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

lint if he is both willing anel able te> make* the*se indissoluble, Iceing able*, lie* will make* the in te> be* indissoluble?; su that the* indissoluble- in them is according to nature. 1 e»r each of them was g< ne-iateel indissoluble, but was nook v.]

* Tor airo toXX< i litre, read uiro iroXXwe.

1 Instead et ye» i tjroy litre, it is «>l>vioi.'!\ neeesearv l«> read nynujTtr.

TI MAX'S. or PLATO

p. 347

not generated dissoluble, and afterwards was made indissoluble* since the works ol the father are indissoluble through the power which he contains. They are likewise indissoluble from the demiurgic will, since they are of a composite nature, and possess the indissoluble with a bond. But there is likew ise m a cer¬ tain respect a dissolution of tin in, so far as they consist of things of a simple nature, of which the father contains in himself the definite causes. At one and tiie same time therefore, they are indissoluble and dissoluble. They are not however, so indissoluble as the intelligible; for that is indissoluble through tran¬ scendency of simplicity. Hut these are at the same time indissoluble and dissolu¬ ble, as consisting of simple natures, ami as being perpetually bound. Tor all the natures that are hound l»emg dissoluble, such as are perpetual, possessing through the whole of time beauty from the intelligible, divine union and demiurgic har¬ mony, are indissoluble. Hut mortal natures are dissoluble alone, liecause they are connected with the deformity and inaptitude of matter. And the former indeed, are beautifully harmonized through the union inserted in tin m by their harmonizing cause; but this is not the case with the latter, on account of the multitude of causes which no longer insert in them a similar union;' for their union is dissipated through the multitude which is mingled in their composition; so that they are very properly allotted a remits d harmony.

Hence, every thing which is hound is dissoluble. Hut one thing is thus dis¬ soluble and indissoluble, and another is di-soluble only, just as the mt< lligiblc is alone indissoluble. V\ by therefore, is that which is primarily bound, at one anti the same time dissoluble and indissoluble? Because it is beautifully harmonized, and is rcc// composed. Tor from being util composed it obtains union; since goodness is utiific. But from the intelligible it obtains the fn'iiiitifulfi/; for from thence beauty is derived. And from fabricating power it obtains harmony ; for this is the cause of the Muses, and is the source of hiinnonical arrangement to mundane natures. Hence we again have the three causes, the final through the uclf the paradigmatic through the beautifully, and the demiurgic through the h.iniionizt’t/. 1 But it is neressarv that a composition of this kind, harmonized by 1 lie one fabricating power, tilled with divine beauty, and obtaining a boniform union, should be indissoluble; for the Demiurgus says that to dissolve it is the province of an evil nature.

1 l’or f it is necessary In read nunr.

' Kr^npn/Tfir i rjv i* eirom onsly printed for «r}£n\nfT/icr»ji .

1 Alter rtjy wnfirif'dYftaTtKrjr it i« neeeviary to supply llie word* hta rov tcakvt, rrjf frrjfjtovpyttifr, which re wanting in the original.

34ft

I’HOC LI S ON I Hi;

[UOUk V,

1 l’or f it is necessary In read nunr.

' Kr^npn/Tfir i rjv i* eirom onsly printed for «r}£n\nfT/icr»ji .

1 Alter rtjy wnfirif'dYftaTtKrjr it i« neeeviary to supply llie word* hta rov tcakvt, rrjf frrjfjtovpyttifr, which re wanting in the original.

34ft

I’HOC LI S ON I Hi;

[UOUk V,

Moreover, prior to tins Plato hail haul, that the universe is indissoluble except by him by whom it was bound. If however it is entirely impossible for the universe to Ik- dissolved by any other, but the father alone is able to dissolve it, and it is impossible for him to etl'eet this. I'm it is the province of an evil nature,— it is impossible for the universe to be dissolved. For either* lie must dissolve it, or some oilier. But if some other, who is it that is able to oiler violence to the Demiurgtis 1 For it is impossible that a dissolution of it should !>e elli » tt d < wept hv him that bound it. lint it he dissolves it, how lx ing good, can he dissolve that which is beautifully harmoiii/eil alid well composer! ? For that which is suhvertive of these, is produetive of evil ; just as that which is suhvertive of rvil is allotted a Iicih■ licent nature. Hr nee, there is an eipial neeessilv that the Dcmiurgus should he de| waved, if it lawful so to speak, or that this world should be dissolved [vi/. eaeh of these is equally impossible]. Such therefore is the necessity which Plato assigns to tin mcorniptihility of the univi rse. lienee, that Plato gives the indissoluble to the composition of the mundane finds, he clearly maiiifr sts, when he orders them to hind mortal natures, not with those indissoluble bonds with which they are connected. For if the connective bonds of these finds are indis¬ soluble, tin y themsi Ives must be essentially indissoluble. Here however lit* says that they are not in every respect indissoluble. Il is evident then fore from both these assertions, that they are indissoluble, aiul at the same time dissoluble, 1 and that they are not in every respeet indissoluble in consequence of tln ir being appropriately bound, lint if these things are true, there is every necessity that the dissolution of them should be very dilli rent from that which we call corrup¬ tion. For that which is dissoluble after such a manner as the corruptible, in consequence of not being indissoluble, is so far from being not in every respect indissoluble, that it is in every respect dissoluble. Hence it is not proper to say that the mundane Gods are of themselves corruptible, blit remain incorruptible through the will of the father; hut we ought to say that they are in their own nature’ incorruptible.

“ Hence so far as you are generated, you are not immortal, nor in every respect indissoluble ; yet you shall never be dissolved, nor become subject to the fatality of death; being allotted my will, which is a much

* For »<r« here, rrad tirt.

1 The words cat Xi m i are omitted in the unginal.