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

Hence, as that is an eternal animal* he endeavoured also to render this universe such,’ to the utmost of his ability.”

The one Demsurgus, who also fabricates wholes, generates collectively anil at once, according to sameness, and converts, perfec ts and assimilates his fabrications to their paradigms; win thcr one and the same essence effects this, and one and the same generative, n calling, perfective and assimilative power, as is assorted by some * of the ancients, or diflcront powers, as appeared to lie the rase to certain others. For there is no small dissension, and as it were opposition, 1 m- tween these mi n. There are likew ise some, who uniting, are at the same time unw illing to ad¬ mit that the one is without the efficacy of multitude; and there are others who, though tin y divide, yet cannot endure to say, that the niiinhi i of powers is uncoordinated and mutilated, but they willingly admit and demonstrate that these powers afe comprehended in iheir proper monad, and are united and preserved by it. II< nee it happens, that some assert that these powers are a tetradic mo¬ nad, but others again, that tin v are an united tetrad, or as they love to call it, a monadized tetrad. It is ev ident Imvvi ver, that the Deminrgus here mentioned being

1 1 iif wr.nl* rr aiTn .ai ;.i, »rc omitted in ibe teit of L’roclus.

* I'or cw]v lirrc, mid evo ».

1 The word rmnvri y is also omitted ill llie text of t’roi lu».

* Instead of kaQvtciv ia tbu place, it is necessary to read naOuwrp rornr.

p. 170

PROCMJS ON tiii:

[nook iv.

one, inKcrf* in the junior Demiurgi posterior to him, nt one nnd the same time an assimilative power when he orders them to imitate his power about their gene¬ ration; a generative power, wlien he orders them to produce and generate ani¬ mals in common ; and an analysing power, when he commands them to receive hack again the parts that wore borrowed from the whole elements, the substances composed from them being dissolved, and to recall them to then wholes. And after all these, he inserts in them a guardian power, in consequence of which, he immediately constitutes the governors of the world, guardians ot the numbers of time, and earth the guardian of day and night.

And after all these, he inserts in them a guardian power, in consequence of which, he immediately constitutes the governors of the world, guardians ot the numbers of time, and earth the guardian of day and night.

The Demiiirgiis then-fore, as I began to say, by w bom all tilings wi re produeed, generated them consubsistent w ith himself, and assimilated, and pcrfeeted, ami convert* <1 them to himst If; tin ir order not being confounded by the at-oiicc-colleclcd evolution, as it wire, of all things into light, but In mg in a much greater de- «iec guarded and connected. Fur he neither deprives inferior natures of the providential care of more excellent b* mgs; nor more perfect natures of the dominion pertaining to them o\er such as are more imperfi et. l or be does not comprehend one of these prior in time to tin other; nor do either secondary natures remain destitute of the inspection of prov idi-nee, nor such as are more am lent, sluggish and improlifu:; as if the furnu-r did not yet receive the providential cm rgies of the latt< r. W e however, not Ik mg able to understand, and unit li less to * xplain the beiiefici-nl energy of the father of wholes from eternity, about the world, must Ik* satisfied w ith perceiving and speaking of him, as at onetime generating, at another adorning, at another |x rfectiiig, and at another assimilating, vv hieli also the words of the philosopher now previously suffering, are prepared to operate upon us. For the world now participates of motion and life, according to the doctrine of the father.' For soul that dvv* 11s together with it, preserves to itself the different kind* of its own peculiar knowledge, according to which it knows both intelligibles and mundane natures. Hut motion and life, which do not flourish in ils« If alone, it also imparts to all the bulk of the body of the universe. And on this verv account either alone or esjrecially, the fabric of the world being comph tely I ishion* d a resemblance of the intelligible CJods, the D* Miiiurgus was in a still greater degree delighted ami crhiliinitcd, and ill consequence of this delight and exhilaration, caused it to possess a greater and more perfect similitude to intelligibles. Hence also, lie considered bow lie .might make it as it were perpetual. For the intelligible is properly, and primarily perpetual, but that is secondarily perpetual which is co-extended with the progression and evolution of time. For the n'er is twofold, the

* For <ra>rct ill till* |>Uer t It i« iifa'Viv lo rod wnr,w>i.

BOOK t\ .]

TIM,EL’S OF PLATU

p. 177

For the intelligible is properly, and primarily perpetual, but that is secondarily perpetual which is co-extended with the progression and evolution of time. For the n'er is twofold, the

* For <ra>rct ill till* |>Uer t It i« iifa'Viv lo rod wnr,w>i.

BOOK t\ .]

TIM,EL’S OF PLATU

p. 177

ono bring eternal, but the other temporal. Why therefore, after .ill llio before-men tioncd benefits, does Plato introduce this eighth <ritt of the Deuiiurgits * lie-cause it is tlio greatest and most pork-el, and transfers the image to the highest sinnlitmlo to its paradigm. Hut it is necessary til it lie who onee exhibits tin* grneration of wholes in words, should pass from things more imperfect, to surli as are more jiorfeet. Tor ronforniahly to this very tiling, things w hich subsist per sc or essentially, and those which are ingenrrated in others, are, as it wore, opposed to each other ; because in things wlit* h are cst ihlished in tlicinst Ives, ami which in no respect whatever pertain to others, it is necessary to s iv that tin- more ve¬ nerable ot these rank as leadf rs, through which the final, the demiurgic, and the other causes coiise<pient to these, present themselves to tin* view. Hut in things which arc participated by others, such as are more imperfect occur, which liecome as it were subjects to more perfect natures, and show themselves to lx* of pos¬ terior origin. Such therefore, is the whole" design of the words before us.

It follows m the next place, th.it we should show through what causes, and from the possession of what nature, tin- I )cmiurgiis of wholes constituted time ill conjunct ion with the soul and the universe; and also what the good is imparted by it, and on account of which it w as produced. It is likewise r-peciallv requisite that we should show this, because many, even of the friends of Plato, apprehend time to lie a certain obscure form, and nothing more than that who h is iiiimhi red of motions; nut considering, that ofthe ten gifts which thefather imparts to the world, each of the following is entirely greater than each of the gifts that precedes it. If there¬ fore, having now animated the world, and rendered it a hles-ed («od, lie after¬ ward^ imparts time to it, it is evident that time vviil he* superior to soul, and to the possession of a blessi d lile on account of soul, and that a life which is defined according to time will live periodically. Hence time* w ill not be a thing of such a kind as the multitude say it is, hut wall have an essence more divine than that ot souls, and psychical good. This then-fore, we shall again more fully enfoi ce.