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

“ But in succeeding times prodigious earthquakes and deluges taking

* For extorparcas here, it is necessary to read exoraoias.

πο ses er στονp. 157 place, and bringing with them desolation, in the space of one dreadful day and night, all that warhke race of Athenians was at once merged under the earth ; and the Atlantic island itself, being absorbed in the sea, entirely disappeared. And hence that sea is at present innavigable, from the impeding mud which the subsiding island produced.” *

That what is here said has a physical deduction, is evident to those who are not entirely ignorent of the physical theory. For it is not wonderful that there should have been an earthquake so great, as to have destroyed sucha large island ; since an earthquake that happened a little before our time, shook both Egypt and Bithynia, and it is not at all paradoxical, that a deluge should follow an earthquake, For this usually happens in great earthquakes, as Aristotle relates, who at the same time adds the cause. For where a deluge takes place together with earthquakes, the waves are the vause of this passion. For when the spirit which produces the earthquake, does not yet flow towards the earth, and is not able to drive backward the sea which is impelled by a certain contrary spirit, urging it in acontrary direction, through the wind which propels it, but nevertheless stops the sea by hindering its progression, it is the eause of much sea which js impelled by the spirit contrary to this, becoming collected together. Then however, the sea thus collected flowing most abundantly, the spirit impelling it ina contrary direction, enters under the earth and produces an earthquake. But the sea deluges the place, For after this manner also about Achaia, there was an earthquake accompanied with an ingress of the waves of the sea, which deluged the maritime cities, Bouras and Helice ;; so that neither will any physiologist reject this narration, who considers the affair rightly. Moreover, that the same place may become pervious and impervious, continent and sea, is among the things admitted by physiologists, according to Aristotle, and which history demonstrates. Aristotle also relates, {in his Meteors,] that there was mud in the external sea, after the mouth of it, and that the place there was marshy ; so that if ro πηλοῦ xapra Bpayeng signifies marshy, it is not wonderful. For even now rocks concealed under the sea, and having water on their surface, are called breakers. Why therefore should any one con tending for the truth of these things be disturbed?

That these particulars however, have reference to the admirable and orderly distribution of the universe, we shall be convinced by recollecting what is said by

" The text of Plato in this place is in the Commentaries of Proclus very erroneous, as the Jearned reader will immediately perceive by comparing it with any of the editions of the Timzus.

p. 158Orpheus about the hurling into Tartarus, near the end of the fabrication of things,— For he delivering the demiurgic opposition between the Olympian and. ‘Titanic Gods," terminates the whole ordorly distribution in the extremities of the universe, and imparts to these also the undefiled providence of the Gods, — Plato, therefore, knowing this, and delivering to us wholes in images, extends and leads into the invisible, these twofold genera, and through this disappearing, imitates the Orphic precipitation into Tartaras, Por in order that the last of things may be adorned, and participate of divine providence, it is requisite that both the superior and inferior co-ordination, should extend their production from on high as far as fo the mundane extremity. Each however, effects this in a manner adapted τὸ itself; the one being shaken, and entering under the earth, which is the same as proceeding stably and solidly ; but the other disappearing, whieh is the same as becoming material, disorderly, and formless 3 raider the earth, being a symbol of the firm and the stable; but ἐλ the sea, of that which is very mutable, disorderly and flowing. Forin the last of things, permanency and generation are from the better 5 but corruption, mutation, and disorderly motion are from the worse co-ordination. Since however these things are adorned, both the invisible and visible fabrication receiving their completion, on this account Plato says, they happened in one dreadful day and night, aight indicating the invisible causes, but day the visible, and the dreadfulness, signifying opposing power, the inflexible, and that which proceeds through all things. But because all these are accomplished according to demiurgic powers, earthquakes and deluges took place, Which are adapted to the middle fabrication. Por if he wished to signity Jovian powers or energies, he would have said, thunders and lightnings happened. But since he delivers Neptunian demiurgic energies, he asstmilates them to earthquakes or delauges. Por it is usual to call this God earth-shaker, and the source of marine walter (κυανοχετὴν). And because time signifies a progression in order, and a well-arranged diminution, he says that all these events took place in succeeding time. Its not therefore proper to say, that he who destroys an argument, takes away also the subjects, as Homer says of the Phieaceans, and of the wall which the Greeks raised ; since the things which are now asserted are not fictitious, but true. Por many parts of the earth are deluged by the sea; and what he says happened is not at all impossible. Nor again, does he relate it'as a mere history ; but he mtroduces it for the purpose of indicating the providence which proceeds through all things, and extends even to the last of things.

* Instead of τὴν των Ολυμπίων θεων, καὶ την Tiraviny παραουν δημιουργικὴν artreou in this place,

Nor again, does he relate it'as a mere history ; but he mtroduces it for the purpose of indicating the providence which proceeds through all things, and extends even to the last of things.

* Instead of τὴν των Ολυμπίων θεων, καὶ την Tiraviny παραουν δημιουργικὴν artreou in this place,

Tread σὴν των Ολυμπίων θεω», καὶ τὴν τῶν Τιταγίκων, κι δ.

BaP

p. 159

In short, it is necessary to assert, since the whole orderly distribution of things receives its completion from the visible and invisible fabrication, that for the purpose of giving perfection to the demiurgie productions of the second father, the gifts both of the better and the worse co-ordination, proceed as far as to the last of beings; the former vanquishing the subjects [of its powec] through the warlike genus, and illuminating a stable! power, through entering under the carth, li. 6. through proceeding firmly and solidly 2] but the latter producing ultimate division, and connecting the most material and indefinite motion of Tartarus. But these things being adorned, it reasonably follows that what remains is an impervious * and uninvestizable place of the sea. For there is no other passage and progression of the adorning genera of the universe, but this is that which is truly mud; and whichis mentioned by Socrates in the Phado, when he is teaching us concerning the subterranean places. For the place under the earth obscurely retains the forms of corporeity, which it possesses through the inferior co-ordination subsiding, and proceeding to the end of the orderly distribution of things. For the Titanic order being driven by Jupiter as far as to Tartarus, fills what is there contained with deiform guards.

“ And this, O Socrates, is the sum of what the elder Critias repeated from the narration of Solon. But when yesterday you were speaking about a polity and its citizens, I was surprised on recollecting the present history. For I pereeived how divinely from a certain fortune, and not wandering from the mark, you collected many things agreeing with the narration of Solon.” .

That the war of the Atlantics and Athenians contributes to [the theory of] the whole fabrication of the world, and that the mundane contrariety is connected by the middle fabrication proceeding from on high, from the first to the last of things, the Minerval series adorning all things stably, and in a ruling and victorious manner, expanding indeed the natures which are detained in matter, but preserving those undetiled that are separated? from matter ;.and also, that the other fabrication imparts appropriately, * motion, division, and diflerence, to the things fabricated, and proceeds supernally to the end ;—all this has been sufficiently

• * For γονεμον here, it is necessary to read μονέμον,
• * For axeqos here, itis necessary to read ἀποροῖ.

ἢ Instead of καὶ χωυρέσμενα read κεχωρισμένα.

4 For προσφωνων, read προσῴορωε.

—S

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