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

I'or m one order it introduces bound to souls ; in another to the works of nature,

1 For ft t nurnv, tl l* lltifsnrjf In read ri r’ aynOov.

* Instead of Xtyv £ij ret* roi> Ocpator mrv-^irrjt (ttiTOTijTOt, it U requisite to read, Xryw li« -t]i r*»* Ovparev, t. X.

p. 310

PROCUJS ON THE

[book and in another in a different manner to other things. And in air indeed, it effects this primarily; but in the aquatic orders secondarily; and inearth, and terres¬ trial works, in an ultimate degree. Hut there are also complications of these. For the diiine mode of subsistence, and also the danioniacal are different in the air and in the earth. For in one place, the mode is the same in dillerent orders ; but in another the mode is different in one allotment. 1 And thus much concern¬ ing the polli r of lb aven.

In the next place, directing tmr attention to F. nth, and blinking her aid. Me shall deriitin 11 hole of the theory concerning her from her first evolution into light. She first becomes manifest therefore, in the middle triads* of the intellec¬ tual Cods, together II ilh I Ieaieu, \i ho connectedly -contains the il hole intellectual order. She likewise proceeds analogous to the intelligible l.arlh, which we find to lx- the first of the mt< lligihle 1 triads And as tanking in the inilic orders, she is assimilated to the hi-t infinity. But she is the re< i mug bosom of the genera¬ tive dtsti of Ib-aieii, and t'u middle centre of his paternal goodness. She ;dso reigns together with him, and is the power of him who ranks as a lather. I he Faith however, uhieli is analogous to her, and presides in the sublunary regions, Ls as it were the prolific power of the Ileaieii pertaining to the realms ot genera¬ tion, unfolding into light Ins paternal, di fmitiie, m* asiiriiig and containing proiideiicc, 11 liich prolifa ally * extends to all things. She likewise generates all the sublunary infinity just as Ib-an-u w ho belongs to tlur eo-oidiiiatioct of hound, introduces t» riuinalioii and end to secondary nature-, lb mud then lore and cud define die livparxis of cierv tiling at cording to which Cods ami da-inoiis, souls and bodies are connected and matte to In one, imitating the one unity of wholes, or m other words, the inellable principle of things; but infinity multiplies the powers of every being, l'or there is much hound in all sublunary natures, and likewise much infinity, which through dniuity, and after the Cods, exit nils to all things. We have there-fore, these two orders, w hich are generatin' of the divine or d.vinoniacal progressions, m all the sublunary genera and elements; and one kingdom of them in the same manner as in the intellectual orders.

From these however, a second duad proceeds. Ocean and Tethy s, this gene¬ ration not being effected by copulation, nor by any conjunction of tilings separat- « d, nor by division, nor according to a certain abscission, for all these aie foreign

* For Xi/iiii lure, nail

From these however, a second duad proceeds. Ocean and Tethy s, this gene¬ ration not being effected by copulation, nor by any conjunction of tilings separat- « d, nor by division, nor according to a certain abscission, for all these aie foreign

* For Xi/iiii lure, nail

* For rpmtrjy it i« m-cewary to read rpiafau.

1 Tor Kfpwr nail tet/ru/y.

* tor i.p'i lit n*, n ad ymt/iui.

1 Instead of oTiyiae lure, il i» uecessary to read an^iiur.

BOOK T.]

TIM AX'S OF PLATO.

p. 319

1 Tor Kfpwr nail tet/ru/y.

* tor i.p'i lit n*, n ad ymt/iui.

1 Instead of oTiyiae lure, il i» uecessary to read an^iiur.

BOOK T.]

TIM AX'S OF PLATO.

p. 319

from the Gods; hut it is accomplished according to one union and indivisible conjunction of powers. Ami this union theologists are accustomed to call marriage. l or marriage, as tlie theologist Orpheus says, is appropriate to this order. For Ik* calls Earth the first iNymph, and the union of her with 1 [eaten the first marriage ; since there is no marriage in the divinities that are in the most eminent decree united. Hence there is no marriage between l’lianes and ISi^Iit, w ho are intelligibly united to each other; hut there is marriage among the Gods, who exhibit division of powers and energies, in conjunction with union. And marriage appears on this account to he adapted to the Heaven and Earth, which we are at present considi ring, so far as they adumbrate the intellectual Heaven and Earth ; which the sacred laws of the Athenians likewise knowing, ordered that the marriages of Heaven and Earth should he celebrated, as preparatory to initiation into the mysteries. Directing their attention to these also, in the Eleusinian mysteries, looking upward to the heavens, they exclaimed, O son! hut looking downward to the earth, () parent!" According to this union therefore, in conjunction with separation. Heaven and Karlli produce through their good¬ ness Ocean and Telhvs. Or rather, they do not immediately produce these, hut prior to these two monads, two triads, and duple ht-hdomads, among which are Ocean and Tclliys. And the monads indeed together with the triads remain with the father. lhit of tin* hebdomads. Ocean together with Tetlivs, abide and at the same time proceed. All the rest however, proceed into another order of finds. And this indeed, is the mode of their subsistence in the inti llectu al order. Hut here, Plato entirely omits the causes that abide in the father, but delivers to u.s those that proceed and at the same time abide, because his intention is to speak of the (iods that are the fabricators of generation. To these however, progression, motion, and difference are adapted, and a co-arrangement of the male with the h nude ; in order that there may he generation, that matter may l>e adorned 1 with forms, and that difference may be eombined with sameness. II< *nce Plato com¬ mences from the duad, proceeds through it, and again returns to it. Kor the duad is adapted fo material natures, us well as dilferenre, on account of the division of forms about matter. Having mentioned a duad likewise, lie begins from Earth ; for this is more adapted to things pertaining to generation.

With respect to these two divinities however, Ocean and Tethys, who abide in