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

Hence Socrates, in the Cratylus, celebrates her as ¢heonoe (4eovoy] or deific intellection, But theologists, also, consider her as in conjunction with other divinities

' Instead of των θεων here, it is necessary to read την θεον.

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sustaining all things in the one Demiurgus, and arranging wholes together with her father. Hence through the first of these, they denominate her philosophic, bat through the second philopolemic, For she, who according to the (τ of the one, connectedly contains all the paternal wisdom, is a pAilosopher, And she, who invariably rules over all contrariety, may be properly called a lover of war. Hence Orpheus speaking of her birth says, that Jupiter generated her from hes head,

With armour shining like a brazen flower,

Since, however, it was necessary that she should proceed into second and third orders, she appears in the order to which Proserpine belongs, according to the undefiled heptad; but she generates every virtue from herself, ἀπ clevating powers; and illuminates secondary natures with intellect, and an undetiled life. Hence she is called Core Tritogencs. She likewise appears among the liberated Gods, umting the lunar order with intellectual and demuurgic light, causing the productions of those divinities to be undefiled, and demonstrating the one unity of them to be unmingled with their depending powers. She also appears in the heavens and the sublanary region; and according to the united gift of herself nnparts the cause both of the philosophic and the philopolemte power. For her inflexibility is intellectual, and her separate wisdom is pare and unmingled with secondary natures ; and the one characteristic peculiarity of Minerval providence, extends as far as to the last orders. Por since wherever there are partial souls that resemble her divinity, they exert an admirable prudence, and exlibit an unconquerable strength, what ought we to say of her attendant choirs "of damons, or divine, mundane, liberated, and ruling orders? For all these receive as from a fountain the twofold peculiarity of this Goddess. Hence also, the divine poct (Homer) indicating both these powers of Minerva, in conjunction with fabulous devices says,

‘The radiant veil her sacred fingers wove
Floats in nich waves, and spreads the court of Jove.

Her father’s warlike robe her limbs invest. * ‘

- ' For χορευτῶν in this place, it is necessary to τόδ χορὼν των. * Thad. vit.

1 | : ἃ

Book 1.) TIMAUS OF PLATO. Lal

Her father’s warlike robe her limbs invest. * ‘

- ' For χορευτῶν in this place, it is necessary to τόδ χορὼν των. * Thad. vit.

1 | : ἃ

Book 1.) TIMAUS OF PLATO. Lal

Tn which verses by the veil which she wove, and to which she gave subsistence by her intellections, her intellectual wisdom is signified. But by the warlike robe of Jupiter, we must understand her demiurgic providence, which immutably takes care of mundane natures, and prepares more divine beings always to have dominion in the world. Hence, also, Ε think Homer represents her as an associate in battle with the Greeks against the Barbarians; just as Plato here relates that she was an associate with the Greeks against the inhabitants of the Atlantic island; in order that every where more intellectual and divine natures may

“rule over such as are more irrational and vile. For Mars, also, is a friend to warand contrarieties, but with a separation and division more adapted to the things themseives, Minerva, however, connects contrariety, and illuminates the subjects of her government with union, Hence, likewise, she is said to be plilopolemic, For, Strife, fighting, war, she always loves.

And she is a friend to war, indeed, because she is allotted the summit of separation; but she is a lover of contrarieties, because these are in a certain respect congregated through this goddess, in consequence of better natures having dominion. On this account, likewise, the ancients co-arranged Victory with Minerva.

If, therefore, these things are nghtly asserted, she is philosophic indeed, as being demiurgic intelligence, and as separate and immaterial wisdom. Hence, alsoy she is called Metis by the Gods. But) she is philopolemic, as connecting the contrarietics in wholes, and as an untamed and inflexible deity, On this account, likewise, she preserves Bacchus undetiled, but vanquishes the giants in conjunction with her father. She too alone shakes the το σία, without waiting for the mandate of Jupiter. She also hurls the javelin ;—

Shook by her arm, the massy javelin bends ;
Hluge, ponderous, strong! that when her fury burns,

Whole ranke of heroes tames and overturns. "

Again, she is Phosphoros, as every way extending intellectual light; the Saviour, as establishing every partial intellect in the total intellections of her father ;

* Tad. viii.

p. 142

Ergane, or the artificer, as presiding over demiurgic works. Hence the theologist Orpheus says, that the father produced her,

That she the queen might be of mighty works.

viii.

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Ergane, or the artificer, as presiding over demiurgic works. Hence the theologist Orpheus says, that the father produced her,

That she the queen might be of mighty works.

But she is Calliergos, or the beautiful fabricator, as connecting by beauty all the works of the father; a /reim, as exerting an undefiled and unmingled purity, und diviochos, or wgis-beaving, as moving the whole of fate, and betne the leader of its productions. We should, also, discuss the remaining appellations of the Goddess, if, what we have already said might not appear to be prolin through my sympathy with the discussion, Again, therefore, recurring to the thing proposed we must say, that Plato calls both these divinities, Love and) Minerva, philosuphers, not for the same reason; but he thus denominates the former, as being the middle of wholes, and as leading to intelligible wisdom ; and the latter as the summit of wholes, and as the union of demiurgic wisdom, Por the Demiurgus is “ Metis the first generator and much-pleasing Love.” And as Metis, indeed, he brings forth Minerva; but as Love, he generates the amatory series.

“ The ancient Athenians, therefore, using these laws, and being formed by good institutions in a still greater degree than I have mentioned, inhabited this region ; surpassing all men in every virtue, as it becomes those to do, who are the progeny and pupils of the Gods.”

We learn from history that the affiirs of the Athenians are more ancient than those of the Saitans; that the establishment of their city is prior; and that their laws are more proximate to Minerva. But in the mundane paradigms, also, wholes are prior to parts 5 and there is an order in them which is more divine, a power which is greater, and a form of virtue which is truly Minerval. Por the genus of virtue is adapted to this greatest divinity, as being virtue herself, For abiding in the Demiurgus, she is wisdom and immutable intelligence, and in’ the ruling (or supermundane] Gods, she unfolds the power of virtue.

By virtue’s worthy uame she’s called, says Orpheus. It is evident, however, that things which are more divine in the universe, may be called the progeny and pupils of the Gods, For they derive

Fl IN IIE ti Hn

ον οί

Seu sient

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