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

The coim rgem v wliieli is there however, connects here, excellence of condition with the circle, because the universe expresses as much as possible, all the jieculiarity of the paradigm. And thus much concerning these particulars.

If however, we wish to investigate the cause through which a part of the uni¬ verse was generated similar to the whole, we shall not he m want of arguments to show why it was so generated, bor it is not possible that t ns should li ippi n in all things. For neither would it have been best for the eye to have lx“en generated with a figure similar to that of the whole hotly, nor is the assertion true, of the heart, or of the head.* lint where the wholeness is prior to the parts, it is possible for the parts to he assimilated to the whole, and for good to lie present with tin in, through tins similitude. On the contrary, vvh.m the wholeness is from the parts, here the part dm s not possess exit Hence of condition, through an assimilation to the whole. The universe however, is a thing of tins kind, l or it is a whole prior to parts,* and is complete through containing the partial genera

• Instead of fiitpvr here, it is necessary lo read aorpur, and immediately after it, to supply rat.

* Instead of <iri tj (.uX»), in this place, it is necessary to read, <»» «.«£aXr,».

J The unixi/'C is J while prior to paits, because it is the cause of ull the partial natures contained in it.

BOOK IV,]

TIM XUS or PLATO.

2 GO of animals, according to the third species of wholeness, 1 as we have l>efore oIh served ; since animal itself also is a whole, ami all-perfert, as a monad, hut com¬ prehends all intelligible animals, through the before-mentioned tetrad.

“ lie placed it also in the wisdom of the most excellent and powerful nature, so that it might follow that which is best, and distributed it in a circle about all heaven ; causing it to l>c a true world, diversified through the whole of itself.”

“ lie placed it also in the wisdom of the most excellent and powerful nature, so that it might follow that which is best, and distributed it in a circle about all heaven ; causing it to l>c a true world, diversified through the whole of itself.”

In what is here said, Plato sjH-aks concerning the position of the st ir-’, that they are on all siih s circularly placed in the revolution of the cm le of the same, and that, as the poets say, they revolve in an orb round the heavens; some of them being arranged in an order different from that of others, and exhibiting an admirable variety. If however, you are willing to s|>ealv more magnificently than this, you may say, that the Deminrgus placed the stars in the divine soul of the inerratic sphere, thus animating them, and imparting to them a proper life and intellect. In like manner, he inserted the planets m the circulations, caused by the period of the circle o l.the different, For being divine animals, it is necessary that they should have an intellectual soul, and a divine intellect. For that they are not alone animated by the soul of the universe, but that each has also a pecu¬ liar soul presiding over it, we may learn by considering, that of the animals which are here, those are more excellent, that together with being animated by the whole soul of the world, have also a peculiar soul, and are illuminated by it with life. Thus for instance, man is superior to such animals as are alone animated bv the whole soul, and are the last of the fabrication of things. Hence, some animals are preserved in a twofold respect, but others are scarcely preserved by the w hole soul of the universe. If however, this is true, and the celestial are more excellent than our bodies, they will in a greater degree Ik* animated both by the mundane and their own peculiar souls; since they are similar to the whole of the heavens in which they' revolve. But if this be the case, all of them arc moved in a circle about their own centres. And if this bo admitted, and every perpetual motion, has also a perpetually moving cause, and as numerous as are the bodies which are perpetually moved, so many likewise are, as Aristotle says, the moving causes; if this Ik* the case, it is necessary that each of the stars should have a peculiar soul by which it is moved. If also they are moved in an orderly manner, it is

1 The third iptcics of wholeness u (hat in which whole tubsish in a part. The partial genera of animals therefor* are wholes, but the partial in them predominates over the total.

•270

1'ltOCI.L'S ON TIIK fi oow iv.

If also they are moved in an orderly manner, it is

1 The third iptcics of wholeness u (hat in which whole tubsish in a part. The partial genera of animals therefor* are wholes, but the partial in them predominates over the total.

•270

1'ltOCI.L'S ON TIIK fi oow iv.

necessary llmt tlirir roiiI* should Ih- iiitellnrtiinl ; for if limy were moved in u disordtrlv manner, wliieh it is not luwtiil to assert of divine* bodies, their souls would l*c irrational. Hence, it is necessary that each of the stars should have a divine presiding soul; and through intellect Is* united to the intellect which ranks ns a whole. For since mortal bodies [such os oursj participate ot reason and intellect, what ought we to think nf divine bodies themselves 1