The Commentaries on the Timaeus of Plato — trans. Thomas Taylor
The text is shown on its own: no facing layer is held for this issue.
And in the sublunary region, there is a still greater number of orders, which are the leaders ot the genera in each ot the eleiut ills, as we may learn from the 1 heoguny which has been transmitted to us. Ia t these things therefore, he admitted as « \ ith lit.
lint thus much deseno. to be considered in what is said about the gem ration of tune, that if turn is posterior to soul, how is soul uuui d according to time * anil if it is prior to soul, how is it said to he generated 1 For I 'Into has said that soul is the best of generated natures. Hut if time is co-ordinate w ith soul, how is if tli.it l it inil\ IS lint co-ordinate with, hut prior fn, intellect ? Ami it must be said
* Tin* sphere it a leader, a eo-arranged monad, and a ukulcutn; but ratb of the cosuiucrator» is a leader, and a luou.id, but is not a wiioli iiess.
KOOK IV .1
TIM i:us OF PLATO.
p. 223
ia answer to this, that lime is indeed prior to soul, as eternity is prior to intellect; but that soul i> tin* host of generated n itures, which arc essentially generated, and not onlv according to their being present with secomlary natures, lint also have a generation according to their inward energy, and an essence divisible into a multitude of parts, such as Plato himself has delivered tons. lint time being, as we have demonstrated, essentially an eternal intellect, is participated in a •reiterated manner, not at once wholly, nor imnmvenhly, like the intellects prior to it, but moveable. Whence also as intellect, it perfects the soul, and is gene¬ rated according to participations; flowing abundantly into its participants, and making generations to 1m* as things numbered. Thus therefore, in consequence of entirely running together with the nuinlwrs of generations, 1 it may be shown to lx* generated. Hence too, proceeding according to numlM-r, it is said to l>e moveable; but not to be number, as the time is, which is prior to things numbered. For these reasons therefore, Plato here calls time eternal, because it is eternal according to its inward energy, the whole of which it possesses at once present. Hut m the Laws he says, that the soul i> indeed indestructible, yet not eternal because it is not allotted an immutable inward energy.
“ Hut the divinity having made the bodies of these stars, placed them, being seven in number, in the seven circulations, formed by the periodic motion of the circle of the different."
“ Hut the divinity having made the bodies of these stars, placed them, being seven in number, in the seven circulations, formed by the periodic motion of the circle of the different."
That Plato <h nominates the sun and moon, and the other I've stars, as ani¬ mals endued with soul and intellect, is manifest from his adding in what is now said, that the divinity made the bodies of each of them, in consequence of the stars themselves being intellectual and vital. For he does not sav, that he made the bodies themselves, * but the bodies of them. It must be said therefore, that the cir¬ culations of them are epicycles, or evolving circles, or the whole spheres, in which each of the stars is placed. Or it must lie said, that they an* no one of these, but as the divine Iainblichus apprehends, the circulations signify the intel¬ lectual souls of the planets. For as before, the divinity fashioned the w hole bulk of the world w ithin the soul, so now likewise, he places the seven bodies in the seven intellectual souls, at the same tune causing souls and intellects to preside over these bodies. 5>iuce however, much prior to this, Plato represented the
1 Instead of rot/ (kniait trvt rtSpn/tmrn tnvrui apiOfiOy m I hi3 }>UtC, it »]>J to H*C to be OCCCtHTJ lO read, rc<» (nn wr ovttKcpafiorTa -n» rmit a, lO/uctf.
* For amjtf here, it is accessary to read aira.
PROCI.US ON Til!.
n o o k ! '
p. 221
jx-riod of tin* circle of the different in tin* whole soul, us presidio- over those seven tin i„,. bodies, lie very prop.-rly adds, < ivmmdm- us of what had l*-«*n helore sui<l, “/// the seven circulations formed btf th, jari.dic motmn iff tin circlt of tin dtf- 'final in the Me seal." Ami a-ain lu- m o.if.-sls tin., I.y sp.-ahm- m tin- ^in-'tthir lor this nr, I.* is mnln ul< il, tlum-li it is -aid to liav.* In-rii cut. Ami it dors not lose its unity »»> tin- division of it into '. \«-:i envies.
|»,. r i, ;i p, bow ever, it will In- heller to s,>, ll.:.t tin 1 Vmmr-us , -laMished the hodi. s oi tin-roMiiormtors, in tin-poui rs ol tin- win.:.-soul, but not yet m their pro|H-r Minis nor in tln ir spln-r.-s. For tin- 'voids, form. <1 by tin* p. no.lu- mo¬ tion of tin- circle of tin* diHerent,'' niniiif.-si tliut tins «U'> n<»t l>\ its motion s oi tin-roMiiormtors, in tin-poui rs ol tin- win.:.-soul, but not yet m their pro|H-r Minis nor in tln ir spln-r.-s. For tin- 'voids, form. <1 by tin* p. no.lu- mo¬ tion of tin- circle of tin* diHerent,'' niniiif.-si tliut tins «U'> n<»t l>\ its motion cireimiv.ihe tins,- bodies. lot tins cirri. Inin- om-, and diiul.-ilmlos.-ven parts, pio< o ils round tin- li\« > ot tln-s. divine bodies. I’m t.irtln-r on lM.ito '.in, tliut tin fixed stars an- placed in tin- wisdom of intellect, which is tin- soul of tin- ,-in-l.- of thcsanie. For that is most powerful and excellent to winch the D« 1111 - lll4ll s iinparl. il power. Hut tin- wisdom of this U an intellectual life. d'lms therefor. In- now p!ans tin- sev. n hod., s u. the seven circles of the "Imle soul. \nd a-uin, it "ill thnni-J. lh.-s.- tliin-s b. - vid.nl, how tin- sm.pli.-it> ot th. sou! is preserved, a> with n fi-r. in. to tin- .-orp-u.-al pmods. I or tin .me.nvleot the Slime animates accoidm- to oiu- union, hotli tin- in. rrali.- sphere, and th. sta-s .1 contains. And in a similar manner . a. h ot tin- s,-v. u plan, ts, art nrdm- to .un¬ common pow.-r, animates both tin- spin i. s,' and the stars they contain. >"W tin rt fon , 1‘lat.. speaks ot tin- soul whi. li is common to lli.-ui; hut shortly alter h.* also .1. livers the soul p« ruliar to ea« h, win n he >avs, ■ that hem- hound with animat. .1 bonds th.-> h. came animals." For then they are no lon-. r animated as parts, hut as animals, throu-h tln ir proper souls.
“ And tin moon indeed, lie; placed in the First cite illation about the earth; lint the sun, in the second above the earth ; and the star caller! I noth r/ and that which is sacred to Mercury, in circulations proceeding with a swiftness equal to that of the* sun, to which at the same time they are allotted a contrary power. Hence the Sun, Iateih r, and Mercury, mutmdlv comprehend, and are comprehended by each other.
Not only from what is In n said, it is , ml. nt what order Spin-lies t;iv«- to th.
I In liic iiliuiiul kuru h'tttfin /mif tm r«.‘ mI.m Ii i-* " 'h * 4 * rrroiicoio. t ri.nl lin n (••ii-, inslia.l of t!n», <■; earn /..<** *■*" ‘■“•'C* -"X 1 T< “ n 'i‘ a, t i
* i. c. \ «nu».
BOOK IV,]
TIM/HUS OI' PLATO,
22.> planets according to Plato, hut a I so from what is written in the Repuhlic. For he arranges the Moon after the Sun;* since there is a certain most abundant communion of these divinities in the visible production of things. For the one has the order of father, hut the other of mother. Jlnth the intelligible and intel¬ lectual causes of them likewise are united to each other, ami are unfolded into light from one cause. For the same Goddess produced -— the nudity Sun, and splendid Moon
No commentary for this page under the selected tracks.
There is commentary on page 1.