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

And the supine position takes place, when the worse opinions entirely vanquish the better, anil the infor¬ mations of sense mi due the conceptions which are drawn forth from within. For in a passion of this kind, things more excellent are enslaved, and liecome subject to things subordinate.

Again, about the irrational part, contrariety may lie surveyed, as for instance, in those that are continent. For in tin se the lietter fights with the worse, the imagination of lieauty with the appetite of deformity. But obliquity is seen

1 For ivty/jara her, rtiJ fwy^iora.

* Here »bo, for aroXo*0a, read urrwoWo.

PROChUS OX THE

[HOOK V.

4M in the equal symphony of judgment with appetite, when both are moved similarly and passively. And Mtpiiieness takes place in intemperate lives, in which the rational is entirely spread under the irrational part. And here, von nrav see how the oblique disposition proceeds in a well-ordered manner from the contrary. For when after a »reat contest, the rational yields to the irrational part, then it is moved obliquely, and Irom this supinely . J or in eonseipi< ne*e* ot the worse continually vampiidiing the better part, at last there is no need of rontest, hut the better part is enslaved and led wherever tin* worse part pleases. And this is the last form ot hti*, just as tin most perlect is that which accords with itself, is without obliquity, and is conformable to nature, and in whit h tin* more excellent part possesses its own order without hostile opposition. The? concord likewise, is produced from temperance, the mm ohlnputy from fortitude, and the arrange¬ ment according to nature, from justice. lint the * oiiti tries of these, are produced as follows: Dissenlioii indeed proihlt'es coniiaiietv, hut the fracture, obliquity J for things that arc* trac lutvd Itecome cchlicpie ; and tin* tinning, supiness. For it entirely inverts the ordi*r ol h ade rs and followers. And the mutrarii-tv indeed appe ars to divulse; the one life of tin* soul, and to make the rational life* discordant with itse lf. lint the* obliquity produe*es irrationality itse*lf: for this wholly tends to body, and to mailer. Xml the supine position’ causes the* rational life to rank with plants. For ill these* the head is ruotee in tin* earth. Such therefore, he 1114 the division, and such the* passions, about the powers of the soul, Plato very properly says, that they an staidly 1 connected ti lth each other. For the* existence of their essence, which is incorruptible* as hi mortal nature's, connects them toge¬ ther. lienee, dissentient, fracture, and a turning are* proeluceel, matter vanquish¬ ing toim, the* former of which is analogous to the fee t, m the same manner as the latter is to the head.

For the* existence of their essence, which is incorruptible* as hi mortal nature's, connects them toge¬ ther. lienee, dissentient, fracture, and a turning are* proeluceel, matter vanquish¬ ing toim, the* former of which is analogous to the fee t, m the same manner as the latter is to the head.

“ Just as it some one in a supine position, should fix his head on flic earth, and raise Ins feet on high ; for in such a situation, both the inverted person and the spectators, would mutually imagine the right hand parts to be on the left, and the leh to he on the right. So with respect to the cirt ulatious ol the soul, the veiy same a.fleetious, and others ol a similar kind, vehemently take place; and hence, when anv thing external occurs, characterized by thenatuicot some, or different* they denominate things lobfcad of vyporrji here, it u obooujly Decenary to read vrnorp.

For fiottji in this place, read ftoyu, this beiog tbe word u»eet by Plato,

BOOK V.]

TIM.PUS OF PLATO.

p. 466

tho s.niu* with, or elith-renf from others, inn manner contrary to the truth, and In come Inis*-, and destitute ot' iiilcllioriicu."

In wliai i'- lion* said. Plato tra-icallv ele-serihes tho last passion of tho soul, in " hi‘‘h tho holtor part is «hooivod ami onslavod, licit tho weirs** part tyrannize*** U:nohh> redo over <)lvmpian, and mate rial ovor divino natures. Ho also asxinilato- tho load to our dome part, hut our inferior part to die feet. For the former governs, hut tho latte r has the* order of the* "overued. For as lx- says further on, tlx* slavery ol that whic h is divine, and which rule s in us, is similar to fixing the head on tho earth, hut the* tyranny of the irrational part to the elevation of the loc-t ; and that which happens from a figure* of this kind, is analogous to what take s place about tin* soul. Ihit it happe ns with respect to tho body, that the ri-ht ami 1**11 hand parts are* se*e*n in a changed p*isiii*in. II**ucc also, it haj>> jicns about tin* soul, that tilings di/lbrent, and things that are the same, are changed to tin* spectators. For the .same is analogous t<i th** right hand, but the different to the* left, according to the Pythagorean custom. And such is the linturc* of tho whole t**xt.

II**ucc also, it haj>> jicns about tin* soul, that tilings di/lbrent, and things that are the same, are changed to tin* spectators. For the .same is analogous t<i th** right hand, but the different to the* left, according to the Pythagorean custom. And such is the linturc* of tho whole t**xt.

Put le t us direct our attention to the pai tirnlars. In the fust place*, therefore, the order is to be surveyed, how Plato make** the body from a standing to be m an obliepn- position, but from an obliepie, in a supine*, and from a supm** po-iiion, to have tlx* fe e t raise el cut high. Put fixing the* head m the* e arth makes a figure of this kind. And in tin* soul, there i*. first a departure [from gooel]; seeemdlv, an eebliepiity ot lit**; tliinllv, an e\t-‘ii'>i*m to matter,' a pusitiou tovvar<ls generation, and a eonjimetiim e»f lii.u vvhieli is divine with that which is without (bid; ami in the last p! me, tin- intolerable tv raimy of stupid nalnrcs. Of polities likc'wi.se, that which is a Inver ei| contention is constitutes] according to a contiarictv of this kinel ; that which is a lover of riedies subsists according to obliepiilv ; that which is a lover e*l pleaxirc illegally e*xists arreireling to a supine ne*ss of hie; anel that which is fvrauniral according to the e levation of the feet. And this ti^ure is dex’rilieel in what Plato now savs.

In tlie see'ond place, it i- r»*«jni-it** to survey, how a ligtir** of this kind exhibits the ri_dit hand parts on tlx* le ft, and the left on the r’ght, both to him who is m ibis position, ami to the spectators. I>*t one peTsnii tbe*ri*lbre\ be* supposed to look te» tin; north, lull another to the south. Of these*, the* former inched, will have* the* ri”hl hand to the* cast, hot the* le ft hand to the* we*st. Put the* othe r will have these vie*e versa. I>*t him Imvvever, vvlui loeiks to the imrtli lie* supine, not as Timams [may sceni to] say, having bis li**ad fixeal in the earth, but his licet

1 For e>\ij« he re*, it is n< ertsary to r**ad

p. 456

PIIOCLUS ON TIIK

[book V.