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

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

word principle however, does not simply manifest, that which is first in the composition of man. hut that which is the leader and ruler of secondary natures, l or this is that \\ Inch is according to nature, and for this purpose it was produced by the Cxtds. As therefore, the Drmiiirgus constituted the soul of the universe to rule o\er the hotly of it, so likewise, the many Demiurgi established our soul as the principle in the mortal animal. If however, we do not rule ov« r the mortal nature, the power which gave this arrangement to our soul is not the cause of this, hut the indolence of that whit h is arranged. Hut the word immortal com¬ prehends every nature which the l)t miurgus constituted, both that which is in the vehicle, and the rational soul itself, which was perfectly produced by the father, who disseminated the whole of it, and from whom it originated. Again, how¬ ever, I ima-us show s, that the junior Cods are the vivilic causes and fabricators of lhe mortal animal, but that they are each of these, in conjunction with motion, in order that their fabrications may be mortal.

Moreover, the w ords, " in imitation of their artificer," are appropriate. For the junior (toils fabricate bodies, imitating tbe demiurgic characteristic of the father. And as be constituted the universe a whole from the wholes of the elements, so likew ise they fashion partial bodies from partial bodies, in order that together with the imitation, diminution may be preserved, and that they may remain Demiurgi, but the Demiurgi of a partial fabrication. The expression also, they harrowed, manifests, that the parts in us are more the properly of wholes, and of things above us, than tin y are our property. Hut if this be the ease why should men grieve when they die? And why is dissolution lr-adful ? But how is it possible it should not be good, if the universe receives wbat is its own? For it is easy to perceive, that tbe parts in us h< long in a greater degree to tbe universe than to us. For tbe places of all these are in wholes, and not in us. Hilt “ the conglutination of the 1 tceivcd parts together ," evinces that the union in mortal natures is of pos¬ terior origin, and adventitious. For in the universe the whole precedes the parts, and the one, multitude. But in us, many things, and which are naturally sepa-

II enOnprnut £r), rjt wapnbfiyfin ij nm-idn pnot\rin, ho iui epoioi ripr/nu oicv o erpetcvt ri« fin to tnvruv opm. Sinun uirurimr rn nnfia yryy/jfiara \ty(Tut, ninira rpo i ruurnr fwnrrpt'^uv. litara nil tr«\«rnfi% ui tri/fijli \ov r) rev hoi , yen hj/uorpyct o C> vi, wl rrpi rn frvrrpa ryrpyur. f{ tura

Sinun uirurimr rn nnfia yryy/jfiara \ty(Tut, ninira rpo i ruurnr fwnrrpt'^uv. litara nil tr«\«rnfi% ui tri/fijli \ov r) rev hoi , yen hj/uorpyct o C> vi, wl rrpi rn frvrrpa ryrpyur. f{ tura rm rjOtyitt mi yi"in<n uptray . ki nop poXur, rj too hot voov A ,,,T *Xc ,a , «'*o tfrapfiTTf~at, hurt cry qitoco- Xn-OuKTo a.\.\’/\uii n ( ifrni. \nd thus far Olsmpindnru* ; ill w lut li it is necessary to observe, that as Ihr Tilaiix are llir iiliiiiialr artificers of things, ami the most proximate to llieir fabrications, men are said lo be composed from llieir fragments, because llie human soul lias a partial life, capable of pro¬ ceeding to the most extreme division, united with its proper nature. And while the soul is in a state of servitude to the body, she lives confined, as it were, 10 bonds, through the lioniiiiionof IhisTiUnnical life.

p. 430

PROCLUS ON THE

[book V.

rated from each other, are conglntinated, receiving n violent and renovated union* lienee tlie bonds of them are dissoluble ; hut the bonds of wholes are indissoluble, union there subduing multitude.

“ But they gave them a tenacious adherence from thick set nails, invi¬ sible through their smallness; fabricating the body of each, one from the composition of all [the elements ; and binding the periods of the immortal soul in intluxivc and ctlluxive body/’

“ But they gave them a tenacious adherence from thick set nails, invi¬ sible through their smallness; fabricating the body of each, one from the composition of all [the elements ; and binding the periods of the immortal soul in intluxivc and ctlluxive body/’

Because in what is here said, ill the same manner as Irefore, Plato constitutes the first vehicle of the soul th it is a body,' from the elements, it is evident that neither is this hodv indivisible, ns being generated from tilings which are to be returned. But it is not iinuianifest, that as that vehicle is one, this testaceous body likewise is in a similar manner generated one. 1’he former however, has indeed a more simple union of simple vestments; lint the latter a more various union, as being of a more eomposite nature. Hence there indeed, that w hich w as composed of tin and water, air and earth, being analogous to a crowd, mani¬ fested vve said, the second vehicle, and the lile eoutaiiied in it. But in what is now said, the te.-taecous hody* is signified. Fur Plato in speaking of it, is not satisfied with things of a simple nature, but adds such .is are adapted to an orga¬ nic body. 1 or it is not possible that this should alone consist of simple elements.' Beginning therefore, from things more imperfect and material, and producing things consisting of similar parts, and from these the organic hody, he gives it to participate of soul, l’or ll;»* junior < inds borrowing parts Irom wholes, assumed such parts as are simple, and made the vehicles of irrational souls, which he before denominated, a tumultuous and irrational crowd, composed of fire and earth, air and water. But conglutinating these, they generated things of similar parts, the composition of w Inch is from the four elements. And causing the things generated to adhere through thick set nails, they gave completion to the organic body. For this it i-, which, as li ‘ say *>, is in want of all small and invisible nails ,

* i e. Tlie aerial vetiiclt ; for tins is llic first vehicle of llie soul that is a body, llie ethereal or perpetual vehicle, nut having three dimensions, but being a superficies, in consequence of its attenuated and immaterial nature. Hence also llie C halda'an Oracle exhorts, not to give depth to u superficies, and cause it to be tirrestnal and humid, through an impure hie.

* In the original in this place, there is an omission of ro otr/wwfei ; hut I have no doubt this word ought to be inserted.

* There is au hiatus here in the original, which renders tlie two lines that immediately follow it unin¬ telligible, and which I Lave not therefore at tempted to translate.

BOOK V,]

TIM.ELS OF PLATO.

p. 437

through its composition from dissimilar natures; and of thick set nails, through the facility with which the composition may he dissolved.