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

Such therefore are the particulars which ought lirst to be known concerning prayer; viz. that the essence of it congregates and binds souls to the Gods, or rather, that it unites all secondary to primary natures. - For as the great Theodorus says, all things pray except the first.

The perfection however of prayer, beginning from more common ἡ goods, ends in divine union, and gradually accustoms the soul to divine light. But its eflicacious energy both replenishes us with good, and) causes our concerns to be common with those of the Gods. With respect to the causes of prayer too, we may infer, that so faras they are efectice, they are the efficacious powers of the Gods, converting and calling upwards the soul to the Gods themselves, But that so far as they are final or pertective, they are the immaculate goods of the soul, which they derive as the fruits of being established in the Gods. That so far also as they are paradigmatical, they are the primordial causes of beings, which proceed from the good, and are united to it, according to one ineffable union. πὶ that so far as they are formal, they assimilate souls to the Gods, and ‘give perfection to the whole of their life. And that so far as they are material, they are the imprese

Tie. The intelligible Gods.

• * Forcar pera πληθους here, it is necessary to read καὶ μὴ μέτα πληθουν.
• * For κοιλογερων in this place, itis requisite to read κοεγοτέμων.

μὰ

150 PROCLUS ΟΝ ‘THE [MOOK Ut sions or symbols inserted by the Demiurgus in the essences of souls, in order that they may be excited to a reminiscence of the Gods who produced them, and whatever else exists.

* For κοιλογερων in this place, itis requisite to read κοεγοτέμων.

μὰ

150 PROCLUS ΟΝ ‘THE [MOOK Ut sions or symbols inserted by the Demiurgus in the essences of souls, in order that they may be excited to a reminiscence of the Gods who produced them, and whatever else exists.

Moreover, we may likewise define the modes of prayer which are various, according to the genera and species of the Gods. Por prayer is cither demiurgic, or cathartic, or vivitie, And the demiurgic is suchas that which is offered for the sake of showers and winds. For the demturgi are the causes of the generation of these. And the prayers of the Athenians for winds procuring serenity of weather are addressed to these Gods. But the cathartic prayer is that which is offered forthe purpose of averting diseases originating from) pestilence, and other contagious distempers ; such as we have written ino our temples. And the vieyie prayer is that with whieh we worship the Gods, who are the causes of vivifieation, on vecount of the origin and maturity of fruits, Henee prayers are of a perfective nature, because they clevate us to these orders of the Gods. And he who considers such prayers in a different manner, fails ino properly apprehending: the nature and eflicacy of prayer. Bat again, with reference to the things for which we pray; those prayers, which regard the salvation of the soul, obtain the first place: those whieh pertain to the rood temperament of the body, the second 5 and those rank in the third) place, which are offered for the sake of external concerns. And lastly, with respect to the division: of the times in which we offer up prayers, it is either according to the seasons of the year, or the centers of the solar revolution; or we establish niultiforim prayers according to other such-like conceptions.

Tra. “ But, O Socrates, all such as participate but in the least degree of temperance, Oi. e. wisdom] in the impulse to every undertaking, whether small or great, always invoke divinity.”

Do you see what kind ofan hypothesis Plato refers to the Timwus; what kind of an auditor of it he introduces, viz. Socrates ;and what a beginning of the discussion he has described? For the hy pothesis indeed, refers to the whole fabrication of things ; but the auditor is prepared to be led to it contormably to the one intellect ‘and onetheory of wholes. Hence also heexcites ‘Pimiwus to prayer, But the bezinning of the discussion, beingimpelled from the invocation of the Gods, thus imitates the progressionofbeings, which first abiding in the Gods, arethus allotted a generation fromthem. Since however, it is said, that “alliho in the least degree participate of

p. 181

Since however, it is said, that “alliho in the least degree participate ofp. 181 temperance always invoke divinity in the impulse to every undertaking, whether if be small or great, let us see from what kind of conception they make this invocation of the Gods in every thing in which they engage. For it is not probable that these who are temperate will not make real bemg the scope to which they tend. And those who establish a pure intellect as the leader of their theory; who deposit the beautiful and the good in the prerogatives of the soul, and not in human afiairs, nor in external fortunes; and who perceive ἡ the power of providence extending through all beings, and = harmonizing all things to the universe, so that both the whole and the parts may subsist most) beautifully, and that nothing may be destitute of the providence which proceeds from deity to all things ; these will genuinely apprehend the science concerning the Gods. But again, perceiving this to be the case, they will very properiy in each action, aud according to each energy, call on divinity as the co-adjutor of their impulse, introducing their productions to the universe in conjunction with wholes, and establishing themselves in the goodness of the Gods. For things which appear to be small, enjoy the providence of the Gods, and are great so far as they are suspended from them ; just again, as things which are great in their own nature, when they separate themselves from divinity, areseento be perfectly small, and of no worth.

These things therefore, temperance imparts to souls, not being a certain human habit, nor approaching to what is called continence, but a divinely inspired energy of the soul, converting herself to herself and to divinity, perceiving the causes of all things in the Gods, and from thence surveying both other things, and such as proceed [into a visible subsistence], through which as auniliaries, * we also may be able to reenr to the Gods, by means of the gifts which they insert inus, The soul also, when thus converted to herself, finds symbols of the Gods in each even of the smallest things, and through these renders every thing familiar and allied to the Gods. Since however, the Gods produced the | whole of our essence and gave us a selfmotive nature in order to the choice | of good, their producing power is particularly manifested in our external ener- | cies; though when we consult, we require their providential attention ; (which the Athemans manifest by honoring Jupiter the Counsellor) and when we choose, we are in want of their assistance; in’ order that by consulting, we may discover what is advantageous; and that in choosing, we may not through passion verge to that which is worse; butrather, that both when acting, and when

' For καθαρ τε here, read καθόρωσι. * For agoopew tv this place, it is necessary to read agoppwr.

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