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

Each however, proceeds analogous to it. For thus in numbers, the tetrad in tens, and in hundreds, and in thousands, is analogous to the first tetrad. These things therefore, may he said, in answer to the present inquiry.

It may likewise he added, that the form and the character accede to the attendants, from the leading (iods. But this form is number, defining the jieculiarily of life. As many therefore, as are the leaders, so many are the forms ot life which follow these, as for installer, Saturnian, Jovian, Solar, Lunar, and ill a similar manner in the other (iods. For the form originating from on high, pervades as tarns to the last attendants, and establishes all of them in a similitude with the leading God. For about every (Jod there are more partial finds; angelic orders unfolding divine light; ihemons, proceeding together with, or being the guards, or attendants of the God; and the elevated and magnificent army of heroes, previously repressing all the disorder arising from matter, con¬ necting the divine vehicles, and purifying the partial vehicles which revolve about these, and assimilating the latter to the former. About every God likewise, there is a choir of undchlcU souls, resplendent with punly, and a multitude of other

p. 388

PROCLUS ON THE

[book V.

bouIs, at one time elevating the head of the charioteer to the intelligible, and at another, co-arranging themselves with the mundane powers of the Gods. And of these, some are distributed 1 about one, but others about another power of their lending God. On this account also, in solar souls, some are suspended from the lVconiun, others from the prophetic, others from the demiurgic, and others from the elevating power of the God. In other Gods likewise, all the souls which are the attendants of the same divinity, have not the same order, but some are distributed* about different powers of the (hid, and others participate more nearly, or more remotely, of the same power. All of them therefore, equally’ partake of the common form of their God. I’or in the Gods themselves, union precedes multitude, and one sameness, the difference according to separate powers. II ence, through these things it is evident, how souls an* equal in numlierto the stars.

All of them therefore, equally’ partake of the common form of their God. I’or in the Gods themselves, union precedes multitude, and one sameness, the difference according to separate powers. II ence, through these things it is evident, how souls an* equal in numlierto the stars.

It is necessary however, to make mention on this subject of the conception of Acyllus, 4 viz. that partial souls are said to Ik* equal in number to the souls of the stars, not according to a div ision about them, but according to a similar generation with reference to them, so as to consist of the same equal quantity of numlx-rs, of which each of the starry souls consists. For thus this man interprets the equality in numlH-r of p* rtial to total souls, as signifying that each partial is divided into the same numlier of parts as the starry soul under which it is arranged, and distri¬ buted by the father. Hence also, the former is similar to the latter; so that all souls do not possess all-various iuiiuImts, Init some less and otlu rs more, the ratios in all of them Iscing the same. For Plato does not define the numher.s, but the ratios of the parts. We however, have before observed, that nothing prevents partial souls from differing from those prior to them, in the multitude of the terms ; and what the mode is of their difference, we have deiuoiistraU d. And thus much for this particular.

But now the first distribution of partial about divine souls is effected, before they Isecome mundane. l or both according to a supermundane and mun¬ dane co-arrangement, parts are woven together with wholes. .So that if in the temples which are here, there is a certain establishment 1 of those that

" For etrotrat here, wlneli is csideiilly erroneous, 1 read hurr/ictrai.

1 Instead of utfxiverui here, it is necessary to rt ad ttuy vtrat.

1 For trtoi here, ll is neei ssarv to read ctosiji.

4 T hu \cyllus isnol mentioned by any wriler besides t’roctus, nor by him elsewhere.

1 I’roelus here alludes to that part of initiation into the mysteries which yvas called Opontrfiof, or col¬ location on a throne. Hut llus consisted in placing him who was to be initiated on a throne, clothed iu a sacred and mystic dress, jud aer ompauKd With solemn riles> the other mystics m the mean lime* dancing about the throne.

HOOK V.]

TIMiT'l’S OF PLATO.

3d9

Hut llus consisted in placing him who was to be initiated on a throne, clothed iu a sacred and mystic dress, jud aer ompauKd With solemn riles> the other mystics m the mean lime* dancing about the throne.

HOOK V.]

TIMiT'l’S OF PLATO.

3d9 arc initiated, it will convey to us an intake of this demiurgic co-arrangement of partial with total souls, and of their distribution about their leaders. For divine souls tlienist Ives are distributed about the jiowers of the total soul of the universe : for they proceed according to the multiform powers contained in it, and are established, some of them in the circulation of the same of this soul, but others in the periods of the circulation of the different. Ilut again, about these divine souls, partial souls are arranged, distributing their total powers, bein'; co-elevated witli them to the intelligible, tilled from them with immutable intelligence, and arranged by the numbers of their proper leaders. As therefore, these mundane divine souls ascend through the twelve Gods, 1 to the supercelestial place, thus also partial ascend to it, through divine souls. For they are united to them, according to the supermundane co-arrangement, which Timams calls distribution, as being effected according to the divine law, which is seated together with Jupiter, as it is writtf n in tlu- Gorgins, and in conjunction with him adorns the more total and more partial orders in the world. Hence there is one similitude of all partial souls, and a distribution according to the empires of the Gods. And the Demiur¬ ges is the cause of both. These things likewise pertain to souls in a supermundane manner. So that the dilferenccs of souls are not, as some say, from habitudes of a certain kind, but from their peculiar essence. For the co-arrangement of them is with different leaders, ami the distribution of them is essential. For what they posses* from the one fabiication, they possess according to essence.

Since however, partial souls are said to be distributed about the stars, it is evident that they have the fourth order from the soul of the universe. For with this soul, the souls of the celestial spheres, and also those of the sublunary spheres, which comprehend the whole elements, subsist, lint under these are the stars, and such more partial genera of Gods 1 as are comprehended in the whole¬ nesses of all the before-mentioned circulations. And lastly, under these are partial souls. Hence the soul of the universe is alone universal. The souls that are allotted the government of the circulations, are universal partial. Those that are comprehended in these circulations, are vice versa, partial universal. And in the last place, partial souls have alone a partial subsistence. Plato therefore calls all the divine souls that are comprehended in their wholenesses