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

ini. Hi-..,. .-, from intull.Tlual nalm.-s, an- n..l al all in want nf tin- nlurtal-fnrna-il lift-. I nr tla-y „.r inl.nnl.Tial. |.nn-. and starry-lhr... nraans. n-v-.lv. Inn.-tln-r «.III .la-(.ods. and emorn in ,-uni.nn-linn ... tin- ..In world. Hnt nln-n ll.ny dn.. ,-nd ...to

■. . . I„ ... . d "ill. a inati-ri.d l,ndy. and ,n- allntt.-d a.H..X..C

,.. ... tin- rnllisatinn nf tin- n.n.l.d lit.-, »l.u-l> dnrm > .Is snlwaUT.ce from snnls tin-.-I.ns, la <■<„,»-» n.-c-saary, laranan >o„ls anl.-n, dnndj ^ l,nnd the ..Id,is‘ life in tin-spirit. For ..Wcl, « '>■" l*rmc.|.l<- ol se n..- ill riv.-s its anl.siat.-nc- laid. Ini... annls tin-.. . and Iron, the junior

Gods’ From souls indrud. Is-rans,.- tlu-y have dumiuion ...or tin- »ludr- ol the irratinn.d Ufc. wind. they likewise adorn; hnt they would nr,dor go.ern nor

• r«.r !| v t/ lure, re.td nf'n-

■ for I.«.r, ..■» .r*'l butfrom , hat i„ mcdll ,,| v folio...

* In the original, live word* »«. trapa aTt ouuUcd * uul ,rom

evident they ought to be inverted.

p. 406

PROCLUS ON THE

[book V, adorn it, unless they were causally the leaders of its essence. But it also derives its subsistence from the Gods, localise parts energize together with wholes, and fecundity is present with partial souls, through a co-arrangement with wholes. If therefore, when souls were implanted in bodies, then the junior Gods produced the mortal life, and made another mortal animal, it follows, that the animation of the material body is one thing, whether it subsists in simple vestments, or in such as are composite and testaceous, 1 and the animation in the vehicle of the soul another. And the latter indeed, being immortal, the Demiurgus constitutes, but the former, which is mortal from the beginning, derives its subsistence from the junior Gods, because it is inseparable from material bodies. The peculiar life also of the vehicle differs from the rest, in the same manner as the immortal from the mortal-formed life. But tie* life which subsists in simple vestments, differs from the life in the composite body, l>eeuuse the latter follows the temjierament of the body, but the former may lx* disciplined, and is able to predominate over the corporeal temperaments. The vehicles therefore are triple:* for they are either simple" and immaterial; or simple and material; or composite and material. Of these also the lives are three; the first, immortal; the second, mor* lasting than the body ; and the third, perishing with the body. And thus much for this particular But the word implanted , manifests genesiurgic semination, together with at the same time signifying that the form of life is self-perfect ; just as a plant is ingrafted into another nature. The addition also of the words from necessity, manifest that the .semination is malt rial, but not divine and celestial.

The addition also of the words from necessity, manifest that the .semination is malt rial, but not divine and celestial.

“ lie declared to them that in the first place, one connascent sense', pro¬ duced by v iolent passions, was necessary to all ; in the second place, love mingled with pleasure and pain , and in addition to this, fear and anger, and such other things as are either consequent to these, or naturally dis¬ cordant from being of a contrary nature.’’

The Demiurgus comprehended all the material and mortal-formed life ill three boundaries, and inserted the causes of this in souls, in order that they might rule over and subdue it. I or dominion is not derived from any other source than essential precedency. The irrational life therefore, suhsisls intellectually in the Demiurgus, but rationally in souls. Nor is this at all wonderful, since hotly sub-

* Instead of aaTf* i> c< litre, it i* necessary lo read

* For Tptrii litre, read rporXa.

* Iuslejd of a»Voi in tin* place, it is obviously necessary to read arkovr.

book V.]

TIM/KUS OF PLATO.

p. 407

Nor is this at all wonderful, since hotly sub-

* Instead of aaTf* i> c< litre, it i* necessary lo read

* For Tptrii litre, read rporXa.

* Iuslejd of a»Voi in tin* place, it is obviously necessary to read arkovr.

book V.]

TIM/KUS OF PLATO.

p. 407

sisLs incorporeal ly in the inti lligihle causes of all tilings. What else however, can we say that each ol these powers i-, than a corporcal-formed and material 1 life, "hit'll is gnostic ot things that fallen it externally, produces this knowledge through organs, i» not dependant on itself, hut on the things which it uses, is tumbled with material masses, and knows that which it knows accompanied with passion ? l or not < very passion which is produced in the animal, imparts to us a sensation ol itself, hut that which effects much agitation, as Socrates says in the Philehus. For it is necessary that a certain agitation should he produced about the sensoria. For neither are all the motions in the soul distributer! as far as to the body, but there are some, such as the intellectual, which pertain to the soul itselt by its< Sf. Nor do all the motions about the body extend as far as to the soul, but there are some which through their obscurity, are unable to move the soul. Sense therefore is produced, not from all passions, but from thn>c that are violent, which cause much agitation. Anri the mortal-formed sense indeed is par¬ tible, is mingled with missions in its decisions, and is material. Hut there is anotla . sense prior to this, in the v * hit lc of the soul, w liioli is, as with reference to this, immaterial and pore, and an impassive knowledge itself subsisting by itself, yet not liberated fro n morplic; because it also is corporeal formed, as being allotted its hypostasis ,i, body. And this sense indeed, lias the same nature with the piiant »sy. For one essence is common to both; yet externally proceed¬ ing, it is called sense; hot remaining within, and beholding innrpli;** and figures in the spirit, it is denominated the phantasy. So far likewise, as it is divided about the spirit, it is sense. Farther still, opinion indeed, is the basis of the rational life, but the phantasy is the summit of the second [or irrational] life. And opinion and the phantasy are conjoined to each other, and the irrational is filled with powers from the more excellent life. Hut the middle of the irrational life is unreceptive of supernal forms, hut is alone receptive of such as are exter¬ nally situated. And at the same time, it is common, and knows that which is sensible passively. Hut the material sense is alone perceptive of things which fall on it externally, and move it, not lieing able to retain the s|M*ctach*s in itself, ia consequence of being partible, and not one. For it is divided about the sensoria. The impassive therefore and common sense is fine thing; the sens** which is common hut passive another; and that which is distributed and passive another. And the first of these indeed, pertains to the first vehicle ; the second, pertains to. the irrational life; and the third, to the animation of the body.