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

It hKewise appears to me, that the arrangement of the elder prior to the younger person, is assumed ina way adapted to the orderly distribution of the universe. For in the fabrication of Jupiter, they have this order with reference to each other ; Just as the

‘ ; : Tustead of Wpus τὸ ἐφζφηρημένον here, I read, καὶ TPOKLAL διὰ ro «ςηρημέενον αἰΤιο}.

ὑσιωυττε Ble ee σνεατασος στ

p. 87

Klean guest {in Plato] says, that those who live in the Saturnian period, proceed from being older to being younger; but those that live in the period of Jupiter, proceed ina contrary direction, And _ in this dialogue, Timieus says, respecting the soul, that the Demiurgus produced it more ancient than the body, and on this account constituted it of amore principal nature. Now, therefore, the priest, who is the guardian of divine institutions, excels through antiquity, though that which is Junior proceeds from a higher order; just as Solon comes from a city, which pertains ina greater degree to Minerva. In mundane works, however, that which is more ancient possesses a great dignity.

“To whom the priest :-—Because all your souls are juvenile ; neither containing any ancient opinion derived from remote tradition, nor any discipline hoary from its existence in former periods of time.”

Sucenility of soul, in what is here said, is analogous to renovation of life, and to more partial causes; but remote tradition, to stable intelligence, and to more ancient principles. And hoary discipline is analogous to the comprehension, which is united and always the same, of the nature and composition of all that the world contains; through which, indeed, the first and most divine of mundane natures comprehend totally and exemptly the causes of all generated beings, and eternally and antecedently contain in themselves temporal natures ; but comprehend things more proximate to the universe partially and subordinately, as falling short of the unical intelligence of wholes. Hence to some of the Gods hoariness is adapted, but to others juvenility. For hoariness is a symbol of intelligence and an undefiled life, and which is remote from generation; but juvenility of more partial knowledge, and which now comes into contact with generated natures.

** But the reason of this is the multitude and variety of destructions of the human race, which formerly have been, and. again will be: the greatest of these, indeed, arising from fire and water ; but the lesser from ten thousand other contingencies.”

In what is here said, an inquiry is made, why the Greeks are always children, but there is no discipline with them hoary from its existence in former periods of time? Or, if you wish to survey the paradigms of these things, the enquiry is,

p. 88

Or, if you wish to survey the paradigms of these things, the enquiry is,p. 88 through what cause the junior fabrication presides over variety, generated natures always rising into existence, and such as are ancient becoming renovated? Before, however, he discovers the cause of such-like doubts, he first discusses the periods in the universe, and pots out the variety ef them; of which the first principles of the Gods, indeed, have an antecedent Knowledge, stably and unitedly ; but the second principles partially, and in such a way as to come into contact with the nature of the things which they govern; for this it is always to know what is present. But to retain in the memory things that are absent, is analogous to the perception of wholes separately and stably. Phere are, therefore, certain various periods of things in the world ; but it must be admitted, that there is always generation and always corruption in the universe. For that which is sensible is rising into existence, and tending to corruption, but never (rudy is. This generation, however, and destruction, must he surveyed im one way in the heavens, and in another in material natures. Por, in the former, a mutation of fizures, and the motion of perpetually generated: bodies, pre-exist. But) generation, being governed through the mutations of these bodies, evolves its own circle, In this cirele, however, different Clements have dominion at different times, And wholes, indecd, always preserve the same and a similar order according to nature; but the different parts of these wholes subsist at different times, either con. formably to nature, or preternaturally, ina becoming manner, Por ὁ either the wholes and the parts always subsist according to nature; or both, on a certain time, have a preternatural subsistence; or the one has a preternatural, but the other a natural subsistence, and this ina twofold respect. If, therefore, all things [perpetually] existed according to nature, the variecy of generation would be dissipated, perpetual natures would be the extremities of beings, and the first essences would be the last of all things. But if all things were disposed preternaturally, there would be nothing stable; from which an invariable sameness of subsistence might be present with mutable natures; nor would the circle of generation be preserved. And it is impossible that wholes should have a preternatural, but parts a natural, subsistence ; for parts follow wholes, and wholes are comprehensive of parts. Hence it is impossible that the former should, at a certain time, exist preternaturally, but the latter remain in a condition conformable to nature. For neither is it possible, when the whole of our animal nature is moved, and its order destroyed, that any one of its parts should still exist according to nature.

* Tap is omitted here in the original, arene ESD ANEURIN κα σκάρος ον «μα:

satan esr

For neither is it possible, when the whole of our animal nature is moved, and its order destroyed, that any one of its parts should still exist according to nature.

* Tap is omitted here in the original, arene ESD ANEURIN κα σκάρος ον «μα:

satan esr

p. 89

It remains, therefore, that wholes being established in a natural subsistence, the parts at one time following the wholes, are disposed conformably to nature, but at another time have a preternatural tendency. But as of partial animals, each is indeed always generated and corrupted, on account of the efflux of them in the universe; but one is more generated, and another is more corrupted than another, and one is more adapted to existence, but another to corruption; thus also the several parts of the earth, receiving both a natural and preternatural subsistence, some of the parts are more able to subsist conformably to nature, but others are more adapted to sustain deviations into a preternatural condition of being ; this, indeed, on account of a different temperament, but afterwards on account of the position being different of diferent parts, and in the next place, on account of habitude to the heavens. For different parts of the earth are adapted to different parts of the heavens, though they are preserved by other figures [or configurations} And in addition to all that has been said, on account of the power of the inspective Gods, and of the divinities who preside over climates, and who are allotted different peculiarities ; some rejcicing more in motion, but others in permanency, seme in sameness, but others in difference; abundant corruptions likewise of partial natures being produced in different places; the forms or species of the universe have a never-failing subsistence. For man is always, the earth is always, and each of the clements always is. For since corruption and generation proceed from the celestial figures; but these are imitations of divine intellections, and the intellections are suspended from intellectual forms, but from these stability is derived ;—this being the case, continuity is produced in mundane forms, and the visible figures are preservative of species, but corruptive of parts, so as to cause things which are generated in time, to be also dissolved in time, according to a circular progression. For the universe does not envy salvation to such things as are able to exist in conjunction with it; but that which is incapable of being administered together with the universe, is not able to abide in it. The law of Jupiter, however, expels ' from essence every thing of this kind as disgraceful, For it is perfectly impossible that what is disgraceful should remain in the universe. But that whichis deprived of order in the universe is disgraceful. We have shown therefore why * abundant and partial corruptions are produced in different places of the earth,