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

> This triad constitutes intelligible life, or eternity itself,

ω

This triad forms intelligible intellect, or [avro2wor] animal itself. This tnad is the summit of the order which is called intelligible, and at the same time intellectual.

>

> The second triad of the above order is denominated [Jeaven, by Plato in the Phadrus.

® Aud the third triad of this order, is called by Plato in the Phadrus, the eub-celestial arch.

p. 110

in themselves, and things that are in others. According to the second, into things animated and things inanimate, into things stable and things which are moved. But according to the third, into things that are the same and things

* indeed, it as divided into that are diflerent.'” And from the order of Rulers, things which rejoice in similitude, and things allied to dissimilitude., But) from the liberated? order, it receives a division into the separate and the inseparable. These things, therefore, which have an arrangement elsewhere, have now also been as it were explored by us. For according to each division, the goodness of better natures, desiring to fill things subordinate, and to take away depravity, produces war, But the desire of less excellent matures, τὸ. divalse a certain portion of beings, of amore excellent condition, excites the apparent opposition of things; since in war, also, those that contend against each other, wish to reduce into their own power the property of their opponents, and entirely destroy them, These things, therefore, are evident,

We may, however, understand the opposition of powers in the universe, by making a division after the following manner, into the adorming and adorned, And, in the first place, indeed, into things super-essential amd essences. Por the venus of the Gods is super-essential, Tn the next place, by divide essences ito eternal lives, and those which energize according to time. Likewise, those which energize according to time, ito souls and bodies. And bodies, into such as are celestial, and such as subsistin generation, These, likewise, we must divide into wholes and parts. For the division extends as far as to these extremes, And, again, we must divide super-essential natures into the divine pecatiaritics, such as the male and the female, the odd and the even, that which unites, and that whieh separates, the stable and the motive. Bat eternal natures must be divided into total and) partial essences. And such as are total, into the divine and angelic. Souls are to be divided into the divine, and the attendants on the divine. And divine souls, into the celestial, and those that pay a providential attentton to weneration, Souls, likewise, that follow the Gods, must be divided into those that follow them perpetually, and those that are frequently separated from them. And the division of those that are separated from therm, is into those that preside over generation with undefiled purity, aud those that become detiled with vice. For

* The intellectual triad consists of Saturn, Rhea, aud Jupiter.

> The order of Rulers, is (he supermundane order of Gods.

> ‘The liberated which immediately follows the supermundane order, is itself immediately followed by the mundane order of Gods. See my translation of Proclus on the Theology of Plato,

3 i SNP ORESp. 1 the descent is far as to these. Moreover, the celestial bodies must be divided into. the inerratic and erratic. And these, into such as are moved with a simple, and such as are moved with a various motion. The latter, also, must be divided into the peculiarities of powers. And universally the division in all the above mentioned orders, is into that which adorns, and that which is adorned, that which fills, and that which is filled.

The latter, also, must be divided into the peculiarities of powers. And universally the division in all the above mentioned orders, is into that which adorns, and that which is adorned, that which fills, and that which is filled.

If, however, 1 be requisite, not to look to apart, but to adhere to the intellectual conception of wholes, it must be admitted that this opposition subsists every where. For it is in Gods, and in intellects, in souls, and in bodies. For in the first of these, there is bound and infinity 5 in intellects, sameness and difference ; in souls, the circle of the same, and the circle of the diflerent ; and in bodies, heaven and generation. But) secondary natures are always arranged with reference to' such as are more excellent. Tence, also, we say that this narration ix useful to the whole theory of nature, as indicating to us the mundane contrariety from energies and = motions. For all the teachers of physiology begin from contraries, and make these to be principles; which Plato also knowing, delivers to us, through symbols and enigmas, what the contrariety is of the genera in the universe, and how less are subjugated to more excellent natures, through the intellectual energy of Minerva. Farther still, Plato very properly calls the polity the work of the Athenians, because it is requisite that such an analogy as this which the junior fabrication connects, should proceed through all things ; but that total powers should by a much greater priority eflect this, from which also the junior fabrication being filled, gives subsistence to mundane intellects, to souls andbodies, conformably to the pec ularity of itself.

* Solon, therefore, on hearing tais, said that he was astonished, and burning with the most ardent desire, entreated the priests to narrate every thing pertaining to his ancient fellow citizens.”

This, likewise, is the peculiarity of divine natures, viz. for such as are secondary, genuinely to adhere to such as are first, and to be established in their undefiled intellectual perceptions ; but for such as are first, to impart by illumination their own plenitude to such as are secondary, through * unenvying exuberant

' For πρὸ τῶν ἀμεινόνων, it is necessary to read xpos τῶν ἀμεινονων.

> Instead of ra Se xpwra, ἕνναμεων αφθονων, cat ἀγαθότητι, rows Sevreps επιλαμπειν τὴν ag’ cavTw,p. 112 power and goodness. Wonder, therefore, precedes, because in us, also, this is the beginning of the knowledge of wholes. But in divine natures, it conjoins that which wonders with the object of wonder, Hence, likewise, those who are wise in divine concerns celebrate 7hawnas, (whose name is derived from = thawna, wonder,] as one of the greatest of the Gods, who through wonder inclines secondary to primary natures. But ardent request follows, rendering that which ought to partake of more perfect goods, adapted to the participation of them.