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

1 I'nr irfijirurnn*' lirr**, rr.nl inunraTii*.

* Jnstc.nl uf ravroir lirrr, it u necessary to rta*l nirrvr

p. 100

PROCLl S ON THE

[book IV*.

It is also well that Plato rails the production of time, tlie conception or contrirnnce, (iviwh*,) of the Demiurgus. For to impart to beings which are not naturally eternal, an adventitious and temporal perpetuity, and also to confer jH rlection on things imperfect, and a circular apoi atasta>is, on things which proceed m a riuht line, does not appear t> fall fir short of invention and contrivance. Hence, in what follows, he savs that divinity contrived the pm ration of tin; parts o< time, lint how is the im iue of elt rnity said to he moveable? 1 Is it * because all ot it is moved and the whole is in motion? Or is not this impossible 1 l ot nothin- is moved according to the whole of itself, nor is this the case, even with sm h things as are essentially < handed : for the subject of these remains. Much more tlierefoie, will things which are moved according to the other motions, remain accord¬ ing to essence, win ther thev arc mcr« used, or changed m quality, oi hx ally moved. I'or it they did not remain accord111*4; to something, their motion like¬ wise would vanish, together with them: tor al motion is in a certain tiuii4. Nothing therefore, as wi have said, is wholly moved, and this is especially the case with perpetual natures, which uuulil to be established in their pmpei pnuciples, and to rein 1 i 11 in tin nisi Ives, it tin \ are to lie i ontinually preserved. Hut it is particularly requisite, that the iiua-e ot eternity should have .1 perpetual sameness of silbsistem e, and stability; so that it is impossible that time should lie linneable accnrdlic; to the whole ot lts» It, sine*’ it is not possible till this to h* the case vv ith anv tiling else. It is necessarily requisite therefore, that, something of it should remain ; since every tiling which is moved, is moved in consequence of hav mu soim thins; ot its« If vv hit'll remains. Hem e the monad of tune remains suspended from tin- I), luiui^iis. Hut bcim; lull ot measuring pow. r, and wishing to measure the motions of tin psychical 1 essenci*, and the exisleiu e, 1 in rules and passions of the plivsii d and corporeal essence, it proc eeds according to number. Time therefore abiding by its impartible and inward energy, proceeds according to numlH-r by its external energy and which is participated by the natures which it measures; vi/. it proceeds ac< online to a certain mli llectual number, or rather according to the first number, which I’armeiiides would sav, bcint; analogous to the one t'C n", presides over the intellectual, III the same Ill.liilU r as that does over t'n* intelligible orders. It proceeds therefore, nooordiiii; to that hiiiiiIh r. Hence also, it distributes an appropriate tin isinc to eai h * ol the mumlaiu* lorms.

It proceeds therefore, nooordiiii; to that hiiiiiIh r. Hence also, it distributes an appropriate tin isinc to eai h * ol the mumlaiu* lorms.

You may likewise sav still more proximatelv, that true time proceeds aceord-

1 I or til 1 irt) In rr, ri ;ul tu ipi/i
1 1 Inn- o .111 i»uii."inli lure 111 I lie ori”in.il, ol ij.

* I nr li*i«’, rr.nl /»

4 I10tr.nl ot tomri/. ill llio |>l.ire, it o nrnsvin to nail toerri/.

KOOK IV.]

TIM IT S OF PLATO.

p. 191

imr to tnio number, jiai tirijintinu 1 of tin* numbers of it, anil Ik ini; it-*df intellectual numliiT, which Socrates speaks of, ami obscurely signifies, when hr says, that swiftness it"i 11* and slow ni ilsclt an* ni true uuuilur, hy whuh tin* things mea¬ sured hv lime, illlli r. In-iiiir mov ed innri 1 iltly. nr inorr slow ly 11< nee also 'I nn.rus dm s not * s|ii m k ninrli ahont tins niinihrr Imt njsr Sorratrs on 1 hi* pr« ri-iliiivt day had perleetlv onloldi'd it, hut ahont that which proreeds Iroin it. l'or that Items* 1 tml\ r.xisiin^ iiiunhi*r, lir says ////.v proceeds arrordiii^ to nunihi-r. It proa ids tln ii Ion*, aeeordiiur to intelligible iiiiiiiImt, hy which it ntnuhrrs its |iartiri|innts, just as, vice versa, the time which is in sensible*, proceeds according to that wliiili nunihers. In ilsclt' that which is minihered, and stdl posscssini; tlie

It proa ids tln ii Ion*, aeeordiiur to intelligible iiiiiiiImt, hy which it ntnuhrrs its |iartiri|innts, just as, vice versa, the time which is in sensible*, proceeds according to that wliiili nunihers. In ilsclt' that which is minihered, and stdl posscssini; tlie linage of essential time, through whii h all things are nmnhered bv un iter or less uiiuiIk rs of their life. .So that an o\ lives for this, hut man for tiiat length of time, hut the sun is n stun d to its pristine state in one, and the moon in another period of time, ami other things accomplish their periods according to other measures, rune therefore, is the measure of motions, not as that hy which vve measure ; lor this the eonei pi ion aliout tune rlln (s, and not time itself, hut as proiluelive, and defi¬ nitive ol the < \is|i ner of tin life, and « vi ry other motion of things m tune, and as measuring them and assimilating tlx m aei ordm*^ to paradigms, l’or as it rt fi rs itself to the similitude ol eternity, which comprehends paradiipuatii causes, thus also it refers the things wliirli are perfected hy itself, and wlm h arc convolved m a circle, to the more venerable imitation of eternal principles. ] low tin re lore, heiiu; sueli and so meat a (iod, will it he tin measure of motion, or hi short of lien*'ration, 1 as it appeared to some that it is, who neither perceived tin* power of it, nor its d* miurme 4 pr« >ence with all things 1 W hen also, they' say that it is rather the cans** of corruption, than of generation, and of oblivion than pre>orvation, and of these according to accident, and not essentially, they very much resemble those that are asleep, and who are unable to collect hy a reasoning: proi ess w hat the benefits are eonft i red hy and through time on the soul and the body, on all heaven through the whole of itself, and on all generation. 7'heurgists likcxcise confirm a hat ttv have asserted, adicn they say, that time is a God, and deliver to us the discipline of it, by uhich u'c arc enabled to excite tl to become visible; and 'a lien also, thay ccU bratc il ns older and younger, and as a circularly revolt big and eternal God, not only as the image of eternity, but as eternally receiving it. They ii)*»

1 l’or ;ifrn/ifyr-n lirrr, read )nrt\n*~n.

1 C)c o niuiUi-ii Ik rc in tlie «>ri"in;»l

1 Instead of ui ignwi in 11ns |ilace, it is olmoudy necessary to read yti-cffrwi.

* For roi* ttifHcvpymmt here, read rij»fr// 440 vpy««i/».

lMIOCLUS ON rm:

[book IV.