Farewell, a God immortal now am 1/
having ascended to divinity, and earnestly striving
to become similar to him. If, however, purifica¬
tion causes the soul to have a knowledge of the
* A celebrated line of Empedocles,
most excellent things, the sciences also which are
inwardly latent will then shine forth, and which are
truly sciences. For the soul does not by running
to externals behold temperance and justice, but
perceives them herself by herself, in the intellection
of herself, and of that which she formerly was, and
views them like statues established in herself, which
through time have become covered with rust. These
she then purifies, just as if gold were animated, and
in consequence of being incrusted with earth, and
not perceiving itself to be gold, should be ignorant
of itself ; but afterwards shaking off the earth
which adheres to it, should be filled with admiration
on beholding itself pure and alone. Then, also, it
would perceive that it has no need of adventitious
beauty, and would consider with itself that it is
then in the best condition when it is permitted to
be wholly by itself.
XI. Who, therefore, endued with intellect will
doubt that a thing of this kind is not immortal, to
which indestructible life is present from itself? For
how is it possible it should perish, since it is not
adventitious, and is not possessed in the same way
as heat is present with fire ? I do not mean by this,
that heat is adventitious to fire, but that it is so
to the subject matter of fire, though it is not to fire
itself. For through this fire is dissolved. Soul,
however, does not possess life in such a way, as
that matter is the subject of it, but life acceding,
demonstrates the presence of soul. For either life
is essence, and is an essence of such a kind as to
live from itself, which is soul, the object of our
investigation, and this they acknowledge to be im¬
mortal ; or they must analyze it as a composite.
This, also, they must analyze, till they arrive at
that which is immortal, and moved from itself, and
to which it is not lawful to receive the destiny of
death. Or if they say that life is a passion adven¬
titious to matter, they are compelled to acknow¬
ledge that nature to be immortal from which this
passion was imparted to matter, and which is inca¬
pable of receiving the contrary to that which it im¬
parts. For it is one nature living in energy.
XII. Farther still, if they say that every soul is
corruptible, it would be requisite that all things
should have long since perished. But if they assert
that one soul is corruptible, and another not, as for
instance, that the soul of the universe is immortal.
but ours not, it is necessary that they should assign
the cause of this difference. For each is the cause
of motion, and each lives from itself. Each, like¬
wise, comes into contact with the same things by
the same power, intellectually perceiving the na¬
tures in the heavens, and also those that are beyond
the heavens, investigating every thing which has an
essential subsistence, and ascending as far as to the
first principle of things. To which may be added,
that it is evident the soul gave being to itself prior
to the body, from its ability of apprehending what
each thing is, by itself, from its own inherent spec¬
tacles, and from reminiscence. And from its em¬
ploying eternal sciences, it is manifest that it is
itself perpetual. Besides, since every thing which
can be dissolved receives composition, hence, so
far as a thing is a composite, it is naturally adapted
to be dissolved. But soul being one simple energy,
and a nature characterized by life, cannot be cor¬
rupted as a composite. Will it, therefore, through
being divided and distributed into minute parts,
perish ? Soul, however, is not, as we have demon¬
strated, a certain bulk or quantity. May it not,
therefore, through being changed in quality, be cor¬
rupted ? Change in quality however which corrupts,
takes away form, but leaves the subject matter.
But this is the passion of a composite. Hence* if
it is not possible for the soul to be corrupted
according to any of these modes, it is necessarily
incorruptible.
XIII. How, therefore, since the intelligible is separate, does the soul descend into body ? 1 Be»
1 Souls fall into bodies, (says Proclus in Tim. p. 343.) be¬ cause they wish to imitate the providential energies of the Gods, and on this account proceed into generation, and leave the contemplation of true being. For as divine perfection is twofold, one kind being intellectual and the other providential, and one kind consisting in an abiding energy, but the other in motion, hence souls imitate the prolific, intellectual, and im¬ mutable energy of the Gods by contemplation, but their provi¬ dential and motive characteristic, through a life conversant with generation. As the intelligence too, of the human soul is partial, so likewise is her providence ; but being partial it associates with a partial body. But still further, the descent of the soul contributes to the perfection of the universe. For it is necessary that there should not only be immortal and in¬ tellectual animals, such as are the perpetual attendants of the Gods, nor yet mortal and irrational animals only, such as are the last progeny of the Demiurgus of the universe, but like¬ wise such as subsist between these, and which are by no means [wholly] immortal, but are capable of participating reason and intellect. And in many parts of the universe, there are many animals of this kind. For man is not the only rational and mortal animal, but there are other such-like species, some of
cause so far as intellect alone is impassive in intel- ligibles, having an intellectual life alone, it abides
■which are more daemoniacal, and others approximate nearer to our essence. But the descents of a partial soul contribute to the perfect composition of all animals, which are at the same time mortal and rational.
Should it be again asked. Why, therefore, are partial souls
descending into generation filled with such material perturba-
tiou, and such numerous evils ? We reply, that this takes place through the inclination arising from their free will ; through their vehement familiarity with body ; through their sympathy with the image of soul, or that divisible life which is distributed about the body ; through their abundant mutation from an intelligible to a sensible nature, and from a quiet energy to one entirely conversant with motion ; and through a disordered condition of being, naturally arising from the composition of dissimilar natures, viz. of the immortal and mortal, of the in¬ tellectual and that which is deprived of intellect, of the indivi¬ sible and that which is endued with interval. For all these become the cause to the soul of this mighty tumult and labour in the realms of generation ; since we pursue a flying mockery which is ever in motion. And the soul, indeed, by verging to a material life, kindles a light in her dark tenement the body, but she herself becomes situated in obscurity ; and by giving life to the body, she destroys herself and her own intellect, in as great a degree as these are capable of receiving destruction. For thus the mortal nature participates of intellect, but the intellectual part of death, and the whole becomes a prodigy, as Plato beautifully observes in his Laws, composed of the mortal and immortal, of the intellectual and that which is deprived of intellect. For this physical law, which binds the soul to the body, is the death of the immortal life, but is the cause of vivification to the mortal body/7
there eternally. For it has not any impulse, or
appetite. But that which receives appetite, and is
next in order to that intellect, by the addition of
appetite proceeds as it were to a greater extent,
and being desirous to adorn, in imitation of the
forms which it sees in intellect, it becomes as it
were pregnant from them. Hence, becoming par¬
turient, it hastens to make and fabricate, and
through this festination becoming extended about a
sensible nature, when it subsists in conjunction
with the soul of the universe, it transcends the sub¬
ject of its government, by being external to it, and
thus together with the mundane soul presides over
the universe with a providential care. But when
it wishes to govern a part of the world, it then
governs alone, and becomes [merged] in that in
which it is ; yet not so as to be wholly absorbed by
body, but even then it possesses something external
to body. Hence, neither is the intellect of this
soul passive. But this soul is at one time in body,
and at another external to it. And being impelled,
indeed, to descend from first natures, it proceeds
as far as to such as rank in the third degree, and
to those with which we are conversant, by a certain
energy of intellect ; intellect at the same time
abiding in itself, and through soul filling every thing
with all that is beautiful, being an immortal adorner
through an immortal soul. For intellect itself also
exists eternally, through unceasing energy.
XIV. With respect to the souls of other animals,
such among these as have fallen from a better con»
dition, and have proceeded as far as to brutal
bodies, these likewise are necessarily immortal.
But if there is another species of soul, it is neces¬
sary that this also should not be derived from any
other source than a vital nature, since this likewise
is the cause of life to animals, and besides this, of
the life which is in plants. For all these proceed¬
ing from the same principle, have an appropriate
life of their own. And these souls also are incor¬
poreal, impartible, and essences. If, however, it
is requisite that the soul of man being tripartite
should be dissolved with the composite, we must
say that pure souls which are liberated from the
body, dismiss that which adhered to them in gene¬
ration ; but that this is accomplished by others in
long periods of time. That also which is dis¬
missed, is the worse part, nor will this be destroyed,
as long as that subsists from whence it originates.
For nothing which is comprehended in being perishes.
XV. And thus much has been said by us to
those who require demonstration on this subject
But such things as should be adduced to those who
stand in need of the evidence arising from faith
mingled with sensible information, may be selected
from history, which abounds with instances in con¬
firmation of the immortality of the soul. It may
also be obtained from what the Gods have deli¬
vered in Oracles, when they order the anger of
souls that have been injured, to be appeased ; and
likewise honours to be paid to the dead, as being
still sentient, which honours all men pay to de¬
parted souls. Many souls also who once ranked
among men, do not cease when liberated from bo¬
dies to benefit mankind. And these by employing
divination benefit us in other respects, and demon¬
strate through themselves, that other souls also do
not perish.
On the
THREE HYPOSTASES,
That Rank as the
Principles of Things
I. What is the reason that souls become obli¬
vious of divinity, being ignorant both of themselves
and him, though their allotment is from thence,
and they in short partake of God ? The principle
therefore of evil to them is audacity, generation,
the first difference,1 and the wish to exercise an
unrestrained freedom of the will. When, therefore,
they began to be delighted with this unbounded
1 The five genera of being are, essence, sameness, difference , motion and permanency. This difference , therefore, which ranks as the first, and which is the source of all diversity, causes souls by predominating in them to be forgetful of deity, and themselves .
liberty, abundantly employing the power of being
moved from themselves, they ran in a direction
contrary [to their first course], and thus becoming
most distant from their source, they were at length
ignorant that they were thence derived. Just as
children who are immediately torn from their
parents, and have for a long time been nurtured at
a great distance from them, become ignorant both
of themselves and their parents. Hence, souls
neither seeing their father, nor themselves, despise
themselves through ignorance of their race, but
honour other things, and admiring every thing
rather than themselves, being vehemently astonished
about, and adhering to sensible natures, they as
much as possible hurl themselves [from their true
parents], and thus despise the beings from which
they have become elongated. Hence, the honour
which they pay to sensible objects, and the con¬
tempt of themselves, happen to be the causes of
their all-perfect ignorance. For at the same time
they pursue and admire something else, and
acknowledge themselves to be inferior to that which
they admire and pursue. But the soul admitting
that it is something subordinate to things which are
generated and corrupted, and apprehending that it
is the most ignoble and mortal of every thing which
it honours, neither believes in the nature nor power
of God. Hence, it is necessary that there should
be a twofold discourse to those who are thus af¬
fected, in order to convert them to the contraries
[to the things they admire], and to first natures,
and to elevate them as far as to that which is
highest, and one, and the first. What, therefore,
is each of these discourses ? One of them, indeed,
is that which shows the cause why the soul honours
these sensible objects, which we have elsewhere
largely discussed ; but the other teaches and re¬
minds the soul of the greatness of its origin, and its
true dignity ; which discussion is prior to the
former, and when manifested will render that ma¬
nifest Of this, therefore, we must now speak.
For this is proximate and conducive to the object
of enquiry. For that which is investigated is soul ;
and what it investigates should be known by it, in
order that it may in the first place learn whether it
has the power of investigating things of this kind ;
and also whether it has such an eye as is able to
see them, and whether they are properly objects of
its enquiry. For if they are foreign to its nature,
why should it investigate them ? But if they are