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

This defi¬ ciency however, ruay be supplied by reading, conformably lo the above translation, ra hr ptwa weir, U rrpn rwr arpwr.

* The word x , ‘P or * 11 wanting here in the original.

[book V,

In what is here said, the philosopher refers to two causes all this tumult, viz. to the nutritive anil sensitive hie. But these causes are that which is oreetic, and that which is gnostic, in the vv hole of the irrational nature ; into which also we are accustomed to divide all the powers of the soul, asserting that some of them are vital, hut others gnostic, l or the nutritive life, verging to bodies, produces an abundant tlux in them ; through their moisture indeed, emitting an abundant material etllux, but through vivilic heat, receiving all influx of other things. But the scnsitivi life Millers by tlie bodies of fire, larth, air, and water, falling on it. Conceiving likewise all these passions to be great through the vileness of its life, it occasions tumult and perturbation in the soul. And to those indeed, who have arrived at maturity, all these have become habitual; but to such as have lieen recently born, the smallest things, through being unusual, lieeome the causes of astonishment. For what a great tire is to the former, that thesnufl of a candle is to the latter. What the magnitude likewise of very lofty mountains is to tlie former, that the smallest ol stones is to the latter. For this is sullicienl to give them pain, and by ini[Hibng llietr energies, to eal! forth taeir tears. And what stormy winds, and streams of water from the heavens, are to adults, that a small motion of the air, or a slip through a little moisture, is to infants. For sense l*eing agitated through the percussion of all these, astonishes the soul of those that are recently born, and leads it into ditliculty and tumult. Tin >e therefore, are in short, the causes of the perturbation of souls, viz. the motion of tin nutritive power, and the |n rcussioiis of sense. We must not however, fancy that the soul sutlers any thing through these. For as if sunn one standing on the margin of a liver, should he¬ boid the image and form ufhims. if in the floating stream, lie indeed will preserve his fare unchanged ; hut the stream being all variously moved, will chaie-e the image, SO that at different times a will appear to him difli rent, oblique, and erect, and |M ihaps divulsed and continuous. [ A t us suppox too, tli.it such a one, through Ireing unaccustomed to the spectacle, should think that it was himself that sutlered this distortion,' in consequence ot surveying his shadow in the water, and thus thinking, should he alihc ted and disturbed, astonished and impeded. Alter the same manner, the soul, beholding the image of herself in body, borne along in the river of gt ueration, and variously disposed at diflcrent times throii'di inward passions and external impulses, is indeed herself impassive, but thinks that she sutlers ; and hung ignorant of, and mistaking her image for, herself, is disturbed, astonished, and perplexed. 1 I Iris passion however particularly exists 2llurc is .m IimIus lure in 1 he ordinal, win,), may be filled up by adding alar roe .o^cra the * Fur (b um-pciw lit IT, lead «

in children recent Iv horn ; Iml it also exhibits ilsdt in dreams in adults. 1 inis win n sum' nni*. in riinsoijuenei- oi nature being latigucd in lIn* concoction «»1 tiie fin id, I a tines hi a dream tli.it lie is weary, that lie is journey mu through a (hi limit road 111 at lie is < a it v inn burdens, or sutlers mhiicIIiiic * lse nt tin* like kind, t lien tills pa**mn Inti lilies appan lit. And it Is possible tidlii these tilings In survey tllC nature of the passions of children.' And thus mudi may suffice at present as to these particular*.

It is iviiuisiti however, to proreed to the words ot Plato and to say, that the T cares manifest not the externally blow in" wind, as some assert, lint the congregated folly * existing in vonth, and the ahumlaut intlux and elllux. Hut the //miniulwn signifies. 111 the lir*t plan-, that the pneumatic vehicle is agitated and made heavier; for it is this, which exhibits in itself stains and vapours; and in the se¬ cond place, the soul, for it is disturbed by congregated impulses.

“And on this account all these were then, and are still now'denominat¬ ed senses.”

According to Plato, the senses receive their appellation from passion. If therefore, we should say, that the senses are motions placed inwardly, the asser¬ tion would hr attended with much 1 accusation, from grammatical* observation. But if we should say, that the *i uses are mingled from inw ard motions and pas¬ sion, perhaps am n nt usage would testily in lavour ot the assertion. l‘or sense (aurOr.iri^) with four sylhihh i* a certain ooVirTic,

O s’ (3; 5 j u* a*7u> (lege says Homer. But the word •jiiVJtjtu', will be from arm*,* and ^ 3 erij’, T sensible object* indei d being moved externally, but the motions tending through the hodv to the soul, and producing as Plato says, sensations. Aery properly therefore, did tho*c who first pereeived the nature of the passion, and those in the present period, who did not entirely perceive it, thus denominate the senses. And those who now still gne this apjwllation to the senses, do it because there is similarly

’ Instead of t r?*>r iii llu place, it is necessary to read xai&*r.

f i. e. Position.

[book ▼.

44fi a complication lit them of passion ami judgment, or of motion and position. For the motion of the soul itself alone, is impassive; lint that which pervades from the body to tlie soul, is accompanied with passion.