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.
1 I <>r n fti lirrc, il 11 reijuiMle lo rr.nl n f'n-
1 Amt I lie -c, jswc have ticfure «>lm rveil, arc wlut (lie moderns nil satrllttes.
HOOK IV ]
TIM KlIS OF PLATO.
2HI
Hut we have already answered tlmse, who deny tli it the heavens consist of lire, because tire naturally tends upward. Again llierefore, it is necessary to remind them, as they are lovers of contention, tli it they speak absurdly. For they look to the tire which is here, and which lias a preternatural subsistence. For though you should assume the lire which is immediately under the moon, vet to l>e moved upward is not natural to it, but to abide in its own place. Hut to be moved upward, leads indeed to a subsistence according to nature, yet is not itself according to nature. For a tendency to health is not according to nature to a body, but to be \\<!I ; but to be com ah’seent, is alone natural to a diseased body; just as to fire, wlin h is not perfectly lire, to tend upward is according to nature, but to (ire which is in energy, it is natural to abide on high, in which plan? abiding, if it should he moved, it would alone have a circular motion. Hut if it is true, that the summit of lire iu the sublunary region, is moved in a circle in conjunction with a:ther, as Aristotle says, this in a greater degree demonstrates that lire is of a circulating nature. For if this lire also, is always moved in a circle, as far as it is able, it is so moved according to nature. For (hat which is preternatural is not perpetual. Hut every thing violent is preternatural. It therefore the fire which is immediately under the moon, is a thing of this kind, why do they doubt respecting the heavenly bodies, and so frequently adduce the motion of fire towards the upper regions.
Hut every thing violent is preternatural. It therefore the fire which is immediately under the moon, is a thing of this kind, why do they doubt respecting the heavenly bodies, and so frequently adduce the motion of fire towards the upper regions.
As Aristotle however, inquires whv the spin re »»f the lived stars, Ik ing one, comprehends many stars, but in each of the plain tarv spheres, which arc many, there is only one star, the solution of this conformably to his opinion, may lie obtained from his writings. Hut wi have already said something concerning this, and now agreeably to vvhat has been before asserted, we sav, that each of the planets is a whole world, comprehending in itself many divine gener invisible to us. Of all these however, the visible star has the government. And in this, the lived stars differ from those in the planetary spheres, that the former have one monad,’ which is the wholeness of them ; but that in each of the* latter there are invisible stars, which revolve together vvilh their spheres; so th.it in each, there is both the wholeness, and a leader which is allotted an exempt transcendency. For the plain Is being secondary to the fixed star®, require a twofold prefecture, the one* more total, but the other more partial. But that in each of these, there- is a multitude co-ordinate with each, you may infer from the extremes. For if the incrratic sphere has a multitude co-ordinate with itself, and earth is the whole¬ ness of terrestrial, in the same manner as the incrratic sphere is of celestial
1 Ami tins oik* monad i« llic qilirre of the fixed stars.
VOL. II.
2 N
Tim. Plat.
lMtOCLUS ON THE
[BOOK IV.
2fl2 animals, it is nec«*Ks;vrv that each [intermediate] wholeness, sliouhl entirely possess certain partial animals co-ordinate with itself; through which also, they are said to be wholenesses. The intermediate natures however, are concealed from our sense, the extremes Ik mg manifest: one ot them through its trancendeiitly lumi¬ nous essence, and the oth< r through its alliance to us. It likewise, partial souls are disseminated about them, some about the sun, others about the moon, and others about each of the rest, ami prior to .souls, da mons give* completion to the herds of which the\ are the leaders, it is evidently well said, that each ol the spheres is a world; theolo"is(s also teaching us these things when they say that there are (Jods in each prior to d.emons, some of which are under the govern ment of others. Thu> for instance, they assert concerning our mistress the Moon, that the < iocli’c II. cate, is i ontaim d in her,' anil also Diana. Thus too, in speaking of the sovereign Nun, and the <«nU that are there, they celebrate Ila. clius as being the re
'll it- Sun’s assessor, who with watchful eye suiveys
1 he sai red pole cate, is i ontaim d in her,' anil also Diana. Thus too, in speaking of the sovereign Nun, and the <«nU that are there, they celebrate Ila. clius as being the re
'll it- Sun’s assessor, who with watchful eye suiveys
1 he sai red pole
They likewise o lebrate the Jupiter who is there, Osiris, the solar Pan, and others of which the books of theologists and theurgists are full: from all which it is evi¬ dent, that each of the planets is truly said to be the leader of many Oods, who give completion to its peculiar circulation.* \Iter this manner therefore, we dis¬ solve the doubt.
* Instead of ij then rm» «i ui^ij in I In, plj. e, wliu li is cv idenlly erroneous, I read ij Iarar »7
Ora to rie tv atrij.
- * From tliis t-ilranrdiuaiv |i:ns;i“i , 1 we may perceive at one view why ttie sun in the Orphic hymns is called Jupiter, why Apollo is called I’.in, and Uattlius the sun, why the Moon seems to lie the same With Ilhea, Ceres I'rost i pme, Juno, \ eiuis, Ac. and in -dun I why any one divinity is celebrated wall the names and cpiilu I, nl so nuns of the i« ,| I or tiom tin, sublime theory it follows that every sphere contains a Jupiter, Neptune, Vulr.in, VeslJ, Miueiv.i, Mjis, Ceres, Juno, Diana, Mercury, Venus, Apollo, and in short i u r> ileiiv, each sphere at the same time conferring on these (iod> the peculiar characteri'tie ut Us i ilurt ; mi that for instance in the Sun they all possess a solar properly, ui the Moon a lunar one, and so ot ilie rest. From this theory too we uiay perceive the truth ol (hat divine saving of the aiuiiuts, that . II things are full of finds; for more particular orders proceed lroin such as are inure general, flu mundane lioiu the sU|«‘riliuud.me, and the sublunary troni the ceo-stial; while earth becomes the genital reteplacle ot the illuiniiiations of all the f*ods “ Heine as 1 rutlus shortly after observ is, tin re is a I m atrial Ceres, A.eta, and 1 is, as likewise a terrestrial Jupiter and a terrestrial Hermes, established about the* one divmils of the earth; just as a multitude of celestial boils protect d» about the out diviuitv of tile heavens. 1 or I lit re are progressions of ull the celestial finds into the Larth ; and Earth contains all things, in an larlhly maimer, which lleavin comprehends celestially. Hence wi s| »-k of a terrestrial llacchus and a terrestrial Apollo, svho bestows the nil-various streams of
- * a ter w itli whit h tLe earth abounds, and openings prophetic of futurity. ’ Ami if to all this we only add.
I no K I V , J
TIM/l,l s OJ I’BATt >.
20.1
No commentary for this page under the selected tracks.
There is commentary on page 1.