* From this solitary subsistence of the one, the solitariness of all other divine natures is derived, and their ineffable asso¬ ciation with themselves. Hence Plato in the Timaeus says,
that the Demiurgus established heaven (i. e. the world) one, only, solitary nature, able through virtue to converse with it¬ self, indigent of nothing external, and sufficiently known and friendly to itself/' Proclus, in his Commentaries on this dia¬ logue, admirably illustrates these words as follows : tc To com¬ prehend the whole blessedness of the world in three appella¬ tions, is most appropriate to that which subsists according to a triple cause, viz. the final, the paradigmatic, and the demiur¬ gic. For of the appellations themselves, the first of them, viz. one , is assumed from the final cause ; for the one is the same with the good. But the second, viz. only , is assumed from the paradigmatic cause. For the only -begotten and only- ness (μονωσ is) were, prior to the universe, in all-perfect animal. And the third, viz. the solitary , is assumed from the demiurgic cause. For the ability of using itself, and through itself go¬ verning the world, proceeds from the demiurgic goodness. The world, therefore, is one, so far as it is united and is converted to the one. But it is only, so far as it participates of the in¬ telligible, and comprehends all things in itself. And it is soli¬ tary , so far as it is similar to its father, and is able to save itself. From the three, however, it appears that it is a God. For the one, the perfect , and the self-sufficient , are the elements of deity. Hence, the world receiving these, is also itself a God; being one indeed, according to hyparxis ; but alone,
according to a perfection which derives its completion from all sensible natures ; and solitary through being sufficient to itself. For those that lead a solitary life, being converted to themselves, have the hopes of salvation in themselves. And that this is the meaning of the term solitary , is evident from the words, “ able through virtue to converse with itself, indi¬ gent of nothing external, and sufficiently known and friendly to itself." For in these words Plato clearly manifests what the solitariness is which he ascribes to the world, and that he de¬ nominates that being solitary, who looks to himself, to that with which he is furnished, and to his own proper measure. For those that live in solitary places, are the saviours of them¬ selves, so far as respects human causes. The universe, there¬ fore, is likewise after this manner solitary, as being sufficient to itself, and preserving itself, not through a diminution but from an exuberance of power; for self-sufficiency is here indi¬ cated ; and as he says, through virtue. For he alone among partial animals [such as we are] who possesses virtue, is able to associate with, and love himself with a parental affec¬ tion. But the vicious man looking to his inward baseness , is indignant with himself and with his owri essence , is astonished with externals , and pursues an association with others , in con¬ sequence of his inability to behold himself. On the contrary , the worthy man perceiving himself beautiful , rejoices and is de¬ lighted, and producing in himself beautiful conceptions , gladly embraces an association with himself. For we are naturally domesticated to the beautiful, but hastily withdraw ourselves from deformity. Hence, if the world possesses virtue adapted to itself, in its intellectual and psychical essence, and in the perfection of its animal nature, looking to itself, it loves itself, and is present with, and sufficient to itself.
Extracts
From the
Treatise of Synesius
Of
Providence
Th is fable is Egyptian. The Egyptians trans¬
cend in wisdom. Perhaps therefore this also being
a fable, obscurely signifies something more than a
fable, because it is Egyptian. If, however, it is
not a fable, but a sacred discourse, it will deserve
in a still greater degree to be told, and committed
to waiting.
Osiris and Typhos were indeed brothers, and procreated from the same seed. There is not, how-
ever, one and the same relationship of souls and
bodies. For it is not congruous to souls to be
born on the earth from the same parents, but to
flow from one fountain. But the nature of the
world imparts two fountains ; the one indeed being
luminous, but the other obscure and dark. And
the one scatters its streams from the earth, as
having its roots beneath, and leaps from terrene
caverns, in order that it may offer violence to the
divine law. But the other is suspended from the
back of heaven.2 And it is sent from thence, in¬
deed, for the purpose of adorning the terrene allot¬
ment. In descending, however, it is ordered to be
careful, lest in adorning and arranging that which is
disorderly and unadorned, it should itself become,
by approximating to it, filled with turpitude and
deformity. But the law of Themis proclaims to
souls, that whatever soul, in associating with the
last of things, preserves its own nature free from
contamination, shall again by the same way [in
which it descended] be restored to the fountain
from which it was derived;4 just as the souls which after a certain manner are impelled from the
1 i. e. From an intelligible essence.
% See my translation of the Phsedrus of Plato.
other fountain, are from a necessity of nature col» lected into kindred receptacles.
Where slaughter, rage, and countless ills beside,
In Ate’s meads and darkness, wander wide.1
This is the nobility and ignobility of souls. And
thus it may happen that a Libyan and Parthian
may be allied to each other, and that those whom
we call brothers may have no relationship of souls ;
which appeared by certain indications to be the
case with these Egyptian children from their birth,
and was clearly manifested when they arrived at
the perfection of manhood. For the younger of
the tw o, being born and educated through a divine
destiny, was from his infancy desirous of learning,
and a lover of fables. For a fable is the wisdom
of children. He likewise applied himself to learn¬
ing with an ardour far beyond what might be ex¬
pected from his age. He was also obedient to his
father, and imbibed with avidity whatever wisdom
any one possessed ; at first, indeed, with a canine
eagerness as it w?ere, desiring to know all things at
once, as is usual with those geniuses who raise
great expectations of themselves. For these pant
* These lines are from Empedocles.
[after glory], and burst forth before their time,
already promising themselves the attainment of the
end after which they aspire. In the next place,
long before the age of puberty, he was more sedate
than a well-educated old man, and modestly at¬
tended to what was said to him. But when it was
requisite that he himself should speak, or when he
was interrogated about what he had heard, or about
any thing else, his delay and his blushes were ob¬
vious to every one. He also made wray for, and
resigned his seat to the elder among the Egyptians,
though he vras the son of one who possessed a
mighty empire. He likewise reverenced his equals,
and was naturally disposed to pay attention to the
welfare of mankind. Hence, while he was still a
youth, it was difficult to find an Egyptian who had
not through his means received some benefit from
his father.
The elder brother Typhos however was, in one
word, perverse in every thing. For the king, in¬
deed, had procured for his son Osiris, teachers of
all wisdom, both of such as is Egyptian, and such
as is foreign. But this Typhos profoundly hated,
and ridiculed as only fit for the idle and the servile.
Perceiving also that his brother conducted himself
in an orderly and modest manner towards his com¬
panions, he considered this to be occasioned by
fear ; in consequence of which conduct in his bro¬
ther, no one ever saw Osiris striking another with
his fist, or spurning with his heel, or running in a
disorderly manner ; and this though his body was
light and pure, and an easy burden to the soul
which it surrounded. But neither did Osiris ever
drink greedily, or laugh immoderately, so as to
convulse the whole body, as was daily done by
Typhos ; and he considered those works alone to
be the province of free men to accomplish, which
were performed voluntarily and opportunely.
Hence, Typhos neither resembled his own race in
his natural disposition, nor, in short, any man ;
and in one word, he did not even himself resemble
himself, but he vras a certain all- various evil. And
now indeed he appeared to be a sluggish and use¬
less burden of the earth, since he only spared as
much time from sleep as was sufficient to replenish
his belly, and to deposit other things which might
serve as the viatica of sleep. But at another time
he neglected even a moderate supply of what the
necessities of nature required, in order that he
might leap inelegantly, and be troublesome both to
his equals in age, and to those that were older than
himself» For he admired bodilv strength as the
most perfect good, and employed it badly, either
in breaking open doors, or hurling large masses of
earth. And if he happened to wound any one, or
do any other evil, he rejoiced as if it were a testi¬
mony of virtue. He was likewise inflated with un¬
seasonable desires, and was most violent in his
venereal connexions. Besides this also, he was
envious of his brother, and hated the Egyptians,
because the people indeed admired Osiris in their
discourses and songs, and all of them every where,
both at home and in their common sacred ceremo¬
nies, supplicated the Gods to bestow upon him
every good. Such a character therefore as this
was Typhos, and such he appeared to be. Hence,
Typhos formed a society of stupid youth, for no
other purpose (since he was not naturally adapted
to love any one judiciously) than that certain sedi¬
tious persons might be with him, who were averse
to Osiris. But it was easy for any one to gain the
good-will of Typhos, and obtain from him such
things as youth require, if they only whispered any
thing defamatory against Osiris,. Such a differ-
Plot, 2 K
ence, therefore, in the liver of the two, was indi¬
cated by their natural dispositions from childhood.
But as in paths which are in a different direction,
the difference which is at first small, becomes
gradually greater, till at length they are distant
from each other by the most extended interval,
thus also it might be seen io these youths, that the
difference between them which was small at first,
became very great as they advanced in years.
These, however, did not gradually but immediately
proceed in contrary paths, the one being allotted
perfect virtue, but the other perfect vice. As they
increased in years, therefore, the opposition of their
deliberate choice also increased, the indications of
which became more evident by their deeds.
Osiris, therefore, as soon as he arrived at the
age of puberty, associated himself with those who
were appointed to the army, as the law did not
allow those who were so young as he then was, to
bear arms. He ruled likewise over their decisions,
being as it were intellect with reference to them,
and used the leaders of armies as his hands.
Afterwards, his nature increasing like a plant, pro»
duced a certain fruit which became continually
more perfect. But being made a prefect of the
spearmen, an auditor of reports, the governor of a
city, and the chief of the king’s council, he ren¬
dered each of these departments much more vene¬
rable than they were when he received them* But
Typhos being made the treasurer, (for their father
thought fit to make trial of the disposition of the
youths in smaller affairs) disgraced both himself
and him by whom he was appointed to this office,
being convicted of stealing the public money, and
of bribery and stupidity in his administration®
Being transferred, therefore, to a magistracy of
another kind, in the hope that he might be adapted
to it, he acted in the latter more disgracefully than
in the former ; and that part of this most excellent
kingdom over which Typhos presided, was for a
whole year considered inauspicious. From these
he passed to other men, and transferred to them
also grief and lamentation. Such, therefore, was
Typhos in his government of men. And privately,
indeed, he employed himself in lascivious dances ;
and associated with the most disorderly Egyptians
and foreigners, who were prepared to speak and
hear, to suffer and to do all things, so that his
banqueting-room was the workshop of all-various
intemperance. He likewise snored when he was
awake* and was delighted to hear others do the
same* conceiving the thing to be a certain admira¬
ble music ; and he both praised and honoured him
who could extend this intemperate sound* and give
a greater roundness to it. Among these also, he
who was especially strenuous and shameless in all
his conduct* and who was not averse to any thing
disgraceful, obtained many rewards for his forti¬
tude , and besides these, certain magistracies as the
wages of his base licentiousness.
Such, therefore, was the domestic conduct of
Typhos. But when he transacted the affairs of
the public, then he clearly demonstrated that vice
is all-various. For it is discordant both with virtue
and itself, and all the parts of it are in opposition
to each other. In transacting public business,
therefore, being inflated with pride, he immediately
became furious, and barking more ferociously than
an Epirotic dog, inflicted calamity either on an in¬
dividual, or a family, or a whole city. The greater
also the evil was which he occasioned, the more he
was delighted, as if he would wipe away with the
tears of mankind the infamy of his domestic indo-
lence. Nevertheless, one advantage was derived
from this evih For frequently when he attempted
any thing of a dire nature against some one, he
was induced to fall into suspicions foreign from the
truth, so that he resembled those who are furious
through inspiration from the Nymphs, strenuously
contending about the Delphic shadow. In the
mean time, he who was in danger was saved ; for “
no mention was made of him afterwards. Or it so
happened that he was seized with a lethargy and a
heaviness in his head for a certain time, so as to
forget what he intended to do. Afterwards, how¬
ever, though he recovered from this stupor, yet he
lost all recollection of past transactions. He would
likewise contend with those who w7ere in adminis¬
tration, about the quantity of grains of wheat con¬
tained in a medimnus, or the cyathi contained in a
congius ; exhibiting in such disputes a certain
superfluous and absurd sagacity. Sleep, also, by
opportunely attacking Typhos, would sometimes
snatch a man from destruction. For Typhos,
when seized with this, would have dashed his head
on the ground, unless some one of his attendants,
laying aside his lamp, had supported him. And
thus it* frequently happened that a tragical Pan *
nuchis s ended in a comedy. For he did not trails»
act business during the day* because he was natu¬
rally hostile to light and the sun, and adapted to
darkness. But though he clearly knew that every
one with whom the smallest degree of wisdom was
present, despised his extreme ignorance, yet he did
not accuse himself of folly, but was on this account
the common enemy of intelligent men as of those
that injured him, because they knew how to form a
judgment of things. For he was a man incapable
of giving counsel to others, and most ready in the
contrivance of stratagems. With him folly and an
insane confidence were inseparably united, which
are two pests of the soul that corroborate each
other ; than which there neither are, nor ever will
be in the nature of things, evils of a greater magni¬
tude, or more prompt to destroy the human race.
These several particulars the father saw and
understood, but at the same time provided for the
welfare of the Egyptians. For he wras a king, a
priest, and a wise man. And the Egyptian writ¬
ings say that he was also a God. For the Egyptians