which greater things have a greater, hut less a less ratio. Since therefore, the geometrical middle comprehends the other two, as has heen demonstrated, the essence of the soul is adorned by the geometric middle, the soul 1 m mg the same through the w hole of itself, and every where both partible and impartible. But it is adorned according to the arithmetical middle, because the common powers in it, which recur from the impartible to the partible, or from things partible to the impartible, espially surpass and are surpassed by tilings entirely partible and impartible. And by the harmonic middle,' because of the powers that are m it, some are in a greater degree- separated from their pro¬ ducing causes, and lia\e a greater transcendency, but others a less. And again, the sameness of forms subsists every where appropriately thiough the whole world, corporeally and vitally, in a plant, in an animal, ami in a stone; because the whole world is adorned with geometrical proportion. But the arithmetical middle presents itself to the\iew in the sublunary elements, which it equalizes according to powers. And the harmonic middle is seen in the world, according to the [celestial] .spheres, their motions, and their intervals. For Ptolemy demon¬ strates, that their intervals are in harmonic proportion.

• IinUa.l of tj It Qji/iuno) ptaonji ui this place, it is requisite to read rjj it lypiuy pceorijn.

BOOK IV.

“ But when the generating father understood that this generated statue or resemblance of the perpetual Gods, moved and li\cd,’ he was delighted and exhilarated, and in consequence of this delight, considered how he might fabricate it still more similar to its paradigm. Hence, as that is an eternal animal* he endeavoured also to render this universe such,’ to the utmost of his ability.”