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

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.

We sriv therefore, that the (hick set and invisible nails ire the insertions of small and invisible < leiuents in the solid parts' of the body. Hut the collirpu faction* is adapted to Vulcanian works ; lire producing through rarefaction* in the colliquefaction, a procession <»f all things through each other; just as in things which are melted together, the smaller enter into the larger parts, in the melting, and thus the mixture is elicited. Hence it follows, that by conglutinating the things received, the junior (Jods produce a body , not consisting ot indissoluble bonds, but of parts which tenaciously adhere to each other, through thick set, small, and invisible nails. F’or liquefaction, 4 and conglutination* are necessary to the gene¬ ration nt" things of similar parts, the latter of which, moisture imparts, 6 and the former, heat. For every thing is liquefied by liie, but conglutinated by water. Soul therefore accedes, after the union of many things of a dissimilar nature. Anil in the first place, the soul which is entirely mortal accedes. For through this, the ellluxive body subsists, viz. through the physical, sensitive, and orective life. But in the second place, the immortal soul accedes. For this does not enter simply into body, but into an inlluxive and ellluxive body. And the former indeed, is generated with the body ; but the latter, enters into the body. I his therefore, is the order of fabrication, and is attended w ith a reason consentaneous to truth. For all generation begins troin the imperfect, and regularly proceeds to the perfect. And in the universe indeed, lubrication proceeds Irom int« licet and soul, as far as to bodies : for the generation is without time. [Hut in moital natures, fabrication is in conjunction with body.*] for it is temporal. Everything however, which is generated in time, commences the generation from the imper¬ fect. So that if there is any thing which does not begin from the imperfect, that thing was not generated in time.* Hence ‘lie universe was not generated in time. For the Dcmuirgiis did not first constitute body but soul, as wc have l>efore observed; which manifests, that what is called generation, is when ap-

* Tor roil lifXryifitTrrpou here, as lliorc is no such won! in die Greek language, 1 read, rwi fuXtm

* Instead of owrrnlii' here, il is necessary In read uw*-ri|£ii--

* For o^'u^rwi in tins place, read tipaiwtotvi.

4 I or rn^rkii hi re, read

* And for i.iXVijTrui, read KcWrjatvt.

* Instead nf rapm^rra i in (Ins place, it is necessary to read rnpr^trai,

1 Tlie words willun tlic brackets are omitted in die origioal; but I liar* uo doubt ought to be in* serted. So that llierc is wauling in die original, rn it ruw fitra row wttfinrot.

* Instead nf rapm^rra i in (Ins place, it is necessary to read rnpr^trai,

1 Tlie words willun tlic brackets are omitted in die origioal; but I liar* uo doubt ought to be in* serted. So that llierc is wauling in die original, rn it ruw fitra row wttfinrot.

■ For owe axporor in this place, it is necessary lo read ov euro xpecer.

p. 438

PKOCLUS ON THE

[book v.

plied to the universe, an unbegotten and simultaneous composition. And in the universe indeed, the whole subsists prior to the parts, and the one, to multitude; but in mortal natures the many are generated prior to the one; and these l>eing liquefied through thick set nails, give completion to one thing. For simple bodies are liquefied, but the liquefied bodies are nailed, the nailed bodies are vivified, anil the vilified bodies are co-udapted to the immortal soul.

From these things also, it is evident, that it must be said, the insertion of the soul according to Pluto takes place at the lime that the infant proceeds out of the womb : lor then the fad us is perfect, but not before. For nature would not in lain detain it in the womb, if it was perfect. When therefore the tu.*tus l>ecomes one and a whole, then the immortal soul enters profoundly into it. But the fu tils Incomes one when it is perfect, and is perfect when it has proceeded into light. For while it remains within, 1 n is a part of another thing, 'i he soul then fore, is not bound to the seed by the (iod>, nor is it, as some think, emitted together with the seed, but win n the body is now generated, the periods of the soul are connected with it.* For where in the seed is there a bodi gene¬ rated from * •any and thick set nails ? Hence, when the instrument is rendered perfect, then the Cods bind to it tin* soul that is to Use it. And thus much as to tlii'* particular.

lint Pluto calls the periods of the soul, the mercies of it, which proceed into the animal and the luofdd pacers ofthe same mid the afferent. All the soul therefore descends according to Plato. For lie alone goes to it two circles and two peri¬ ods, and leads downward both of them. So that what Plotinus savs, who con¬ tends that the whole soul does not descend, is a more noiel assertion. With respect however, to the thick set nails, some suppose them to signify the conjunc¬ tion of the triangular elements; but according to lamlilielius, they indicate the communion of physical productive powers, just as the colliquefaetioii 1 signifies the demiurgic connection and union of them. But we have shown what the nails, the conglutinations, and the col liquefactions are, and what the theory is, which is adapted to the nature of all these.

“ These however, being bourn! in a vast river, neither vanquish, nor are vanquished.’

Plato conjoining the soul to the body immediately, omits all the problems

* In I tie original tlirre is an biatiis boro, I"or llie original ii, riXrior hr, ortty t firvoy yap

“ These however, being bourn! in a vast river, neither vanquish, nor are vanquished.’

Plato conjoining the soul to the body immediately, omits all the problems

* In I tie original tlirre is an biatiis boro, I"or llie original ii, riXrior hr, ortty t firvoy yap aXA ik fitfxu emu. Tln» deficiency huwtvtr, rosy b»* suppiird liy reading, confunnatil y (o I tie abuce Iran latum, TtXttcy it, tray twtXOrj fu fit ini' ynp itboy, a\X tty (Jcge uXXro) firpot tarty.

* Forairou hero, it u necessary to rtad avry,

1 Instead of mrajii' ill Ibis jilacr, rtad evcr«giK.

BOOK V.]

TIM XUS OF PLATO.

p. 439

pertaining to the descent of the soul, the prophet, the allotments, the lives, the elections, the da-mon, the erection of tents in the plain of I>ethe, the thunder and lightning, al,< ^ such particulars as the I tide in the r trnth Book of the Repub¬ lic discusses. ither does he here deliver those things which take place after the exit of the soul from the present life, vi/. thi' terrors, the rivers, Tartarus, those savage and fiery d.emons, the thorns, tin* bellowing mouth, the triple path, and the judges, in whic h we are iiisirueted, by the fable in the Republic, in the Gorgins, and in the I’ha-do. What then, some one mav sav, is the cause of this omission? I reply, because Plato prosemw that which is adapted to the design of the dialogue, and because lie here assumes so much of the theory of the soul as is physical, eh live-ring the association of the soul with the* body. And Aristotle also, emulating Plato, in his treatise On the Soul, in const epionre of discussing it physically, neither mentions the descent of the soul, nor its allotments, lmt in his Oialogues In* separately speaks of these,* and makes them the leading sul>- jectsc, consideration. And thus much as to these particulars.