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

Hut they borrow them from the universe.’ For that which they borrow is lire, earth, water, ami air; and they again restore them to the universe. 1 The father then-fore wishes the wholes to remain which he general* d and arranged. And thus much concerning all the fabrication of the junior Gods.

I^t us however, direct our attention to each of the words of Fima-us. ihe word receiving therefore, indicates how the junior Gods receive the immortal soul descending in its first vehicle : for lie calls the whole “ the immortal principle." It also indicates, that every where, our concerns are providentially attended to by the Gods, above indeed, by the father, hut lieneath, by liis chddren, if it be

* For ■warpet, it is necessary to read warroi.

* Here also for vor^i, it » necessary to read taei.

Vol. II. 3 I

Tim. Mat.

p. 431

PROCLUS ON THE

[book V.

requisite to speak in a divided manner. For our soul, at one time lives accord¬ ing to the characteristic of Jupiter, and at another according to that of Bacchus; but in its arrangement [on the earth,] it lives Titannically.' The

Vol. II. 3 I

Tim. Mat.

p. 431

PROCLUS ON THE

[book V.

requisite to speak in a divided manner. For our soul, at one time lives accord¬ ing to the characteristic of Jupiter, and at another according to that of Bacchus; but in its arrangement [on the earth,] it lives Titannically.' The

• This is admirably explained bv Olvmpiodorus, in his Ms. commentary on that part of the I'hado where Plato speaks of the prohibition of suicide iu the aroppi/ra ; “The argument," savs he, ** which Plato etnplo\s in this place against suicide is derived from the Orpine mv thology, in which four kingdoms arc celebrated : the tint of //cji.ri.vvhorn S iturnassau!ted,cutlini: oil the genitals of Ins father. But afh r Saturn, Jupiter sin c ceded to tin government of the world, having hurled his father into Tartarus. And after Jupiter, Baeclius ro-e to light, who, according to report, was, through the stratagems of Juno, torn in pieces by the Titans, by whom lie was surrounded, and who afttrwards tasted his flesh hut Jupiter, enraged at the deed, hurled his thunder at the gmllv otb-iiders, and consumed them to ashes, lienee a ecilam mailer being formed fieuii the vapour of tlie smoke ascend* ing from their burning bodies, out ot lias mankind were produced. It is unlawful therefore to destroy ourselves, not as the words of Plato stem to import, because we are iu bodv, as m a prison, secured by a guard , (for tins is ev idrnt, and Plato would not have called such an assertion arcane but briause our bodv is Diolivsiaeal, or tin proper!v ol Bacchus for we area part of tins tint!, since we are composed fiotn the vapours of the Titans who taste I Ins flesh. Socrates, therefore, fearful of disclosing the ar cane part of tins narration, adds nothing more of the fable but that we are placed as in a certain prison, secured hj a gujrd : but tlie interpreters relate the fable openly." Km tart ro pvlltt r en^npijpa rotovroy. Ilupa ry ()p<f.tt rreeaptt puffiXriui scipcihiVirm, Il >wr>i pry, ij ruu Ovpusoii. ijr o Kposov cu?e£aeu, ttrtpvy ru uibuta r uu iruip"t. M rru b I] r*.v K.jkmic, u /1 u • ■InffiXf uet e luraraprnpuiffm roe rrartpa. Ei-ci roe Act iitbt^arc o Aioi vaot, or ^nfft cor’ rn,>< iAijc riji Hpriv ron irepi tturou Tirarot Bia/Kirrni-, cm ryr vaoewr uvroii atruy tvteOm. Km roeroos cpytnOrtt o /.‘ut rttpuviuet, cai rn rijt cn(laXij« rior arptiy ruy urafoUriruir ue*wr, iXrp yooptiiji yttfoO n< “ovi orOfHarooi. On itt ovr ffayayeic ijpaf tavruut, ov^ on cn ^ cn Xryrir ij tturi t r rn i hapy repry ry aupurt' rorro yap

Km roeroos cpytnOrtt o /.‘ut rttpuviuet, cai rn rijt cn(laXij« rior arptiy ruy urafoUriruir ue*wr, iXrp yooptiiji yttfoO n< “ovi orOfHarooi. On itt ovr ffayayeic ijpaf tavruut, ov^ on cn ^ cn Xryrir ij tturi t r rn i hapy repry ry aupurt' rorro yap

^ijXor cffTi, cm ooc ar rooro awipprjroy t\ryt, aXX’ on oo in <;uya-,or tjpat (aerori tut roo euuarct ij^wr Aico offtacoo orror ptpot yap uvrov reply, «iy* »c rijv mOuXrji rui rirmur euytnptOn ytveuptt uy rvar eaptuy rotrrov. () pry oyy ffio»/*onj» <pyy ru wroppijruy 'no u, roo ptOuu tubrr ,\uir rfxiTriOijffi roo 01 lr riri <f>fxnpa repry. Oi h f'i)yr|rai ror ptSuy irpoff-ithaffir rJoOn. After tills lie beautifully ob¬ serves, “Tliat these four governniruts obscurely signify tlie different gradations of virtues, ac¬ cording to which our soul contains the symbols of all the virtues, both theoretical and catliartical, political and ethical, l or it cither energizes according to the theoretic sutues, the puiadigin of which is the government of Acmrif, that we ni.iv begin from on high; and on this account heaven receives its denomination xapa roo ra arm oppi, from bchol ling the things ubuvc:—or it lives eatharlicallv, the ex¬ emplar of which is the Saturnian kingdom; and on this account Saturn is denominated, from being a pure intellect, through a survey ot him-ilf; and lienee In is said to ilevour hisowiiolT-pring,signifvingthe conversion of Ininse'f to himself<or it energizes according to the political virtues, the svmbol of which it the government of Jupiter; and hence Jupiter is the ltriniiirgus, so called from operating about se¬ condary natures:—or the soul energizes according to both the rthual and physical virtues, the symbol of which is the kingdom of Bacchus ; and on this account he is f.ihled to be torn in picci » by the Ti¬ tans, because the virtues do not follow but are sejiarated from <atli other." Ain-rroirm (lege murrovrui ft rout Ka^fpoei fiaOpovt run aptruv tad at ij rjptrtpa 4 ,v X’l aup/3o\a tyuuaa waovy ruy aptrt/y, rwv rt OfwprjTitmr, tat tuOaprttuy, tat roXtrtttuy, tat tfOttuy. II yap tara rat Ortipijntat tyrpytt vr mpahtypa tj roy aupayov fiaat\ita, tya atap^aptOa, ho tat eupatet ttpjjrai rrapa rev ru are cpft .

BOOK ▼.]

TIM/EUS OF FLATO.

p. 433