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

Fur that time is not only mundane, but by a much greater priority supermundane, is cud. lit; since as eternity is to animal itself, -o is time to this world, which is animated and endued with intellect, and is wholly the image of animal itself, in the same manner as time is of eternity.

If therefore time is, it both abides and proceeds m measured motion. And through its abiding, the harmonious dances are infinite, and apocatastalic. For lieing the first intellect that dances about the w hole fabrication of things, mi far indeed as it subsists invariably the same, and is essentially intellect, it is said to be eternal ; but so far as it dances, it convolves souls, and natures, and bodies in a eirc !c; and in short, is periodu ally restored to its pristine state. I or the world is moved indeed, as participating of soul ; but it is moved in an orderly manner, because it participates of intellect. For thus also Plato s.u-. in the l-aws, “ that the soul receiving a divine intellect, governs :< ith latitude ami uisdoin. And the world is moved periodically, by the motion of it from the same to the same; m consequence of which, it may be .said to imitate the permanency of intellect in sameness, through the imitation ol ett rmtv bv time. And this it is, to make the world more similar to its paradigm vvInch abides in one ; viz. to be convolved periodu illy to one and the same thing, through the cir< illation according to time. From all these particulars likewise, you leave all the causes of time according to Plato. For the Demiurgiis indeed, is the effective cause of time; eternity is the paradigm of it ; and the end (or the final cause] of it, is the circumduction to one thing of the natun s that are moved, according to periods. For that which does not abide in one, aspires after the circumduction to one ; desiring through this to obtain the am, whii h is the same with the good. For that there should not be one c« rtain progression of things in a right line, so as to form a line as it were, infinite both ways, but that the progression should 1m* definite ami circumscribed, d Hiring about the father ot wholes, and the monad of time, evolving all the strength of fabrication, and again returning to its pristine condition, and effecting this fre¬ quently , or rather infinitely, that which is consentaneous to reason requires, i! it is fit to call what is necessary reasonable. I’or whenc e do the participants ot time denve the power of Ireing restored to their pristine condition, unless that

1 !# 1 > 2it is fit to call what is necessary reasonable. I’or whenc e do the participants ot time denve the power of Ireing restored to their pristine condition, unless that

1 !# 1 > whuh they participate bail this power ami peculiarity of motion ? In addition also, to tin: reasuiiablenrss of tins, the explanation of tho name alone hears witness to its 1 rut ft. with which likewise, the* demonstrations of the most sagacious legislators accord, and the* worels of Plato himself who says, that time m these things imitating eternity, and circulating according to numher, was now ^ nerated. For time circulating the Jirst of moveable natures, according to an energy proceeding to externals, and returning to its pristine state, after all the evolution oj its power, thus also restores the periods of other natures to their pristine condition. And it convolves indeeel, through the* whole* e»f ifsolt which pro< e*»*els, the soul wlneii is the lirst participant of it; hut through certain parts of itself, it convolves other souls and nature’s, the ce h.-stial circulations, and in the last place*, all generation. For m emiseepience of tune circulating, all tilings are* convolved in a circle. Of the circulations howeve*r, some are* shorter, hut others longer.