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

Tim. Plat. Vou. I. T

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cules, are analogous to the whole of the more excellent, but those external to them, to the whole of the inferior co-ordination, and that of this, there is one continued, and variously proceeding lite. Whether, therefore, beginning from the Gods, you speak of the Olympian and Titanic divinities 5 or beginning from intellect, of permanency and motion, or sameness and difference; or from souls, you speak of the rational and irrational; or from bodies, of heaven and generation ; or in whatever other way you may divide essences, according to all divisions, all the genus of those within the pillars of Hercules will be analogous to the better, but of those without to the less excellent: co-ordination of things. © For the true sea of dissimilitude, and the whole of a material life which proceeds into interval and multitude from the one, are there. Hence, whether you are willing Orphically to arrange the Olympian and ‘Titanic genera in opposition to each other, and τὸ celebrate the former as subduing the latter; or Pythagorically, to perceive the two co-ordinations proceeding from on high, as far as to the last of things, and the better adorning the subordinate rank; or Platonically, to survey much of infinity and much of bound in the universe, as we learn im the Philebus, and the whole of infinity in conjunction with the measures of bound, producing generation, which extends through all mundane natures,—from all these, you may assume one thing, that the whole composition of the world is co-harmonized from this contraricty. And if the illustrious Heraclitus looking to this said, that war ts the Sather of allthings, he did not speak absurdly.

Porphyry, therefore, here refers the theory to demons and souls, and makes mention of the fabulous Titanic war, adducing some things to what 1s proposed to be considered, with probability, but others, without it. Phe divine Iamblichus however, against those who adopt a more partial assignation of the cause of the analysis, is of Opinion after a certain wonderful manner, that what is said is only to be understood according to the apparent meaning, though in’ the preface he himself delivers to us auxiliaries for the solution of such-like narrations. May that divine man however, who has instructed us in many other particulars, and also in these, be propitious to us. Betaking ourselves, therefore, to the interpretation of the words of Plato, we think it fit to remind ourselves, of the beforementioned forms of analysis; and that we must arrange the Atlantics according to all the total natures of the inferior co-ordination. For in these, also, some things are wholes, but others parts. But we must arrange their ansoleny

“mpustice, according to progression, a division through diminution, and a proximity to matter, Por matter is truly infinity and baseness. Hence through nearness

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For in these, also, some things are wholes, but others parts. But we must arrange their ansoleny

“mpustice, according to progression, a division through diminution, and a proximity to matter, Por matter is truly infinity and baseness. Hence through nearness

δ PEE

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to, and being in a certain respect in it, they are said to have acted injuriously from iusolence. For the paradigm of them is manifested by the theologist, through these names, when he says of them, “that their mind is replete with evil counsels, and their heart is insolent.” And we must arrange the rushing from external parts according to a defection and separation remote from. the Gods, and things of a diviner nature in the universe. For the external does not indicate comprehension of powers, but an hypostasis departing from every thing stable, immaterial, pure, and united. But the Atlantic sea must be arranged according to matter itself, whether you call it the abyss, or the sea of dissimilitude, or in whatever other way you may be willing to denominate it. For matter receives the appellations of the inferior co-ordination, being called infinity and darkness, irrationality and immoderation, the principle of diversity and the duad; just as from. the Atlantic sea, the Atlantic island is denominated. For thus receiving the analogies in order, we shall understand that the whole of the inferior co-ordination, and the more total and partial genera in it, are characterised by progression and division, and a conversion to matter, and that thus it proceeds through all things, presenting itself to the view appropriately in each, and appearing analogously in each nature, viz. the divine and intellectual, the psychical and corporeal. Being however such, itis adorned and arranged by the better order, which you may properly say is Minerval, as being undefiled, and subduing through its power things of a subordinate nature. But the inferior co-ordination becoming adorned, ceases from its abundant division and infinity; the genus of the Titans being connected by the Olympian Gods; but difference being united by sameness, motion by permanency, irrational by rational souls, generation by the heavens, and in a similar manner in all things. It must not however be supposed from this, that two-fold divided principles of things are to be admitted. For we say that these two co-ordinations are of a kindred nature. But the one precedes all contrariety, as the Pythagoreans also say. Since, however, after the one cause of all, a duad of principles is unfolded into light, and in these.the monad is more cxcellent than the duad, or, if you wish to speak Orphically, ather than chaos, the divisions are accomplished after this manner in the Gods prior to the world, and also in the mundane Gods, as far as to the extremity of things. For among the supermundane Gods the demiurgic and connective orders are under the monad, lmut the vivific and the generative orders are under the duad. But among the mundane Gods the Olympian genus is under the monad, but the Titanic under the duad. And sameness, permanency, reason and form, are under the more

But among the mundane Gods the Olympian genus is under the monad, but the Titanic under the duad. And sameness, permanency, reason and form, are under the morep. 148 ancient, but difference, motion, irrationality, and matter, are under the other of these principles. For as far as to these the diminution of the two principles proceeds, Since however the one 1s beyond the first duad, things which appear to be contraries are collected together, and are co-arranged with a view to one orderly distribution of things. For in the universe there are these two-fold venera of Gods, the oppositely divided genera οἵ being, the various genera of souls, and the contrary wenera of bodies. But the subordinate are vanquished by the more divine, and the world is rendered one, being harmonised from contraries, since it subsists according to Philolaus from things that bound, and from things that are infinite. And according to the infinite, indeed, which it contains, it derives its subsistence from the indefinite duad, or the nature of the infinite ; but according to the things that bound, from the intelligible monad, or the nature of bound. And according to a subsistence from all these, it becomes one whole and all-perfect form from the one. Vor it is God, as Socrates says in the Plilebus, who gives subsistence to that which is mixed,

“ Porat that time the Atlantic sea was navigable, and had an island before that mouth which is called by you the Pillars of Hercules. But this island was greater than both Libya and Asia together, and afforded an casy passage to other neighbouring islands 5 as it was likewise casy to pass from those islands to all the opposite continent which surrounded that true sea.”

That such and so great an island once existed, is evident from what is said by certain historians respecting what pertains to the external sea, For according to them, there were seven islands in that sea, in their times, sacred to Proserpine, and also three others of an Immense extent, one of which was sacred to Pluto, another to Ammon, and the middle (or second] of these to Neptune, the magnitude of which was a thousand stadia, They also add, that the inhabitants of it preserved the remembrance from their ancestors, of the Atlantic island which existed there, and was truly prodigiously great; which for many periods had dominion over all the islands in the Atlantic sea, and was itself likewise sacred to Neptune. These things, therefore, Marcellus writes in his Ethiopic Llistory. It however this be the ease, and such an island once existed, it Is possible to receive what is said about itas abistory, and also as an image ofa certain mature among ee

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