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

Hence likewise, it is perpetual. For every thing which is able to receive the whole evolution of time, is indestructible. Ihit the whole *»t time is the perfect number of the apocatastasis of the universe, as we have frcrpu-nlly observed.

Farther still, this also is to be assumed from what has liern liefore said, that Plato was very far from eonceiv ing time to be a thing of such a kind as the Stoics, and also many of the Peripatetics apprehended it to be. For the former supposed it to be a mere conception of the mind, evanescent, and most proximate to non¬ entity. For time with them, was one of the clearly significant ’ things which they despised, as inefficacious, as having no real being, and existing in mere conceptions alone. Hut the latter assert tli.it it is an accident of motion. We may ask how¬ ever, of what motion? Is it an acrid* nt of continued motion? lint time is every where. And motion is in things which are moved. Is it then an accident of all motion 7 There are therefore many times. And what is the monad of them, and how is time that which is numbered of motion ? For it will truly subsist in habitude, and time will be something relative, and that which numbers not existing, neither will time exist. Plato therefore perceiving that all these assertions are unworthy

1 viz. Tl.r Itcniiurpuv is a medium between ttic intelligible Gods, who arecharailenzed by p ~n am n cy, and 1 lie supermundane Gods, who are characterized by proceeding ; jn»t a* the mundane Gods arc eharactrrizrd by rrgrrt'ion. Sec m\ translation of Prnclus on the Theology ol 1’lato.

1 i. o. Between the intelligible triads of Imiug itself and life itself, and the mlelircliitii order.

1 vi*. Between the nuddir triad of the intelligible order ; for n* this eternity first subsists, and the summit of the intelligible and at the same time intellectual order

* i. e. Between the Gods prior to animal itself, sum! all the Gods that subsist between it and the Ur nnurgus.

5 For rv»a^«rar in Ibis place, 1 read inpi^arar.

PKOC1AJS ON THE

[booK IV.

23*2 the theory concerning time, gives to time a subsistence mijhtikiIIv from the intel¬ ligible and intellectual (bxls, it Iwing a supermundane intelh*ct, connectedlv con¬ taining all psychical life, measuring the psychical and corporeal periods, and pcrfecting the motion of them which proceeds into extension. From this monad likewise, hi* constitutes different times, according to the triad 1 and lieptad,* and produces all these about the one time, which measures the one life of the universe*. He also gives to time so great a power, as to make the world through it more similar to its paradigm. And for ttie sake 1 of the generation of these times, he produces the Sun, and tin* other ivsmucrulurs, as calling forth invisible time, un¬ folding it into light, distributing it into parts, and dividing it, and perpetually convolving it wills invariable >anu in >s.

And for ttie sake 1 of the generation of these times, he produces the Sun, and tin* other ivsmucrulurs, as calling forth invisible time, un¬ folding it into light, distributing it into parts, and dividing it, and perpetually convolving it wills invariable >anu in >s.

Since however, lie says tliat the planets proceeding through the heavens have revolutions, let us see whether lie does not conceive the motion of these to he various: since they move about their own centres, and revolve through the heavens, aeeording to length, breadth, and d< pth, vi/.. through their own spheres, w hit h are parts of the heavens, and give eomph lion to tin* nniver>e. Fur he dot s Hot v.w that they are moved m the heavens, as if they occupied the same place, but tinon*h the heavens, as being moved through arches, and wholly transferred according to place; and in addition to tin-, that they always revolve about their own centres, in order that tin v may have a et rtam mixed motion ; jiM as they are media between the fixed stais, which always occupy the same place, and subluliarv natures, which arc not moved about a certain middle. It is now tin ri fore evident, that according to Plato, all the spheres are concentric, and have the same in litre with the universe, Hut the apparent inevitability of the motions of the seven planets, alist s from their it volutions, as they all-variously change their motion, through increasing and diminishing, advancing, being elevated, and aj>- pioxiiuatiug to the earth; and this without the contrivance of epicycles. Fur Plato makes no mention ot these, and nature everv vvhererisjiiire.su medium. The medium however, between all esjuable anil orderly natures, and those that are anomalous and disorderly, is that which is anomalous and orderly ; such as is the form of the motion ot the plain t', which alternately exhibits an iiieijuahility according to a n rtnin order perpt tually the same, ot swiftness and slowness, and ol a revolution to the same tilings, or to contraries. Hut if some have employed certain t piev t ies, or equable et centrics, hypothetically introducing motions, in no ok iv.]

* i. i\ Am lo liar past, the (ircicnt, ami live future.

1 I. c. \it elding In the m Vt u Jil.llieIs.

* Instead ife»u, kui iii llns jilace, it u necessary to read onu.

TIM/EUS or PLATO.

2.5.1 order that they might he able to discover by the composition of these, tlie numbers of the motions of the epicycles, eccentrics, and of the stars which are moved in them, the conception is lieautiful, and adapted to rational souls, but is foreign from the scojvc of the nature of wholes, to which alone Plato directed his at¬ tention.

“But the universe did not yet comprehend all animals generated within itself, in this respect it still subsisted dissimilarly. Its artificer thcrelore supplied this defect, by impressing it with forms, according to the nature of its paradigm.”

“But the universe did not yet comprehend all animals generated within itself, in this respect it still subsisted dissimilarly. Its artificer thcrelore supplied this defect, by impressing it with forms, according to the nature of its paradigm.”

That always assimilatin'' the world to animal itself, Plato makes mention of it thrice, causing the universe to he only liegotten, rendering it perfectly perpetual, and fabricating it all-perfect, is evidi lit, and is so very properly. For animal itself is characterized by these three things, the ouly-begnttrii, the eternal, and the all perfect. For being allotted the third order in iulclligihles, it lias the oulv-licgotten irom the lirst for the summit of this order] according to which the one bang subsists; but the eternal from the second, according to which eternity subsists; and it has the all-perfect from itself. It is necessary however to survey not neg¬ ligently what this all-perfectness i«. Wholeness therefore, as we have frequently observed being triple, and originating supernally from iutelligihles, it is necessary that this world being the image of the most beautiful of intelligihles, should subsist according to each of these vvholcmsses; according to the first indeed, which is prior to parts, according to the second also, which is from parts; and through this according to the remaining wholeness [which is in a pari]. The Dcmiurgus thcrelore, had prior to this adorned the world, according to the lirst form Ol wholeness ; lor lie made it to he an animal possessing soul and intellect, adorning that which was moved in a confused and disorderly manner, and causing it to receive orih r, in consequence of the accession of soul, intellect, and divine union. Hut the discussion proceeding, he likewise gave to it the second wholeness which consists of parts, constituting the twofold circulations, binding tlie elements through analogy. 1 and arranging the circles of the soul, according to the monad, triad, tetrad, and heptud. For of all these the universe consists as of parts ; because these give completion to the universe as the universe [or the all]. And in the words before us, lie gives to it tlie third form of w li.>lem*ss. For it is necessary that each part of it should Irecome a whole, and that it should have all

* Instead of fi aXoyiai in tins it is ubwousl) necessary to read fi araXoytaf

p. 254

EROCLUb ON THE

[book IV.