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

* If the heavens require media in order lo the participation of one soul and one intellect, the sub¬ lunary elements require the»e in a much greater degree, on account of their inferiority to the heavens.

* The word Ltpayiuty is omiUed m the original

BOOK IV.]

TIM/F.US OI- PLATO.

p. 303

in" the celestial Gods ; hut the other, because lie follows in what he says, those who have delivered to us Theogonies. For they prior to the world and the Demiurgus, delivered these venerations of Gods proceeding from Heaven and Earth. In answer to this tjuery however, we must say, that he produces them after the celestial Gods, and through this from Heaven and Earth. For on this account he said that Earth was the most ancient of the Gods within the Heaven, because from this and Heaven, he was about to produce the other Gods which the heavens contain. This we demonstrate from the Demiurgus addressing his speech to these Gods, and to all tlie rest, as being produced by him within the universe. Why however, Plato says that he follows the theogony, and why he shall omit to speak concerning the sublunary deities, we must refer to his having no clear in¬ dications of the subsistence of these from the pha-noinenn, as he had of the celes¬ tial divinities, from the order of their periods, which is adapted to the government of Gods. It exceeds the province therefore of physiology to speak of lvoing«, concerning whom natural efleets afford us no stable belief. Hence Plato says, as a physiologist, that it surpasses his ability to speak of these.

It exceeds the province therefore of physiology to speak of lvoing«, concerning whom natural efleets afford us no stable belief. Hence Plato says, as a physiologist, that it surpasses his ability to speak of these.

If I iow ever, lit.* says that be follows those who are divinely inspired, but they speaking conct ruing the supercele^tial Gods, he adopts a similar theogonv, though discoursing of the sulecelestial divinities, we must not consider this as wondi rful. For lie knew that all the orders of the Gods procet d as far as to the last of things, from tin* arrangement which is the principle of their progression, every where generating series lifim themselves analogous to the superior deities from which they proceed. Hence, though the orders of these finds which are celebrated by tlieologists, are above the world, vet they subsist al>o in the sensi¬ ble universe. And as tins visible heaven is alliedto that which is su|M*rmtmdane, so likewise our earth i> allied to the earth which is there, and the orders subsisting from the one to the orders proceeding from the other. From these things too, this also may he assumed, that according to Plato as well as according to other thoologisis, first natures as they proceed, produce things subordinate in conjunc¬ tion with the causes of themselves. For these sublunary Gods proceeding from the Demiurgus, are also said toln* generated from Heaven and Earth that first pro¬ ceed from him. TheDcmiurgus the refore says to all of them that they ought to fabri¬ cate mortal natures, imitating lus* power about tlieir generation. Hence all of them proceed from one producing cause, though those of a secondary order proceed like¬ wise from the gods that are prior to them. It follows therefore from this, that not every thing which is produced hy the junior Gods is mortal, since some of these

4 It ii obviously necessary here, for ravrwr to read ravrov.

p. 304

l’KOCLUS ON TIIE

[book IV.

proceed from other junior Gods; hut the contrary alone is true, that every tiling mortal is generated by these divinities. And again it follows from this, that the junior finds prod tire some things aeenrdiug In the immoveable, but others accord¬ ing to the moveable hyparxc* of themselves. For the y would not be the causes of immortals, if they produced all things according to moveable hypirvcs; if it be true that every thing which subsists from a moveable cause, is essentially mu¬ table.

For the y would not be the causes of immortals, if they produced all things according to moveable hypirvcs; if it be true that every thing which subsists from a moveable cause, is essentially mu¬ table.

From this conception also, we may solve the doubt if there are irrational difinons, as theurgists s.iy there are, whence they subsist * For if from the junior Gods, it may he asked, how they are immortal; since these Gods are the fathers of mortal natures ? lint if from the Drmiurgus, how are they irration d ? For he is father m conjunction with intellect. I he solution tin re lore of the inquiry is this, that they derive their subsistence from the junior tools, and yet are not on this account mortal, since some of the junior Gods generate others. And perhaps these (ouls ate oil this account called da uions, in order that we may know that da moils trulv so di-nott mated, are constituted by them. But irrational da-inons also proceed from the one !)i miiirgus. I or he, a< 1 iiu.i Ussav s, is the cause ol all immortal natures. If I owev* r the one Demiurgus imparts inti licet to ail things, tin re is hki wise m tin m da uions, a certain ultimate vestige ol the intellectual pe¬ culiarity, so far as they energize with facility according to imagination : Ibr this is the last resounding echo, 1 as it were, ol inti licet. Hence, the p ianla>y is said [by Aristotle] to Ik- a passive inti llec t, and otln rs not badly, .issi it the same thing of it. So that among da-mons, properly so call* d, those that are irrational are half mortal. Plato however, has previously disseminated for us the principles hy which we mav solve the enquiry conci ruing the last genera of da-mons. For it tin re is a certain du-mouineal genus, vvliii h employs reason, it is evident that we must refer this to the one Demiurgus, vv hi tlu-r as produced [immcdiati ly]by him, or through certain intermediate finds, who were generated hy him; tin celestial Gods lieing the sources of celestial, but the subet lestial, ot suhcelestial da-mons. l'or of the subcelestial gods, some are the fathers of others, as Plato teai lies us, conformably to the tlieogonies. Hence, it is not at all wonderful that these Gods should generate da tmms co-ordinate w ith themselves, and not only irrational, but also rational da-mons, since they are the generators of Gods ; just as the celestial Gods are the generators of celestial da-mons. Hence, it is necessary that the speculation concerning da-mons, should possess the whole of its arrangement*

• I or avcy^rjfia here, read ur^ijp.

Illitf Utl of tfiXtJV tK TOVTuty TtfV itaiTuv here, which i» evidently erroneous, I read «St ( Kt.i ce rovTujy Ttjv hara^iv.

HOOK IV.]

TIM/LUS OF PLATO.

p. 305