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

“ That he also who lived well during the proper time [of his abode on the earth ' again proceeding to the habitation of his kindred star, should enjov a happy life.'

Again, these tilings arehkewise effected!))'souls themselves. For being self-motive, they arrange themselves in an appropriate place, But they are also ellected by Fate. For this power delim s the appropriate allotments of each soul, and co¬ adapts them to the proper forms ot life. And in the third place, they are < fleeted bv the Gods, who dispose in an orderly manner the parts of the universe. For they distribute to all things that which is according to desert; and on this account it is said, that Justice proceeding to the* universe from the middle sphere of the Sun governs all things according to rectitude. As in wholes, however. Justice following Jupiter, is the avenger of vIiom* that desert the divine law, thus also, the energy ot Justice about souls, adorns those that forget the laws of 1 ate, and exchange for a more excellent, a subordinate life. And thus much m common as to tin se particulars.

But what is the proper time, what the kindred star, and what the happy life ? The proper tunc therefore, is such as that which Plato defines in the 1 lraalrus, to the souls which are circularly led 'ruin hence, alter the first generation, viz. a thousand vears, or some otliei period of this kind, l oras this time pertains to those that choose a philosophic life, so another period more or less extended, is adapted to those that make a dillcri nt choice, this time not subsisting monadicallv, but being defined according to the form of life. But the kindred star , is that about which the distribution of souls and tin ir vehicles is made. So that if there are some souls, w hich from the first, have their allotment about the earth, these after the first life, follow ing Justice, and the Gods, will return to the ethereal vehicle o*‘the whole earth, relinquishing the terrestrial bulk. And in this establishing themselves, ami the organ eonnaseeiit with tln-m, [i. e. their ethe¬ real vehicle,] they will themselves be filled with intellectual hie, but will fill tin ir vehicles with divine light, and demiurgic power. If also, there arc certain souls that proceed about the Sun, these returning to their wholeness, will together with it dispose wholes in an orderly manner, being allotted through a co-ordination nu ok v.]

muxs or plato.

p. 411

If also, there arc certain souls that proceed about the Sun, these returning to their wholeness, will together with it dispose wholes in an orderly manner, being allotted through a co-ordination nu ok v.]

muxs or plato.

p. 411

«i(li it, a power ot such a kind, as not to depart from the intellection of them¬ selves, in their pro\ idential attention to the universe. And the happy li/e, is that life which is defined according to the peculiarity of the leading powers, For these are in the order of da-mons, Inning partial souls in their possession. an<l elevating them to the intelligible, in the same manner as the leaders of the hi m rated Gods. Hence also, Plato« I.-ew here, calls these souls happy, as being susp( nth d from these leaders w ho are happy (vj'ex.ivi.wmv r lVT mv\ i. c. w ho are beneficent da-mons. For « very where, that which is proximatclv established above the nature which is thought deserting of its providential care, has the order of a beneficent damon w ith respect to it.

c. w ho are beneficent da-mons. For « very where, that which is proximatclv established above the nature which is thought deserting of its providential care, has the order of a beneficent damon w ith respect to it.

It is requisite also to sunny the uninterrupted connexion of the theorems. For Plato constituted souls from the demiurgic and x ivilie cause, and alter their gene¬ ration, arranged different partial, under difli-n-nt divine souls, making the pro¬ gression and distribution of them to be supr rnmndane. After these divine souls also, he introduces partial souls into the universe, gives them vehicles, and dis¬ tributes tin ni about the stars. In the next place, he leads them into generation, and imparts to them the mortal form of life; and after these things, divides the lives ol them, and distributes allotments adapted to their lives. For the progres¬ sion to them, is from supermundane natures into the world ; but their descent from total life, is into generation. ISow tin refore, since he speaks of souls that are reston d to their kindred star, after tin ir first gem ration, and says, that leaving the body tin y obtain a happy life, how can we show that these things accord with what Is asserted in the Pha-dnis ? For there he who chons.-s a philosophic life, is restored to his pristine perlcction, through three lives. Or may we not say that the allotment whit h i-> here deliver* d, is not into that from whence each soul ori¬ ginally came; tor that is eflected through three periods, each of which consists of a thousand years; hut is a return to the star, under which it was essentially arranged, and m conjunction with which, it possesses a common life? For it is possible for souls that have not led a philosophic life, to he elevated by Justice to a certain place in the heavens, and there to receive the reward of the life w hich they passed in the human form. For this in asserted in the Piia-drus of the souls of those that are not philosophers. For the apocatastasis into the same situation again, is one thing, hut the ascent to the kindred star another. For the former requires three periods ; but the latter may be ell'ecti d through one period. And the former elevates the soul to the intelligible, from w hence it descended ; but the latter leads it to a subordinate form of life. For there are different 1 measures of felicity, and the return is two-fold, one of ascending souls, but the other, of

1 The word frtapepa is omitted here id the original.

p. 412

PKOCLUS ON THE

[UOOK V.

those that have ascended. So that it is possible for the soul that arrives at its kindred star, either to be co-arrangcd with the mundane powers of its (iod, or to proceed still higher. Its recuireney however, to the intelligible its* It, requires a jieriod of three thousand years. For through this, the highest winged condition is dice ted.