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

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.

elevated, as we are atcustomed to assert of liim who lies in a prone position [blit let bis face la* upward]. Anti again, lie will have the east to tla* right hand, hut the west to the left. In order however, that in the way mentioned bv Tinucus he may lie supine, let his feet be raised, but his head be fixed oil the ground, so that his face may be turned from the north. Looking therefore to the smith, he will similarly liaie the light h uni parts to the * ist, but the h ft hand to the west. I In- contrary liovvrvi i, ought to lake plai e. as pi rlmunig to those that stand, and look towards the south. I lei ice, he w ill fancy , since In looks to the south, that things situ ited to the e ist, are on the h it hand, but those situated to the west, on the right hand And the *p« i tutors hkew ise, w ill f mev this to be the case. He w ill therefore fancy things on tin hit tub. on the right hand ; amf things on the right to be on the h It hand ; md this ill coiiseipu lice ot Ills supine po-ition. It is liken ise e\ ideiit, that he will apprehend things pertaining to the end spectator, to subsist vice versa, though the right and h it hand parts will be referred to the same things in both 1 or « u< h looking to the south will fanev that the left hand parts are to the east, but the light hand paits to the west, and will sav that if the one thus subsist, the rest also subsist after the same manner. This however will not Im- hue vv ith respect to him who has his face downward, though he should look to the smith It is vvi II said tin retore, that e.u h will fanrv things pi rtaining to both and not to one of them only, will have a vice versa position.

This however will not Im- hue vv ith respect to him who has his face downward, though he should look to the smith It is vvi II said tin retore, that e.u h will fanrv things pi rtaining to both and not to one of them only, will have a vice versa position.

In the third place, it is re<|ui>i(e to show, how these things in.iv he analogous !\ surveyed mi the soul. I ui the soul burying her reason, hut exciting the phantasy and the irrational powers, heroines rather a plant [than a rational nature', and imitates the life of plants. I or in tin o-, tin head is rooted downward, hut all the rest lends upward, vanquishing the (tetter part. Heine the soul forms a judg¬ ment ot things coiitiary to the truth, and in 1 only the soul that is in tins condition, but that also which does not yet sutler this, hut looks to her. It is evident there¬ fore, that lie w ho fixes his head dow nw ard, resembles those that are perfectly distorted ; but that he who stands indeed, in a natural position, hut bv looking at the former, is similarly aflei ted with him, resembles those that are distorted bv others; just as tin* former is similar to those that are distorted by themselves. Heine, the son! imitating a physical life, thinks different things to be the same, and again, the same things to In different For it thinks that pleasure is the same with good, though it is different from it; hut it separates the divine from the good, and virtue from the beautiful, though they are the same. !o conse¬ quence therefore, of thus thinking, the soul possesses the last life, departs from In rself, and follows this life. Hence, her opinions are false, and are not only thus affected about same and different, but also about motion and permanency. For

BOOK \ .]

I IM .EL’S <>i PLATO.

4A7 they think that tin* nature which is jk rp' tually iit motion lias stood still, as the multitude i. i*. the Christians nf that limp] do the sun, and also that wlr.it is permanent i> inmcd, as sunn* do tin* « nth. And in many other purl it til irs they survey things changed from what thpy are, 'I'Iipsp passions however hapjtcn about tin* «mercies of tin* circles in tin* period of the different. Hence also he say s, that the seven circulations in tin* circle of tin* dillrrrnt, sutler these, and other such like affections. For one oi tin; circles, viz. the circle o f the same, is fettered, as was helore observed. He therefore alone is endued with intfllfrcL. who uses the circle o (the different rightly, hut liberates the circle of the .same ; ami he will entirely In* one, who loosens the Prometheus of himself, who was hound by Hpimctheus. For through this 1 [i. e. through possessing the last life], the soul beconn s hound to the irrational order, which Kpiinetheus himself is said to adorn.*

“ Atnl in this situation, there is not any one of the circulations which possesses a ruling and leading authority.”

For through this 1 [i. e. through possessing the last life], the soul beconn s hound to the irrational order, which Kpiinetheus himself is said to adorn.*

“ Atnl in this situation, there is not any one of the circulations which possesses a ruling and leading authority.”

For as there are many periods in the circle of the different, in imitation of the soul of the universe, they are ail of tin m injured, lieconn* distorted and imbecile, and are in servile subjection to the irrational motions, which it is not proper to < all periods, because they hasten m a right line to •generation. For a period is a motif’ll from the same to the same. Hut every irrational know led^e and appetite, hastens from one tiling to another dillcrcnt tiling, brim: extended to that which is external to itself. For both the object of apjvtite, and the object of knowledge are external, the former to tin* irrational appetite, and the latter to irrational knowledge. A"either therefore does the period of the .satin 1 govern ; for it is fi tiered, and resi mbles a kui^ in chains, in eonsiTpienre of hrinjj in the power of his enemies; nor the period of the different; for it is distorted, and r< setnblrs a general who favours the concerns of Ins enemies. Hi lire, this is truly a gigantic n M

1 Iiis|< ad r>l iSn -,n/> njr vpo« m oXny»n Kt’rnllru rn;ie, in lint place, which o evidently erroneous, I read iS« rnrnje, » r. X. But a urtvtt part o| the almve eonunrnt.ir v is vrry oli-curr from 1 1 9 defective state. I have however endeavoured to render the translation ol il as ruui h as jmssililc per¬ spicuous.

* "I he Prometheus in man is llie ruiinn.tl, ami F.pimeliicus is the irralioual part. But considered as divine powers, I’loiiiellieus is llie inspeeiive guardian of the descent of the rational soul, and Epunetlieus is the guardian of the irrjliou.il soul.

1 For ravra here, it ia necessary to read ravrov.

Tim. Plat.

VOL. II.

p. 450

I’KOCLUS ON TIIF

[book *.

war, making the earth-born genera that are in us, to !»e more honourable than the Olympic, aiul not as in wholes, subjecting inferior to more excellent natures.

“ But when certain senses, borne along externally, fall on the soul, and eo-attraet the whole cavity of it, then the circulations which are governed, appear to govern."