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

For they say, that the Bendidia were celebrated in’ the Pireus on the

* For ax’ αὐτὸν here, it is necessary to read ax’ avurwr.

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twentieth day of April; but that the festival sacred to Minerva followed these.

“ Soc, You speak well. But what is this ancient achievement, which Critias once heard from Solon, and which is not narrated in history, but was once actually accomplished by this city.”

Socrates exciting Critias to narration, requests that he would relate the mighty undertaking which the ancient Critias said he had heard from Solon, and which though not much celebrated, yet was really performed, Τὰ which, this in the first place deserves to be considered, that wany things happen in the universe of which the multitude are ignorant. And inthis, worthy men differ from others, that they sce things of this hind, and understand the events that take place, sat it is worth while secondly to observe, that the more perfect causes, rejoice in sim plicity, and proceed from things of a composite nature, to such as are test, But subordinate beings on the contrary, descend from things simple to things composite. For thus also here Socrates recurs from that which is downward as far as to Solon, in an ascending progression; but Critias on the contrary, descends from Solon to the mention of himself.

“Cri. 1 will acquaint you with that ancient history, which 1 did not indeed receive from a youth, but from aman very much advanced in years.”

Longinus here again observes, that Plato pays attention to elegance of diction, by narrating the same things differently. For he ealls the wudertaking ἀρχαιον, but the narration sara, and the man, nota youth; though as he sienifies the same thing through all these, he anight have denominated all of them: after the same manner. Longinus, therefore, as Plotinus said of him, was a philologist, but nota philosopher. Origen, however, docs not admit that Plato is studious of artificial delight and certain ornaments of diction, but that he pays attention to spontaneous and unadorned credibility, and accuracy in imitations. ‘This mode also ofexpression has spontaneity, as being adapted to erudition. For it was rightly said by Aristoxenus, the lyric poet, that the dispositions of philosophers extend as faras to sounds, and exhibit in all things the arrangement which they possess 3 just 7 think, as this mighty heaven, exhibits tn its transfigurations clear

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For it was rightly said by Aristoxenus, the lyric poet, that the dispositions of philosophers extend as faras to sounds, and exhibit in all things the arrangement which they possess 3 just 7 think, as this mighty heaven, exhibits tn its transfigurations clear

BOOK 1.) TIM.LZUS OF PLATO. 73

images of the splendor of intellectual perceptions ; being moved in conjunction with the unapparent periods of intellectual natures."| The great Iamblichus, however, thinks that we should rather refer the variety of the words to things, and see how in nature contranies are vanquished by the one; how the one is varied, and how great a mutation the same productive principles exlibit; subsisting in one way in the intellect of the universe, in another, in soul, in another, in nature, and in the last place, subsisting in matter. And again, unfolding about matter a most abundant difference in conjunction with similitude. For these observations are worthy the conceptions of Plato, and not a solicitous attention to diction.

“ For at that time Critias, as he himself declared, was almost ninety years old, and I was about ten.”

These three persons are assumed, as having preserved this history, or mythology, Solon, the ancient Critias, and this junior Critias; because perfect causes precede the fabrication of the world, and perfective causes are antecedent to the subjects of their government. The elder Critias, however, heard this narration from Solon, one from one; from the elder Critias it was heard by the junior Critias and Amynander; and from the junior Critias three persons received it. For the monad_ proceeds through the duad to the perfective providence of wholes. The numbers also of the ages, have much alliance to the things themselves. For the decad manifests the converston of all mundane natures to the one ; and nincty the restitution again to the monad, in conjunction with progression. But both numbers are symbolical of the world. You may say, therefore, that Solon is analogous to the cause of permanency; but the former Critias, to the cause which supplies progression ; and the present Critias to the cause which converts and conjoins things which have proceeded, to their causes. And the first of these, indeed, preserves the relation ofa ruling and leading cause ; the second, of the cause which comes into contact with mundane fabrication in a liberated manner; and the third, of that which now pays attention to the universe, and governs the mundane war.

“ When, therefore, that solemnity was celebrated among us, which is known by the name of Cureotis Apaturiorum, nothing was omitted which

* Instead of ovyxwovpevas ταῖς εἰκονων agavess περιοδοις, it is necessary to read, σνγκινουμενας ras ecewwwr, κι Δ.

Tim. Plat. Vou. J. K

p. 74

Tim. Plat. Vou. J. K

p. 74

boys during that festivity are accustomed to perform. For when our parents had set before us the rewards proposed for the contest of singing verses, both a multitude of verses of many poets were recited, and many of us especially sung the poems of Solon, because they were at that time enurely new.”

The Apaturia was a festival sacred to Bacchus, on account of the duel between Melanthus and Xanthus the Bootian, and the victory of Melanthus through deception ; the Bavotians and Athenians waging war with each other for CEnoe. But this festival was celebrated for three days; of which the first day was called avazcuris, because many sacrifices were performed in tt ; and the victims were called avaccuuara, because they were drawn upward, and sacrificed. The second day was called dogma; for on this day there were splendid banquets and much feasting. But the third day was called κουρεώτις 3 fur on tis day boys, three or four years old, were enrolled in their tribes. On this day also, such boys as were more sagacious than the rest, sung certain poems, and those were victorious who retained the greater number of them in their memory, They sang, however, the poems of the ancients. Bat with respect to the tribes, it must be observed, that after Jon there were four families, but from Clisthenes ten, and that after these, each twelve of the families was divided into three: the tribes were arranged into the same family and company, as being allied to each other: the cnrolment of the boys was into these tribes; and this day, as we have before observed, was called Cureotis, from the boys that were enrolled. And such is the information derived from history.

Again, however, let us direct our attention to things, and behold these in the particulars that have been narrated, as in images. “The festival, therefore, of the Apaturia, which had for its preteat the victory of the Athenians, pertains to the hypothesis according to which the Athenians conquered [the Atlantics}, and all intellectual subdue material natures. Deception, likewise, is adapted to mundane forms, Which separate themselves from impartble and inumaterial principles, and become apparent, instead of truly-existing beings. But the enrolment of the boys, imitates the arrangements of partial souls into their proper allotments, and their descents into different) generations. The festival Is an imitation of the eternal hilarity in the world: for if it is filled with Gods, it celebrates a perpetual festival. But the contests of rhapsody, are analogous to the contests which souls sustain, weaving their own ΠΡ together with the universe. And the rhapsody

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