Proclus' Theology of Plato (Six Books) — trans. Thomas Taylor (1816)

What therefore is the heaven to which Jupiter leads the Gods? For if we should say that it is the sensible heaven, as certain other persons say it is, it will be necessary that the more excellent genera should be con- verted to things naturally subordinate to themselves. For if Jupiter the mighty leader in the heaven proceeds to this sensible heaven, and leads to it all the Gods that follow him, he will have a conversion to things sub- ordinate, and posterior to himself. And together with Jupiter, this will also be the case with all the leaders, and the Gods and daemons suspend- ed from these ; though the same Socrates in the Phaedrus says, that even a partial soul when perfected is conversant with sublime concerns, and governs the whole world. How is it possible therefore, that the leaders of whole souls should be converted to the sensible heaven, and exchange

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the intelligible place of survey for an inferior allotment, when through these souls they preside over the universe, in order that they may illumi- nate mundane natures with a liberated and unrestrained power? In ad- dition to these things also, what are the blessed intellections of the Gods within this sensible heaven, and what are the evolutions of all the know- ledge of sensibles? ' For in short the Gods know sensibles, not by a con- version to thein, but by containing in themselves the causes of them. Hence intellectually perceiving themselves, they know sensibles causally, and rule over them, not by looking to them, and verging to the subjects of their government, but by converting through love inferior natures to themselves* Neither therefore, is it lawful for the Gods who adorn the whole of heaven, and think it worthy their providential care, to be ever situated under the circulation of this heaven ; nor is there any blessedness in the contemplation of the things which exist under it ; nor are the souk that are converted to this contemplation among the number of those that are happy, and that follow the Gods, but they rank among those that ex- change intelligible for doxastic nutriment, such as Socrates says, the souls are that are lame, that have broken their wings, and are in a merged con- dition. Since therefore passions of this kind belong to partial souls, and these not such as arc happy, how can we refer a conversion to the sensi- ble heaven to tlte ruling aud leading Gods ?

Farther still, Socrates says that souls standing on the back of the hea- ven, are carried round by the circumvolution itself of the heaven ; but Timaeus, and the Athenian guest say, that souls lead every thing in the heavens by their own motions, externally cover bodies with their motions, and living their own life through the whole of time, impart to bodies se- condarily efficient powers of motion. Mow therefore do these things ac- cord with those who make tliis heaven to be sensible? For souls do not contemplate and dance round intclligibles, through the circulation of the heavens ; but through the unapparent convolution of souls, bodies re- volve in a circle, and about these perform their circulations. If there- fore any one should say that the sensible heaven circumvolves souls, and

• The sentence that immediately follows this in die original, is so defective, as to be perfectly unifttelliptble. I hire not therefore, attcir.Dtcd to translate it.

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that it js divided according to the hack, the profundity, and the subce- lestial arch, many absurdities must necessarily be admitted.

But if some one should say that the heaven is intelligible, to which Ju- piter is the leader, but all the Gods, and together with these, daemons follow him, he will unfold the divinely-inspired narrations of Plato con- sentaneously to the nature of things, and will follow the most celebrated of hii interpreters. For Plotinus and Jamblichus are of opinion that this heaven is a certain intelligible. And prior to these, Plato himself in the Cratylus following the Orphic theogouies calls the father indeed of Jupiter, Saturn, but of Saturn, Heaven. And he evinces that Jupiter is the de- miurgus of the whole of things through the names [by which he is called,] investigating for this purpose the truth concerning them. But he shows that Saturn is connective of a divine intellect; and that Heaven is the in- telligence, or intellectual perception of the first intelligibles. For sight, says he, looking to the things above, is Heaven. Hence Heaven subsists prior to every divine intellect, with which the mighty Saturn is replete; but it intellectually perceives the things above, and such as are beyond tlte celestial order. The mighty Heaven therefore, is allotted a kingdom which is between the intelligible and intellectual orders. For the circulation mentioned in the Phsedrus is intelligence, through which all the Gods and souls obtain the contemplation of intelligibles. But intelligence is a me- dium between intellect and the intelligible. It must be said therefore, that the whole of heaven is established according to this medium, and that it contains the one bond of the divine orders, being the father indeed of the intellectual genus, but being generated from the kings prior to it, which also it is said to see. But on one side of it the supercelestial place, and on the other the subcelestial arch must be arranged.

Aoaik therefore, if indeed the supercelestial place is the imparticipa- ble and occult genus of the intelligible Gods, how can we establish so great a divine multitude there, and this accompanied with separation, viz. truth, science, justice, temperance, the meadow, and Adrastia ? For neither do the fountains of the virtues, nor the separation and variety of forms, pertain to the intelligible Gods. For the first and most unical of forms extend the demiurgic intellect of wholes to the intelligible paradigm, and the comprehension of forms which is there. But Socrates in the Phaedrus saya that a partial intellect contemplates the supercelestial place. For this intellect is the governor of the soul, as it is well said by the philosophers prior to us. If therefore, it be necessary from this analogy to investigate the difference of intelligibles, as the demiurgic in- tellect indeed, is imparticipable, but a partial intellect is participate, so with respect to the intelligible, one indeed which is the first paradigm of • the demiurgus, pertains to the first intelligibles, but another which is the first paradigm of a partial intellect pertains to the second intelligibles, which are indeed intelligibles, but are allotted an iutelligible transcenden- cy, as subsisting at the summit of intellectuals. But if the supercelestial place is beyond the celestial circulation, but is interior to those intelligi- ble triads, because it is more expanded ; for it is the plain of truth, and h not unknown, is divided according to a multitude of forms, and pos- sesses a variety of powers, and the meadow which is there nourishes souls,, and is visible to them, the first intelligibles illuminatiug souls with ineffa- ble union, but not being known by them through intelligence ; — if this be the case, it is certainly necessary that the supercelestial place should sub- sist between the intelligible nature, and the celestial circulation. If Plato himself also admits that essence which truly is, exists in this place, how is it possible that he should not also admit it to be intelligible, and to partici-

CHAP. Vtt.

pate of the first intelligible* ? For because indeed it is essence it is intel- ligible ; but because it truly is, it participates of being.

Moreover, possessing in itself a multitude of intelligibles, it will not be arranged according to the first triad ; for the one being is there, and not the multitude of beings. But possessing a various life which the meadow indicates, it is subordinate to the second triad ; for intelligible life is one, and without separation. And again, since it shines forth to the view with divided forms, all-various orders, and prolific powers, it falls short of the all-perfect triad [in intelligibles]. If therefore it is the second to these in dignity and power, but is established above the celestial order, it is iutel- ligible indeed, but is the summit of the intellectual Gods. On this ac- count also, nutriment is derived tc~ souls from thence. For the intelligi- ble is nutriment, since the first intelligibles also, viz. the beautiful, the wise and the good, are said to nourish souls. For by these, says Socrates,, the wing of the soul is nourished ; but by the contraries to these it is cor- rupted and destroyed. These things however, are indeed effected by the first intelligibles exemptly, and through union and silence. But the su» percelestial place is said to nourish through intelligence and energy, and; to fill the happy choir of souls with- intelligible light, and the prolific rivers of life.

After the . supercefestiar place however and the heaven itself, is the subcelestial arch, which it is obvious to every one ought to be arranged under the heaven, and not in the heaven.. For it is not called by Plato the celestial,, but the subcelestial arch. That it is also proximately situ- ated tiuder the celestial circulation, is evident from what is written con- cerning it. But if it be necessary to make the subcelestial arch being

such, the same with the summit of intellectuals, and not with the end of the intelligible aud intellectual Gods, it will be now necessary to contem- plate what remains. For the summit of intellectuals separates itself from the kingdom of the heaven, but the subcelestial arch is on all sides com- prehended by it. And the former indeed constitutes the whole of intel- lect, intellectual multitude, and as Socrates says, the blessed discursive energies of the Gods ; but the latter only bounds the celestial scries, and supplies the Gods with the means of ascending to the heaven. For when the Gods are elevated to the bancpiet, and the delicious food, and are filled with intelligible goods, -then they proceed ascending, to the sub- celestial arch, and through it are raised to the celestial circulation. Hence, if you say that the subcelestial arch is perfective of the Gods, and con- verts them to the whole of the heaven, and the supercelestial place, you will not wander from the meaning of Plato. For the GodB are indeed nourished by the intelligible, by the meadow, and by the divine forms, which the place above the heaven comprehends ; but they are filled with this nutriment through the subcelestial arch. For through this they also participate of the celestial circulation. Hence they are converted in- deed, through the subcelestial arch ; but they receive a vigorous intellec- tual perception from the celestial order ; and they are filled with intelli- gible goods from the supercelestial place. It is evident therefore, that the supercelestial place is allotted an intelligible summit; but the circula- tion of the heaven, the middle breadth ; and the arch, the intelligible ex- tremity. For all things are in it. And intellect indeed is convertive, but the intelligible is the object of desire. But divine intelligence gives com- pletion to the middle, perfecting indeed the conversions of divine natures, and binding them to^such as are first, but unfolding the tendencies to in- telligibles, and filling secondary natures with precedaneous goods. I think however, that through these things we have sufficiently reminded jthe reader of the order of these three.

CEIAP. IX.