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

Rut he refers to more appropriate opportunities, the* more* profound investigation <»f these particulars. For this was usual both with Plato himself, and prior to Plato, with the PythanooK iv.]

TIM.ITS or PLATO.

p. 215

goreans. Aristotle also, «specially emulating this custom, discusses philosophi¬ cal prolilems in a wav adapti d t«» tin: design of his treatise.

“ Time therefore, was generated together with the universe, in order that being generated together with it, it may also be dissolved together with it, it ever a certain dissolution of it should take place, it was also generated according to the paradigm of an eternal nature, in order that it might, as much as possible, be similar to it. Tor the paradigm of it indeed, is through all eternity [real] bemg. Hut the universe forever through the w hole of time, was generated, is, and will be.”

Plato says that time was generated together with the universe, now animated, and endued with intellect; because the world lirst participates of time, accord¬ ing to soul, and the eorporeal-formed nature, But the w ords, “ that being gene¬ rated tnzethci with it, it vnn/ also be dissolved together r nth it, if ever a certain disso¬ lution of it should tahe place, clearly show that the universe is unliogotteli and in¬ corruptible. For if it was generated, it was generated in time. Hut if it was generated tog. tin r with lime, it was not generated in lime. Tor neither wa> time generated in time, lest there should he linn prior to time. If therefore, the uni¬ verse was generated together w ith time, it was not generated, [according to the usual acceptation of the word.J Tor it is necessary that every thing which was generated, should he posterior to tune The universe however is by no means posterior to time. Again, if every thing which is dissolved, is dissolved at a certain time, hut time cannot In: dissolved in a part of itself, time cannot ever he dissolved ; so that neither can tin* universe. Tor it is indissoluble, as long as time is indissoluble, besides, time is indissoluble through a simplicity of nature ; unless some one is willing to denominate the progression of it, and its return to the I)< miurgu-s which are motions contrary to each other, the genera¬ tion and .dissolution of it. Thus also the universe, has dissolution and g« in ration according to cause. Just tin refore, as if some one being willing that the revolu¬ tions ot the circle ot the different, should he odd in number, should say that the heptad is co-existent with them, in order that if ever the heptad should liecome an even numlH r, they also may Imtoiiic even, signil'v ing by this, that the circula¬ tions will not fall into the even uurulH-r; thus likewise, we must now conceive resjMM ting the all-various indissolubility of the world and time, m consequence of time having an indissoluble nature.

One cans** therefore, of time having lx*en generated together with the universe, is that the universe may be indissoluble and j»eq»etual. But a second cause is.

PROCUS ox Tun

[book iv.

‘2 Hi that it may l>e most similar to its parad..,.a. For Plato says that the universe itself, is most similar to its paradigm. I low therefore, does the universe become more similar to animal itself through time ! Because, says he, as intelli^ihles reeeive all the power of eternity, which now uniti s, ami connectedly contains tin m at once, collectively, and imieally,—thus also tlie world, sustains all tin* measured motion of time partil>1 \, and in a divided manner, through which also it was, and is, and will 1m*, not havim; the three in the whole of time, hut each in a portion ol time. It receives however, ear'll of the three in the whole of time, on account of the past and the future period, and because Im iiii; of the nature of things ge¬ nerated, it has the perfect in generation according to every part of time. And it exists indeed, or w, because in tin* whole of the present circulation of time, it par¬ ticipates of heiii£. But it -will be, because tin* measured motions of tin* whole of time, will never cease, and the fir* illations conjoin, and assimilate time to intel¬ ligible causes. If however, the universe i xists for ever through the whole* of time, and is, and was, and will he, it is, and will he in tin* time to come, in couseijiiciicc of being incorruptible. Hein e it vv as generated in all the past time, as being unliegotteii. Tor il is similarly pn -cut witliall turn according to each of these.* < >r if this is not admitted it no longer w ill be lien afti r mlimtil v, or vv as gem rated from iiilinit\ Xml thos» are ridiculous 1 who say that the world was once gene¬ rated, and that it will at a c« rt.un time i rase to he, sim e Plato ascriU s to it tin* whole of time, on account of holh *th« past and the future.] And you s**c, that he now attribute* the three paits ot time to it, a id does not refuse to ascribe 1 m in" to if. Hence it is evident, that vv Inn before he attributes the is to an eter¬ nal nature, and not to generation, the is there, is exempt from all temporal i \t« nsinn, and bring established according to tin-eternal itself, pertains to inti-lligibles; since he grants that the whole o \ the ~ua$ and the mil he, are for e\» r present with sensihles, according to the participation of truly-existing being.

How therefore, if the nature of time, as the divine laiiihlichtis savs, and as I ain persuaded, is a medium between eternity and the universe, of the latter of which it i- the leader, and is assimilated to the former,—Iiovv, if this be tin* i ase, was time constituted for the s;ike of the iinivi rse ? lor how was that which is com¬ prehensive and peilidivv, and which in a greater degree assimilates the linage to its paradigm,—how vv as this generated for the sake of that vvhiehis compre¬ hended and assimilated ? Fur thus things which subsist for the sake of sotne-

1 i i Xu or lm_’ In the i nil, the if, .mil the mil be.

I'luitio lie ii .i 11 m li > in siitli 1 1 tin' am nut ( lirivliaio, as I'mlravoiirril t» prove, Iroiu tin* aiillioritv of 1'latn, tli.il die world was pioducid at a ecrl.iiu lime, ami will at a ceilam time lie destroyed.

::ooK Iv.J ri.M .1.1 s ol 1‘l.MO.

•_ 17