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

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[book * therefore are the words, and this is the end of this demiurgic speech. It now remains that we should proceed to the dev elopement of the words themselves.

“ Gods of Gods.**

The scope of this speecli is to insert demiurgic power and providence in the mundane genera of (.Joels, to lead them forth to the generation of the remaining kinds of animals, and to place them over mortals, analogously to the father of wholes over the one orderly distribution of the universe. For it is necessary that some things should he primarily generated by the demiurgic monad, and others through other media; the Demiurges indeed, producing all things from himself at once ami eternally, hut the things produced in order and first proceeding from him, producing together with him the natures posterior to themselves. Thus, for instance, the celestial produce sublunary (Jods, and these 1 generate mortal animals; the Demiurgus at the same time fabricating these in conjunction with the Celestial and sublunary divinities. For in -p« .thing he undeistamls all things, and by understanding all things he also makes the mortal genera of animals; these requiring anode i pro.ximati generating cause,so far as they are mortal, and through this receiving a progression into b< mg lint the character of the winds is eulhiisiaide, shining with intellectual intuitions, pure and venerable as being perfected by the father of the Cuds, dilh ring from and transcending Imuran conn ptions, delicate and at the same time astonishing, full of grace and l>« auty, at once concise and per¬ fectly accurate. Plato, therefore, particularly studies these things in the imitations of divine speeches ; as he also evinces in the Republic, when lie represents the Muses sjH'aking sublimely, amt the prophet ascending to a lofty seat, lie also adorns both these speeches with conciseness and veiierahleness, employing the accurate powers of colons, directly shadow mg forth divine intellections through such a form of words. Rut in the words before us he omits no transcendency eitln r of (lie grand and robust in the sentences and the names adapted to the-f de¬ vices, or of magnitude in the conceptions and the figures \ liieh give completion to this idea. Resides this, also, much distinction and purity, the unfolding of truth, and the illustrious prerogatives of beauty, are mingh d with the idea ol mag¬ nitude, this being e-pet ially adapted to the subject things, to the speaker and to the hearers. For the objects of tliis speech art*, the perfection ot tin* universe, an assimilation to all-perfect animal [i. e. to its paradigm], and the generation of alt mortal animals ; die maker of all things, at the same time, presiibsisting and hook

.337 2e. to its paradigm], and the generation of alt mortal animals ; die maker of all things, at the same time, presiibsisting and

* For tuirwi brer, it it nrcoMiv to read rnvrwi hook

.337 adorning all things, through exempt transcendency ; but the secondary fabricators adding what was wanting to tin* formation of the universe. All, therefore, licing great and divine, as well tin* persons as the things,'and shining with lienuty anti a distinction from each other, l’lato has employed words adapted to the form of the speech.

Ilomer, also, when energizing enthusiastically, represents Jupiter speaking, converting to him>eif the two-fold co-ordinations of Gods; becoming himself, as it were, the centre of all tin* divine genera iti the world, and making all things oliedient to his intellection. Hut at one time he conjoins the multitude of Gods with himself without a medium, and at another through Themis as the medium:

Hut Jove to Tlicmis give* command to call

1 lie ( Jods to council.'

For this Goddess pervading every where collects the divine number, and con¬ torts it to the demiurgic monad. For the Gods are both separate from mundane allairs, and eternally protide for all things, being at tin* same time exempt from them through the highest transcendency, and extending their providence every¬ where. l*or their umningled nature is not without prot idential energy, nor is their providence mingled with matter. Through transcendency of power thev are not tilled with the subjects of their government, and through hrucliceiit will, they make all things similar to themselves; in permanently abiding, proceeding, and in being separated troin all things. In mg similarly present to all things. Since, there¬ fore, the (.ods ih.it govern the world, and the (heinous the attendants of these, receive after this maimer umningled purity, and providential administration from their lather; at one time he converts them to himself without a medium, and illu¬ minates them with a separate, umningled, and pure form of life. Whence also I think he orders them to he separated from all things, to n main exempt in Olympus, and neither convert themselves to Greeks nor Barbarian*.; which is just the same as to r..i\\ that they must transcend the two-fold orders of mundane natures, and abide immutably in mult filed intellection. But at another time lie converts them to a providential attention to secondary natures, through Themis, anti calls upon them to direct the mundane battle, ami excites dillerent Gods to dillerent works. 1 hcsc divinities, therefore, rsjiecially ns pure the assistance of i liemis, who contains in herself the divine laws, according to winch providence is intimately connected with wholes. Ilomer, therefore, divinely delivers tvvolold speeches, accompanying the two-fold energies of Jupiter; but Plato,

2 IJ

Tim. Vial.

' Iliad, xx v. i.

[book V,