The Commentaries on the Timaeus of Plato — trans. Thomas Taylor
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* For r«i« ptlf tnirrvy raltaiy vfiirry/rt rwr Qtw in lliis place, ll i» necessary to read rni fttff «oi tv* f«;«i rwr Otvt,
PROCLLS ON THE
[book IV.
25ti
Iteing itself, d,>es not participate of any thins, except some one should sav that it participates of the owe, which in every respect is worthy of consideration. For may not that which is above it, he superior even to this ap|>elhiti»ii [the wit]. Ihit hems; itself is primarily that which it is, and not according to participation. Hence, lreins; itself < aiinot he animal itself for the above-mentioned causes. iNor can intelligible life he animal itself. 1 or animal is secondary to life; and is said to Ik* animal through the participation of life. In short, n animal itself was the second, eleruitv would he hem- itself. This however, is impossible. For the one being is one thin- and eternal l>< in- another; the former hem- the monad of l>em", hut the latter a ditad, bavin- the aluinjs rnmplioati d with U in-. Am the former is the cause of existence to all llm.-s, hut the latter of permanency accord i n} r n> existence. If therefore, neither the one h. m- itself is animal itself, nor that which is i.mncdiatrlv posterior to the one brim;; for this is ctcrmly, who li t* mt.-lli-ihh; power, infinite life, and wholeness itself, according to which earl, of the divinities is at once a whole; it is necessary that the third, [or int. liable intellectJ. should lie animal itself. For it is necessary that animal itself should he alter a certain manner intellect; since the image of it subsists « nt.rely in conjunction with sense. But sense is the image of intellect; so that iu that wlm !. is primarily ani¬ mal, intellect primarily subsists. Hence, if animal itself is second try to hie, it ncccssar.lv exists according to intelligible int. Ih-ct. For he.n- intelligible, and as Plato savs, an animal, the most hcaul.ful of intclligiblcs, and only brgotlc n, it will have this order. For all thin-s after this form are prodm ed in coujum tion with other thill—s, and fall short til intelli—ihle .illntss.
Animal .1 self then fore, is intelligible intellect, comprehending in itself tl.e intel¬ lectual orders of the Gods, collet tin-, uniting, and pel lectin-them,' anti ht inthe most Ircautiful boundary of intelli-ihles. It also unfolds into light tt, intellec¬ tual natures, the united ami unknow n cause of intelli-ihl. s, exciting Us, ll to uleas and all-various powers, hut producing all the seeoml ortlt rs of the Go,Is. Hence likewise, Orpheus calls it the God Phones, as unfold,ng into l.ght the intelligible unities; anti gives to it various forms, as exhibiting m *^1 raose ot m.els, exciting Us, ll to uleas and all-various powers, hut producing all the seeoml ortlt rs of the Go,Is. Hence likewise, Orpheus calls it the God Phones, as unfold,ng into l.ght the intelligible unities; anti gives to it various forms, as exhibiting m *^1 raose ot m.elli-ihle animals, lIeal>o inserts in it multiform ideas, as primarily compn 'ending intt lh-.hle ideas, and calls it the key of ...lelleet, because it hounds every intelli¬ gible essence, and connectedly-contains intellectual hie. 1 rom this *>o "it .»t .4 God therefore, the Dcmiurgus of the universe is suspended, being htmseli, as we have before said, intellect, hut intellectual intellect, and in a particular maim, r t .e cause of intellect. Hence also, lie is said to mv animal ilsell: lor >i 3 ht ^ the nooK iv.]
1 Fof uvry line, ft* ad ciurwy.
'IIMXL'S OF PLATO.
2> 7 peculiarity of the intellectual Coils. For the theologist rails intelligible intellert eyeless. lie says then-fore, concerning it:
In In* tin n*l fi'ciliujg cycle.*, rapid Love.
nooK iv.]
'IIMXL'S OF PLATO.
2> 7 peculiarity of the intellectual Coils. For the theologist rails intelligible intellert eyeless. lie says then-fore, concerning it:
In In* tin n*l fi'ciliujg cycle.*, rapid Love.
For the houmlary of its energy is the intelligible. But the Demiurgus bring intellect, does not rank among participated intellects; in order that he may Ik? the Demiurgus of wholes, and that he may he aide to look to animal itself. Being however imparticipable, he is truly intellectual intellect* And through simple intelligence indeed, he is united to the intelligible; but through various intellection, he hastens to the generation of secondary natures. Hence his intelligence is denominated vision, as being non-multitudmous, and as shining with intelligible light. But his second energy is called itianoetic, as proceeding through simple intelligence, and advancing to the generation of demiurgic works. And Plato indeed says, that lie looks to animal itself; but Orpheus, that lie leaps to, and absorbs it, through the indication of Night. For through Night, who is intelligible and at the same time intellectual, intellectual intellect is conjoin* d to the intelligible. You must not, however, on this account say, that the Demiurgus looks to that which is external to himself; for this is not lawful for him to do; but that Ireing converted to himself, and to the fountain of ideas w hich is in himself, he is also conjoined to the monad of the all¬ various orders of forms. For intellect is not without the intelligible, 1 and does not subsist separate from it, according to the Oracle. For if vve say, that our soul looking to ilsi-lf knows all things, and things prior to itself are not external to it, how is it possible that the demiurgic intellect should not in a much greater degree, by intellectually perceiving himself survey the intelligible world? For animal itself is also in hint, vet not monadically, but according to a certain divine number. lienee likewise, being himself intellectual, lie is said by tlicologists, ns vve have observed, to absorb that intelligible Ood, in consequence of every intelli¬ gible, the divisions of forms, and tin* intelligible number, being perceived by him. Plato, also, indicating this, denominates the ideas of the Demiurgus, such and so many ; by the former, manifesting the peculiarities of the causes, hut by the latter, the separation of them according to number.
If however these things subsist after this manner, it is not projver to admit, as some do, that there is an infinity of forms in iulelligibles. For the definite is more allied to principles than the indefinite, as Plato also indicates. And first natures are always contracted in quantity, but transcend in power, those that arc pos¬ terior to and proceed from them. Nor must it be said, that those who separate animal itself from the Demiurgus, make the intelligible to be external to intellect.
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