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

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

It is retpiisite however, fnmi wli.tf hits lx-«-n s.ud, to collect tins one thing, that tin; fixed stars, according to Plato, are sii|w*rior to the planets, not only in place, hnl also in dignity. I or ul tin: former he stys, “ that the Deunurgus placid them m the xrisdnni of the circle (J the stum , hut of the latti r, “ that tin 1 hmiurgusplaced them in the circulations, made bp the pi rad of the aide of the different so that the former alone live in conjunction with the intelh < tual life of the circle of the same, hut the latter with the revolution of the cin le of the different. For this is entirely the case vvith the latter, because they arc convolved in conjunction with the incrralic sphere in the same uiauiicr as the lived stars, hut lhc\ ate also convolved together with the period' of the circh of the different. If therefore, the former immediately participate of a more divine life, hut the latter through the medium of .in inferior life, it necessarily follows, that the former are of a superior, hut the latti r of a .subordinate dignity. Hence it se< ms, if it he requisite to infer any thin" from these things, that the souls of the fixed stars, though they have both the circles ; hut they have both, liecatiso our souls also, as Plato says, have the circle of the same, and the circle of the diff a cut ; yet they live more according to the former circle, and on this account, live in a greater degree in conjunction with the circle which resembles that of the whole soul of the universe. But the souls of the planets, live in a gn ater degree according to the latter circle. Hence, also their bodies are moved with various motions, and are inserted in the revolutions of the circle id the different. These inferences likewise, may he reasonably made by those, who look to the motions of them alone, wliiih h the peculiarity of the physical theory'. Thus ton, the [Chaldean] tlu-urgiM .luliau] teaching us concerning the wisdom of the fixed stars and the planets, say> of tin: fabrication of the fixed stars: “The father established the numerous multitude of inerratic stars, not by a laborious and evil tension, but so as ilitf tin y might be moved’ with a stability void of a wandering motion.’' But by the word established, the theurgist manifests a motion in the same, and according to the same things. And concerning the planets he sa\s, “ 'Flic father made the planeLs six in imml^A

And concerning the planets he sa\s, “ 'Flic father made the planeLs six in imml^A that all tlie other mundane Coni* subsist m ilic twelve atiovc mentioned, ami that the first triad of these is drmitngic or Jabriratirr, via. Jupiter, Neptune, Vulr.»ii; the second, Vesta, Minerva, Mars, itrfrmire ; the third, Ceres Juno, Ihana, rirific ; and the fourth. Mercury, Venus. Apollo, rlrrattns and harmonic: — I say, if we unite this with the preceding theory, there i-» nothin*; in the* ancient theology that will not appear admirably sublime and brautifully connected, accurate in all its parts, scientific, and dirine. J

* Instead of w»j£o hr -Xar«j*> mi* rycviry ypupfr** 10 tin* place, il is requisite to read, conformably to the collection of the Chaldean Oracles by Patrkius, wigjj ht irXai ijr ovk ^rptaOae.

p. 284

1’UOCLUS ON THE

[BOOK IV.

and for tli£ seventh, he hurled into the midst the tire of the sun ; suspending their disorderly motion in orderly disposed zones.” C tiling the anomalous nature of their motions, disorderly ; hut the motion which predominates over the zones in which the\ are arranged, orderly disposed ; represi ntmg to us tlie circumduction ot disorder into order. For they an; not moved anomalously through imbecility, like inanimate natures, hut through the will of the powers that preside over them. He also exhibits to us their different intellections which he calls zones, through the order in which the) are arranged. And he says that the apparent irregularity’ of their bodies, is circularly led by them to an appropriate order, in consequence of preserving eac h ot them by then pow« i s.

“Hut he machinated Kailli our nurse; who being eonglobctl about the pole, which is extended through the universe, is the guardian and Deiniup r us ot night and dav, and is the first and most ancient of the Gods 1 that were* generated within the heavens.”

“Hut he machinated Kailli our nurse; who being eonglobctl about the pole, which is extended through the universe, is the guardian and Deiniup r us ot night and dav, and is the first and most ancient of the Gods 1 that were* generated within the heavens.”

The physiology concerning the earth is proximatcly connected with the dis cussion ol the motion of tin st irs; not that I'ima-us now first produces it through these, for he had already constituted it, when he represented the world as con¬ sisting of the whole elements, both the extreme and the middle; blit because the consideration of the eaitli contributes to the discussion ot the progression of the planets and fixed stars "f time, and the t< inporal p« liods, as it was generated the "uardian of night and dav. Fur all he uni dances round, and circularly revolves about it,,and as ranking among physical budn >, it is the c» litre ot the universe. For the impartible centre is one thing, as in the most true sphere, vvhii li compre¬ hends on all sides that which is physical, which also is the power of the sphere, havin ,r an arrangement analogous to the poles; and the physical centre is anollii r, which nature estahlisl ed m the middle, about whii h all the stars are moved in a circle, and to which tin v transmit their energies, and which also we say is the earth Hence, l’lato having spoken concerning the circulation of the heave nly bodies, very properly conjoins with vvliat lias been said, the discussion of the cOi'K IV.]

* For evr«£ia*hcrc, it is nece'»ar> In read arajiai.

* The IV 11 >oi>1, amt therefore I so]>|>ose all the editions of l*l.ilo, have here erroneously ou/iurwv instead of tttun. The maiiiistnpt liunmr, from ninth Fieinus made his translation of the T.mails had the light reading in this plate. For his version of this part is, “ Terrain autem altmein nostraiu, tired pulum per uimersum extensuoi alligalani, diei nottisque effect ricem et ciiMothm ioi toluit, necuonprmiiiiu dntuiuissiuianit|ue tltornru oiiimuin qu» intra ctrlum sunt genili.

IIM/EIS or PLATO.

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