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

A.id tl.C Mini u hi. h h i" hi In Id Ihe elevating C»ods produce* tin* pruphttu nr idem htr. Ihe m iiiainin^ lour livi * however, hive *urve)t»l minliiii lc itst II, md di'Miuiliiude iiy li ; hut the two hr*t lt.iu Mirx e\ t d in a girait r i!t gne 'inuuiiidc, aod the (wo la i ilus unhiodr.

Plato (heirtorr, liavini' 'puktn rniicrriiiiur the lnn and the genera (L'lrdjiitrd lu omd* d-'i ending into generalitm, In in thv inlclligihle prior to nm ij* tiun, l.rndv d ti"« * in what inn un« t tin n ud.ul ol the 'in 1 during it** I thru (ondiiiuii, Ci<fifnrm.ihi) to what Is *jid III lilt* Kij'iihlti ; \ i/. that tt t -• ill which h as |> iss, ,1 tl.ioug!i tins lilt- in a ju t .11 I In !_v maimer, si all cl'.a 11 a in ic eviellenf, I ut tin- s. nl tliat lias ac id iiitpi-llv, a w 1 -e, comlilioii il l ii.g. Haeiug likcwi'C. !e I tl.e soul 1 .to tin- n alius ol g. inration, lie again elevates it to tin- n It iligrble, ar d 'aj‘, that every soul such as tin-■■dils 0! tin limit:-. It , is restored to the niulloil.lt, tl,rough leu tin. s.. l years, but that the soul .1 a philosopher •’ restored through tl rcr thousand years. ''line liowcicr, tie Iirakts melition ol a | cu 1 i t aruviiad, ami ol three thou sat d years, and farther stdl ot the period or a thousand years, Iruiu a progression Ircin gei eratt n into generation, let us first i vplaiu the uiathem itical ncarnng ol what is said, arid -Itctward' iuvisligate " hat he w ishes to indicate 3lie defines then, in the Republic, the measure of lire life ol man 10 he a hundred years, this unrulier hem - the sip,are of ten, which comprehends m iis,-|f all t|o- Ioiiiis ol iiiiiiiLers. Alterw aid-, it you undtipty u Intnrheil by t n, vou wi I piodiiee the cuhe a • 111 sand I lil', as In i, g tein stuai, and adapted In t anti, Plato attiihulis 1 it, and s,ys, 111.I the progression of the soul i.i.d r it c earth, 1 e Us progie-st.... Ir,.ni . encrali 11 to gi in r.illoii, 'e.nsists ol a thousand years, III , til. r M. u t In p 11. *| mi nt of 11s nth 111 e s, nr 1 1 e rew ard I.t Us g... .1 ihiIll iy t iki plat e 111 a te. t Id degn r I ai'ln r 'till, tins a s , iiuisi I e pic ,s.„ 1,,,^ (1, ,[ ( | ir soul vs Ole it |s aU.lil to lull Sli .,1 d to Its pi 1 st I i III |i 1 1 y til l I I IM el...M l a plulo-opliii file- lit ilnre lie tln-iil.11, a' ul 1! it ii is lie id 1 he nine hy.s; but it re mar 11' alter linn, (Hal one hie wine Ii Is ipoi ata'latle, 111 .si, as we have said, lie luv 1 siigati d , and thus wi s! ill ive tin liees. lienee since the pn gir'iioli ot eaeii lile ulnh r the 1 nth, cun'i'ts ol a thou- u d \e ai te 11 1 uni-> one IImiis.m,| w ,|| pn duce a my riad of ims '■inc a 1 -o it is neee -ary th it the - sold «!hit'll is -ellim¬ ing tw Us pi i-tiiie Ii lie'lly , sli eil I have phrl.i'i.plueril thin e, as Plato sa\~, a, .in tinee ihoiisind years will 1 . I'lcdiui I. Perhaps ton, Plato a'siiined this liom Iilslory. I r thus lie-run s I r I'liu g.slus riieieed tilt ■H I ell . 111.11 e.I 1 Hsi legisins, Lu anse In had ihuec | hi- I. | Im. 1 el eii l: 11 < arlli, anel the thud time knew i ( iin- Si it. And I llldal 1 s ,y ,, lull tin v wl.o 111 true snine'trun™

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An I kt 1 p tl i 11 mu .Is lr. in Irai di d wrong.

And guilt’s contagion | uit ,

1 l.i 1 tliio* tli*- st triy pall.s ol Juyc 1 o Saturn’s I h Ini lowrr it move Such theret..re, as I have sai l, is ihe mall entatiral In cal. u g e.l the wonK. Ai I in s|, n, three and ten multiply the journey ot a iiioii'au.l yt.tis under thtailli, tl al l',tlu pi ogress, oil I.t ill gt ut 1 all. n 11 to ge r.er |’I .1., ai d III ikt three llu.iis n.ii and a myriad.

W I al ih. n t'ot s Plato ol s. me y Mginty lluoilgh 1 hi r titiinh rs f It must hi *n.l, t .at ihret thoiisaiid and a inyiia.l, aie syinh U..lp ilttliou l ..| Plain doe* not 1111 an what tie in -til. i ina 11 1 'ign lieaiiuii ol the words r 111 I indie tie l or it this w• re thr ease, there