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

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.

W ith respect to the Crater however, let us see what it is, w hat order it pos¬ sesses with reference to the Demiurgus, and what are the particulars of which it is the cause to souls. Tor there is much discussion concerning this, ami it deserves the most ample consideration. The above-mentioned Theodoras there¬ fore, makes a twofold Crater, and asserts that the mixture is one of these. Tor the second Crater, according to him, is the mixture ; but the other Crater con¬ sists of the portions of tin* mixture, v iz. the soul of the universe, the souls of the celestial (iods, and our souls. Tor he calls soul itself the first Crater, this being the universal soul ; but he denominates the Crater and at the same time the mixture, the second Crater; though Plato speaks of one Crater, and in it mingles all souls, some primarily, and others secondarily, but makes no mention what¬ ever of a second Crater, nor of a mixture in it. Tor if there was a second Crater, what occasion would there be for the use of the first, m the generation of our souls ? I wonder therefore, that the most laborious Alliens, should sa\ that he found in the I’imams a twofold Crater, since it is usual with him to follow strictly tin* words of Plato. At the same time however, in interpreting the Pha-drus, lit> makes mention of the twofold Crater. Hut according to the divine Iumlilichus, the Crater is the one vivilie cause, comprehensive of the whole of life, and colh-etiv e of it; itself sustaining itself, liy certain demiurgic reasons, which pervade through all life, and through the whole psychical orders, Imt al¬ lotting to each soul in its proper order, appropriate measures of connexion ; allot¬ ting to some from the beginning first measures, through the first mixture, Imt se¬ condary measures, to those that have been again minified. Tor such as is the or¬ der which they have with reference to each other, sin h also is the progression which they are allotted from the Crater, receiving from thence the boundaries of life. Such therefore, are the dogmas which wc have received from these men.

Our preceptor however, surveying real lieings from on high, as from a watchtower, and following the narration of theologists, places in the father himself and Demiurgus of wholes, a prolific power, according to which imitating the intelligible God, lie possesses both a maternal and paternal cause with reference to the mundane Gods, being himself the source of essence, of life, and of form.

p. 376

PROCLUS ON TIIE

[book V.

p. 376

PROCLUS ON TIIE

[book V.

Since however, it is necessary 1 there should he a definite and separate cause of the psychical life, fabricating in conjunction with the Demiurgus the whole world, ami generating all the psychical essence, this cause, he says, is delivered to us through the Crater. lie adds, that theologies arcanelv asserting that which they assert,have devised marriages am! offspring of the Cods, through which they obscurely signify the kindred communion of progeny in the Cods ; but that Plato mythologically introduced mixtures and corn-mixtures, assuming the genera of Iw ing instead of seeds, but mixture instead of marriage. For souls indeed, ac¬ cording to tin* being which is in them, were produced by the Demiurgus; but according to the life which is in them, from the Crater. For this is the vivific cause of essential life. Since however, they art in a greater degree lives than beings, and are allied to the vivilic order; on this account, the mixture originated from the Demiurgus, but is perfected in the Crater. For this on all sides com¬ prehends in itself the genera of soul", and generates them in conjunction with the Demiurgus. These therefore are four, vi/. lie who mingles, tin* Crater, the things mingled, and the mixture. And the first indeed, has the ordi r of father; the second is generative, and definitive of the form of souls ; the third, proceeds from both, but in a greater degree from the father ; and the fourth is formalized, according to the generative cause, so as to become one thing, through the Crater.

llut if it lx- requisite to develop the conceptions of our preci ptor on this subject, it must be observed that as the vivilic deity,* comprehends in itself all the fountains of life, viz. such as are generative of souls, and of tin* da-moniacal order, such as bring forth the angelic series, and such as produce nature in the last of things,—one certain vivilic deity * proceeds from it, which is the fountain of all the progression and gem ration of souls, and w hich being co-arranged with the Demiurgus, produces together with him, the whole psychical order, every supermundane ami mundane soul, and proceeds to all things, and vivifies the whole world. Orpheus celebrates this vivilic deity as equal to the Demiurgus, and connecting and conjoining it with him, makes it to be the one mother of all the tilings of w hich Jupiter is the father. But Plato calls it the Crater, as being the fountain of the psychical life. For this Crater receives the generative < nergy of the father of souls, and according to this the form of souls receives its specific distinction; whence also this form is called a mixture. Jupiter indeed contains in himself a royal soul, as Socrates says in the Philchiis ; but In* likewise contains this fountain, which co-operates with him in the production of tlie psychical order.

* It a rii|uisite here, to supply the word i*«.

*i.e. lUita.

1 i. o. Juno.

nook v.]

Jupiter indeed contains in himself a royal soul, as Socrates says in the Philchiis ; but In* likewise contains this fountain, which co-operates with him in the production of tlie psychical order.

* It a rii|uisite here, to supply the word i*«.

*i.e. lUita.

1 i. o. Juno.

nook v.]

TIM.EUS OF PLATO.

p. 377

And the Barbarians call this vivifie cause the fontal soul, which is unfolded into light, together with fontal virtue,' from the intestines of the whole vivilic Coddess, in which the fountains of all life, the divine, the angelic, the d.eit'ouiacal, and the psychical, are contained. But the theologist of the Creeks denominates this \i\ilic cause .luno, who presents herself to the view together with Ye»ta, from the mighty Uhea, who conipreliends in herself all the \i\ ilic powers, and who at last brings forth Nature herself; though he conjoins .luuo with the Demiurgus, as mother with father, and represents her as the source of all the Titanmc division, which is surveyed in souls, according to portions, and the cause of separation, l’lato however assumes the (hater, the mixture and the portions; for the Crater is the cause of the division of the portions, lienee, he docs not divide, till he has disseminated the genera in the Crater.