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

[nook v.

it a (Jot], through a divine nature Iveing exerted in it, according to which also it i* conjoined with the truly-existing Gods. And thus much concerning this parti¬ cular.

Jt is likewise accurately Haiti, "•through me" For the mortal genera are generated by the Demiurges, hut eternal natures through him. For In* pos¬ sesses according to one united cans**, Inith the by -uhich, and through which. And 8 h father indeed, he produces all things by liim>ell; !*ut as the Demiiirgus lie pro¬ duces eternal natures through himself. And mortal natures are generated in a divided manner by him, hut through the junior Gods. '1 he junior fabrication how¬ ever must not l»e despised, lieeause it has the relation of through which to the su|)ermuiid me cause. For more proximate causes have always the order of through which, with reference to exempt prndm lions. lor nature is the organ of thejunioi fabrication, and of tialuie again, innate heat. lienee, Midi IMatonists, as for instance the great Theodoms, as adapt to the first cause ot all, the f t orn which, and to which ; hut to intellect, the on account of which, and with relation to which; and to s ml, the by which, and according to uhich, introduie indeed, a certain divi¬ sion of names, \vInch is not im legant, hut w under from the decision of Plato. For he adapts to the demiurgic iutt licet, the bi/ which, and through u hich, and it is not stall necessary to divide names according to the divine orders; except that on account of uhich, denotes the final, hula;/// illation to uhich, the paradigmatic cause. Nothing however hinders us from survev ing all these in the Deiniurgus ; as a God indeed, the on account of which ; for goodness is the end [of all things]] ; hut as intellective, the through ■uhich ; for he produces through intellective energy, the knowledge not being precedaneous, Imt contributing through itself to fabrica¬ tion, energizing previously according to intellect. Moreover, the words partici¬ pating of life, arc very divinely added. Fur what if tin- vv hole elements should have been generated hv the Demiiirgus, \i/„ lire, and air, earth and water, but at the same time without animation ; would they in this ease have been equalised to the finds, in the same manner as we call the earth a God, ami tire a God ? Hv no means. For it is soul vv Inch primarily deities total bodies, as it is said in the Law s. But if they were generated through him and participate of life through him, they will have lile and soul. I or (fif) life is in souls. Ami if they have also anima¬ tion in conjunction with wholeness, they will he equalised to the Gods. For "hen he first gave a soul to the world, he then tirst celebrated it as a blessed God, in consequence of soul possessing a deifying power, with reference to everything corporeal, and being essentially divine.

“ That mortal natures therefore may subsist, and that the universe

II UOK \ .]

TIM/EL'S OF PLATO.

p. 350

“ That mortal natures therefore may subsist, and that the universe

II UOK \ .]

TIM/EL'S OF PLATO.

p. 350

may he truly ail, convert, yourselves according to nature to the fabrication of animals, imitating the power which I employed in your generation.”

A twofold scope of fabrication is hero delivered, one indeed providential, but tin 1 other assimilative; the one being more proximate, but the other more total. For to fabricate for the sake of giving subsistence to mortal natures, indi¬ cates providence and the perfection' of power. For all super-plenitude of power is prolific of other things subordinate to itself. lint to fabricate for the sake of giving completion to the universe, indicates an energy according to assimilative power, in order that this universe may be rendered similar to all-perfect animal, in consequence of bring adorned with all tbe tinmbers of divine and mortal ani¬ mals. For if all tilings were immortal, the most divine* ot sensible natures would be miprnlilic. And it the universe was not filled with all tbe forms of life, it would not lie pri feet, nor suHiriently similar to all-perfect animal. That neither of these defects therefore might happen, the first Demiurgus excites the second fabrication supernally from his own exalted place of survey. lie also pours on the mundane finds uvitir and demiurgic powi r, through which they generate from tliciiiM Ivrs secondarv essences, till them with life, and give them a specific distinc¬ tion. For the peculiarity of vivitie deity is to vivify, but of demiurgic deity to Iks productive of form. The expression therefore “convert if ourselves'’ is of an excit¬ ing nature, and <s similar to tbe mandate of Jupiter to the (ioils in Ilotner.

11 hMi’, lo llic tirrek and 1'rnjan linsls descend. 1

For as that rails them to the w ar of generation, so this in Plato excites them to the fabrication of mortals, which they rlTrrt through motion. And tins indeed is accomplished by all the mundane Hods, but especially by tbe governors of the world for the planets], for they are those who are converted or turned, and in the most eminent degree by the sovereign Sun. For the Demiurgus gave him dominion over wholes, fabricated him as a guardian, and ordered him, as f)rplieus says,

-O’er all to rule.

The words likewise, “according to nature,'' hound their fabrication according to measure and the good ; and besides this, spread under them all physical pro¬ duction as an instrument to their energies. This therefore, which is subservient to tlieir will, they move and govern. And in the third place, these words define their subsistence as media ; for it pertains to the middle to fabricate the extremes

1 For rt\r>oTara here, it is necessary to read r«X«ionjra.

* For ra Otwra m tins place, it i* ueee**ary to read ra fturar*.

’ Iliad, »0. v. 24.

PROCLUS ON THE

[BOOK V

.100

* For ra Otwra m tins place, it i* ueee**ary to read ra fturar*.

’ Iliad, »0. v. 24.

PROCLUS ON THE

[BOOK V

.100 according to nature. For things which sometimes have an existence are sus¬ pended from those that are perpetual according to time; and the hitter are sus¬ pended from eternal entities. And primary natures indeed are generative of media; hut media are produt live of such Ireings as are last m the series of thin ,r s. The word “ yourselves" also, which denotes manual 0]H-ration, excites the divine lives themselves to fabrication. Nor ought we to wonder whence demiurgic power is d« rived to divine souls, tins being the peculiarity of the superessential Gods. For as Orpheus placing an intellectual essence in Jupiter, renders it de¬ miurgic, thus also Plato producing words from the father, evinces that the souls which rank as wholes are divine and demiurgic. Nor must we doubt why of mundane natures ' some are immortal but others mortal, since all of them are ge¬ nerated according to intelligible causes ; for some ol them proceed from one, but others from another proximal* producing cause. And it is necessary to look to these, and not to paradigms alone. Nor must we investigate ideas of Socrates, Plato, or of any thing that ranks as a particular. 1 or the Oemmrgus divides mortal animals according to genera, and slops at total intellections; and through tlicsc comprehends every thing of a partial nature. For as the Demmrgiis makes that which is material immaterially, and that which is generated mgcii* rahly, thus also he produces mortal natures immortally. 1 For he makes these indeed, but through the junior Gods; since prior to their making, he made by intellection alone. Nor nnM we deny that mortal natures subsist also divinely, and not mortally only. I*or the tilings which the Peiniurgiis now extends in his speech arc hypostases or subsisting natures, about the junior or mundane Gods, w liicli the heavens primarily receive; and according to whicli the Gods fabricate the mortal genera. For the monads of every mortal-formed life proceed into the heavens from the intelligible forms. Put trom these monads which are divine, all the multitude of material animals is generated. 1 or if we adopt these conceptions we shall accord w ith Plato, and shall not wander fiom the nature of things.

Again, when the IJemiurgus says, “ Imihittrig the pou.tr which 1 employed in your generation," we must understand by this, that an assimilation to the one exempt fabrication of things, and a conversion to it, is the highest « mi of the second fabrication. l*or it is necessary that sell-motive* should iollovv immovea¬ ble natures, and such as are very mutable such ns are always moved, and that there should be perpetually a series of secondary beings assimilated to those that

* Instead of bia rout tynoafjuur, It IS necessary to read £*u ri rur ty.cxr^ius.

* \0amrwf is omitted in the original.