The Commentaries on the Timaeus of Plato — trans. Thomas Taylor
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It is necessary likewise to understand this concerning divine speeches in Plato, that all oft hem are either addressed to souls, or arc on account of souls. 'Finis the speech of the Muses, and that of the prophet, in the Republic, are addressed to souls. But the speech in the Banquet by Aristo-
* liotcaii uf r« < v « uiruXtiirvrTu, il i» litres s.tr\ lu reail, nort ti awoXfwoyra.
BOOK V.J
TIM T. US or PLATO.
p. 373
phanes, and also that which is delivered in the Politicos,' are on account of souls; the former, |>ertaining to souls that are about to descend ; but the latter, to those that are conversant with generation. And the reason of tins is, as we have said, liecause speech especially jHTtains to souls.
“Arid again, into the former Crater , in which mingling he had tem¬ pered the soul of the universe, he poured mingling, the remainder of the former things."
That the demiurgic intelligence is production, and that these do not differ from each other in the Gods, but that with them to perceive intellectually, ami to make are the same thing, and that no other motion is necessary to the generation of tilings, but that they constitute all things by their very being or existence* is manifested by these words. For the Deminrgns having spoke, immediately turns to the Crater, and to the mixture* of the genera. Nor is there any¬ thing between these, but the delivery of the works separate from the words arises from our imbecility, not being able to perceive in one, the exempt intelligence of the father, and his production which constitutes partial souls. That the genus also of partial souls proceeds according to each tinier, and entire¬ ly differs from divine souls, is indicated bv these words, to those that are not per¬ fectly blind ; since they are constituted separately, and in a different time. Ami this not. onlv arises from the imbecility of language, but is assumed conformably to the nature ol things, l'ur in reality, if you assume participated time, there is not the same time in total and in partial souls; since neither is there the same intellection, nor the same form of motion; but the time ol divine souls is one thing, and that of partial souls another. Farther still, Plato produces partial souls from the same father indeed, yet not entirely so. For the word again indi¬ cates, that the progression of these is according to a more partial power of the Deminrgns, and is in a certain respect the same, and yet not the same, with that which is prior to it. For because the again is not temporal (since it is not lawful in eternal natures, that there should he a certain difference of energies according to time) it alone manifests an order of fabrications causally different; so that m a certain respect there is the same, and not the same, father.
Farther still, partial are from the same Crater as total souls, yet at the same time with diminution. For divine souls indeed, abide and proceed in the Crater,
Farther still, partial are from the same Crater as total souls, yet at the same time with diminution. For divine souls indeed, abide and proceed in the Crater,
• For nXarwxny here, it is necessary to read n- Xirtiy.
• Instead of miie here, it is necessary to read ft
p. 374
IMIOCLUS OS THE
[dock v.
anil do not depart from thence. But our nouls nre entirely separated from it, and the separation of them is manifest. To which we may also add, that the genera are die same and diflerent. Fur all souls are from the middle genera, hut some are from the first ol these, and others from the remains and last of the mix¬ ture, from which those prior to them were constituted. Again, the mode likewise is at once the same, ami not the same: for in partial souls, difference i-, more abundant [than sameness.] Hence also in speaking of these, there is a more freipient mention of mixture. \\ e nnM not therefore admit the opinion of those more rec« nt interpreteis, who endeavour to show that our soul is of an equal dig¬ nity, or Ol the same ess* nee, or I know not how they wish to speak, with a divine soul; though Plato asserts that partial souls are deficient in a second and third degree, si p irates them from the Crater, and produces them from the Deiniurgus, according to a secondary, whii h is the same thing as according to a more partial intelligence. I or he who says these things introduces essential differences ofsouls and not diflerences according to energies alone, as the divine Plotinus shows. I or It t it he admitti <1 that some of them look to total, hut others to partial mtelh ets ; that some employ undi tiled intellections, hut others sometimes abandon real beings; that some always fabricate and adorn wholes, but others sometimes revolve in conjunction with the (bids; that soun always move and govern Fate, but others sometimes become situated under Fate, and fatal laws; that some are h aders to the intt Higihle, but others sonietinu s are allotted the order of followers; that some are alone divine, but others are at difh rent times traiisfern d to a differ¬ ent order, either damoniacal, or lieroieal, or human ; that some employ horses, nil of which are good, ami consist of things that are good, but others, mi< li as are mingled from good and < vil ; that some have that life alone, whit h they received f'oni the one fabrication, but others havi also the mortal form, whuli was woven by the junior finds; and that some energi/c according to all their powers, hut others exert different lives at dif’.ereiit times. Let these therefore, he the dif¬ ferences of souls, yet essential commutation and demiurgic division, precede all these. l or through these, they are separated by time, by cause, by progression, by the mode of subsistence, and by diminution of genera. As they differ there¬ fore, by all tin se particulars, bow is it possible that they should be of the same essence ? For, l or through these, they are separated by time, by cause, by progression, by the mode of subsistence, and by diminution of genera. As they differ there¬ fore, by all tin se particulars, bow is it possible that they should be of the same essence ? For,
Nf er can * lie tribe of men ilia! live oil earth, lie like ill’ immortal fiorli.
The rational nature itself likewise, is different. For in the (»ods it is intellectual, but in our souls it is mingled with the irrational nature. And in the middle ge¬ nera, it is defined according to its own medium. This is also the cast* with each nooK \.]
I IM ITS or PLATO.
p. 375
of flic re>t, viz. with flic reasons, flu form of life, intelligence, and time, l'or these subsist divinely m divine souls, Imt after a human manner in ours. And thus much against those who fancy that our soul is of the same essence with the soul of the universe, and with other divine souls, and that we are all things unaccom¬ panied witii habitude, viz. the planets, and the fixed stars, and other things in the same manner as the stars, as Theodoras Asina us also, somewhere savs. Tor such magnificent language on this subject, is very remote from the theory of Plato.
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